Version 12 Conversion Instructions
for Converting Version 11 Systems 

These instructions are used to convert the following Tabs3 and PracticeMaster systems to Version 12: 

The conversion program, STCONV12.EXE, will convert all of the above systems at the same time. Check boxes are included in these conversion instructions when the same task must be performed for more than one system. If a particular step applies to systems that your firm is not converting, simply skip that step. 

We recommend reading through all of these instructions before proceeding. Some computers that were able to successfully run Version 11 may not be able to run Version 12. Details are provided in the Notes section of these instructions. 

Your local Tabs3 reseller as well as our Technical Support Department Representatives are available to assist you with any questions you may have. Please call your local reseller or call us at (402) 423-1440 if you have any questions regarding this update. 

Version 11.1 Note:  If you are converting from Version 11.1 (as opposed to Version 11.2), there are additional steps that must be performed. Refer to KB Article R11003 in our Knowledge Base at www.support.Tabs3.com before proceeding. 

Note:  If you are converting software from a version other than those listed above, you will need to use the conversion instructions for older versions. These instructions can be found in our Knowledge Base at www.support.Tabs3.com.

Notes 

WINDOWS 95 SYSTEMS:  Version 12 cannot be run under Windows 95 operating systems. Although we discontinued support of the Windows 95 operating system several years ago because Microsoft discontinued supporting this operating system, it was still possible to run our software in a limited capacity under Windows 95. This is no longer true. If you have computers accessing our software under Windows 95, those computers will no longer be able to use our software once it has been updated to Version 12. 

WINDOWS NT4 SYSTEMS:  Version 12 cannot be run under Windows NT4 operating systems. Although the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software systems can be installed on an NT4 server, they must be started on a Windows XP/2000/Me/98 workstation because of the enhanced graphics used. (Exception:  STI Server can still run under Windows NT4.) 

WINDOWS 98/Me SYSTEMS:  Windows 98/Me is still supported with Version 12 software; however, it is important to note that Version 12 software requires more system resources than previous versions did. As a result, you may find that some Windows 98/Me workstations may not be able to successfully run as many applications at the same time as with previous versions of the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software. During our beta testing, we have found that some Windows 98/Me users that update to Version 12 do encounter system resources issues. Because of these system resources issues, we recommend using Windows XP or Windows 2000 for optimum performance. KB Article R11021, System Resources on Windows 98/Me, includes additional information regarding system resources issues on these older operating systems.

WINDOWS TERMINAL SERVICES: The Windows 2000 Terminal Services window cannot display more than 256 colors in some environments. Therefore, the colors of the icons and buttons in the Version 12 software may not be accurate when using this platform. Although the software still works as intended, you may want to consider upgrading to Windows 2003 Terminal Services because it does not have the 256 color limitation. For performance reasons, we further recommend not using a color depth greater than 16-bit color on a Terminal Services platform. (Note: The 256 color limitation does not apply when running Windows 2000 Terminal Services in conjunction with certain versions of Citrix.)

COLOR DEPTH: Version 12 requires 16-bit color or higher; 32-bit color is recommended. 

SCREEN RESOLUTION:  Version 12 requires 800 x 600 or higher screen resolution. 

INTERNET EXPLORER: Version 12 of Tabs3 and PracticeMaster requires Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 6. 

REFERENCE NUMBERS:  Reference numbers of Version 11 transactions may change. 

CLIENT SERVER EDITIONS:  Version 11 and Version 10 of the STI Server Software works with Version 12 Client Server editions of the software. Therefore no update is necessary for the STI Server Software. If your firm uses Client Server editions of the software, be sure to keep your Version 11 or Version 10 STI Server Software CD-ROM with the enclosed Version 12 CD-ROM after you have updated the Client Server editions of the software.

RUNNING ON A NETWORK:  If running on a network, we recommend running the conversion during non-peak usage. Although the total time required will vary depending on the amount of data and hardware speed, the average time it takes to run the conversion program is less than 30 minutes. However, we recommend allowing additional time to run the required steps before and after the conversion. Allowing a total of 2 hours should be more than adequate for most firms. (Tip:  If you are running on a Windows network, running the conversion from the file server will take considerably less time if you have a large amount of data.) 

