Exact MAX ERP Software questions.
Hey guys,
I just started at a new company and they use a software I'm not familiar with: Exact MAX ERP version 4.0.0.97. It really is a quite touchy and annoying software in my opinion. For one, the install process is tedious to say the least. We have to first install the Pervasive SQL client and then the MAX client itself. Once the client is installed you have to change all the user-defined settings for every unique user using MAX on that PC. For instance, if I install a client on a machine where there will be a first, second, and third shift employee...I have to log into each of their profiles separately and manually change all the default settings for all the different modules in MAX. Which brings me to my first question: Is there a way to copy settings files over to each users profiles so that we can easily have uniform preferences for each unique user without having to set it up manually each time?
My other question is concerning uninstalling the software. If you try to uninstall the client using add/remove programs, it gives you the error "The client setup must be run from the NET folder on the server. Exiting client setup", the entry in add/remove programs never goes away, and it does no uninstall. MAX does not have a folder in "Program files" but does have C:\Exact\MAX. There is no uninstall program in that location either.
I'm a bit confused and not sure why they made this software so complicated to troubleshoot. Can anyone fill me in on some pro tips? I would really appreciate it.
I just started at a new company and they use a software I'm not familiar with: Exact MAX ERP version 4.0.0.97. It really is a quite touchy and annoying software in my opinion. For one, the install process is tedious to say the least. We have to first install the Pervasive SQL client and then the MAX client itself. Once the client is installed you have to change all the user-defined settings for every unique user using MAX on that PC. For instance, if I install a client on a machine where there will be a first, second, and third shift employee...I have to log into each of their profiles separately and manually change all the default settings for all the different modules in MAX. Which brings me to my first question: Is there a way to copy settings files over to each users profiles so that we can easily have uniform preferences for each unique user without having to set it up manually each time?
My other question is concerning uninstalling the software. If you try to uninstall the client using add/remove programs, it gives you the error "The client setup must be run from the NET folder on the server. Exiting client setup", the entry in add/remove programs never goes away, and it does no uninstall. MAX does not have a folder in "Program files" but does have C:\Exact\MAX. There is no uninstall program in that location either.
I'm a bit confused and not sure why they made this software so complicated to troubleshoot. Can anyone fill me in on some pro tips? I would really appreciate it.
ASKER
Vadimrapp,
Thanks so much for your advice. Can you tell me where in the registry, or what ini file the users preferences are stored in? That's what I can't seem to figure out. If I could find that, I could then go about setting up a login script. Unfortunately the install is in the form of an .exe so I'm not sure transform would work for me. I don't have much experience manually compiling msi packages. Thanks so much for your help.
Thanks so much for your advice. Can you tell me where in the registry, or what ini file the users preferences are stored in? That's what I can't seem to figure out. If I could find that, I could then go about setting up a login script. Unfortunately the install is in the form of an .exe so I'm not sure transform would work for me. I don't have much experience manually compiling msi packages. Thanks so much for your help.
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ASKER
I will try that, thank you. I'll let you know how it goes.
ASKER
For anyone else who finds this:
I located the correct registry key using vadimrapp1's advice with Process Monitor. The key that the user preferences are stored in is: HKCU>Software>MicroMRP. After some testing I found that if you export the key, log in as another user, import the key, and then launch MAX all preferences, data paths, and logos were in tact. Thanks again vadimrapp1!!
I located the correct registry key using vadimrapp1's advice with Process Monitor. The key that the user preferences are stored in is: HKCU>Software>MicroMRP. After some testing I found that if you export the key, log in as another user, import the key, and then launch MAX all preferences, data paths, and logos were in tact. Thanks again vadimrapp1!!
ASKER
You Rock!
Thanks for the kind words. Recommendation: still, review the values under the key, and distribute to the users only those that have to be distributed. Usually there some of them that are truly individual for each user, don't distribute them - could be things like last session date, or window position on the screen (distribute it to a user with smaller screen, and the window will be out of bounds) - and similar. The names of those values are usually pretty much self-explanatory. Distribute just the necessary minimum.
ASKER
Ok, I will do that, any ideas on how to pick and choose and get it into one Reg file? For instance, export one registry key with only certain subkeys selected, so you don't have to run 4 or 5 different reg files to get the end-result accomplished? Thanks
The best is to create a vbscript like this:
set w = createobject("wscript.shel
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Va
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Va
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Va
Save it as .vbs file, and specify that file as logon script.
If there are DWORD values, then
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Nu
Details at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/yfdfhz1b%28VS.85%29.aspx
set w = createobject("wscript.shel
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Va
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Va
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Va
Save it as .vbs file, and specify that file as logon script.
If there are DWORD values, then
w.regwrite "HKCU\Software\MicroMRP\Nu
Details at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/yfdfhz1b%28VS.85%29.aspx
ASKER
Thanks again, you're a genius. I really appreciate it.
This depends on the settings. If they are the same for every user, and are kept in the registry or in .ini file, then I would create either transform - if the installation of this Exact is MSI-based - or logon script. Transform with the MSI I would assign to the user configuration in the group policy.
For your 2nd question, you will need to read documentation on this application, and maybe contact their support. It looks like the place to look is not on the local workstation, but in some centralized folder named on the network - more than likely all this is described in the manual.