Knowledgebase: Upgrades
How to Update POSitive Software
Posted by Sean W, Last modified by Sean W on 08 February 2018 06:59 PM

How to Update POSitive to the latest Official Release



--- PROJECT SUMMARY---

  1. Phase 1 - System Requirements Check
  2. Phase 2 - SQL Server Version Check
  3. Phase 3 - SQL Database Size Check
  4. Phase 4 - Download the Installation File
  5. Phase 5 - Rename and Copy your POSitive Installation Folder
  6. Phase 6 - Backup your SQL Database
  7. Phase 7 - Run the Installation Program
  8. Upgrading Versions 5, 6, 16, 2017, 2018
  9. Updating GEM, 5STAR, PBM, PCH (Does not apply to PFB or PFR)






!!! IMPORTANT !!!
FAILING TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS MAY RESULT IN DAMAGE OR LOSS OF DATA



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PHASE 1 - SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS CHECK
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POSitive software and technology is always evolving. Now is an important time to ensure that your equipment meets or exceeds (recommended) the minimum system requirements to run POSitive software.

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PHASE 2 - SQL SERVER VERSION CHECK
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As of April 12, 2016 Microsoft discontinued support for SQL Server 2005 and you will no longer receive security updates. Therefore, if you are still running SQL Server 2005 you need stop using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and move to a newer version of Microsoft SQL Server.

If you are running POSitive Multi-site then you need a Standard edition of SQL Server at the master/Publisher site. Otherwise, you can install a free Express edition. But be aware that the free versions of SQL Server have certain limitations which may adversely impact the performance of POSitive software, particularly in high volume situations or customers with large databases.

A Few Examples of Limitations of SQL Server 2014, 2016 & 2017 Express vs Standard Editions:

  • Maximum Compute Capacity Used by a Single Instance
    Express: Limited to lesser of 1 Socket or 4 cores
    Standard: Limited to lesser of 4 Sockets or 16 cores
  • Maximum Memory Utilized Per Instance
    Express: 10 GB
    Standard: 128 GB
  • Maximum Relational Database Size
    Express: 10 GB
    Standard: 524 PB


Determine the current installed version and edition of SQL Server

  1. Open POSitive and click the 'Help' pull-down menu at the top
  2. Click 'SQL Properties'


How to Install SQL Server 2014/2016/2017 Express

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PHASE 3 - SQL DATABASE SIZE CHECK
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If you are running an Express edition of SQL Server, then you will need to monitor the size of your database to be sure it doesn't exceed the limit of 10 GB. If your current database is approaching that limitation, then you may need to consider purging some data or upgrading to a Standard edition of SQL Server.

Determine the current size of your SQL database

  1. Open POSitive and click the 'Help' pull-down menu at the top
  2. Click 'SQL Properties'

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PHASE 4 - DOWNLOAD THE INSTALLATION FILE
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Download the install file onto the server

1. To download the latest official release, from your server computer where POSitive is installed go to: http://download.gopositive.com
2. Click the link of the item you wish to download
3. Click 'Download' (contact our sales department if the download link is not available)
4. Checkmark 'I agree to the above terms'
5. Click 'Download' and save the file to the server desktop

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PHASE 5 - RENAME AND COPY YOUR POSITIVE INSTALLATION FOLDER
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!!! IMPORTANT !!!
FAILING TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS MAY RESULT IN DAMAGE OR LOSS OF DATA

Before running the update, get everyone out of POSitive on every computer, because POSitive shouldn't be opened on any station during software update

On your server computer, the machine that POSitive is currently installed on, rename your current POSitive installation folder (e.g. 'C:\POSitive\PFB'), then make a full copy of it, then rename the copied folder back to its original name by following these easy steps:

