Silver Mountain Software

ABACUS II Version 5.00 Update Notes: Revised December 16, 1998

Contents

System Requirements
Install Considerations
Network Considerations
DOS Notes
Windows Notes
Technical Support
Release Features
Reference Manual Update

 

Version 5.00 Minimum System Requirements

CPU: 486 SX

DOS version 5.0 +

Disk Space - 24 million bytes (23.5mb) uncompressed free.

- As well as the above-noted disk space requirements, you will need 11,704 bytes (11.4Kb) free disk space per user per data location.

- Additional disk space will also be required to accommodate your volume of data.

Files = in CONFIG.SYS: 99

Buffers = in CONFIG.SYS: 39

Memory - Conventional Memory: 520k bytes free

- Extended Memory: 2 MB free

Shell Environment variable - (in the CONFIG.SYS) 2048

Without the above minimum requirements Version 5.00 WILL NOT install and/or run correctly.

 

Install Considerations

Important considerations prior to Program Installation

  1. Read the entire installation notes and attached information sheets before performing the installation.
  1. Refer to Section 2 INSTALLATION of the "Abacus Installation & Set Up" manual for installation details. Additional information is in Appendix A "PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS" of the Utilities & Index manual.
  2. Ensure minimum system requirements are in place.
  3. Abacus V5.00 update disks include both an Installation and Update program. If updating an existing installation, change your DOS prompt to where the Abacus II program resides and type A:UPDATE<enter> or B:UPDATE<enter>. If you are installing on a new computer, type INSTALL instead of UPDATE at the root of the drive Abacus II is to be installed on.
  4. This update renames all older Abacus II programs with the extension .470. Once the update has been successfully installed, the files with the .470 extension may be deleted. (A message will appear on your screen when updating noting the files may be deleted too.)

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Network Considerations

Having Abacus program files on each work station will improve overall Abacus speed/performance on the network.

Abacus II now uses protected mode.

With Version 4.00 and up Abacus provides a program called ABSYSCHK. ABSYSCHK will run upon starting this installation/update. If you are upgrading, Abacus recommends running ABSYSCHK before running this update. If ABSYSCHK is to be bypassed for some reason, include a bypass switch in the install/update command (e.g. A:UPDATE /B<enter>).

Please Note, early versions of Lantastic for Windows ’95Ò (an Artisoft product) had operating problems that can affect the running of other software. Abacus has not tested this network recently. If you are using this network, you may want to contact Artisoft for details and the patch file NOSL95.EXE. Information is available on the Internet at http://www.artisoft.com or http://www.cobb.com

As of version 4.80 program file names have changed. If copying across a network, at a minimum copy into a blank directory. For more detail, please see the enclosed generic fax.

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DOS Notes

SHARE

In order to take advantage of the "ON-THE-FLY" add functions included in Abacus II, DOS’s SHARE program must be running. In order to load the program SHARE must be added to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. To do this, edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file using a text editor (e.g. Abacus II’s MicroScribe program or DOS 5.0’s (and higher) EDIT program) and add the following line:

SHARE /L:500 /F:4096

*Note: If SHARE.EXE is not in a directory in the existing PATH statement, the drive and directory where SHARE.EXE is located (normally C:\DOS) will have to precede SHARE in the line added to the AUTOEXEC.BAT

(e.g. C:\DOS\SHARE /L:500 /F:4096).

SHARE can also be loaded from the CONFIG.SYS file. Please refer to the DOS manual for further information.

Remember:

Reboot the computer after making changes to the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file to have the changes take effect.

With SHARE loaded, less conventional memory will be available than without it. Please ensure the minimum requirement of 520,000 bytes of conventional memory is available before running Abacus II. You can determine the amount of memory available by running either DOS MEM or CHKDSK commands.

MEMMAKER

If a memory manager (e.g. QEMM) is not in use but DOS 6.0 or higher is being used, the DOS program MEMMAKER is an option available to optimize systems by freeing up conventional memory if possible. Please refer to the DOS manual for information about running this option.

