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Volunteer Software

People Helping People

The Volunteer Reporter works on any Windows network as a database using Windows file sharing. The data resides in a shared folder on the server and each workstation runs an installation of the Reporter. The Touch-Screen Assistant [only, not the Reporter] is installed on the sign-in kiosk and also accesses the data folder.

Network Requirements

  1. Put the data on the server in a shared folder that gives full read and write access to each user.
  2. Every Reporter user [and Touch-Screen user] needs full read/write access to the shared data folder.
  3. The Reporter is typically not installed on the server and the Touch-Screen Assistant is never installed on the server.

network_scheme

Install the Volunteer Reporter

  1. Install the Reporter on one workstation computer (determine whether workstation is 32bit or 64bit and install appropriately).
  2. Start the Reporter.
  3. In version 6.3, you will see the following window:

Data01

Click OK.

Dat02

Choose “Create a Real Data Set with Empty Data” from the drop-down and Click OK

  1. The Data Sets window will open automatically. If it doesn’t, click on File | Select Data Set.
  2. Click on the Add button and name the new data set or leave Data Set Name as “Default”.

Save your new data set with the OK button and then click Select.

Network Data Setup

  1. Enter the data folder location.
  2. Point to an existing network folder with the file folder Browse button browse or
  3. Enter a new folder name that the Reporter will create.
  4. Use the absolute path or a mapped drive path [Every user needs full read / write access to the data folder].
  5. Save your new data set with the OK button and then click Select

    • The Reporter will create empty data files in the data folder if they don’t already exist.

Install the Touch-Screen Assistant

  1. Install the Touch-Screen Assistant on the kiosk [or each kiosk] with its own CD.
  2. By default it installs on C:\Reporter
  3. Check to create a desktop icon, if desired.
  4. Check to automatically load when the computer starts, if desired.
  5. The first time you start the Assistant, it will ask where the Volunteer Reporter’s data is located. Use the file folder button to point to the networked folder where the data is located.
  6. Instructions for Touch-Screen Assistant settings are accessed in the Reporter’s manual:
    Help | Reference Manual(pdf) | Reference | Touch-Screen Assistant | Touch-Screen Installation | etc.

Feel free to call us with any questions.

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