  1. On your server computer, right-click on the shortcut you use to open POSitive and choose Properties
  2. On the Properties Shortcut tab, the 'Start In' field indicates the path to run POSitive. It typically begins with 'C:\' but it might be different on your computer. Usually, if it begins with 'P:\' or another letter (not including 'C:\') you are likely on the wrong computer because 'P:\' usually indicates the POSitive mapped drive, which means POSitive is not installed on that computer.
  3. Open Windows File Explorer--not a web browser. For example, open 'My Computer', or 'This PC' and open 'Local Disk (C:)'
  4. Navigate to the 'POSitive' folder at the path indicated by the 'Start In' field referenced above on your server computer (e.g. 'C:\POSitive'). For example, open 'My Computer', or 'This PC' and open 'Local Disk (C:)'.
  5. Now open the 'POSitive' folder and you should see the POSitive installation folder in the window (e.g. 'PRM' or 'PFB'--POSitive For Business--your folder may have a different name depending on your product, but is still specified in the 'Start in' path referenced above).
  6. Right-click on the POSitive installation folder (e.g. 'PFB' in 'C:\POSitive\PFB') and select 'Rename'.
  7. Enter or type "PFB_<today's date>" (e.g. "PFB_2018-05-23" --- without quotation marks). This ensures that everyone is out of POSitive. If you are unable to rename the 'PFB' folder then reboot the server and try again.
  8. Right-click on the newly renamed 'PFB' folder and select 'Copy'.
  9. Right-click in a blank area right next to your 'PFB' folder and select 'Paste'. A new folder will be created with the name you gave your renamed folder with the word "copy" or a number as part of the new folder's name (e.g. "PFB_2018-05-23 - Copy" or "PFB_2018-05-23(1)").
  10. Right-click on the newly copied 'PFB' folder and select 'Rename' and rename it back to 'PFB' (or whatever it was before you renamed it, without the quotation marks).
  11. Now you should have a copy of the entire 'PFB_<today's date>' folder in case something goes wrong.
  12. Right-click on it and choose 'Send to', then select 'Compressed (zipped) folder' to make a compressed, or smaller file of its contents.
  13. Once it's done compressing, move the resulting zipped file (e.g. 'PFB_2018-05-23.zip') to the POSitiveArchives folder and delete the copied and renamed 'PFB_<today's date>' folder (not the current POSitive installation folder).



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PHASE 6 - BACKUP YOUR SQL DATABASE
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!!! IMPORTANT !!!
FAILING TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS MAY RESULT IN DAMAGE OR LOSS OF DATA
ALWAYS PERFORM A BACKUP OF YOUR COMPANY DATABASE


Make a backup of your SQL database, NOT just your POSitive installation folder.

How to Backup your SQL database:
See: http://kb.gopositive.com/backupsqldatabase

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PHASE 7 - RUN THE UPDATE PROGRAM
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!!! IMPORTANT !!!
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE STEPS MAY RESULT IN DAMAGE OR LOSS OF DATA

NOTE: The instructions below assume you are installing the update file for 'POSitive For Business'. Regardless of your specific product, the instructions are relatively the same for all primary POSitive products. However, the file names and locations indicated below vary by product and your current configuration).

A current Maintenance Key is required in order to run the installation file. The key is different from your account number or support ID, etc. The key also determines which product is activated, the number of user licenses, optional modules,and several other items. If you do not have a current Maintenance Key you will need to obtain one from your POSitive reseller or the POSitive sales department.

  1. Run the downloaded POSitive update file and follow the prompts. Be sure to STOP at the DESTINATION screen.
    --- v6, v16, v2017, v2018 users: Enter the Maintenance Key information provided by your POSitive reseller or POSitive sales representative
  2. IMPORTANT:
    On the DESTINATION screen... Be sure you are installing POSitive to the proper existing installation folder (this can be found in the results displayed in Phase 2: Step 2 above... the 'Start In' field on the 'Properties' 'Shortcut' tab--e.g. 'C:\POSitive\PFB')
  3. IMPORTANT:
    Carefully read each screen during the entire process.
  4. IMPORTANT:
    POSitive 2018 creates new shortcuts to open POSitive which point to 'PFB.exe'. So, you will need to delete any shortcuts that previously opened the old program (e.g. POSitive Retail Manager). You will get errors if you attempt to run 'PRM.exe'.
  5. After the installation process has been completed, run POSitive on the server computer, where POSitive is installed, and follow any prompts as required.
    STATION ASSIGNMENT
    1. If you are prompted to choose a station number for any computer that you're using to login to POSitive and you're not sure which station was previously assigned:
      1. Open Windows File Explorer (not Internet Explorer)
      2. Copy/Paste one of the following lines in the address bar at the top:
        1. %USERPROFILE%\%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore\Windows
          1. (If it's not in that one, try this one)
            1. %SYSTEMROOT%
      3. Open a file called 'PFW1' or 'PFW1.ini' (the number may be different than '1')
      4. The contents of the file should tell you which station your computer was previously assigned to.
  6. Verify the that inital update process has completed successfully by comparing the version with the previous installation (Click the 'Help' pull-down menu at the top and choose 'About')