PREVIOUS VERSIONS:  Previous versions of the programs will no longer be accessible once the conversion has been completed. 

HOTDOCS:  PracticeMaster Version 12.2 integrates with HotDocs 2005 SP2, HotDocs 6.2 SP4, and continues to integrate with HotDocs Version 5.2.

TASKBILL: If you are using TASKBILL software, then you must update TASKBILL to Version 12. Statements that have been updated using Tabs3 Version 11 can be processed using TASKBILL Version 12. 

TIME MATTERS® INTEGRATION: At this time, client integration between Tabs3 Version 12 and Time Matters does not work. Time Matters will be making a change to allow client integration with Version 12.

TIP OF THE DAY FILES:  Firms that have modified their Tip of the Day Files may want to make backup copies of these files because they will be overwritten with new Tip of the Day Files. Furthermore, these files are not backed up when running the built-in Back Up Data Files program. The following are the names of the Version 12 tip files:  T3TIP.TXT, PMTIP.TXT, G5TIP.TXT, A3TIP.TXT, T4TIP.TXT. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  Our Knowledge Base on the Internet at www.support.Tabs3.com includes an article with frequently asked questions regarding this update. Reviewing this article may answer some of the questions you might encounter regarding this update. The article is R11002 - “Version 12 Conversion Frequently Asked Questions”. 

Pre-Conversion Checklist

  1. GLS CLIENT LIST:  If you are converting GLS, print a GLS Client List (Reports | GLS Client List). Review the GLS Data Path specified for all GLS clients to make sure the paths are valid. Invalid paths will cause the conversion to abort. A blank data path is a valid path and simply indicates the data resides in the current working directory (as shown in Help | About GLS).

  2. CONVERT AT THE SAME TIME:  All integrated systems must be converted at the same time. DO NOT convert systems separately! 

Conversion Procedure 

Note:  This update must be installed over an existing Version 11 installation. If you haven’t installed Version 11, you must first install Version 11 and convert to Version 11 before installing the Version 12 update (or call us for a different set of installation and conversion instructions).  If you are converting from Version 11.1 (as opposed to Version 11.2), there are additional steps that must be performed, which are not included in these instructions. Refer to KB Article R11003 in our Knowledge Base at www.support.Tabs3.com before proceeding. 

Note:  Make sure no other users are accessing the software when this update is installed. 

Note:  When installing from a Windows 2000/XP/NT4 workstation, you must have Administrator Rights. 

  1. TABS3 REMOTE:  If you use Tabs3 Remote, do the following for all workstations using Tabs3 Remote. 

    1. Print and delete any remote data entry verification lists. 

    2. Merge any data files created by Tabs3 Remote Version 11 before proceeding with the conversion. 

    3. After deleting the verification lists from within the Tabs3 Remote software, manually delete the following files from the remote workstation using Windows Explorer:   R3FEEVER.DAT, R3FEEVER.IDX, R3CSTVER.DAT, and R3CSTVER.IDX.  

    4. Make sure the remote site does not perform data entry until it has been updated to Version 12.

  2. TABS3 PALM SOFTWARE:  If you use Tabs3 Palm Software, make sure you HotSync all data from handheld devices before installing the update. 

  3. PRACTICEMASTER PALM SOFTWARE:  If you use PracticeMaster Palm Application (i.e., not the PracticeMaster Palm Conduits), make sure you HotSync all data from handheld devices before installing the update. 

  4. PRACTICEMASTER BRIEFCASE: If you use PracticeMaster Briefcase, do the following for all computers using PracticeMaster Briefcase: 

    1. Make sure the Briefcase site does not perform data entry until it has been updated to Version 12. 

    2. Check in any data files created by PracticeMaster Briefcase before proceeding with the conversion.
       

  5. TBDEVICE & WCNVASCV COST RECOVERY PROGRAMS: If you use either the TBDEVICE or WCNVASCV cost recovery programs, make sure you merge all data from these programs before proceeding with the conversion.

