Spitfire Software 325 Breakwater Ridge Atlanta, GA 30328 (404)257-0187 PF2 Version 4.03 IMPORTANT: If you have registered your copy of PF2, your registration number is on the shipping label of the package that PF2 was mailed to you in. You will need to enter it when you first start PF2 Version 4.03. UPGRADE NOTICE: This version of PF2 has a new tax code table. If you plan to export your tax data to TurboTax, TaxCut, etc. you must load the new table at install time. It is also highly recommended that you read the chapter in the user's guide on the new tax facilities and on converting your existing codes to the new ones. SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTORS AND BBS SYSOPs: Please read the file VENDOR.DOC for important suggestions on how to best package PF2 for re-distribution via various media. HARDWARE\SOFTWARE REQUIRED: PF2 runs under IBM or MS DOS 3.1 or later, and OS/2 or MicroSoft Windows as a DOS program. The hardware required is: 1. Any PC or PS/2 compatible computer. 2. The computer must have 450KB of main storage available for application programs after operating system requirements have been satisfied. 3. A fixed disk with at least 2MEGs of space available is required to use PF2. 3.5MEGs are required to install the system initially. 4. A printer on a parallel port if reports or checks are to be printed. INSTALLATION: If you have received PF2 on diskettes, skip to install-part 2. If you have down loaded PF2 from a BBS or the IBM PC Tools disk you must first do the following: 1. When you have received PF2 electronically, it is packed into one or more files using PKZIP(r) by Pkware, Inc. You must obtain a copy of PKUNZIP.EXE to unpack the file. Most BBS's disk have copies of PKUNZIP available for down loading. 2. To unpack PF2 into the directory to which you down loaded it, make that directory the default directory. If you received a single file, then at the DOS prompt enter the command: PKUNZIP PF2.ZIP otherwise enter: PKUNZIP PF2_XX_?.ZIP for each file received where ? is the file letter (A, B, or C) and XX is the release id. 3. Unpacking the file(s) will result in the files: INSTALL.EXE, DARCH.EXE, PF2READ.ME (any last minute information), FILE_ID.DIZ (a short discription of PF2), VENDOR.DOC (an information file for shareware distributors), LICENSE.DOC, and PF2.001 through PF2.017. You are now ready to start with the actual installation. Installation, part 2: 1. IMPORTANT: Your CONFIG.SYS file must contain a FILES=20 statement. PF2 opens a large number of files at times and the FILES statement sets the limit on the number that may be open at any one time. It must be set to a value of at least 20. 2. If installing from diskette, place diskette #1 in your diskette drive. 3. At the DOS prompt enter: D:\PATH\INSTALL where D is the drive letter of the diskette or fixed drive you are installing from and, if installing from a fixed disk, PATH is the path to the directory containing the PF2 distribution files. For example to install from diskette drive A, you would enter: A:\INSTALL To install from the directory DOWNLOAD on fixed disk drive C, you would enter: C:\DOWNLOAD\INSTALL 4. Answer the questions asked by the install program. Help is provided on the lower half of the screen for each question or option. When you are satisfied with the answers, press F10. 5. If you are installing from diskettes and received more than one diskette, the install program will instruct you when to place the next diskette in the drive. After you have done so, press any key except "Esc" to continue the install process. If any problems are encountered during install, the install program will notify you of the problem and what actions to take. STARTING PF2: To start PF2, you must be in the PF2 program directory. To get to the directory assuming it is C:\PF2, enter at the DOS prompt the following two commands: C: CD\PF2 The first command makes the C drive the default drive if it is not already. The second command makes \PF2 the default directory. Then at the DOS prompt enter PF2 DATABASE where DATABASE is the path to the set of books you initially want to open. The DATABASE parameter is optional. If it is not included, PF2 will open/create the set of books in "MYBOOKS" directory unless a set already exists in the PF2 program directory; in which case they are opened. For a new install, it is recommended that you start with the sample database and use it as a learning tool. To start with the sample database enter: PF2 SAMPDATA HELP: PF2 provides extensive context sensitive help. If you have a question about a menu item or an input field just press "F1" for help. A window will appear which will explain the menu item or input field. The more you use help, the quicker you will learn the system. USER'S GUIDE: The PF2 User's Guide is on-line. You access it by pressing Alt-F1 at any time. Once in the guide, you may print it by pressing F4. The guide is about 70 pages long and covers all functions of the program with a "how to" orientation. There is a hard copy Reference manual with much greater detail that will be available in Februry 1994 and will be priced at $35.00. You may order it directly from Spitfire Software (Georgia residents please add sales tax). REGISTRATION: If you use PF2 productively, you must register your copy and pay the license fee. The benefits of registering are: 1. You receive free support from Spitfire Software for both application questions and problem resolution. 2. You receive the PF2 Newsletter periodically which contains the latest information on PF2 including helpful hints, future enhancements, and update information. 