Portal Setup
Why install the Systems2win Portal on your central server?
Version 5 and higher: The S2winPortal is optional, but highly recommended if
you have more than one user...
- Because it makes it VERY easy to sync the templates on
each user's local PC with the templates in your company's master S2winPortal.
- Because it is one of the optional ways to find and open Systems2win templates
Version 4 and lower:
The portal isn't optional. It is the primary way of storing, organizing,
and distributing your templates.
How to install the Systems2win Portal
If this is an upgrade - follow the instructions for
Portal Setup for an Upgrade
Your IT Department does the following:
- Run S2winPortal.exe - installing it in a folder on a server that is accessible only to your licensed users
(as per
License Agreement)
Additional instructions for
installing on Windows Vista operating system
- Set up your S2winPortal folder (and its sub-folders and files) to be
read-only for most users
so they don't accidentally overwrite your master templates.
(User access should be read-only.
File permissions need allow read-write in order
for sync to work.)
- Optional: You can optionally choose to
personalize some templates and/or your portal
- Optional: You can optionally choose to remove
some templates that you don't want to distribute to your users
- Optional: You can optionally choose to
add some of your own templates
that you want to sync to your users
Tip: You can move the S2winPortal folder in its entirety - but never move
or rename files or folders within the S2winPortal folder (or links will be broken).
How do users open their templates?
Open the home file in the S2winPortal folder.
(Tip: Add your portal home page to your browser Favorites - and teach all of
your users to add it to their Favorites)
To use templates version 4 or lower:
Just open a template and use it. (No add-in is required)
To use templates version 5 or higher:
- A valid licensed
Systems2win Add-must be installed on each user's PC
- Each user should sync the templates on their
local PC with the templates in your company's master S2winPortal
Optional ways to find and open your Systems2win
templates
You don't have to do any of the following options... but might want to
consider them - to get even more value from your investment.
Learn the optional ways to find and open your templates
The portal isn't the only way to get to your templates. Learn the other
optional ways to find and open your templates.
Installing your Portal on multiple computers
FAQ: Can the portal be installed on more than one server, or even on several
local PC's or laptops?
Yes. It is not a license violation as long as each server or computer is
accessible only to users included within your
License Agreement. It makes it much more difficult, however, for your
Information Technology Department to sync the templates on each user's local PC with the templates in your company's
master S2winPortal.
FAQ: I am the only user. Can I install the portal on my local PC?
Sure. This way you can still benefit from the convenient portal user
interface.
Even though it is a little redundant to sync with your portal on your own PC,
it is the right way to do it. If you personalize
a master template, save it to your Portal, and then
synchronize.
FAQ: Our road warriors like the portal user interface, but are often not
connected to our network. Can they install the portal on their local PC?
Sure. They can simply copy the S2winPortal folder (in its entirety) from the
master server to their local PC. And then they can use their
Add-ins >
Systems2win menu > Setup and Upgrade to
Change the Path to your Systems2win Portal whenever
they want.
When it comes time to
synchronize with your company's master portal (on your company's server), they need to:
- Add-ins > Systems2win menu > Setup and Upgrade > Change Path
to Systems2win Portal - and select the main company portal before
synchronizing.
- Also remember to copy the S2winPortal folder (in its entirety) from the
master server to their local PC.
If you personalize your portal
- Do NOT rename or move any files or folders (because hyperlinks will be
broken, and sync will no longer work).
Unless you want to intentionally remove
some templates that you don't want your people to have.
- Ensure that the Systems2win web page retains the
copyright notice and link to PDF training in the footer.
- Use your
Customization Log -
to make future upgrades easy.
If you personalize your templates
- Learn the correct ways to personalize your
templates.
- Learn how to sync your company's personalized
templates
- Use your
Customization Log -
to make future upgrades easy.
Tech Tips
Unless someone messed with your Internet Explorer, it should already be set
up this way... but if you ever run into the problem where IE does not provide
the option to immediately open your file
after downloading it. (Tools > Internet Options > Advanced tab > check the
checkbox for "Notify when downloads complete")
When left-clicking a link to a file in Internet Explorer - the following
dialog box will (usually) appear.
If a user (unadvisedly) unchecks the box to "Always ask before opening this
type of file", then this dialog box will no longer appear when left-clicking a
link to a file in Internet Explorer (which makes it very difficult to open your
Systems2win templates from your portal).
The only way we have found to restore the File Download dialog box is
Tools > Internet Options > Security tab > Reset all Zones
to default level. But before you do this, you might want to save some
screen shots of your settings - so that you can then restore any personalized
security settings that you might have intentionally changed.
If your company uses Policies to redirect all users
to a shared Templates folder
To install your Systems2win templates to your shared Templates folder:
- Install the Systems2win Add-in to any local
computer on your network.
- Then copy the entire Systems2win folder to be a sub-folder of the shared
Templates folder on your server.
The usual path to the Systems2win folder on a local PC is
C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates
If your IT Department chooses to also install our separate Portal (for it's
easy user interface), then any changes to personalized templates will need to be
synchronized manually.
Portal Troubleshooting
Portal
Troubleshooting
Add-in & Portal Home Page
