This page contains answers to common questions handled by our support staff, along with some tips
and tricks that we have found useful and presented here as questions.
- What is the difference between
PerpetualWorkbook and PerpetualBudget?
- When do I use one or the other?
- How do I switch between product lines?
- How do I get started using PerpetualWorkbook?
- Where can I find more information on network shares?
- Why is the download package so large?
- Who is the contact person for the beta test program?
- What is the reason the pbmaster.mdb file gets quite large?
- When is PerpetualWorkbook 3.8 scheduled to be released?
- Can I run PerpetualWorkbook from my local drive?
- Do I have to use all of the features of
PerpetualWorkbook?
- Why create User Files? Why not
just share the workbook?
- I'm running Windows 95/98 and having
problems with the install?
- What operating systems does PerpetualWorkbook support?
- Does PerpetualWorkbook support OfficeXP?
- Why does Update Master Files process
files just after another Admin User has updated the masters?
- If I Alt-Tab between two workbooks,
the screens on PWXL don't change?
What is the difference
between PerpetualWorkbook and PerpetualBudget?
PerpetualWorkbook does not contain bundled workbooks.
PerpetualBudget comes bundled with workbooks for a distributed budgeting
solution.
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When do I use one or the
other?
If you plan to use your workbooks, use PerpetualWorkbook. If
you purchase our workbooks, use PerpetualBudget.
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How do I switch between
product lines?
If you upgrade from PerpetualWorkbook to PerpetualBudget,
just overinstall PerpetualBudget. The software takes care of license files and
migrating the database.
If you move from PerpetualBudget to PerpetualWorkbook, first
uninstall PerpetualBudget. The license file(s) and database modules are not
removed. Now install PerpetualWorkbook. The software recognizes the license
files and prompts the user to migrate the database. Retail and demo licenses
are preserved.
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How do I get started using
PerpetualBudget... ?
PerpetualBudget comes with powerful setup Wizards that walk you through the entire
process of creating user template files, managing network shares and
configuring your system with user data. You can re-run the Wizards at
any time to update, change or re-construct your system. Automation
Wizards make creating and maintaining the system easy.
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Where can I find more information on network shares?
If your company or organization has a network administrator, they can set
up the secure network share PerpetualBudget needs to run in a fully secure
mode. Simply stated, the financial administrators need full access to
the share, and the users only need access to the user file directories.
You can set this up yourself by creating the folder <networkdriveletter>:
\budgetsystem on a network drive. Copy your master budget files to <networkdriveletter>:\budgetsystem\master.
Run Setup Budget Files Wizard in PerpetualBudget. PerpetualBudget will
create the user file folders. Now share the folder \budgetsystem to all
participants in PerpetualBudget and set the individual permissions according
to their 'need to know and see'!
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Why is the download package so large ?
It's mostly because Microsoft doesn't always distribute and install needed
operating system (language dependent) components and the program needs these
to run properly.
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Who is the contact person for the beta test program?
All questions regarding the beta test program should be addressed to Support@spicer-baer.com.
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What is the reason the pbmaster.mdb file gets
large?
As data is added or deleted, the tables aren't
actually optimized until you run the Compact Database function. Pointers
are used to keep track of changes. Occasionally run the
Compact Database function. This will optimize the table data. The
program runs this function at the completion of the Setup Wizard.
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When is PerpetualWorkbook
3.5 scheduled to be released?
Version 3.8 releases to the web site, March 31, 2006.
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Can I run PerpetualWorkbook from my local drive?
Yes, PerpetualWorkbook will run on your local drive. Copy your master
spreadsheet files to your local drive and then
run the Setup Wizards. This will allow you to evaluate PerpetualWorkbook
on your desktop PC. If you don't use the network share and email
attachments of the user files to your users, then the system works off
the local drive! When a user emails their updated file back to
you, it overwrites the existing copy and a visual alert is given to the
admin user to update the master workbook(s).
When you are ready to share the system with your users, copy the master
files to <networkdriveletter> and re-run the Setup
Wizards.
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Do I have to use all
of the features of PerpetualBudget?
Not really. Use the features that help you do your job
best. For example, you could do a top down budget using your master
spreadsheets and when finished, use PerpetualWorkbook to distribute the user
files to your users so they have a working Excel worksheet of their
budget. In this case, you wouldn't need to run any of the Update functions.
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Why create User Files?
Why not just share the workbook?
