If you’re interested in keeping your PhonePad data safe, and who wouldn’t be, then we have some good news for you.

We had to update AutoBackup to use the new licensing system and, while we were at it, we added in a trial period just like PhonePad has.

What this means is that you can now download AutoBackup and try it for free for 30 days!

And just like PhonePad, if you decide to purchase AutoBackup you can easily change it to a fully licensed version without having to reinstall anything.

Of course, you need to have PhonePad installed for AutoBackup to work.

If you don’t know what AutoBackup is then read all about it here. It will keep your PhonePad data safe by automatically backing it up each day without you having to lift a finger.

The cost of AutoBackup is way less than what it would cost to try to recover your lost or damaged data.

Don’t wait until you lose your data before you do something. Get AutoBackup today and preempt any possible disasters.

Back in August you may remember we discussed the new licensing system and how your existing PhonePad license will be automatically converted to the new format if you upgrade to PhonePad Version 4.25 from a previous version.

We have had support requests from some clients telling us that they are getting the following error after upgrading to PhonePad Version 4.25.  The problem is occurring when PhonePad is trying to convert their license.

The reason for the error is that they have only half done the upgrade.  There are two parts to upgrading.  The first is to upgrade your PhonePad applications, and the second is to upgrade your PhonePad database.

If you only do the first part then there will be a mismatch between the two, ie. they will be out of sync, and you will get errors.

This can be easily rectified by running DBUpdate and following the simple steps.

DBUpdate should always be run after an upgrade (the option to run it should be checked by default when you run the installer).  But you don’t need to run it on every computer – only the Server or Host PC.

If you are getting this error then please open your PhonePad folder and run DBUpdate.  There is also a new Knowledge Base article on this.

We often get asked this question: “Do you have a brochure?”.

Being a brochure reader from way back, I can understand the desire for one. I love collecting and reading brochures when I’m shopping for a product.

They put all of the facts and list of features at my finger tips. I can sit back, relax and read through the information at my leisure.

Perhaps you have a boss that would like to be able to peruse a PhonePad brochure to help them decide to buy.

Or maybe you are the boss and are looking for one so you can find out if PhonePad has the features you’re looking for in phone log software.

In any case, the answer is “Yes, now we do”. You can download it from our website, or you can even download it directly from here.

And while you’re downloading the brochure, don’t forget to download PhonePad as well. While the brochure may give you an overview of what you can expect from PhonePad, the trial period will give you first hand experience.

This is the first in a series of articles that will focus on the various applications that make up the PhonePad suite. In this article we’ll take a look at PhonePad Error Log Viewer.

So what is Error Log Viewer?

Error Log Viewer (ErrorLogViewer.exe) resides in the PhonePad folder on your Server, Host PC, and/or workstation.  It sits in the background silently logging any errors you may encounter while using PhonePad.  Not all errors are logged, but most are.

If you experience problems with PhonePad then an error message will usually be displayed. If you didn’t write the error down and can’t remember what it said, chances are it will be in the error log.

Open Error Log Viewer to access the error log.

The main part of the screen shows all errors that have been reported by PhonePad, including the Date, Time, Error Type and the actual error message. As you can see, the date is shown in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD.

If you select an error, additional details are displayed in the panel on the right.  If you have PhonePad physically installed on your workstation then it will show your Computer Name, your Windows Username, your PhonePad Username (if the error occurred after you have logged in) and the application the error occurred in.

When PhonePad is running from a network drive, these details can be particularly handy as an administrator will be able to identify which computers and users are experiencing certain errors.

When reporting a problem to PhonePad Support, it can assist us greatly if we know the exact error you are experiencing.  You can easily provide us with that information by sending us a copy of the error log.  You can do this by selecting Copy Log from the File menu.  The error log will be copied to the Windows clipboard. Just send us an email and paste the error log into the email.

There may be times when you experience a problem with PhonePad or our other software that can’t be easily resolved by email.  At times like this, the best way to get things sorted out is by remote support. Through the magic of the Internet we can remote connect to your computer and access it as though we were actually with you in your office. It’s like a site visit, but without a techo turning up at your door.

Depending on the issue, there may or may not be a charge for this service.  Of course, we will advise you of this up front when arranging remote support.

We currently use Citrix GoToAssist for remote support.  To get remote support up and running on your end, you will need to follow some simple steps so that we can connect.

Firstly, we will send you a link and a support key.  You will need to click on the link to take you to the Fast Support website. It looks a bit like this:

You will need to enter your Name and the Support Key, and then click Continue.

You should then get a screen like this:

Click OK to launch the GoToAssist application.

You may get a prompt like this one, asking you to allow or block the launcher.  This screenshot is from Firefox.

If you get a prompt like this click the Allow button.

Ok, almost there.  This next bit catches a few people out because sometimes the window is hidden.  If you can’t see this dialog then search your screen for it because it will be there somewhere.

Click the Yes button to join the remote support session.

That’s it.  We will now be connected to your computer.  You can show us the problems you’re having and we can fix it for you while you watch.  If you’re busy you can go off and do what you need to do while we do our thing.

We have finally introduced a shopping cart on our website to make things easier when you want to purchase more than one product at a time.  This also simplifies the order page slightly as there are now less buttons.

The shopping cart appears on every page so once you have selected the items you want, you don’t have to go back to the order page. You can check out from any page once the products are in your cart.

The new cart and the new ordering system behind the scenes have been tested pretty thoroughly, however if you experience any problems with any part of the purchase process please let us know.

As part of the implementation of new backend systems, including a new order processing system, we have changed over to a new license server. The previous system is now offline for purchases, but it is still available for license downloads for PhonePad Version 4.24 and earlier.

If you are on a 60 day trial and decide to purchase PhonePad, you will receive a Serial Number that is not compatible with PhonePad Version 4.24 and earlier. You will need to upgrade (there is no cost to upgrade) to PhonePad Version 4.25, which has just been released.

If you already have a PhonePad license, when you upgrade to Version 4.25 your existing license will be automatically converted over to the new licensing scheme so you don’t need to obtain a new serial number.

Please contact Support if you have any questions.

We are pleased to announce the release of PhonePad Version 4.25.0.

This release includes the following changes:

• Rebuilt Address Book Import feature.
• Fixed problem with messages not being found when searching in other user’s Inboxes in Receptionist mode.
• Fixed issue with email addresses not being pre-populated in Email Message facility (File/Email Message).
• Changed PhonePad to work with new licensing system.
• Minor updates to DBRepair.
• Minor fixes to WhereRU.

 This release can be downloaded from the PhonePad download page or from My PhonePad Account.

This is a free minor update for licensed PhonePad users.

We have just released 4 new video tutorials to help you install and set up MessageSender and PhonePad’s Automatic Message Forwarding feature.  Included is a video that goes through the various options for forwarding your phone messages to email addresses and  mobile/cell phones.

You can view these tutorials on the new Getting Started with PhonePad website.