There's nothing magic about downloading and installing a module; all one normally needs is a few minutes' time -- and these notes. (To print these notes, click FILE - PRINT on your browser's menu bar and print the whole page on your printer. Keep it for later reference!) Here's what you need to do:
Step 1 - DOWNLOAD the update software to your computer.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Never, never, never update your system with files that are OLDER than the ones you currently are using (unless you are on the phone with one of our technical support persons) . If you see an update named 12.07.23, consider that the number means July 23, 2012. You can find out what version is currently on your system by clicking on INFO in any of your Club Office menus. The Vinfo32 (version info) module will display the version you have, such as ARMASTER 13.08.15a. This means that your ARMASTER module is dated August 15, 2013. This would obviously be more current that July 23, 2012. And if your module said 13.08.09c, it would be more current than an 13.08.09a module, because C is further down the alphabet than A.
In most cases on the download page, there will be a DOWNLOAD NOW button -- click on it to download the associated file. In other cases, there may be an underlined word or two, which are "links" to downloadable files. When you click on one, it will automatically tell our web site to begin sending the file and your browser will automatically start receiving it.
Your browser will likely then ask you what you want to do with it -- commonly it might ask if you want to OPEN it or SAVE IT TO DISK. Choose the SAVE TO DISK option, and type the same filename that you clicked on to start the download. Helpful suggestion......the easiest way to "save as" involves using the BROWSE button to locate your \CDCO folder and save it there. Then it's already in the right place and installing the update will be really easy. But REGARDLESS of where you save it, it's YOUR responsibility to remember WHERE you put it so you can go back to it after downloading it and perform step #2, the Installation!
When you click OK to resume the download, you'll likely see some sort of status screen somewhere on your browser's window showing the status of the file transfer. It might be measured in bytes or a progress bar or both. In any event, when the file transfer is complete, the message will probably go away. While you're downloading, don't use your browser to go anywhere else. Let the download complete first.
If you have more files to download, repeat the process until you're done and log off the Internet by closing your browser. If you use a dial-up Internet connection, you may have to close your Internet dialer, the program you started that fired up your modem and dialed out to originally connected you to the Internet in the first place.
Sometimes you may download the software update file from an FTP site using Windows Explore (not Internet Explorer) then you'd just drag the file from the FTP window onto your desktop and wait for it to finish. Usually some kind of progress completion information appears on the screen while the file transfer is taking place.
Step 2 - INSTALL the Software Update
Once you've downloaded the file(s) to your CDCO folder, you're about 75% done. All that's left is to unpack them and possibly run an update file to update your databases. The installer itself will do all the unpacking for you. A software update is essentially a "replacement" of the executable program files that make up your Club Office system. The installer simply overwrites the existing files with newer ones -- it's that simple! HOWEVER....
Extremely important: Windows will not let you replace files that it thinks are currently in use. This means, you must make sure that no users are using Club Office! If a user is logged in, he/she will be "using" one or more of the program modules and Windows will not allow replacing program or data files that are in use.
How about POS or TimeClock users? Can they be using POS? Can users punch In/Out while I do a software update? The best answer is: "it depends." The best solution is to schedule a software update on your calendar and make sure that nobody uses those tools during the time the update is in progress. This may mean that you'll have to print some signs and tape them to the monitors to remind your users and certainly train them NOT to just pull the the message off and use it anyway, and of course you'd schedule this at a time when it's most convenient for all users. A software update may inconvenience some users and this is unfortunately an unavoidable circumstance that happens when computers are in use.
If Club Data needs to alter a database, the software will automatically run a "database update" module when you try to start Club Office. The file that causes this to occur is named "dbupdate.dat" and was placed in the CDCO directory along with the other new files. The database update module will check to see if users are logged into Club Office and if so, a warning message will appear. At that time, have all users log OUT of the Club Office software before continuing. Please let the Club Data tech support staff know if the update stops for whatever reason. It's critically important that your databases be in sync with the software and to do that, it needs to run all the way to completion. When the update is complete, Club Office will then start up normally.