TAM upgrade downloads?

[Hans Manhave]

I have been scouring the Applied Systems website for TAM 10.x downloads.  I'm on 9.4 and would like to update today, but I cannot figure out where they have those things hidden.  Maybe I need new glasses.  I don't see it.

[Hans Manhave]

Replying to self: did a search for "updates" and located it.  No idea how the direct menu selection is, but this'll get 'r done.

[Hans Manhave]

update to 10.8 completed in an hour. However updating workstations by running asupdate is an erratic adventure. I had one workstation that would not copy any file listed 1,000Kb or larger. Finally sorted by size in wintam/controls and copied them manually to c:\wintam
after which it ran fine. Weird. A few more stations to go.

[Ian Blundell]

It is probably a good idea to get into the habit of using TAMClient.exe instead of asupdate.exe - it works for all workstation operating systems while asupdate doesn't work properly for Windows7.

[Hans Manhave]

I was impressed by the general ease of installation.  The server install gave no problems.  I followed the instructions, I thought, but I could have missed something.

Tamclient.exe does what asupdate.exe did?  So if I have station go south and it needs a new wintam folder, I should run tamclient.exe?  Maybe with the same /rr?  Also for WinXP or just for Win7?

[Bob]

Much of us are living in past, over worried and over stress over a planned update.  TAM udpates are so much better I never worry doing an update.  Rather quick and routine and don't need all those notes past around user to user.  Backup, reindex, check and fix and shifted records and jump in.  Just read the documentation and have at it.   Reason I say read documentation, once in while Applied may recommend you run a utility before beginning but it too is minor.

So solid and far more reliable,  I do most updates remotely from home.  Updates are rather routine and minor..  Much more is made of them from past and bad experiences but from version 9.x up, pretty solid and reliable experience.  Most anyone can go it alone without worry. .  This doesn't mean new version doesn't have bugs, that's programming, design and/over oversight.   Just saying the installs/updates are so routine, people need not worry and stress over an update.   My comments only apply to those updating ver 9.x to 10.x or 11.x.  8.x and below more work and steps involved.  More reason to get caught up on TAM make your life going forward easier.    JMO

[Lance Bateman]

Yes, advice I've received is to use Tamclient.exe at the level you're on and up, with the same /rr.  And I have seen no problem using that for any of the versions of MS (and yes, it bothers me that we have so many versions on workstations here).  Asupdate didn't seem to do the trick when on Vista.

I was impressed by the general ease of installation.  The server install gave no problems.  I followed the instructions, I thought, but I could have missed something.

Tamclient.exe does what asupdate.exe did?  So if I have station go south and it needs a new wintam folder, I should run tamclient.exe?  Maybe with the same /rr?  Also for WinXP or just for Win7?

[Ian Blundell]

As a beta tester I'm running updates/upgrades all of the time.  While they don't involve the big jumps that people who hold off upgrading waiting for the perfect version they can sometimes involve data reconfigurations.
I've reached the point where it is such a run of the mill operation I have run them on my iPhone (and on an iPad as well) using LogMeIn.  I'm not even running a special backup or pack & reindex before the installation.
I test a couple of workstations to make sure that they are seeing the version change and updating themselves and let the rest of them update themselves when the user next logs into TAM.  It has been quite a while since any of those have failed so I don't need to manually fix or reinstall TAM on any workstation.

[Bob]

Ian out did me..  From your iPhone!  LOL   

Shhhhh  don't tell anyone but I too have just upgraded without any extra steps.  Worked just fine too.  Don't want to preach that just in case.  I do have shadow copy running all day making restore points just in case something did go wrong largely why I don't worry.   I agree with you so uneventful these days upgrading, I enjoy that.   

Hans I would move to 11.1 and you could do as Ian did or I did, do it from home.   Then at least you drop tamhost and 16bit features.   

[Ian Blundell]

Bob
I'm also running shadow copy so I'm not quite flying without a parachute.

[Hans Manhave]

I used an HTC 8125 Windows Mobile  smartphone five years ago to run TAM updates using GotomyPC.  I can now do it by iPhone, I did it from home PC instead. Read parts of an actuarial exam study course while waiting for the conversion to
complete. This afternoon has been occupied with TAM support logins to correct non working parts. I may have to revise mu opinion.

[Bob]

Been using TAM since 1989 many years of data brought forward, plus many acquisitions.   I didn't encounter any broken parts when I went from 9.x to 10.5 then to 11.0 soon 11.1.

Only things I recall was ensuring you used Windows Classic them for 10.x and under (I did same even in version 11.x) or you would have object error in accounting.    If you come across a station using Windows 7 that can't access the offsetting credit when making disbursement, have them go to control panel, change the "make is easier to read what's on your screen setting to Smaller 100%.  If you are using category view change to small or large icon view then it will appear and you can adjust it.

I'll be loading 11.1 after I post year-end.

[Hans Manhave]

TAM 11.x requires Office 2003 or better, right?  Not compatible with OfficeXP aka Office2002.  Other than that, I appear to have everything in place.  Someone chime in if OfficeXP still works for Word/Excel interfacing.  We do have Outlook 2007.

This reminds me too, that I appear to have a problem with the v10.8 Word interface as far as mass producing of customer letters is concerned.  It did not appear to pull in all the variables consistently (and I'm running 2007 on my workstation).

[Lance Bateman]

On the form letters - it's been a while, and I don't remember if there were any database changes that might have impacted, EXCEPT certain fields were to be used as numbers only, and if they have non-numeric they could cause errors.

[Hans Manhave]

this would be the customer address block.  not looked into it yet.

[Hans Manhave]

It also would have been nice if the check printing setup would by default not change.  Do they think we have new checks or window envelopes just for after the upgrade?  Some programs have a 'first time to use this feature - you need to set up these parameters' that show at first use.  I.e. IE.  This check feature was available in v.9 also, but didn't have to be used. 

Also finally noticed that the downloads section is being pointed to at the right side of the support page, under the picture of the girl.  Too far out of the way to list items that require interaction.  Why not have it as one of those yellow options on the left?

[Jim Jensen]

It also would have been nice if the check printing setup would by default not change.  Do they think we have new checks or window envelopes just for after the upgrade?  Some programs have a 'first time to use this feature - you need to set up these parameters' that show at first use.  I.e. IE.  This check feature was available in v.9 also, but didn't have to be used. 

Also finally noticed that the downloads section is being pointed to at the right side of the support page, under the picture of the girl.  Too far out of the way to list items that require interaction.  Why not have it as one of those yellow options on the left?

I've never had to reset our check setup after upgrades. I don't know if that means that the default works for us or if my settings stick. I agree about the download links on the AS portal -very easy to miss since they never put anything else on the right side of the page.

[Hans Manhave]

Maybe the check thing was a remainder of the beta testing we used to participate in.  Being able to customize the check was quite nice, but we didn't need it then.  Now I'll have to review it again to see if we could go to a plain stock and print our own bank info etc.  I understand we'll need the MICR fonts licensed but that won't be the first fonts we buy.  I have a whole pigeon hole system of checks that could possibly be replaced with one stack.