EMM386

There are some anomalies with the memory manager EMM386 that comes with MS-DOS 6.0 or higher. In particular, the use of the NOEMS parameter also requires the NOVCPI parameter immediately following. If memory management problems are encountered while running EMM386, an alternative memory manager may be required (e.g. Quarterdeck’s QEMM-386, version 7.04 or higher.) This includes using Windows 95.

FASTOPEN

MS-DOS 3.3 and up allows the use of the FASTOPEN facility. Do not use FASTOPEN with Abacus. When FASTOPEN is active, Abacus index buffers are not written to disk frequently enough. Running FASTOPEN will result in corrupted index files. (This problem lies in DOS, not in Abacus.)

DR DOSÒ 5.0 & 6.0 / NOVELLÒ DOS 7.0

Abacus continues to maintain compatibility with Microsoft’s MS DOS. We will not handle support issues associated with other operating systems such as Digital Research DOS’s DR DOS 5.0 and 6.0 or Novell DOS 7.0 systems. These alternate operating systems may result in errors in unanticipated areas.

In Novell DOS 7.0Ò and higher, do not set LEND=ON. This function is a memory stealer, which makes unused memory on your video card available to DOS. Memory stealers will hang your Abacus system.

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WINDOWS 95/98Ò Notes

No significant compatibility problems with MS-Windows 95/98 have been found. However, ensure capturing of DOS print jobs is disabled in the printer setup. To do this, go to the property settings for the printer in use, select the Details tab, click on the Port Settings button, and ensure the "Spool MS-DOS Print Jobs" is unchecked.

Some Windows ’95 users have experienced a "Parameter value out of allowed range" message when loading Abacus functions. Microsoft has not been able to determine why this message appears; however, removing the shell statement from the CONFIG.SYS file of some systems running both Windows ’95 and Abacus II causes the message to stop appearing. On some other systems, adding the SET ABDPATH line to the CONFIG.SYS file causes the message to stop appearing. If the parameter message appears on your system first add the SET ABDPATH to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This line will look something like this: SET ABDPATH=C:

This line tells Abacus where to find the Abacus program directory AB2CDATA. If your AB2CDATA directory is not off the root of drive C, modify the statement to point to where it does reside.

If adding the SET ABDPATH line does not affect the parameter message remove the shell statement from your CONFIG.SYS file.

Windows 95 OEM Version 2

Windows 95 OEM released after Oct./96 does not use the share.exe as in previous versions. This may cause problems with Abacus. An in-house fix that works most of the time is to create a "Share.exe" with the DOS editor. Leave the file blank and point to it in the autoexec.bat, the same way as if it was a real share file.

Please refer to your DOS manual or "Online Help" for instructions on using the DOS Edit command to make changes to your CONFIG.SYS file.

*NOTE: Abacus II runs under Windows 95; it is a DOS program and all DOS requirements in these notes apply (including CONFIG.SYS and Autoexec.bat requirements).

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Technical Support

Abacus provides technical support to clients who have purchased a support plan.

For information on the current support plans available, please contact a sales representative at 1 905 853 6922 CDN or USA.

Before contacting Abacus Technical Support, ensure the serial number of your registered Abacus II program is available (on the /install disk and the sign on screen). Without the serial number, support can not be provided. Technical Support is provided according to type of plan. If you do not have an Abacus service plan, or you have no time remaining on your plan, a service plan agreement must be signed prior to the Technical Support team addressing your inquiry. Providing detail (error messages, what happened, system specifications, etc.) about the support issue will assist the support team in providing a resolution.

Technical Support hours of operation are 9:00AM - 5:00PM Eastern Std Time.

Canada & U.S.A.:
Telephone (905) 853-6922


Fax (905) 853-1709

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Release Features

Enhanced Features

General Information

ABB

ABC

ABI

ABP

ABM

ABSD

ABQ

ACRB

CDPR - US

CDPS

CDPV

CDQ

CRA

DB

GAV

GAY

GCE

GFD

Function CRE and CRP debit and credit lines now expand.

