Using FIREHOUSE Software with Windows Vista

You can install FH directly from the Autorun install screen instead of using Add or Remove Programs in the Windows XP Control Panel. To avoid performance problems contributed to how the User Account Control feature works in Windows Vista, we recommend 1) disabiling the feature, or 2) installing FH to a location other than the FH defaulted install location. Logged on to the computer as an administrator, complete the following steps:

1. Press Install the FIREHOUSE Software Evaluation or Update an Existing 6.x, or 7.x Installation option of the installation menu. The Select Setup Type form is displayed.
2. Select New Installation then press Next>. The FIREHOUSE Software setup wizard Welcome form is displayed.
3. Press Next>. In the Select Installation Location step, press Browse... in Install to Folder to change the default location listed from C:\Program Files\FIREHOUSE Software\ to C:\FIREHOUSE Software (or another preferred location outside of the Program Files or Windows directories). Check Install shortcuts and icons in Windows NT common folders to ensure that all users logging on to the machine will have access to the FH program icons.
4. Follow remaining prompts to complete installation. If you are activating a new system, follow the instructions included with the license activation code.

Windows Vista has an option that is on by default that will make FH work improperly. This is called the User Account Control. We recommend turning off the User Account Control before installing FH. This feature creates directories for each directory needed to run the program. Vista creates those files when a user runs an executable. It will do this for each user. This means that each user could be looking at different database files. The path that the files will go to is C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Virtual Store (This folder location is hidden by default). To prevent this, you can do one of two options

1) You can go to the Control Panel, User Accounts, to get to this option. You will then see a link that says Turn User Account Control on or off. You will uncheck the box to turn this feature off. This will require a restart of the computer.

2) You can open the FIREHOUSE Software folder (located at C:\Program Files\ by default). Right click on each one of the FH executables to select Properties and then the Compatibility tab. At the bottom of this tab you will see a button labeled Show settings for all users. Click this button to locate a check box at the bottom labeled “Run this Program as an Administrator”. You will want to check this box, select Apply and OK. You will need to do this for each executable (EG: fh.exe, fhbackup.exe, fhdbtools.exe, etc) and any other executable the user will use (unless the User Account Control has been disabled). If you do not do this for each executable, it will try to use the user's “appdata” to accomplish the task. This process will need to do be performed on each machine running Windows Vista Business edition. If users have already entered information into FH in their “appdata” folder (the incorrect location), you can use the FH Export Data to Station feature to export out the data before changing the executable settings noted above. This too, will have to be performed for each user.

FIREHOUSE Software is supported on Windows Vista Home Basic edition with only one user account established on the computer. Windows Vista Home Basic is ideal for homes with basic computing needs like email, browsing the Internet, and viewing photos. Commonly FH would not be installed on computers in this environment.