KB306: Installing EDconnect Financial Aid Software (April 2004 Installation Guide, EDconnect )

A printer-ready version of this document is available.

The “Full Download” file option on the http://FSAdownload.ed.gov/softedconnect.htm site allows you to install EDconnect by downloading a single file. You also have the option to download the EDconnect installation files as separate diskettes. Installing EDconnect using both options is described below. 

Starting the Installation from Saved Disk Files 

1. Close any programs that are running, including antivirus software. 

2. Go to the folder where you extracted the Disk 1 files and saved or copied Disk 2 through Disk 8. Double-click setup.exe to start the installation program. 

3. The installation process begins and a Welcome screen appears. See Continuing the Installation later in this section. 

Starting the Installation from the “Full Download” File 

1. Close any programs that are running, including antivirus software. 

2. Click on the Windows Start button and select Run from the menu. 

3. In the text box to the right of Open, enter the location of the installation file, EDconn600.exe, by clicking on the Browse button and using the file selection dialog box to locate the file. Once EDconn600.exe appears in the Open text box, click the OK button. You can also locate EDconn600.exe using Windows Explorer and double-click the file to start the installation. 

4. The installation process begins and a Welcome screen appears. See Continuing the Installation below. 

Continuing the Installation

1. Select the Next button and the Installation Type dialog box will open. 

2. You will be prompted to select the type of installation: Local, Network, or Workstation. Click once on an option to highlight it and view its description at the bottom of the dialog box.

Please read the explanation of each installation option below: ·

·         Select Local Install if you are installing EDconnect, including the database, on a single PC. Note: This is the most common installation. By selecting Local Install, you will install all EDconnect components, including the database, to your local hard drive. ·

·         Select Network Install if you want a number of PCs to have common access to a single EDconnect database. Performing a Network Install places only three files on your Local Area Network: the database (EDconn6.mdb) and two utility files (T4api.exe and t4api.ini). The EDconnect database contains the information users will share, such as the Activity Log and Security View information. A Network Install does not install the program itself. After a Network Install, you must perform a Workstation Install on each PC to install the program files. Note: Record the location of the EDconnect database when performing a Network Install. You will need this information when performing the Workstation Install. ·

·         Select Workstation Install if you are installing EDconnect on a PC that will access a network installation of the EDconnect database. Perform a Workstation Install on each PC that you want to access the EDconnect database. Note: You must perform a Network Install before performing a Workstation Install. The Workstation Install checks for a valid EDconnect database in the selected network location before proceeding. 

 3. Select the type of installation by clicking once on the option and then on the Next button. The Destination Folder dialog box will appear on your screen. The default destination folder is C:\Program Files\EDconnect6 for a local installation. 

Note: For a network installation, you will need to select the appropriate LAN drive as the database location. You can accept the default folder or change the destination folder by using the Browse button. 

4. Select Next and the Select Program Folder dialog box will appear on your screen. This dialog box allows you to enter a new folder name, select an existing folder, or accept the default folder name of EDconnect6. 

5. Select Next and the System Information dialog box will appear on your screen. This dialog box provides information about your computer system. You may ignore this information or verify it against the minimum system requirements in the Hardware and Software Requirements section of this guide. 

6. Select Next and the Install Settings dialog box will appear, confirming that setup has enough information to begin copying files to your PC. If you want to review or change any of the settings, click on the Back button to return to the appropriate dialog box. 

7. Select Next. A progress bar appears, showing you the progress of files being copied to your hard drive. When the installation is finished, EDconnect will open a window containing icons for the program and for Transmission Queue templates. 

8. Click Finish. The installation program will ask you to restart your computer. 

Helpful Hints

• The EDconnect database contains a record of data transfers but does not physically contain any of the files you have sent or received. All files you have sent or received are stored in a separate location and are unaffected by the EDconnect database. Other databases you may have on your computer, such as the EDExpress, or SSCR databases, are also unaffected by the EDconnect database. 

•  During the installation, EDconnect creates several Transmission Queue (TQ) template icons in the EDconnect Program Group. These icons allow quick access to commonly used default TQ template files. If you select one of these icons, EDconnect will start and will automatically fill in the Transmission Queue with the appropriate data requests. For example, selecting the all.tqt icon starts EDconnect and places a request in the Transmission Queue for all data and all messages currently in your mailbox. You may drag or copy these TQ icons, along with the EDconnect icon, to your desktop from the icon window that appears at the end of the installation.  

Author: Manuel B. Silveria, Jr.
Source: Manuel B. Silveria, Jr.
Reviewed by: Ellen Ricca
Date Reviewed: 4/20/2004