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Streamline the process of installing updates

Sage Installation Manager is an application that lets you install software updates to numerous workstations from a single location. For example, you can install Sage Installation Manager on your server, and use it to install updates to each individual workstation on your domain. While you can use Sage Installation Manager to install updates to individual workstations, you must manually install updates on your server.

After you have installed Sage Installation Manager, you can use it to check whether an update from Sage is available at any time. (You will continue to receive e-mail notification of updates as well.) An overview of each workstation installation is provided in a log.

Review the requirements listed below. If your system meets the requirements, follow the instructions to install Sage Installation Manager.

Requirements:

• Your workstations must be configured on a single domain. Workgroups or peer-to-peer network structures are currently not supported.

• The account logon you use for Sage Installation Manager must have administrator privilege on the central computer and all workstations which will receive updates from it.
  

• Verify that each workstation on your system has access to Admin$ share.
  1. Open Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management.
  2. Open System Tools > Shared Folders > Shares.
  3. Verify that Admin$ is present. See your system administrator if it is not present.


• A firewall exception for file and printer sharing must be made for each workstation.
  • On XP and Windows 2003, open Control Panel > Windows Firewall > Exceptions tab. Select the File and Printer Sharing check box.
  • On Vista and Windows 2008 open Control Panel > Windows Firewall. In the Windows Firewall window, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off. Open the Exceptions tab and select the File and Printer Sharing check box.
    
    
• Security software on each workstation must allow access to TeleXEQ. TeleXEQ is a Sage program used by Sage Installation Manager.

• In addition, all users should have full control permission to the shared Timberline Office folder. This setting is required to run Sage Timberline Office. Sage Installation Manager will verify and perform this step if necessary.

  Manual steps to verify full control permission for troubleshooting purposes:

  1. Right-click the Timberline Office folder:
     • On XP and Windows 2003, open [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Timberline Office
     • On Vista and Windows 2008. open [Drive]:\ProgramData\Sage\Timberline Office
  2. Select Properties > Sharing.
  3. Select Share This Folder, then click [Permissions].
  4. Select Everyone, then select Allow Full Control.

Notes:

• The use of Sage Installation Manager is optional. You can continue to update each workstation manually if you wish.
  
• Sage Installation Manager works with Sage Timberline Office Accounting and Estimating versions 9.6.0 and later.


• We recommend that you restart your workstations before you install updates. Sage Installation Manager can be used to restart workstations. Notify workstation users that you will restart their computers in advance.


• Workstations are updated one at a time. It may take several minutes to install an update. If an update does not install on a particular workstation, Sage Installation Manager moves to the next workstation.


• You can review a detailed log for each workstation installation.

Tip:
If you have many computers running combinations of Accounting, Estimating, and Document Management, you may find Sage Installation Manager easier to use if you give each workstation a descriptive name (such as “Tom’s computer”). Sage Installation Manager lists the full computer name, which is often numerical.

1. Open Control Panel > System > Computer Name tab.
2. Enter a descriptive name such as “Bill’s computer” in the Computer Description box.
3. Create a spreadsheet listing each computer’s Description and its Full Computer Name for future reference.

Download the Sage Installation Manager

If you are an Accounting user, follow these steps to download and install the Sage Installation Manager on your Accounting server. If you are an Estimating-only user, designate a central computer on which to install the Sage Installation Manager. This can be a server or a workstation.

1. Click the following link to download the self-extracting file that contains the Sage Installation Manager.
   

   http://cdn.updates.timberline.com/SoftwareAlerts/SIMInstall.exe

2. When the File Download window appears, click [Save].


3. In the Save As window, select a temporary location on the server to save the file, and then click [Save].


4. In the Download Complete window, click [Close].

Install the Sage Installation Manager

1. Browse to the location where you saved the file in step 3 of the "Download the Sage Installation Manager" section.
   
2. Double-click the file SIMInstall.exe.
   
   
3. Click [Run] in the Open File - Security Warning window.


4. In the WinZip Self-Extractor window, click [Unzip].


5. Click [OK], then [Close] the WinZip Self-Extractor window.


6. Double-click on setup.exe.
   
   
7. If you are an Estimating-only user, click [Next] to install to the default folders or [Change] to select different locations.