  6. PRINT VERIFICATION LISTS:  All verification lists will be deleted by the conversion program. Print these lists (if they exist) before starting the conversion if you want to retain a copy of this information. If you are using a multi-user version of the software, make sure you print verification lists for all users.
    o Tabs3 o GLS o APS o TAS 

  7. DATA FILE INTEGRITY CHECK:  Run the Data File Integrity Check utility program for all systems. If you are converting Tabs3, also run the Tabs3 Archive Data Integrity Check. Proceed only if there are no errors.
    o Tabs3     o Tabs3 Archive Data Integrity Check
    o PracticeMaster o GLS o APS o TAS 

     GLS Note:  If you are configured for multiple GLS clients, make sure you run the Data File Integrity Check program for all GLS clients. 

  8. DETERMINE PROGRAM DIRECTORY:  Version 12 must be installed to the same location as Version 11. During the installation, you will be asked to specify where you want the Version 12 program files installed. Although Browse and Search buttons are available to locate the Version 11 program files, it is helpful to know this location before installing the Version 12 program files. The following can be used to determine where the program files are installed. 

    Start any Tabs3 or PracticeMaster software program. From the Help menu, select the About ... menu selection. Write down the Program Directory in the space provided (not the Current Working Directory).

    Version 11 Program Directory: ___________________________________________________________________ 

  9. CLOSE PROGRAMS:  Close the following programs. 

    1. Close any programs opened during the previous steps. 

    2. Close Microsoft Word if you are installing PracticeMaster. 

    3. Close the Tabs3 Palm Application, PracticeMaster Palm Application, and Palm Desktop for all workstations on the network. The installation program will display an error if any of these icons are loaded in the System Tray of any workstation on the network. 

  10. BACK UP:  Back up all of the Version 11 data files and program files. DO NOT skip this step. If the conversion program is interrupted for any reason, you must restore from a backup and start over. Use a backup method other than the built-in backup program because the built-in backup program does not back up program files. 

    Tip:  The easiest way to make this backup is to copy the entire directory to another location. 

  11. INSTALL THE VERSION 12 PROGRAM FILES:  Use the following instructions to install System Configuration and all other Version 12 programs in the program directory specified in step #8. 

    Note:  DO NOT start any Version 12 programs until directed. 

    1. Insert the program CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. 

    2. A CD Browser program will automatically start. (Note:  If the CD-ROM Autorun feature is disabled, click the Start button, and then click Run...  Click the Browse button and navigate to the CD-ROM drive. Double-click the LAUNCH.EXE file. Click OK.) 

    3. Select Begin Update | Install Update.
        ...or...
      Select Install Software and select the products you want to install. 

    4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.

    Recovery File Note: If installing from an Update CD, you will be asked to specify a location for a Recovery File. We recommend saving a Recovery File to a floppy disk (if available) and storing it in a safe place with this CD-ROM. You will need a Recovery File in the event you ever need to reinstall the software to a different computer. If a floppy disk drive is not accessible from the computer being used, you can create a Recovery File in a different location and copy it to other media later; or, you can use the Create Recovery File menu on the CD to create a Recovery File later. Be aware that a Recovery File must be created using a computer that has access to the Tabs3, PracticeMaster, and Tabs3 Financial Software program files. 

  12. BEGIN DATA CONVERSION:  Depending on the CD you are using, the conversion program will start automatically. When the conversion program is started, a window with the title “Version 12 Conversion” will be displayed. 

    1. If the “Version 12 Conversion” window is displayed, skip to step d. 

    2. If you are asked to restart your computer, go ahead and restart your computer and then start the conversion program as follows. 

    3. From the Start menu, point to Programs, and then point to Software Technology and click Version 12 Conversion. 

    4. Follow the instructions to complete the conversion.  You will be prompted to create a backup; we strongly recommend taking the time to create this backup file. The Help button or the F1 key can be used to read more about the conversion program

    Note:  If the Version 12 Conversion menu option is not shown, you can use the following alternate method to start the conversion.

    1. Click the Start button, and then select Run.
    2. Click the Browse button to navigate to the program directory specified in step #8, and then select the STCONV12.EXE file. Click Open. Click OK.

      3. Note:  If the STCONV12.EXE file cannot be found, this indicates one of the following:
      s  the installation program was interrupted;
      s  Version 12 was installed in the wrong directory. 

  13. COMPLETION MESSAGE:  Upon completion, the message “Data conversion completed” will be displayed.

    Note:      If messages were generated during the conversion, the message “Data conversion completed with X message(s).” will be displayed. These messages can be found in the files named STCONV12.LOG and PMCONV12.LOG, which can be printed using any text editor such as Windows Notepad, WordPad, or Microsoft Word. Call Technical Support if you need help interpreting or troubleshooting any messages. 

