As work progresses on ASW 10, we would like to do testing on a current, full operation, database from one of our existing clients.

We want the shop to be using all aspects of ASW including accounting.  This will provide us the ability to test against actual data before placing copies in working sites for additional testing.

If you use ASW fully, and would be willing to allow us to use your data, please email Tim@GTStone.com .  We can connect, and download a recent backup from the ASW auto backup files your system creates.  It will only take a few minutes.

Your data will be secure and is only used for testing purposes.  Once testing is completed, it will be deleted.  No part of your data will be available beyond the one test computer network.  ( We will be accessing it from machines running Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 ). 

Thank you for considering this request.  Anyone comfortable with sharing their database will simply be helping make the Auto Shop Writer program itself far more reliable up the release of Version 10.

That was quick.  Here are a couple of changes we made overnight:

1)  We sent a new AutoUpdate program ( MLS9aus.exe ) to your computer.  IF you are using Demand Force ( and if we didn’t make the switch for you on Tuesday ), then you will want to follow the proceedure in the previous bulletin to move that file to the ASW9s folder.  Remember, you must stop the Updater first or you won’t be able to copy the file.  We found some people had servers with too little RAM to support the DemandForce builds.  This resolves the problem, but of course we still suggest 8 GB of RAM ( its so cheap now ) on each computer.  If you plan to use Demand Force, you can also copy over the newer file.  If not, then you are fine with the current AutoUpdater.

2)  A bit of a cleanup on Security was preventing people without Check Writing privileges but with Vendor privileges to not see the Vendor button.  Of course it still worked fine on the Menu.  This was fixed.

3)  We had a request to add two more fields to the Excel Spreadsheet report for clients:  account number, and date of first service.  Also, it you don’t see a date of first service, you will want to run the Date utility.  If you don’t see the customer totals and averages, plus visit count, you will want to run that utility.  Both are found under the Client menu item.