8. Click [Finish] when prompted.

After you have installed the Sage Installation Manager on your Accounting server or central computer, you can use it to search for and download updates from Sage. You can then manage which computers you want to update from the central computer.

Download an update using Sage Installation Manager

1. Open the Sage Installation Manager using Start > Run > Sage Software > Sage Installation Manager > Sage Installation Manager.


2. Click [Manage Downloads].


3. From the Manage Downloads window Click [Check for New Downloads].


4. Select the updates you want to download: 9.6.0 {Accounting Update 5.1 or Estimating Update 2.1}. You can select both Accounting and Estimating updates.


5. Click [Download].


6. Click [OK] to start the download.


7. After the download completes, click [OK].


8. Click [OK save changes].


9. Click [Close] to close the Sage Installation Manager.

Install the Accounting update on your Accounting server

If you are an Estimating-only user, you can skip to the next section.

At the server or stand-alone computer, log on with full administrative rights.

Note: Full administrative rights are defined as write access to the Windows registry and all the folders on the computer, including rights to the root of all hard disks. If you are unsure whether you have full administrative rights, ask your network administrator for assistance. Alternately, you can ask your network administrator to log on with the network administrator ID before you start the installation.

1. Close all Sage Timberline Office applications at the server and on all workstations.
   
2. Navigate to the downloaded 960AccUpdate51.exe file on your server:
   • On XP and Windows 2003, open [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Timberline Office\9.5\Downloads\Cache.
   • On Vista and Windows 2008. open [Drive]:\ProgramData\Sage\Timberline Office\9.5\Downloads\Cache.
     
     
3. Double-click the file 960AccUpdate51.exe only once.
   
4. If a security warning appears, click [Run] or [Allow].
   
5. The Ready to install window appears. Click [OK].
   
   Note: The update may take several minutes, and may appear as if nothing is happening. Double-click the file 96AccUpdate51.exe only once. You will receive a message when the installation is complete.
   
6. The message This update has been installed successfully appears. Click [OK].

Determine on which computers to install the update

1. Open the Sage Installation Manager using Start > Run > Sage Software > Sage Installation Manager > Sage Installation Manager.
2. Click [Manage Computers].
   
3. Click [Scan for Computers].
   
4. Enter a search pattern and click [Scan]. If you do not enter a search pattern, the system will scan every computer on your domain.
   
5. In the Computer scan results dialog, click [OK].
   
6. Click [OK (save changes)].
   
7. Repeat steps 3-6 until all computers that have Sage Timberline Office have been added to the list of computers.

Note: Access issues can prevent Sage Installation Manager from listing all computers with Sage Timberline Office. If all computers have been scanned, and some are not visible in the Manage Computers list, verify that the requirements have been met for those computers.

Restart Selected Computers (Optional)

1. Open the Sage Installation Manager using Start > Run > Sage Software > Sage Installation Manager > Sage Installation Manager.
   
2. Select the computers you want to restart.
   
3. Click [Restart Computers].
   
4. To determine if the computers have been restarted and are ready to have the update installed select the computers then click [Check Availability].
   Note: Allow a minimum of five minutes after selecting [Restart Computers] before selecting [Check Availability].

Update each workstation

1. Open the Sage Installation Manager using Start > Run > Sage Software > Sage Installation Manager > Sage Installation Manager.
2. Select which update you want to install from the Selected Downloads drop-down list.
3. Select the workstations where you want to install an update.
   
4. Click [Install] and then click [OK] to start the installation process.
   
5. Click [OK] when prompted to proceed with the installation.
   Note: The installation process takes several minutes per workstation.
   
6. When the installation process is complete click [OK].
   
7. Verify that the update was installed in the Accounting Version column.

If the update is not displayed in the Accounting Version column, check the log for possible causes. Open the log file by clicking [Logs].

Review the installation logs

1. Open the Sage Installation Manager using Start > Run > Sage Software > Sage Installation Manager > Sage Installation Manager.
   

2. Click [Logs] for the workstation you want to review.

   Note: You can also manually open the log on your server.

   • On XP and Windows 2003, open [Drive]:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sage\Timberline Office\9.5\Downloads\Logs
   • On Vista and Windows 2008. open [Drive]:\ProgramData\Sage\Timberline Office\9.5\Downloads\Logs
     
     

3. Click [Close] to close the Sage Installation Manager.

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If you would like assistance with a solution and your service plan provides online technical support:

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