Preactor Express

Installation Guide

http://www.preactor.com
Copyright 1993-2010 Preactor International Ltd
Version 11
Revision 17278

Preactor is a registered trademark of Preactor International Limited. Windows Explorer, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003,
Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7, .NET Framework, Outlook, SQL Server 2005 Express and SQL Server
2008 Express are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are acknowledged as being the property of their respective owners.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Installation Guide

System Requirements

Installing Preactor

Running Preactor

Activating Preactor

Uninstalling Preactor

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Installation Guide

Installation Guide
This guide provides information on the installation requirements needed to run Preactor and the process for installing Preactor.

System Requirements
Your computer should meet the following minimum system requirements for running Preactor.
Operating System

Windows XP with SP31 , Windows Vista SP11 , Windows 71

Operating System Type

32-bit or 64-bit

Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.5 SP12

Microsoft SQL Server

2005 or 2008 (Any edition including Express)

Processor

2 GHz or better

Memory

1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended)

Disk space

A minimum of 1 GB free disk space

1. Preactor can be installed on any of the home editions of Windows but reporting services cannot be installed on these editions. Only local reporting will be available.
2. Microsoft .NET Framework Version 3.5 SP1 can be installed through the Preactor installation setup program.

Installing Preactor
Installation Overview
1. Install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express (Runtime Only) Edition.
2. Install Preactor.
3. Run Preactor.
4. Evaluate or activate Preactor.
5. Start using Preactor.
Install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express (Runtime Only) Edition
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express (Runtime Only) Edition is required to run Preactor.
1. Download the 'Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express (Runtime Only) Edition' installation from http://www.microsoft.com/express/database
2. Launch the downloaded file.
Files will be extracted and the SQL Server Installation Center will load.
3. From the SQL Server Installation Center, choose the 'Installation' option on the left hand panel.
4. Click on the 'New installation or add features to an existing installation' option.
5. On the 'Feature Selection' screen, check the 'Database Engine Services' check box under 'Instance Features' as shown.

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Installation Guide

6. No changes are needed on the 'Instance Configuration' screen; accept the defaults by pressing the 'Next' button.
7. On the 'Server Configuration' dialog, press the 'Use the same account for all SQL Server services' button.

8. Select 'NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM' for the 'Account Name' on the dialog that loads, and then press 'OK'.

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9. On the 'Database Engine Configuration' screen, press the 'Add Current User' button under the 'Specify SQL Server administrators' area.

10. Follow the rest of the installation process through to completion.

Install Preactor
1. Run the Preactor executable downloaded from the Preactor web site.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Preactor.

Running Preactor
Preactor can be run in two Configuration modes:
l
l

Preactor Express (Demo)

Preactor Express (Live)

Preactor Express (Demo) is set up with example data. The system is fixed to run in the year 2000.

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Installation Guide
Preactor Express (Live) is ready to be used in live mode. Tables have been cleared and the system is ready for data entry. Data
tables in Preactor can be populated by using the user friendly spreadsheets and importing the data from these sheets or it can be
entered manually.
To start Preactor:
1. Use the 'Start' button to open the Windows start menu.
2. From 'All Programs' select Preactor International\Preactor Express.
Choose either the 'Preactor Express (Demo)' or 'Preactor Express' option.
When running Preactor for the first time, a screen will load displaying evaluation and activation options. Follow the instructions
given in the 'Activating Preactor' section on how to proceed.

Activating Preactor
There are two different Run modes that Preactor can be launched in:
l
l

Trial mode
Activated mode

These are independent of the Demo/Live considerations.

The first time that Preactor runs, a screen will be displayed allowing Preactor to run in either of these modes.
Trial Mode:
Trial mode allows Preactor to be tried over a trial period of 30 days. The time period begins as soon as Preactor is opened in this
mode. Preactor can be used until the 30 days have expired.
To run Preactor in trial mode, launch Preactor and choose the 'Use evaluation.' option presented on the opening screen.
Each time Preactor is launched in this mode, a screen will be displayed giving the option to continue running Preactor in this way
or to activate the software.
Activated Mode:
This mode allows Preactor to run in a fully activated state with no time constraints. A registration key must be entered to set
Preactor to run in this mode.
To activate Preactor follow these steps:
1. Launch Preactor.
2. Select the 'Activate now.' option.
3. Choose the activation method applicable to your setup (over the Internet or offline).
4. Complete the registration process.
5. Enter the registration key that has been e-mailed to you upon completing registration.
Preactor is now activated on your computer and ready to be launched in this mode.

Uninstalling Preactor
1. Open 'Control Panel' and choose the 'Programs' option.
3. Select the 'Uninstall a Program' option from the 'Programs and Features' section.
4. Highlight 'Preactor Express' and press the 'Uninstall' option.

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