GEOSYSTEM Program Installation Recommendations

Installation Considerations

If you would like to run the software on multiple computers (which is allowed under our license agreement), you'll want to use your network to share data. Before you start installing, though, you'll want to answer one basic question:

• Do you want to install the software onto your network, or onto each individual computer?

To answer your question, consider carefully these points:

• If you install the software onto your server, users might experience a delay when starting the program because a) the operating system must retrieve the program file and other related system files from the network, b) network virus scanners are notorious for taking exorbitant amounts of time scanning program files before allowing users to open them over the network, further slowing the program's opening (this process may take up to a minute), and c) networking hardware issues (bad cabling, failing network cards, server problems, etc.) may cause problems in loading the programs.
  
  On the plus side, server installations mean that you only have one program installation to update when we release patches. (If you give your users Internet access this isn't a big deal anymore, as modern GEOSYSTEM programs are self-updating.)
  
  
• If you install the software onto every computer where it might be used, you'll want to allow the software the ability to connect to the Internet through your firewall to allow it to update itself; otherwise, you'll need to update the software on every computer every time a patch is released.

Once you've decided on an installation location, proceed to one of the scenarios below:

• Local Computer or Network Installation, Upgrading from a Previous Program Version
• Network Installation, Upgrading from a Previously Locally-Installed Program Version
• New Licensee — Network Installation
• New Licensee — Local Computer Installation

Installation Scenarios

Creating a Shortcut to Start a Program From a Network Share

If you've installed the software to a network share, you'll want to give users on individual computers the ability to start the software from a shortcut. To do this, follow the procedure outlined below for each computer:

1. Log into the user's account.
2. Start Windows Explorer (right-click on the Windows "Start" button and select "Explore").
3. Because you'll be dragging a file from Explorer to your Windows Desktop, if a portion of your Desktop isn't showing behind the Explorer panel, click on the Explorer window's "un-maximize" button (this will be the middle button in the group shown at the top-right corner of the Explorer window) so that you can see a portion of the Windows Desktop behind the Explorer window.
4. Using Explorer, navigate to the network subdirectory where you installed your new GEOSYSTEM package.
5. Select "View" > "Details".
6. If you're creating a shortcut for the your GEOSYSTEM soil test and/or LOGDRAFT Boring Log package, locate a file with GDM in the Name column and Application in the Type column; if you're creating a shortcut for the Cement Products program, locate a file with CQC-CP in the Name column and Application in the Type column. Click on the file with your right mouse button then, while holding the button down, drag the mouse to your desktop.
7. Release the right button while your mouse is over the desktop: this should display a menu with "Move Here", "Copy Here" and "Create Shortcut(s) Here" options: select "Create Shortcut(s) Here".

Sharing Custom Program Settings and LOGDRAFT Report Forms

Whether you've installed the software onto individual computers or onto your network, you may want to consider designating a subdirectory on your network that will be used to share custom settings (e.g., grain size specification envelopes, Proctor test specifications, LOGDRAFT report forms, etc.) amongst all computers using the program.

• Even if you've installed your software to a network share, it will not, by default, use that network share to store its configuration files — rather, it will default to using a directory on each local machine.

1. Start your GEOSYSTEM program. If you have the software installed onto a network share, start the program while logged into an account that has full write permissions for the network share where the program has been installed.
2. Select "Options" > "Setup General Options".
3. Click on "Files" in the left-hand navigation panel.
4. Enter the path to the network subdirectory where you want to stored your shared configuration files into the box underneath the"Report, data entry form and shareable config files path" heading.
5. If you have the software installed onto a network share, click on the "Apply this path selection to all program users" box.
6. Click on "OK".
7. The software will ask for permission to copy settings over to your new location: click on the "Yes" button.
   

If you've installed the software onto individual computers, you will need to repeat this process on each computer.

Finally, if you're upgrading from an older GEOSYSTEM program, you'll need to move your old version's configuration files over to the new shareable configuration directory using the directions given in the following section.

Using Your Old Program's Custom Settings and LOGDRAFT Report Forms

If you're upgrading from an older GEOSYSTEM program version you'll want to move your old custom program settings (e.g., grain size specification envelopes, Proctor test specifications, LOGDRAFT report forms, etc.) over to the new program's configuration directory. To do this:

1. Start your GEOSYSTEM program.
2. Select "Options" > "Setup General Options" and click on "Files" in the left-hand navigation panel.
3. Click on the "Copy Files from an Alternate Location" button.
4. The software will ask you to navigate to the subdirectory from which you wish to copy your configuration files: Navigate to your old program's installation directory, then click on the "OK" button.