Support FAQ

If using Microsoft Outlook with HelpMaster, you need to use the same bitness version that Outlook is using on that machine.

For example, if you use the 32 bit version of Outlook, you will need the 32 bit version of HelpMaster.

You can use a mixture of 32 and 64 installs throughout your business as per individual machine configuration. Both 32 and 64 bit HelpMaster modules can connect to a 32 or 64 bit SQL Server. Bear in mind that HelpMaster can send email using SMTP connections to on-line email sources, or native M365 - you do not have to use Outlook, or use it to send email if you have other options.

Note! The 64 bit version can only be installed on 64 bit operating systems and requires a 64 bit version of Microsoft Outlook.

The .exe file contains all of the HelpMaster installer files and dependencies including such as SQL Server SMO, SQL Server Native Client, SQL Server CLR Types, WebView2 control and others. This installer is intended for installing on “clean machines” that may not have all of the dependencies that server-side installations of HelpMaster requires.

The .msi files only contain the HelpMaster executables. It does not contain any other product dependencies.

The .msi is only included here for those who only need to install the HelpMaster Desktop on client machines and wish to do so via a .msi rollout. If these machines require reporting via the built-in Crystal Reports engine, you will need to install that as a separate install.

All versions of HelpMaster use a time-sensitive registration process that will require some coordination from both the business using HelpMaster and PRD Software. The registration code that is generated by PRD Software will expire 72 hours after it was created. This means that you will need to register your live/production version of HelpMaster within 72 hours of requesting and receiving your registration code. Before requesting your registration code, please ensure that you have either… Upgraded your existing HelpMaster environment and are ready to “go live”…or you are confident that your upgrade can be achieved within this 72 hour timeframe.

If you require a temporary registration code to test and/or evaluate HelpMaster, please contact PRD Software .

Yes, however older versions will not be able to connect to a newer database.

Running multiple versions of HelpMaster on the same computer should only be done if evaluating a higher version on that computer. Once you upgrade to a higher version of HelpMaster, your agreement to the end user licence agreement (EULA) requires that you uninstall all previous versions of HelpMaster and not use them again. Please read the end user licence agreement (EULA) for further information about this.

It depends. For minor releases, a database upgrade is usually not required.

For major releases, or where a maintenance release requires it, then yes, a database upgrade will be required.

Use the Database and Reports Wizard to do this.

Most probably. It depends on the data source you used to create the reports. If you based your custom reports against any of the standard HelpMaster report queries (those prefixed with “rpt”), your custom report will work. If you based your reports on tables or other database objects, there is a chance that your custom reports may not work.

Please contact PRD Software if this is the case and we can advise on the best way to migrate your reports to use the new database version.

This depends on your environment and which modules of HelpMaster you are using. Generally speaking, a full upgrade of HelpMaster in an ideal environment should only take an hour or so - often times less. It is highly recommended that you perform a “test” upgrade of all modules to determine any compatibility or functionality issues.

Please refer to the upgrade documentation for a specifc upgrade steps.

• Download the latest HelpMaster installation package
• Uninstall existing HelpMaster versions
• Install the HelpMaster components on the appropriate machine…
• Desktop and Job Monitor on each workstation as required
• Web Portal on your webserver (a machine running IIS)
• Database and Reports Wizard, Email Manager, Priority Manager, Active Directory on a “HelpMaster server”
• Run the Database and Reports Wizard to upgrade your database (make a backup!)
• Run a Desktop edition to connect to your upgraded database Enter your registration code if prompted For complete upgrade information, please refer to the HelpMaster helpfile which is installed with HelpMaster. An on-line helpfile is available also.