Frequently Asked Questions / Support

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Sometimes getting your TimeWand to work for you takes a little practice. There are also some technical issues you have to make sure you have covered. First, you make sure the TimeWand is fully charged. You can do this by leaving it in the charger overnight. If you are having trouble charging the wand, make sure you do a triple beep reset by inserting a paperclip into the reset hole and holding the scan button at the same time. Second, make sure you test the TimeWand using the scan card that came with your unit. Some printers do not put enough carbon in their ink for the TimeWand to read bar codes. Using the scan card can help you rule out your printer or the TimeWand. If the scanner will scan the scan card but will not scan your printouts, you may need to try a different printer or ink brand. Please note, the scan card bar codes are small and easier to scan than the longer codes on the rosters and name tags. Technique is important. To properly scan a code, you must start in the white space in front of the bar code and end in the white space after the code. You need to hold the scanner like a pencil with the scan button under your thumb and gently run the scan sensor over the bar code just like you were marking the bar code with a high lighter. Move from left to right in a quick stroke. If you go too slow you will not get a scan. When you get successful scan the red light on the top of the scanner will flash and you will hear an audible beep. Please remember, you must initialize your wand before using it to collect information. The wand will not store scans unless it has been initialized. Before you scan always check to see if the wand is programmed by scanning a bar code from right to left (backwards). If you cannot get a beep scanning backwards you need to reinitialize the wand.

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NOTE: This answer applies to the beige (or tan) scanner only. When you received your CCD scanner from TCS Software, you should have received an instruction sheet for configuring the scanner. If you did not receive the sheet you can download the sheet here. TO initialize the CCD scanner, you must scan each of the initialization bar codes on the instruction sheet that came with your scanner. Make sure you have the scanner connected into a keyboard port on your computer or laptop (sometimes a laptop may have a PS2 port but it is a mouse only port). Or if you have purchased a USB cable, make sure that the scanner is plugged into a USB port. Place the scanner over the bar code and then press the scan button. When you hold the scan button the scanner will emit a red light. You may need to slightly readjust the scanner to get it to read the bar code. Each scan will produce audible beeps when you successfully scan the code. Scan each code in succession. If you get out of order, scan the last bar code to save the changes and then start over with the first bar code. You must scan the codes in the order they are printed on the initialization sheet. When you have completed the sequence try scanning the last code while you have Notepad open. You should get $G. If not, try repeating the initialization sequence.

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No. Attenda Plus automatically creates the bar codes for you so you don't have to worry about the technical details of bar coding. The bar codes must contain several pieces of information unique to Attenda Plus, such as Name, Attendance event, date, etc. Bar codes created by other software will not have this information encoded in them, and will not work correctly with Attenda Plus.

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This is a problem that has come up with the driver software from the barcode manufacturer. We, here at TCS, are currently attempting to get the problem taken care of. Until then, there is a work around that has proven to be successful in getting the names downloaded from the scanner. 1. Make sure that you have the cord for the scanner connected to the computer. 2. Open the scan console window. 3. Once it appears that the program has detected the scanner, connect the scanner to the cord. 4. Wait for a couple of seconds and your scans should automatically download. * Another option that you can use is to take the pamphlet that came folded with the scanner and scan the Reset Defaults Barcode. This should work as well.

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If the Time Wand has been properly initialized and charged, then the problem could very well be the battery. If this is the case you will need to have the battery replaced in order to get things up and working again. You will need to contact the Videx sales and support team to take care of this issue.

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The “new” black CCD scanner requires no configuration for normal use. It is ready to use right out of the box. However, should you want the scanner to remain on then you would need to program the scanner. Programming the scanner can be done with the use of the Barcode Scanner Operations Manual that is packaged in the box with your scanner. Note: To configure the scanner to remain on scan the following barcodes. Step 1: Under the Setup Commands, scan the Start Configuration barcode. (This can be found on page 9, the 4th barcode down on the list.) Step 2: Under the Reading Mode, on page 11, scan the Continuous/Auto Power ON barcode, which will be the 4th barcode down on the list. Step 3: The final step would be to scan the End Configuration barcode. (This can be found on page 9, and will be the 5th barcode down on the list.)

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Yes. With the latest version of the software, you will be prompted to uninstall the scanner software that you installed with an earlier version of Nspire. The program will work the same way as you will still be able to scan the rosters and barcodes etc. when trackintg attendance.