GFG

GGE

GGV

GTR - US

IE

JBP

JHR

JJ

OE

OMC

PR1

PRC – CANADA

PRS

PVE

PVE – CANADA

UIG

UIL

UIP

UICW – CANADA

WCE

WCC

WCPH

WCRM

WCRR

WCRT

WCRN

WCV

WUR9

WURW

 

End Update Notes

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Additions/Changes to Abacus II Manual

General

NOTE:

Whenever a new function is added, only the SUP ID shows the new addition. In order to add the function to the ID’s that require access, use function UP to add/set security levels. To add new functions, edit the ID. Expand to the desired menu. Press F3(Add) to add the function. Select (A)bacus Function. Select the new function from the list. Set the security level for the ID. Please see UP in the Function Reference Manual for further explanation.

Accounts Payable - CANADA

Contract Payment Reporting System (CPRS)

We have added functionality to function PVE and created a new function PRC (Payables Reports CPRS) to accommodate this new reporting requirement of Revenue Canada for the Construction industry. Information about this system can be obtained by contacting the Client Services section of any tax services office or visit Revenue Canada’s Internet site at: http://www.rc.gc.ca/ ( This is a PDF document so you will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader available at this link ADOBE )

Please note that while the regulations allow reporting to be done either on a calendar year or fiscal year basis, Abacus II only allows for calendar year reporting. In addition, at the time of the release of Version 5.00 the final format of CPRS reporting form was not available. Therefore, Version 5.00 does not have the capability of printing this form. Once the format of the required form is available we intend to provide an update that will allow for printing of the form before the first reporting deadline of March31, 2000.

PVE – CANADA

PRC – CANADA

Functional Description

This function allows the user to print CPRS forms for those vendors who have been setup as CPRS vendors and who qualify to have CPRS’s printed. The user may choose to print an audit listing, actual CPRS’s or mark off records so they are no longer available for reporting on CPRS’s.

When the function is first selected, a temporary index must be created. Depending upon the number of check transactions and the speed of your machine, the time required to create this index will vary. Once the index is created, the user is prompted for the year for which to print CPRS’s. The year presented is the year of the first qualifying record in the check transaction file. Assuming you print CPRS’s and mark off the records every year, accept this date. If the year is incorrect, change the year to be the year for which you wish to print CPRS’s. Any prior year unmarked records will automatically be marked off and will no longer by available for reporting purposes.

NOTE Specifying the year here does no more than inform Abacus II what records are eligible for printing. It does NOT allow you to print CPRS’s for past (or future) years.

CPRS Display

The initial screen displays a list of all potentially eligible check records for all CPRS vendors in the specified year. You may scroll through the list to review what is displayed for a particular vendor.

CPRS Display Functions

F1 Help General Help (unavailable at this time).
F5 Print Print either an audit listing or actual CPRS’s.
  • Audit CPRS’s.
  • The audit listing may be printed for a range of vendors. The report will list the vendor code, name and each check record that will be combined to be reported on the CPRS, as well as the totals for each vendor, total for all vendors and the number of CPRS’s. Use this report to verify CPRS information and act as back up for CPRS’s issued.
  • Print CPRS’s – NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME
  • . This function will print the actual CPRS form for the specified vendor ranged. You will be prompted to enter your company name and address, and to specify the vendor range. You will then be prompted to print the CPRS’s. You can print an alignment form as many times as required. Once you have the forms aligned, the printer will advance to the next page and start printing CPRS’s.
F6 MrkOff Mark off records so they are no longer available to be reported. Records can be marked off by specifying a vendor range. Once you are satisfied with the printing of the CPRS’s you should mark off all records in the range for which you have printed. You will be warned if you attempt to mark off records but have not yet printed CPRS forms. NOTE: This process is irreversible.
F8 Exit Exit the function. If you have printed CPRS’s and not yet marked of any records, you will be warned. To quit answer Yes; to return and mark off CPRS records, answer No and then use the F6 MrkOff function.
F10 Quit Exit the function. If you have printed CPRS’s and not yet marked of any records, you will be warned. To quit answer Yes; to return and mark off CPRS records, answer No and then use the F6 MrkOff function.

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