It depends on your requirements. If some of the
information (worksheets) in the workbook is private or sensitive, it may not
be a good thing to share the workbook. Also there are network
performance issues with shared workbooks. Creating User Files is easy,
reliable and empowers each user of the data with the ownership of part of the
update process. PerpetualWorkbook and the PerpetualWorkbookXL automate the template process and
manage the workbook updating
automatically.
I'm running Windows 95 and having
problems with the install?
We know this is happening and we are sensitive to the
frustration it is causing. This FAQ will make an attempt to explain to
you why it's happening and what you and we can do to improve the number of
successful installations on Windows 95/98 systems.
First of all, technology has marched forward so far since
Windows 95 was shipped it's a marvel that so many Windows programs can be run
on these systems. The two most important of these technologies for the
purpose of this discussion are DCOM95 servers and Microsoft Data Access
Component technology. In a nutshell, ActiveX components didn't exist in
1995 or their earliest ancestors hadn't reached any standardization on
client/server messaging and behavior. A similar situation exists for
MDAC; the methods and standards for communicating with databases with
ODBC and newer standards such as ADO have only come into acceptance and a
semblance of stability within the past year or so. And even now, ADO is
marching forward faster than most developers can keep up with.
What we have settled on with PerpetualWorkbook is the use of
advanced ActiveX componentry and OLE DB (ADO 2.5) so that we can support the
popular OSes (95,98, NT, etc) and the most popular Office products, namely '97
and '2000. In order to satisfy successful installations over this range
of operating systems and products we have to achieve the following on all
systems:
- Proper installation and operation of DCOM
- Proper installation and operation of MDAC 2.5
Windows NT40 and Office 2000 users get these two
requirements satisfied during the installation of the OS or Office. Most
(many) Windows 98 systems have an adequate version of DCOM and possibly are
running MDAC v2.5.
Back to the Windows 95 systems: If PerpetualWorkbook or
other advanced Windows ActiveX/database intensive programs won't install or
run on your system, here's what you can do:
- Get a copy of DCOM95, read the documentation and
carefully install it on your system. This code is on the Microsoft
web site at http://www.microsoft.com/com/dcom/dcom95/download.asp.
- Download and install MDAC 2.5. This can be gotten
off our site at ftp://ftp.spicer-baer.com/MDAC_TYP.exe.
- After successfully installing these two programs in this order, now
install PerpetualWorkbook. Remove any traces you can find of any
previous failed installs. Look in c:\temp
for pbudget.cab files and delete them. Check in the Control Panel
and uninstall any previous PerpetualWorkbook or PerpetualWorkbookXL installs
(assuming they failed...). PerpetualWorkbook should install now without problems. If you
still encounter install issues please contact us at Support@spicer-baer.com
with details of the problems you are experiencing.
We have seen three types of problems on 95/98 systems:
- File copy problems prior to the actual
installation. These are associated with the installer we are
using (Microsoft PDW) and Microsoft is being diligent about getting
these fixed and distributed through the use of Service Packs.
Sometimes, you can re-boot your system at the point the copy error is
announced, re-attempt the install and the files copy ok.
- Certain DLLs fail during the Self-registration.
Some of these are caused by (believe it or not!), long
filenames. We can usually get those pesky DLLs to register with
a little help. Contact us.
We are trying to be candid here at the risk of losing your
confidence in our technology. We want to support the older OSes;
it would be easier to make this an NT/Office 2000 product and move on.
Let's just say that we have been able to get PerpetualWorkbook and PerpetualWorkbookXL running on our 95 and 98 machines and we want to do the
same for you. Thank you for your patience and support - the PerpetualWorkbook product team.
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What operating systems does
PerpetualWorkbook support?
Windows 95, 98, NT4, 2000, XP.
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Will
PerpetualWorkbook support OfficeXP?
Yes. PerpetualProducts support all released
versions of Microsoft Office since '97.
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Why does Update Master Files
process files just after another Admin User has updated the masters?
Check the Regional Settings in the Control
Panel for the same short and long date formats. If two Admin Users have
different date/time formats settings, they can interpret the database values
differently.
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If I Alt-Tab between two
workbooks, the screens on PWXL don't change?
That's because Alt-Tab is designed to switch between
applications. If you have two workbooks running (Win32 in general), Alt-Tab
will switch between the workbooks but the Workbook Activate event doesn't fire
the second time. We need that event to know to switch the PWXL screens. Try
using the Window list to switch workbooks or click on the task bar.
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