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Yes, you should uninstall the scanner software when prompted. With the latest update to the Nspire software, the N-Touch Scanner was integrated with the Scan Console window in the attendance section making it possible to use the N-Touch scanner without any other software. Now, when you open the scan console window the program will automatically look for your N-Touch scanner and you are ready to go.

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We can replace the scanner for you if you are still within a year of the purchased date. However, you will need to make sure that we know that you are sending the scanner back so that we can make a note of it. When we receive the scanner in-house, we will test it and make sure that it needs to be replaced. If it does we will send you a replacement scanner otherwise we will return your scanner to you with an explaination of our actions.

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Here are a few useful tips for usage of the N-Touch scanner. 1) Hold the scanner slightly above or below the bar code and point it at an angle. 2) Make sure the scan line is fully crossing the bar code with ¼ to ½ an inch of light off both ends of the code. 3) It can help to sweep the scan line from the top of the bar code to the bottom. 4) Scanner works best when 3-5 inches from bar code, assuming it is covering the code.

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If you are using a CCD Scanner, one that has to be connected to the computer all the time to work, you should click No when asked if you want to search for the N-Touch scanner again. The CCD scanner is the type of scanner that you might see at Wal-Mart and has a six inch cord.

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This error might be caused by having a blank record or by trying to enter a duplicate name in the database. If you get the error message as soon as you click on the insert button when inserting individual records or other data, then the problem is that you have a blank record in the database. This record will show up as a blank, line at the very top of your list. For example, if you are inserting individuals, check the top individual’s list for a blank record. For Households, check the top of the household list etc. When you find the blank line, all that you need to do is to highlight and delete that line and then you should be able to insert information. This error will also be received if you have a duplicate name in the database. If you have entered a name into the database and then try to hit finish to save the changes or additions to the program, and the error message comes up - this usually means that the name that you are trying to enter into the program is already in the database. You can check for a particular individual by using the individual locator, Utilities|Individual Locator (this feature will also let you know which ministry that the name is listed under.)

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See the question, When I open the program I get an error message telling me that I have an invalid data file.

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An invalid data file error can be caused by either a mismatched or a corrupt data file. Mismatched Data File: If you get this error and you have just restored from a backup file, it is likely the data version is newer than the program version. N·Spire will normally convert older data files automatically, but if you restore a more recent version of the data file into an older version of N·Spire, this is not possible. You will need to install the appropriate updates before trying to use the data file. Basically, you need to get the two versions to match. Corrupt Data File: The other possible cause is a corrupt data file. Corruption can be caused by many factors including bad network cards, faulty network wiring, bad sectors on your hard drive, viruses, power outages/interruptions while data is being written to disk, shutting down a server when there are users accessing files, etc. Fortunately, corruption is exceptionally rare on reliable networks. When a file is corrupted, sometimes we can repair the file, but this is risky since data can be lost in the repair process. The best remedy in this situation is to restore your data from a previous backup. You can quickly and easily restore a backup made from N·Spire. If you have not performed a backup recently, your network administrator may be able to restore your data file from a system backup if they provice that service for you. Unfortunately, if you do not have a recent backup, you may have no option but to reinstall N·Spire.

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This is an internal error that indicates that your data file is corrupt. Data may become corrupt in a number of ways. Corruption might be caused by many factors including bad network cards, faulty network wiring, bad sectors on your hard drive, viruses, power outages, shutting down the computer without closing the data base or shutting down a server when there are users accessing the database files. The most important thing to have if you do have corrupt data is a backup file that was made before the data files became corrupted. Using this you will be able to restore the Nspire data back to an earlier date, hopefully before the data became corrupt. If you do not have a valid data file or your restore file is also corrupted you can contact TCS Software technical support for help trying to repair your data. However, there are no guarantees that the data can be repaired or that you may not be missing information after the data is repaired.

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If you go into the household section of the progam, you will see a blank record at the top of the household list. If you will highlight that record and delete it, then you will be able to insert households into the program. *Note: This error message is listed in the Nspire's User's Guide under the Miscellaneous section and the topic of Errors.

