January 9, 2006 - Version 2.59 of the AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition is progressing pretty well and I hope to soon make this latest version available to registered users. The web page interface has changed quite a bit and now includes email sending options (initially remarked out) using CDO instead of CDONTS or ASPEMAIL. The new Dynamic Styles are also looking pretty good, especially compared to the older themes. I have included a handful of web reports which some may fine useful. The biggest change in the soon to be release version 2.59 of the windows application is improved importing. See the screen shots below.
No longer limited to .csv files, just about any data source and your system is available for importing, as is, no need to specify a "picture" format for date and time fields either. Just drag and drop. I think the new importing feature will be very useful for those wanting to use Microsoft's new Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express edition which does not include an importing tool as useful as the Enterprise Manager available in the other editions.
You can try out the new web pages at the links below. I have provided several so you can see the pages in some of the style I will be providing to licensed users.
The info page has links to let you login as an administrator, as well as links to let you create your own account and login as if you were an end user. Please be patient, this is a shared web/SQLServer and does not indicate the performance you would get in your own environment.
Default Style Blueprint Style Pine Style Gourd Style - there are others, too.
November 14, 2005 - Now through December 31, 2005 - AccessAble Help Desk Client Server and Pro Edition "Two-Fer" offer is back. I am still making a list of changes planned for the next major upgrade to both the Professional Edition and the Client Server Edition of the AccessAble Help Desk programs. Version 3.0 for both will be planned for release before the end of the first quarter of 2006 and all registered users prior to that release will be eligible for a free version upgrade. In the meantime, I will include a license/registration key for both the Pro Edition and Client Server Edition to all who purchase a license for either version at no extra charge. TIP: The Pro Edition license is $100 cheaper than the Client Server Edition. So if you have been contemplating buying the Client Server Edition, go ahead and buy the Pro Edition, even if you know you never plan to use it. This will save you a little money if you order before the end of 2006.
10/7/2005 - AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition 2.57 now available. I will soon be replacing the current download with the new .zip file available right now at http://www.dbandsons.com/setupcs257.zip
7/11/2005 - Due to several recent emails, I will once again offer a free licence for the AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition with each purchase of the AccessAble Help Desk Pro Edition. This will be from today through the end of July. The dual license sale may be used only within the same organization, licenses are not transferable. Yes, it is possible to use the Client Server Edition with Microsoft's MSDE not just MS SQL Server 2000.
5/26/2005 - Only a few days
left on the May Special, and new version almost complete. I am very near to
completing new incremental updates to both the AccessAble Help Desk Pro Edition
and the AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition. These new versions (2.57)
will be initially available to registered users. A full reinstall will NOT be
required, instead a .zip file containing new .exe and .dll files will only need
to be unzipped to your current installed directory. Most notable in the next
release is the addition of a window for users of Microsoft Outlook or Outlook
Express.. This will enable you to read the contents of your inbox and by
clicking one button create a new problem or request record based on the contents
of the email you are reading. You will also be able to send email from
within the program, with the same feature.
I will begin notifying registered users of the availability of the new version
soon, and this version may not be publicly available for download.
5/4/2005 - May Special on AccessAble Help Desk Pro Edition/Client Server and price reduced on C/S Edition. I am once again offering a "Two-Fer" special. Buy a site license for either the AccessAble Help Desk Pro Edition or the Client Server Edition and receive a free license for the other. I have also reduced the site license price for the Client Server Edition to $499. The special includes a complimentary CD for each. This offer good through the month of May 2005. I will also be including a free license for the Standard Edition for the next few purchases of the AccessAble Help Desk Pro Edition, making it a "Three -Fer- the price of one!
1/28/2005 - Version 2.55 Available for Download. I have replaced the file from the older version with a new version tonight. I will be providing both the latest version (2.55) and the prior release on CD to users who purchase a license in the next couple of months. After that I will only be sending out version 2.55 on CD. Note: Registered users of earlier versions will need a new registration key for this release. You can have both versions installed on the same computer with no conflicts.
1/21/2005 - Version 2.55 is near enough to completion that you can now view the help file online in your browser. Some changes may be added before final release.
1/20/2005 - Earlier versions of AccessAble Help Desk Client Server included a variety of reports created with Crystal Reports and the CR Runtime files were included. This has required a much larger download than if I did not include the CR Runtime files. I have had many email me that they don't use these reports and are content with the Standard reports, the report wizard and output to Microsoft Excel. Others have written me that they already own the full version of Crystal Reports and don't need the runtime as part of the download. For this reason I am seriously considering not including Crystal reports in the upcoming 2.55 release. I may either make the reports I created for earlier versions available to registered users on request -- or I may create a separate program (and download) to provided these additional reports.
