In order to upgrade to version 2.4, you must do the following:
1. Download and execute the pbsw24 DEMO program. That will create the folders properly, and make sure that the icons on your desktop and in the Windows Startup button menu are correct. Do not omit this step! PBSW24 is installed in its own folder; your current pbsw2 files are not affected and you can run both programs at the same time.
2. When you purchase the pbsw24 upgrade, you will be given a link to a private download page containing the upgrade installation, and you will be given the current upgrade password. Download the pbsw24Upgrade.exe file (the installation file) to your hard disk and execute it. That will put the new PBSW24.exe program into the pbsw24 folder created by the demo installation. In addition, new Fixtable, PWM (password manager program), and the Upgrade tool, named PBSW24UPG.exe will be placed in the PBSW24 folder;
3. When you execute the pbsw24Upgrade installation file, it ends with a README and also tries to start the PBSW24UPG program. If you choose not to start that program at the end of the installation, you can find it later in the pbsw24 folder and run it then. Until then, you can use pbsw24 with the demo files. The new pbsw24 program will not work with your old data files; they must be copied from your old pbsw2 data folder to the new pbsw24 data folder and then upgraded with new fields and formatting before pbsw24 will work with them.
Note that when you run the PBSW24UPG program, you will need to identify the source and target data folders, and then go through a series of file operations, all of which can be done automatically. All of these tasks can be found under the Upgrade Task List menuitem.
4. You also have the option of requiring passwords and logins for the patient data file. This option can be exercised at any time now or later by running the PBSW24UPG program, and selecting the menuitem that enables special password protection for the Patient file.
5. Extra Security. There is an additional set of security features that you can implement if you wish. This is an option on the PBSW24UPG menu, titled, "Link Tables to Server". If you choose this option, then the tables can be run only from the computer they are on. If you move them to another computer (or if someone else tries to copy them and look at them on another computer), they will not be accessible. You can still operate a network of computers and have multiple stations access the same files, but those files must reside on the computer to which you link them with this step. If you want to take them home to work on them, you can't. There is a way to destroy the link, but only if you phone me and I give you a special password to do so. Therefore, think about whether you want to do this before you "try it".
6. CLEANUP: At some point, after you run the pbsw24 program, you should get rid of the pbsw24 icons on your desktop and on your pbsw2 startup menu; you do not want to make the mistake of running the wrong program and wondering why data you entered is not there when you run the other program. If you want to keep the old pbsw2 installation intact, that is not a problem; just delete the shortcuts on the desktop and on the startup menu, since they can always be recreated easily. Eventually, you will want to get rid of the old pbsw2 entirely, but that can wait. Make sure also to edit your backup program's settings so that you start to backup the new program's data files, and not the old data files.
Note that if you use the demo program and enter your own data, those entries will be lost when you run the upgrade program, because your old pbsw2 data files are copied over onto the new data files so that you can use the data in the old data files.
Also note that demo installations include data files, filled with sample data; do not install the demo a second time if you have entered your own data, because your data will be lost. Demo programs are disabled; they will not save data for odd numbered months.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please send email to info@blumenthalsoftware.com