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Sure. In the Nspire Users guide there is a section for common error messages that pertain to the Nspire program.However, this does not mean that you will not get other error that are caused by the or come from the Nspire program. Make sure that when you get an error, that you write down the entire error message and its text. That way, when you call support you will be able to give them the entire error message. Also, it will help if you can tell the support representatives exactly what you were doing when you recieved the error message.

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If you are copying the text of the link out of the mail that was sent to you, make sure that you are getting the full content of the link . If you miss one letter, the link is invalid. So make sure that you have the complete link. Make sure that you copy the entire link into the browser.This should make the link valid again.

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The N·Spire license agreement states that you can install the software on one computer or one network. We generally do not have a problem with a minister installing a copy on a home PC for use looking up records and such. However, we do not support it. If you want to do it you will need to make a backup copy of your data at the church. This backup can be made to the location of your choice. You can make the backup onto floppy discs, zip disk, CD, etc. Then use the restore function to copy the data into the N·Spire program that is on the home computer. You must take care to keep your home copy on the same version as the main copy so the restored data file will work. We do not recommend restoring the data back to the main copy unless you are the sole user of the program as this could overwrite any changes made by others. * See the question, I am having trouble restoring a backed up data file for details on restoring data files.

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Restoring data is usually a very easy process. Open N·Spire , select the ‘File’ menu item and then select ‘Restore’. Click the lookup button to open a file dialogue to find your archive file. Select it and then restore the file. N·Spire will then unzip the archive (Zip compression is a version 1.10 feature), validate that the file is a N·Spire data file, validate the data file against the software’s version, and then replace the current data file. At any one of these 3 points problems could occur. If you get an error during the decompression stage the file may be locked, in use by another user or corrupt. A locked file is one that is in use. If you are working on a network you need to make sure no one on your network is using the softare. You may also need to make sure The Messenger (an addon product for Nspire) is not running on your or any computer on your network. You can check in the task bar in the lower right corner of your computer to see if The Messenger is running. After making sure the Nspire files are not in use, try your restore again. If the file is still locked you can try to make a file copy of the backup file in Windows Explorer. Sometimes a file can be marked as locked when it is no longer being used. Making a copy of the file is one way to make sure that Windows can access the file. After copying the file, try to restore the data file using the copy. Generally a zip file does not corrupt, if it does though it will be completely useless. You can test your zip file by trying to open it using a WinZip compatable compression tool. When you open the file you sould find the backup.tps file. This is the copy of your data file from Nspire. If you can decompress this file, your archive is probably not corrupt. If you cannot run the N·Spire program you have two options to restore your data. You can manually extract the backup files from your archive using a zip compatible tool like WinZip. To do this, open the archive file using WinZip and copy the backup.tps file to your N·Spire folder on your hard drive (C:Program FilesNspire). Rename the old data file that is in the Nspire folder. Your data file will be named either data100.tps or data110.tps. (For example, you might choose to rename data100.tps to olddata100.tps.) Then rename the backup.tps file to Data100.tps or data110.tps depending on your current version. (Data100.tps if you are running a version of N·Spire earlier than 1.10.) Your second option is to copy the backup.tps file from the folder named ‘Nsbackup’ under your N·Spire folder on your computer. This is a copy of your data file before it was added to your last zip compressed archive. Just rename the old file and then rename backup.tps to data100.tps or data110.tps and copy it into your N·Spire folder. A final option when you cannot run Nspire is to fully uninstall N·Spire, deleting the N·Spire folder that is left on your hard drive and then reinstall the software. After reinstalling, register a module using a temporary serial number and then restore your data. Your original registration information will be restored with the data.

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To import a Comma Separated Value (csv) file into N·Spire, select the menu item ‘File’ and then click ‘Import’. When the file dialogue opens, select your import file. Make sure you check each field that you want to import in the left column. Then move each field so that it is directly opposite its match on the right side. Once you have checked the fields and matched them with data on the right you can scan through the data to make sure it looks correct. Then click the import button. Importing can take some time if you have a large data set. (This is a good time to get a doughnut.) Mismatched fields after importing data is caused by not matching the fields in the import tool. When you import a data file you need to check each data field on the left that you want to import and you must also line the fields up with the corresponding field on the right.

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N·Spire includes several export file formats. You can create your own formats that contain custom data you want in an external file. To create your own export format, click the insert button and then select the tokens that represent the data you would like to export. Please see the N·Spire help file or user’s guide for more information about tokens and exporting data.