However, version 2.55 has a new Report Builder in addition the Report
Wizard. This new report builder is quite powerful and enables you to
visually design your own reports without need for third party
software.
As with all of my programs, I am glad to have input from either registered users or potential customers. So I am adding
this poll and will check it over the next couple of weeks to see what response I get.
1/18/2005 - Version 2.55 is nearing completion. Changes in this upcoming version are primarily to the windows based application. Preview screen shots can be seen here.
(Note: I have had one person email me about a problem with duplicate records being created. There may be a problem with the sql script that creates the sql tables. If you have this problem, please use the MS SQL Server Enterprise Manager and check the table design of the tables. If the PK field is not set with a Yes as an Identity field, the records will not be automatically incrementing. If you have had this problem please email me to let me know. I would appreciate knowing about any problem you may have with this, or any of my programs.)
9/6/2004 - If you have already installed an earlier version of AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition you can now try the incremental 2.15 version by downloading the small zip file (about 1 meg).
9/3/2004 - Incremental version 2.15 available to registered users. Read about the significant changes in 2.15 here.
5/1/2004 - Price for the Client Server Edition Site License increased to $599
3/4/2004 - Incremental update to 2.11 available. Read about the changes here.
2/22/2004 - AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition 2.1 is now available for download. Same .zip file as before but additional download links available. This version includes many changes. Some examples: standard reports, as well as those created with the report wizard can now be saved as .pdf files. The screens you will use most often (updating requests, user information, computer inventory etc, have been redesigned to remove the notebook style tabs. Now, all information is available "at a glance". The included reports in Crystal Reports format have been improved and some additional reports added - total is now around 50. Other changes are not visible but are "under the hood" meaning newer .dll files are used with version 2.1 which may provide for performance enhancements or additional functionality. Although the full download is around 22 megs, the full install package is recommended for anyone who already has installed an earlier 2.XX installation. Version 2.1 will be installed to a different directory so you will not need to uninstall an earlier version before you are sure you prefer this release. Any further incremental updates* before the next major revision may only be supplied to registered users via email links. This is, IMO, the best release so far and I hope you will like it. This version will co-exist with installed web interface from earlier downloads. Don't hesitate to email me with any questions or comments.
* an incremental update is a much smaller file than a full installation. Theses updates are most often minor changes, some may even be cosmetic or minor enhancement. In order to apply an incremental update you would need to have already installed the previous release.
Although the program provides context sensitive help (press the F1 key on any screen for help on that screen) you can view the help file in your browser by clicking here. Also, I am in the process of creating a printable manual in Microsoft Word format which may also be helpful. Check this page for links to download the manual when it is ready, or if you would like to be notified when it is ready email me and include AACS Manual in the subject. I will then send you a link via email when it is ready for download.
I will start putting some "how to do" links here. For example, one of the new features in version 2.1 that you might not be aware of is the ability to quickly filter non-date, non-time fields. Similar to a query, this is just another way to filter the data displayed in the browse screen. The Query Wizard has the advantage of letting you save a Query or Filter condition to use again, and maintains any sort order if you click on a column heading. A filter created using the right-click, filter option, will be removed when you click on a column heading. Here is an example of creating a Query on more than one condition.
I have provided links to download version 2.1 below. However, if you are not able to successfully download from any of these links, please let me know.
Download Link 1 - HTTP
Download Link 2 - FTP
Download Link 3 - HTTP
Please be patient if you have trouble downloading, but email me if you are not successful.
The screen below shows one of the changes in version 2.1.
While you can still browse computer and software separately, a new screen has
been added to let you select a computer you have already added to the inventory,
and then click a button to view and update software installed on that particular
PC. This can be handy if you have a user on the phone and want to quickly
see what software he/she has installed on that computer. 
2/15/2004 - Incremental update to AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition Available. If you have already installed a version 2.X of the Client Server Edition of the AccessAble Help Desk you can download a zip file to bring you to version 2.04. The zip file is not the full install, but contains only a single .exe. You will want to extract the .zip file to overwrite the file of the same name, which by default would have been installed to C:\Program Files\AAHDCS2
Version 2.04 makes some minor but important changes to the Windows based portion of the application. An example: a Print button has been added to the Browse Requests screen to let you print a detail report of the selected request
Version 2.1 is under development and will require a full install. Many changes are planned. The use of a "trusted connection" may be required for the Windows based app in 2.1. Not just interface changes, the AccessAble Email utility will be removed. The current Styles may be replaced with Themes. A lot of report changes are also planned. Once version 2.1 is released, earlier versions will be removed from the web site. At this time I do not plan any major changes to the web interface.