  14. DATA FILE INTEGRITY CHECKS:  In order to verify that the data converted successfully, start the Version 12 software and run the Data File Integrity Check utility program for all systems. If you are converting Tabs3, also run the Tabs3 Archive Data Integrity Check.
    o Tabs3     o Tabs3 Archive Data Integrity Check
    o PracticeMaster o GLS o APS o TAS 
    GLS Note:      If you are configured for multiple GLS clients, make sure you run the Data File Integrity Check program for all GLS clients. 

    15. If there are errors, print the Error Report(s) and resolve the errors. Call Technical Support if you need help resolving any errors. 

  15. FINISHING TOUCHES: It is important to perform the following steps in the Finishing Touches sections. Once you have completed all of the steps in the Finishing Touches sections, you will be ready to use Version 12! 

Finishing Touches 

  1. OPTIONAL WORKSTATION INSTALLATION:  If you use PracticeMaster Palm Conduits or PracticeMaster Word Document Assembly, you must update each workstation using the following procedures. Otherwise, you can skip this step. 

To update the software on a workstation 

  1. From the workstation, click the Start button, and then click Run...  

  2. Click the Browse button and navigate to the directory where the Version 12 program files were installed on the server. Then, select the SETUP.EXE file found in the program directory. Click Open and then click OK to run the program.  

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions. 

  4. Repeat steps a through c for each workstation that will be using the software.

  1. INSTALL VERSION 12 DOCUMENTATION:  The Version 12 manuals and tutorials are provided as Adobe PDF files (Portable Document Format) to make them accessible to you at any time from your workstation. This documentation can be installed from the CD-ROM by selecting the DOCUMENTATION menu option and following the on-screen instructions to install the desired documentation. 

  2. INSTALL VERSION 12 MULTIMEDIA TUTORIALS:  The Version 12 multimedia tutorials are provided on the CD-ROM. Although the multimedia tutorials can be run from the CD-ROM, if you have the hard disk space available, we recommend installing them on your hard drive so they are accessible via the help provided with the software. The updated multimedia tutorials can be installed from the CD-ROM by selecting the MULTIMEDIA TUTORIALS menu option and following the on-screen instructions to install them. 

  3. CONVERSION BACKUP FILE:  If you elected to create a backup file during the conversion, a backup file named STCONV12.ARQ has been created in the BACKUP directory. This file may be fairly large depending on the amount of data. You may want to delete this file at some point; however, we recommend not deleting it right away. 

  4. BACKUP PROCEDURES:  Review your backup procedures. Because of integration issues as well as the implementation of new files and folders, we strongly recommend backing up the entire folder with all folders under it as opposed to backing up individual systems. 

  5. INITIALIZE ODBC:  If you are using an ODBC driver to retrieve information from Tabs3, PracticeMaster, GLS, APS, or TAS data files, be aware that some ODBC reports or applications may need adjustments as a result of some fields being moved. Also, the physical order of some fields may have changed; therefore if fields are accessed by field number, adjustments may need to be made.  However, it is not necessary to rerun the Initialize ODBC programs for this particular conversion. 

Finishing Touches - Tabs3

  1. WRITE-UP/WRITE-DOWN FIGURES:  The manner in which write-up/write-down amounts and hours and courtesy discounts are reported has been enhanced on various reports to provide the ability to better analyze write-down and discount amounts. Several reports now include a value for the hours written up or down. Courtesy discounts are now shown separate from write-downs. Reports that have been changed include the Detail Work-In-Process Report, Client Productivity Report, Client Ledger Report, Write-Up/Write-Down Report, Timekeeper Productivity Report, and Category Productivity Report. The What’s New in Version 12 List provides details regarding the changes implemented for each report. 

  2. COLLECTIONS REPORT ICON:  If the icons on the Client Manager have been customized, the Collections Report will not be shown as an icon on the Client Manager. You may want to customize your Client Manager to include the Collections Report icon. 