    Version Check
  7. IMPORTANT:
    Click the 'Gold Subscription' tab and verify the 'Gold Subscription Key' box contents match the same Key you used when installing the update. If not...
    1. Copy the 'Maintenance Key' you used when installing the update
    2. Right-click in the 'Gold Subscription Key' box and choose 'Select All'
    3. Right-click again and choose 'Delete'
    4. Right-click again and choose 'Paste'
    5. Click 'Validate/Save Key' to save any changes made
    6. Click 'Close' to exit the screen
  8. Completely exit and re-open POSitive
    CREATE SQL INDEXES
  9. Click on the Maintenance tab
  10. Click 'Data Utilities' and choose 'Utilities'
  11. Click 'Create SQL Indexes'. This may take several minutes or longer to run. Do not interrupt it and do not use POSitve elsewhere until it has finished.
    BASIC OPERATIONS TEST
  12. Open the Customer Center, Inventory Center and Vendors and make sure the lists are fully populated
  13. Open the Invoice History to ensure you are seeing the most recent invoices as well as previous invoices
  14. Complete both a Customer Sale and a Quick Sale (each can produce a different error) and then void those transactions in Invoice History
    DATABASE/SERVER MAINTENANCE
  15. If your database is configured to use Simple Recovery Model (recommended in most cases) then we recommend that you shrink the database using SQL Server Management Studio to reduce the physical size of the database file, freeing up hard disk space.
  16. Lastly, reboot the server to free up memory (RAM).

If errors occur after the update, you cannot log into POSitive, or some other problem, you may need contact POSitive Support for further assistance.

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To shrink a database:

  1. Using SQL Server Management Studio in Object Explorer, connect to an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine, and then expand that instance.
  2. Expand Databases, and then right-click the database that you want to shrink.
  3. Point to Tasks, point to Shrink, and then click Database.
  4. Place a checkmark next to 'Reorganize files before releasing unused space...'
  5. Enter "0" for 'Maximum free space in files after shrinking'
  6. Click OK.

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UPDATING GEM, 5STAR, PBM (to legacy version 6 or 16 only. Does not apply to POSitive 2017/2018 products)
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--- NOT APPLICABLE FOR 'POSitive 2017/2018' PRODUCTS ---

After completing all of the phases above, if you are updating other POSitive products such as GEM, 5STAR, PBM or PCH here are some additional steps to get your software working properly after an update:

  1. On your server computer, right-click on the shortcut you use to open POSitive and choose Properties
  2. Click the 'Open File Location' button
  3. Delete or rename pclaunch.exe
  4. Right-click on 'prminv.exe' and select 'Copy'.
  5. Right-click in a blank area right and select 'Paste'. A new 'prminv.exe' file will be created with the word "copy" or a number as part of the new file's name (e.g. "prminv.exe - Copy" or "prminv.exe(1)").
  6. Right-click on the newly copied prminv.exe file and select 'Rename'
  7. Rename the copy:
    • For GEM rename to "GLaunch.exe"
    • For 5STAR rename to "5Launch.exe"
    • For PBM rename to "PBMLaunch.exe"
    • For PCH rename to "PCLaunch.exe"

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Updated: 2/8/2018