3. Discounts on future releases of the program. If you use PF2 illegally by not registering, you will not be able to upgrade easily to future releases since PF2 will not migrate your data. To register, simply print out the registration instructions when PF2 asks for your registration number. You may either mail in the form with a check for the license fee to Spitfire Software or call the listed 800 phone number and order by credit card. In return you will receive the most current version of the system, your registration number, and future mailings of the Newsletter. Non USA residents must use a credit card or send US funds, a check drawn on a USA bank, or an international money order. OMBUDSMAN STATEMENT: This program is produced by Spitfire Software, a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. NEW USERS: New users should read the first chapter of the User's Guide. It contains an overview of PF2 and guidelines for how to get started. SUPPORT: Spitfire Software is providing support free to registered users via telephone Monday through Saturday between 8:00am and 5:00pm EST. The voice telephone number is: (404)257-0187 The fax number is: (404)255-8032 You may also get support by writing directly to Spitfire Software or by contacting us via Prodigy at CSXM88A or CompuServe at 73577,442 SALES COMMISSION: THIS OFFER ONLY APPLIES TO REGISTERED USERS OF PF2. If you have a friend or relative who might like to use PF2, you can earn a $5.00 commission by getting him/her to register. Give them a copy of your diskettes (but not your registration number!) and have them print and fill out the registration form referencing you by name and attaching a check for $39.00. I will send you a check for $5.00 when the form is received. The new user will be sent their own current copy of PF2 with their registration number. UPDATE HISTORY: Version 4.02e This version has a number of enhancements and bug fixes. The major enhancements are: 1. Import of stock prices from Prodigy has been expanded to include more Prodigy file formats. Now supported are both old and new Quote Track formats, text or comma delimited with/without headings. Also the name and directory that was used to import price data is remembered between sessions. 2. The default set of books opened when PF2 is started when none is specified on the command line is now "MYBOOKS" unless a set exist in the PF2 program directory. 3. Automatic backup is now provided as an option whenever a set of books is closed such as when exiting PF2 or opening another set. 4. The number of user defined auto transactions has been increased from 17 to 34. The bug fixes are: 1. Import of stock data in the generic format now works correctly. 2. Error in creating the check print file when creating a new set of books has been corrected. Version 4.02f The enhancements in this version are: 1. Checking printing has been enhanced to support print immediate as well as print spooling. Print spooling has been further enhanced you allow the user to decide when the checks are to be sent to the printer. 2. Database backup has been enhanced to support mulitple levels of backup. When backing up to a fixed disk, PF2 saves the three most current backup files. 3. Batch transaction files may now be processed directly while in the enter transactions function. Also all reported problems to-date have been fixed. Version 4.02g The enhancements in this version are: 1. You may now share accounts between 2 or more sets of books. For example, if you have a small business and your personal finances both under PF2 and you use your checking account for both but desire to keep the business and personal books separate, you may now do so. 2. When reconciling an account, the beginning and ending balance are displayed and dynamically updated as you mark transactions. 3. To improve the readability of PF2 panels, you you may now specify separate colors for the message and action key lines and for pick lists. 4. When using the topic index for the on-line user's guide, you may jump to the section beginning with a given sequence of charaters by entering those characters. This is in addition to the word/phrase search capability. Also all reported problems to-date have been fixed. Version 4.02h The enhancements in this version are: 1. The stock/mutual fund sell function has been significantly improved in the area of selling partial certificates. 2. The on-line user's guide now remembers where you were when exiting and starts at that page when next opened. Version 4.02i The enhancements in this version are: 1. The stock/mutual reinvestment function has been enhanced to support fund charges and transfer of funds from other mutual funds. 2. The on-line user's guide is now accessable at any time by pressing Alt-F1. 3. The bills function has been enhanced to support a cap on the amount paid on a bill with an associated credit account. This allows you to pay the bill in installments. 4. A number of minor usablility enhancements have been added. Version 4.02j This is a maintenance release. Version 4.03 The enhancements in this version are: 1. Support for the industry standard .TXF tax information interchange file format has been added. This enables the user to directly transfer data from PF2 to many leading tax preperation programs such as TurboTax and TaxCut. 2. The tax data tracking facilities have been enhanced so that the vast majority of data needed at tax time is now available directly from PF2. This facility includes a new tax code table and facilities for converting your existing codes to the new codes. 3. Facilities for backing out stock/bond transactions have been added. This enables the user to more easily correct errors in stock transactions.