  1. Start Tabs3 and press Ctrl+M to open the Client Manager. 

  2. Click the A/R Balance button. 

  3. Click the Customize option in the lower right-hand corner. 

  4. Click the desired “Not Assigned” or other icon position. 

  5. Select the Collections Report and click OK. 

  6. Click the Run option in the lower right-hand corner and then click Close in the upper right-hand corner. 

  7. Click Yes when asked to confirm you want to save your changes. 

  1. COLLECTIONS REPORT ACCESS RIGHTS: By default, the rights assigned to the Collections Report in the Access Profile are set to “No”. The Access Profile rights must be modified to allow access to this report. 

  1. Start System Configuration. 

  2. From the File menu, point to Open and select Access Profile.

  3. Click the drop-down button in the Access ID field and select the desired Access Profile. 

  4. Select the Tabs3 tab.

  5. In the top list, scroll down and select the Accounts Receivable & Client Reports/Conflict of Interest group.

  6. In the bottom list, select the Collections Report function. 

  7. Under Selected Functions, click Allow to grant access to this function (Yes).

  8. Press Ctrl+S to save the changes to the Access Profile.

  9. Repeat steps c thru h for each Access Profile that will have access to the Collections Report

Finishing Touches - Tabs3 Remote 

  1. TABS3 REMOTE SOFTWARE: If you use Tabs3 Remote, you will need to do the following for all computers that use Tabs3 Remote: 

    1. Install Tabs3 Remote Version 12 on the computer that uses Tabs3 Remote.  

    2. Although it is not required when updating from Version 11, you may want to create new Tabs3 Remote validation files using the main Tabs3 computer and transfer the validation files (R3*.*) to each computer that uses Tabs3 Remote. 

Finishing Touches - Tabs3 Palm Software 

  1. TABS3 PALM SOFTWARE:  If you are using the Tabs3 Palm Software, you will need to install the updated Tabs3 Palm Software onto all handheld devices. To install the Tabs3 Palm Software on a handheld device, from the Start button, select Programs | Software Technology | Palm Software | Install Tabs3 Palm App. Once the files have been installed onto the handheld, you will also need to create new Palm Application Data files in Tabs3 and HotSync them to each handheld. 

Finishing Touches - PracticeMaster 

  1. FILE FORM LAYOUTS:  New fields have been added to the following files:  Client, Related Party, Calendar, and Journal. If your firm made any changes to the data entry form (i.e., form layout) for any of these files, then that form layout will not be converted (so as not to overwrite your custom changes) and the new fields will not be shown. However, if no changes were made to the form layout, then the new default OEM form layout will be implemented and the new fields will be shown when you open the data entry program.  

The following describes the new fields that have been added to each file:  

File 

New Fields 

Client File 

  • New Client Photo field on the Details tab. When assigned, this field is used in the new Client SnapShot. 
  • New Web Page field on the Address tab. 

Related Party File 

  • New Related Party Photo field on the Contact/Misc tab. When assigned, this field is used in the new Related Party SnapShot. 

Calendar File 

  • New Location field. (Note: See step 2 labeled “Calendar File”.) 

Journal File 

  • Multiple new fields for E-mail journal records.
    (    Note:  Because of the numerous changes made to the various form layouts for each record type, we recommend resetting this file to use the default OEM form layout and then redoing any customization. However, keep in mind that resetting the Journal File to use the default OEM form layout will reset the data entry forms for all journal record types including phone tasks, time tasks, research tasks, client notes, and e-mail records.) 

If the new fields are not shown, you can do one of the following. How you elect to proceed will depend on how much customization has been added to the files. 

·    Install the new default OEM form layout. This will overwrite any custom changes your firm has made to the form layout for that file. To do this:

  1. Open the file and select the List tab.

  2. From the Edit menu, select Form Designer.
  3. Click the FOCtrlPn button to open the Control Panel.
  4. Click the Reset to OEM Layout button.
  5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to overwrite your form layout.
  6. Click Close to close the Control Panel.

        ...OR... 

·    Manually add the fields to your current form layout. You can use the Form Designer to add the fields. KB Article R11001 in our Knowledge Base includes step-by-step procedures to add the fields to the form layout.  

        ...OR... 

·    Do nothing at this time and do not use the new fields. (Note: This is not an option for the Journal File if you are using PracticeMaster E-mail.) 

