Frequently Asked Questions

Backups & Safeguards

1. Why are backups so important?
There are a number of things that can happen to your computer that can spell disaster for your business if you do not have proper backups. Everything from hard-disk failure to getting hit by lightning to outright theft of your computer system. Imagine what would happen to your business if suddenly you had no record whatsoever of all outstanding invoices and had no idea of how much money owed? A few hundred dollars spent now on a reliable backup system could possibly save you thousands in the future.

2. How can my data possibly get corrupted? I just bought a new computer with tons of RAM and Hard disk space.
When you break down the causes for data corruption you will find that 80% of all data corruption is the direct result of power problems while only 20% is related to hardware failures and human error. So what does all this mean? If you have bad wiring in your building for example that cause fluctuations in the voltage supply to your computer a simple surge protector will not provide sufficient protection. Your hard disk needs a steady supply of voltage to it while it is being written to, if there is even a small dip or spike in the voltage your data will be corrupted. This can be prevented by having each workstation hooked up to a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) or what some people call a battery backup unit. This feeds your computer with an uninterrupted voltage source which is drawn from the battery while the battery recharges itself off of the main power source.

Hints & Tips

1. I need a blank Affidavit so that the Server that I forward my job to can fill in the blanks with the details of Service.
When entering a new job you will eventually be brought to the Job Options window. In the Affidavit Options portion of the window you will have three radio buttons to choose from: Normal Affidavit, Send-Away (Personal) and Send-Away (Business). By selecting either Send-Away (Personal) or Send-Away (Business), depending on the type of service you think that it might be, you will able to print out a blank affidavit for this job.

1. How much is the software?
A free download of the full working version can be found on the downloads section of this website! If you decide that either PST or CST is the program for your business you pay for our software and support on a monthly basis that is based on your volume. We also sell a 'Starter Kit' that is very useful for new customers (and new clerks with existing customers). There is a minimum and a maximum monthly charge, so don't worry if you're doing tons of jobs that our software will become a major expense!

2. Will I have to commit to a long term leasing contract?
Absolutely not! You are never required to sign a leasing agreement in any way, shape, or form. You simply pay as you go. If at any point you are no longer happy with our software or support you can fire us on the spot.

3. Why should I pay for a leasing contract when I should be able to own it outright?
Let's take a look at some of the advantages of leasing our software over purchasing it outright. When you really think about the nature of the software business you never truly own a piece of software out right. The average software company upgrades their software every 6 to 12 months. Keeping current with the latest version of the software will always hit you in the checkbook, and if you don't keep current you will soon be left behind in today's fast paced world of software development. What happens when you have a problem with the software or even a question you have been pulling your hair out over? Call the software company you "purchased" the software from and you will be charged again for the tech support. When leasing either PST or CST not only are all of your upgrades included, but so is technical support. For 11 hours a day we have a full time staff waiting by the phones to answer any questions related to our software. Not only are you paying a monthly fee for software, but you are also investing in a long term relationship. If you are not happy with the software or level of service we don't get paid!

4. How do you monitor how much work I enter into your program?
At no time do we ever have access to your computer in order to monitor the amount of work entered into PST or CST. Both PST and CST internally keep track of the amount of work entered into the software. On the 10th of the month you are prompted to print out the invoice for the previous month's work. The invoice will tally up the number of jobs entered in the program and give you a printout telling you how many jobs have been entered and how much you owe for the usage.

5. What if I decide to stop using PST after a period of time, I've heard I will not be able to access my data?
If you decide to no longer use either PST or CST your monthly codes will eventually expire. Once they do you will no longer be able to print in either of the programs. However, you will be able to access all of your data for reference purposes whether you pay us or not. We have to have some method of enforcing our payment schedule, there are some who folks who just don't pay for software unless they are forced to. I wish it wasn't that way.

6. Do I have to pay extra for each copy of PST I have installed on my network?
No, you can run as many copies as you like on your network, they are all included in the basic monthly fee! PST and CST come network-ready out of the box. Our goal is to help you grow your business!

1. My Printer prints out Affidavits fine but Windows crashes each time I try to print either an Invoice or Field Sheet.
This problem is isolated to PST V5 for users who are using Hewlett Packard deskjet or officejet 600-700 series printers and some 800 series. The source of the problem resides in the Hewlett Packard printer drivers and the way it handles the printing out horizontal lines. There are two ways to circumvent this problem. The first is by installing the standard HP550c printer driver in addition to your current printer driver. The second is to pull down the Utilities menu, select Special Functions and type NoHLines and hit enter. You currently have to do this each time you enter PST. This Special Function turns off the horizontal lines in printing and replaces them with dashes. We are continuing to work with HP on a better solution (they really need to update the deskjet printer driver!).

2. Why can't I print out an invoice for the job I just entered in?
In both CST and PST you have to finish the job before the program will allow you print out an invoice.

3. I thought Field sheets where supposed to automatically be sent to the print queue after entering in a job.
PST is designed to automatically add a field sheet to the print queue upon the entering of a job. If this is not the case then the 'Field Sheet on Login' option is most likely turned off. Pull down the Setup menu and select Misc. Options. The menu item 'Field Sheet on Login' should have a check by it. If there is no check to the left of the menu item the Field Sheets are turned off. Just left click on 'Field Sheet on Login' and the menu will disappear. You can verify that Field Sheets on Login are turned on by pulling the Setup menu down and selecting the Misc. Options menu item again, make sure there is a check to the left of the Fieldsheet on Login option.

4. When I print my unfinished jobs report, it's not listing all of the jobs for one server on a single page, it's splitting them up on a multiple of pages.
The Unfinished Jobs Report sorts by the server three-letter initials. If the initials are left blank then there is nothing to sort by. You can go back and enter in initials in the server's record but there are a few other steps you need to take in order to print out a correct itemized report. PST stamps the job with the server's initials when you first select the server for the job. In order for the new initials to be stamped in and the Unfinished Jobs Report to sort by the new initials you have to reselect the same server for the job. This must be done for each individual job that is not sorting correctly on the Unfinished Jobs Report. Of course, you can right-click on a job and narrow the report to just that server first as a shortcut.

5. I just downloaded and installed Version 5 PST but when I start the program it tells me that my VBAJet32.Dll (or another file) failed to register. Is there something wrong with the computer?
This usually means that a program was using the dll or ocx in question while our installation program was running. You simply need to uninstall PST (through Add/Remove programs in the Control Panel) and reinstall the program. This should cause the VBAJet32.DLL file (or other file) to register correctly. It is always best to do as the first screen in the install says and make sure that all programs are closed down when installing new software.