2/8/2004 - I am once again offering a two for one deal. Purchase either the AccessAble Help Desk Pro Edition and get a free Site License/CD for AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition or vice versa. The two programs are not the same, but have many features in common. For most organizations, the Pro Edition will be more than adequate. But for others, either they already use MS SQL Server, or have so many IT staff and supported users that they need the performance benefits of the Client Server Edition. Now, you don't have to decide right away. Buy one site license and get the other for free.
1/10/2004 - OK, I have to admit a few things. 1) I am only Human. 2) I am an American and 3) I live in Georgia. Why the confession? I received an email from someone in the United Kingdom who told me about a problem with the web pages for AAHD CS when used on his web site in England. Like a lot of Americans, I am used to date fields being formatted as mm/dd/yyyy however, as this gentleman explained in England dates are formatted most often like dd/mm/yyyy so if I were to want to put January 10, 2004 in a date field pictured like 01/10/2004 he would want it formatted like 10/01/2004. The web page interface uses pop up date pickers and if you use the picker on a date that already has a value in it, the date picker might add 20 years to the date, meaning a UK user would have to scroll through several years to get to the correct year. Whoops. Sorry about that. Anyway, if you are evaluating AAHDCS and are not using the "American" date format, please email me and I will send you a URL to download a more European style set of pages. I am also going to try to remember to send registered users outside the USA a CD with the additional themes formatted to sue dd/mm/yyyy formats. Thanks John, for bringing this to my attention.
12/26/2003 - Full Download of 2.03 uploaded. You can download a complete setup of version 2.03 containing setups for both the windows and web interface. I have also reduced the site license price for the client server edition to $499 - the same price as the Professional Edition. I will keep this lower price at least through January 2004.
12/21/2003 - Minor but important update - 2.03 is the latest version. If you have already installed 2.0 or higher, please download the .zip and use the .exe inside it, rename the .exe if needed or modify your shortcut. I will "repackage" a full 2.03 setup routine soon and make these new changes available in a single download. Currently I am also making some web page changes, again suggested by Mike, such as adding the Action Taken or Planned to the end user's My Request Grid page. Some other improvements as well.
12/19/2003 - Minor update 2.02 available. This interim version includes what seemed to me to be some good changes. I have added a refresh button on the requests browse screen. Now when that screen is open, you can click the refresh button and if any new requests have been submitted by a user on another workstation or a user adds or updates a request via browser the change will be displayed. Most of the lookup buttons (...) have been replaced with drop down list boxes. I was told by the same person that suggested the refresh button that this would speed data entry and I think it may in fact be preferable to the lookup browse screens. Finally, this .02 version may prevent duplicate records being displayed depending on sort order. I still need confirmation of this. Thanks for the suggestions, Mike. I have not prepared a full setup for this version, but if you have already installed version 2.0 - see the link in the next paragraph, you can download a zip file with the .02 .exe and copy it to the directory where you have version 2.0 installed. As always, I welcome comments and suggestions, write to me at dennis@lnsoftware.com or dennis@dbandsons.com
11/4/2003 - Version 2.0 Available Download it
AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition version 2.0 is now available. This program combines a comprehensive yet easy to use Microsoft Windows based application for use by IT Staff and Management with a browser based interface that allows your users to submit support requests, view their completed and outstanding requests, and search the knowledge base. IT Staff may also find the web interface useful in updating PC/Peripheral/Software Inventory, updating User Information, and updating support requests "in the field". You can view the web interface as provided in the just released version 2.0 at:
http://www.lnsoftware.com/aacs2web/menu.asp
The theme at the link above is called Deep Water. When you purchase a site license you will receive a complimentary CD containing the web page interface in several other themes. You can see the same database as above, with different themes in use at the links below:
Foggy Day Rockit Graphite Sulfur
I may put more examples up soon.
To view the pages from a technicians view, use the Login Name of Admin and the Password of Admin. Otherwise, use the customer options to Create an Account then submit support requests as they would.
.
10-23-2003 - Back to work on 2.0. Screenshot below.
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated - please email me any ideas to dennis@dbandsons.com
The best way to see if any program is right for you is to download it, install it and try it out. You can download a zip file containing a SQL script to create the tables on your server, and setup files for both the Windows and Web based application. Try them out and then please email me with any questions or comments.