E-mail Note: Previously, the body of an e-mail message was stored in the Description field of the Journal file.  In Version 12, the body of an e-mail message is now stored in a new field called E-mail Body, which cannot be edited.  When the Version 11 data is converted to Version 12, the information in the Description field for e-mail records is copied to the new E-Mail Body field.  This information is also retained in the old Description field. A label of Comments has been added to the E-mail Journal form for the old Description field (provided you are using the new OEM form layout for the Journal File). After resetting the Journal File to use the OEM form layout as previously recommended, you will see that all new E-mail records will have a blank Description (Comments) field when saved.  This field can now be used for your comments about the e-mail or anything else that needs to be noted regarding the record. 

  1. CALENDAR FILE - NEW LOCATION FIELD:  PracticeMaster now has a new Location field, which is a protected field. If a Location field was previously added to the Calendar file by your firm, when the conversion is performed, PracticeMaster will rename the existing Location field to LOCATION_1 and add a new memo field named LOCATION. The PMCONV12.LOG file will indicate whether or not this has occurred. If it has occurred, the old Location information will not be available in your new Location field. Please call our Technical Support Department for assistance on how to deal with this issue. 

  2. NEW “RESIZE AUTOMATICALLY” FEATURE:  A new feature has been added to PracticeMaster Version 12 that allows you to assign a Resize Automatically attribute to Memo type fields. This attribute allows the field to automatically resize in data entry windows and use all available space when the window is resized. System files with Memo type fields whose form layout was not previously modified by your firm will automatically have this attribute set. Likewise, files that were reset to the OEM form layout as described in the previous step will also have this attribute set. However, if your firm modified the form layout, the attribute will not be set. You may want to check the Memo type fields in your files and select this attribute if it is not already configured. 

  1. Open the desired file. 

  2. From the List tab, select the Edit menu and then select Form Designer. 

  3. Find the Memo field and click it to select it. 

·    If the field has a red triangle shown in the lower right hand corner, it is already configured to Resize Automatically. 

·    If no red triangle is shown, right-click the field and select Resize Automatically. (Tip: You can right-click the field again to verify that a check mark is shown next to the Resize Automatically menu option.) 

The following is a list of Memo type fields that you may want to set to Resize Automatically. Additionally, you may have Memo fields in other User Defined Lookup files, Common Client Related files, and Area of Practice files that you may want to configure with the new Resize Automatically attribute. 

File 

Memo Field 

Client File 

Comments 

Related Party File 

Comments 

Journal File
Client Notes tab
E-Mail tab
Phone tab
Time Task tab
Research tab
Tabs3 tab 


Description
Description
Description
Description
Description
Description 

Calendar File 

Comments 

Fee File 

Description 

Cost File 

Description 

  1. PRACTICEMASTER PALM SOFTWARE:  If you are using the PracticeMaster Palm Software (i.e., not the PracticeMaster Palm Conduits), you will need to install the updated PracticeMaster Palm Software onto all handheld devices. To install the PracticeMaster Palm Software on a handheld device, from the Start button, select Programs | Software Technology | Palm Software | Install PracticeMaster Palm App. Once the files have been installed on the handheld, you will also need to create new Palm Application Data files in the host application and HotSync them to each handheld. 

  2. PRACTICEMASTER BRIEFCASE:  If your firm uses PracticeMaster Briefcase, you will need to install PracticeMaster Briefcase Version 12 on all computers that use PracticeMaster Briefcase. 

  3. WORD DOCUMENT ASSEMBLY & HOTDOCS DOCUMENT ASSEMBLY:  You may want to review and modify any document templates that have a fee tickler. PracticeMaster now allows you to specify a variable for Hours Worked as well as Hours to Bill in any fee tickler. 

    If you plan on updating your HotDocs templates to work with HotDocs 2005 or HotDocs 6.2, refer to our Knowledge Base article R11061, “Converting HotDocs 5 to HotDocs 2005/HotDocs 6 for PracticeMaster Integration”, for detailed information.

  4. E-MAIL PREFERENCES:  The PracticeMaster E-mail program has been redesigned and must now be configured for each user and workstation prior to using it. Since e-mail can contain malicious programs, security options have been added to PracticeMaster.  By default, E-mail Preferences for each user are configured with the highest security. Users assigned manager access rights in System Configuration can change these security options as desired. We recommend that your network administrator review the E-mail Preferences for all users. The PracticeMaster Help as well as our Knowledge Base Article R10998, “Customizing PracticeMaster E-mail Settings” provides additional information regarding E-mail Preferences.

