Installation hints and tips.

Colour settings: LetSys will not display colours very well unless you set your colour settings to "High Colour (16 bit)" or better.

Windows 95: Early versions of Windows 95 may not show Toolbars correctly (they are just blank). Downloading the latest version of the Windows common controls should solve this problem. Go to the Microsoft download site: http://download.microsoft.com/download/platformsdk/Comctl32/5.80.2614.3600/W9XNT4/EN-US/50comupd.exe
There have also been other reports from users that, while LetSys will run, the display has some odd (albeit manageable) characteristics. If you use Windows 95, download and run the evaluation version to check out your system before purchase.

Windows NT / Windows 2000 / Windows XP: You must install and configure LetSys from a user with administrator rights.

Display Settings: LetSys was designed for the default (normal) DPI (dots per inch) Display Setting. Some users who have changed their display DPI (Dots per inch) setting have found that while the system is still useable, they get scroll bars in some windows, where none appear in the documentation. You can either scroll or resize the windows in order to see all the buttons and other components. In addition, font sizes are larger and do not fit or line up as well.
You are recommended to run the Holiday Letting System using the default display settings if you want the easiest user interface.
To change back to the default (normal) DPI setting, then go to Control Panel / Display / Settings tab. Click the advanced button. On the General Tab you can change the DPI (dots per inch) for your display. Set it back to normal (96 DPI). (This procedure may be slightly different on older version of Windows.)

Installing LetSys on a single computer with two or more users. With more recent versions of Windows, you can define two or more users for a single computer. Each user has their own settings, desktop and my documents folders. When you install LetSys you have to do it from a specific user ID. However LetSys will now be available to use from any user ID on the computer, subject to the following comments:

  1. The Demo Cottage desktop icon is installed only on the desktop of the user who initially installed LetSys.
  2. It is also placed into the Start menu / Programs / LetSys folder - for all users.
  3. When you create your own properties, then new icons to enable you to work with your properties are installed in the Start Menu / Programs / LetSys for all users. However, desktop icons are only placed on the desktop of the user who created the property. This seemed the best way to avoid users who might not want to use LetSys having the icons on their desktops. Hence you can launch LetSys from any user, using the Start Menu. If you do want an icon on your desktop, just drag a copy to your desktop from the start menu. (Use right click, hold and drag when pointing at the icon you want in the start menu, then select copy. If you use left click and hold, you move the icon out of the folder! )

Using LetSys on a Network. You can easily configure LetSys so the root or base folder is on a different computer - just browse from the Configuration program to find the folder on the other computer. Here's one scenario where this could be useful: A husband and wife both jointly manage a cottage - and they often work from home, each with their own computer, and both are networked. Then you just share a single copy of the data and either can update it. You need to install LetSys on both computers, and you need to configure both computers with exactly the same settings - ensuring both are pointed at the same root folder. Caution You want to be sure you don't both update it at the same time.

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Holiday Letting System (LetSys)
© Brendan Blake.
See HELP / CONTENTS for full documentation.

Updated 27/10/03.