  5. REPORTS:  Several reports in PracticeMaster have changed to reflect the new fields. You may want to modify existing report definitions to reflect the new files (which are listed in the table in step #1 under the "Finishing touches - PracticeMaster" section). If the report is a standard report provided with PracticeMaster that your firm has not modified, the easiest way to update it is to manually copy the new Version 12 report definition into your \CMREPORT folder. Manually copying the report definition is necessary because the conversion program does not overwrite any existing Version 11 report definitions in the event they have been customized. All Version 12 report definitions have been installed with the sample data in a folder named \TUTOR\CMREPORT under the Version 12 program directory. 

  1. Using Windows Explorer, rename the *.RW report file in the CMREPORT folder as a precautionary measure.  

  2. Copy the desired *.RW report file from the \TUTOR\CMREPORT folder to the \CMREPORT folder.  

  3. Start the PracticeMaster Report Writer and click the Rebuild button to rebuild the table of contents.  

  4. Run the report to verify that it looks okay. Be aware that any customization previously performed will no longer be present. 

  1. LOOKUP WINDOW COLUMN WIDTHS:  The lookup windows were changed to use the Field Name instead of the Field ID. As a result, you may find that you will need to resize some columns in various lookup windows to accommodate the adjusted column sizes. This can be done as needed. 

  2. TASK FOLDERS: The “Read E-mail” program is now simply called “E-mail” whereas the “Send E-mail” program has been removed from PracticeMaster. Therefore, if your main Task Folder was customized to include the “Send E-mail” icon, this spot on the Task Folder will be empty after the conversion. 

  3. REBUILD CONFLICT OF INTEREST FILES:  The Conflict of Interest Search now allows search values to include periods (“.”) and “at” sign (“@”) characters. The Conflict of Interest Index Files must be rebuilt in order to find text with these characters. (Note: This task may take some time to perform. You may want to wait to do this at a later time.) 

  1. From the PracticeMaster Maintenance menu, point to Conflict of Interest and select Configuration. 

  2. Make sure the Rebuild Conflict of Interest Index Files option is selected. 

  3. If desired, select the Allow Phonetic Searching check box. (Note: Selecting this option requires even more time to complete the rebuilding process.)  

  4. Click OK.

  1. PROCESS TIMER RECORDS:  The first time you open the Process Timer Records window, all e-mail journal records will be shown in the window. This is because you can now create fee records from e-mail journal records. 

Finishing Touches - Trust Accounting Software (TAS) 

  1. PRINT MEMO ON CHECKS: A new field called Memo has been added to TAS in the Trust Transaction data entry program. You can optionally print this Memo field on the check. In order for the Memo field to print on the check, you must configure the check printer to do so. 

  1. Start TAS. 

  2. From the File menu, select Print Setup. 

  3. Select the desired check printer and click the Check Setup button. 

  4. Select the Print Memo on Checks check box. 

  5. Click OK to save the setting. 

  6. Click OK to close the Printer Setup window. 

Free PracticeMaster Basic System  

A free copy of PracticeMaster Basic is included with every Tabs3 Version 12 system. PracticeMaster includes calendaring, case management and contact management. It does the things you already have to do, only faster. This is an ideal time to install and try out PracticeMaster Basic.  

Tip: Want more information about PracticeMaster Basic? Interested in the advanced practice management features of PracticeMaster Premier? Check out our Web site at www.PracticeMaster.com.  

Instructions to install PracticeMaster Basic can be found in our Knowledge Base on the Internet at www.support.PracticeMaster.com in Article R11027, Installing Your FREE Copy of PracticeMaster Basic.

Tip: Not sure where to start? You can install the Demo and/or Multimedia Tutorials from the CD-ROM to learn more about PracticeMaster. If you prefer, a written “hands-on” tutorial is automatically installed when the Documentation is installed. Have questions? Call our Technical Support Staff at (402) 423-1440. Our trained representatives will be happy to answer your questions. Give PracticeMaster a try. It may be just what you’ve been looking for.  

11-16-2005