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In Nspire, go to File|Backup. In the Data Backup File field, choose to use the default file or type in the path and file name where you want the backup copy of the data to go. The path can be to a diskette or to a location on your hard drive. Please note that the data file may be too large to fit on a floppy disk. If the file is larger than 1.4 mb, you will be prompted for additional floppy disks unless you use a zip disk, CDR or hard drive. To restore the data, go to File|Restore and choose the file that you will be restoring data from (make sure that the path agrees with the location of the backup file) and choose YES, restore. Note: Before you try to back up or restore data, make sure that all portions of the program (including The Messenger) are closed except for the gray screen with the icons across the top of the screen.

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On the backup screen there is a check box in the bottom left hand corner that says :Remind to backup on exit: Check this box for a reminder to make a backup each time you exit Nspire.

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The issue here is that when you make a backup from the Nspire program that it does not make a backup of the picture folder. If you want the pictures on the home computer as well, you will need to copy the individuals folder separately from the backup.

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Sure. All that you need to do is to go to the backup page and change the letter that the (back-up file) is looking for. Only send this back-up to the A: drive if that is an accessible drive and one that you have a disk inserted into.

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The problem that we have found is that some CD-Rom drives will not let you backup directly to it from Nspire. What you can do is to first save the backup to the desktop and then burn that to the cd. I know that it seems like more work or extra steps, but it will be worth it to save you from having to re-enter all of your data manually. Also, you want to make sure that the backup field is not pointing to the A: drive. Of course if this is the case, you will need a diskette in order to make the backup.

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All software updates after version 2.10 are accessed directly from within Nspire and are FREE to SuperMinistry members! Follow the link on your welcome screen that appears when you run Nspire. If you are using an older version you will need to upgrade to version 2.10 in order to use this feature. Version 2.10 is also FREE to SuperMinistry members! for download here! Thanks for supporting our ministry with your membership! ***Make sure that you have a current membership before installing the updates otherwise you may not be able to access the data that you are currently running..

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From your desktop, right click the desktop and select ‘Properties’. Select the settings tab. In the lower right of the tab is the Screen Area setting. To change the display area slide the arrow right until you get to 800x600. Click the OK button and follow the on-screen instructions. If you do not have the option to go to 800x600, your video driver or monitor may not support that video resolution. *The steps for setting the resolution are still the same(in XP), only with the 2007 version of NSpire, the resolution has to be 1024x768 or higher in order for the program to display properly. If you have Vista, you will: 1. Right click on the desktop 2. Go to Personalize 3. Under Personalize appearance and sounds, click on Display Settings. 4. Set the resolution (bottom left of the screen) to be at least 1027x768. 5. Apply the changes. If you will follow these steps, you should be able to successfully change your display settings.

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Nspire is made up of four main ministry areas, children, youth, college, and adult. Each ministry contains the individuals and information for that ministry area. There are 2 additional areas where individuals are grouped, Unassigned and Pending. The unassigned area contains all of your individuals who have not been assigned to a ministry. This may include spouses who do not attend your church, parents of children (unless you are using the Adult ministry), and volunteers who are not in a ministry. If you cannot find an individual in a ministry look in the unassigned area. Another area is pending. The pending area is a holding spot for individuals who are being promoted or moved to a different ministry. For example a children’s minister could promote a group of students into the youth ministry. When the youth minister is ready they can then move them into the main group of youth by transferring them into youth ministry.

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Yes, Nspire will work fine on Windows XP. However, if you are using XP in a Multi-user setting there are some requirements you need before installing Nspire. You must log in as the administrator, and you will need to create shortcuts for each of your users. Running Nspire on a multi-user computer is like running Nspire on a network. If a user logs in and runs Nspire and later another user logs in and runs Nspire, the first instance is still running unless you close Nspire before switching users. So if you get an error message saying that the file is locked or in use by another user, make sure that no one else is logged in with Nspire running.

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Go to Utilities | Setup | System Administration | Schools. You do need to setup your schools before you get too far into Nspire. You will also need to setup your schools before you begin importing text data into Nspire from other data bases. Schools are based on the grades associated with your particular ministry. (Example: If you have senior high students you can enter the names of high schools in this area and also enter the grades that are associated with that particular school.)

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Under VIEW there is an option for both small group and events. Choose the option that you are entering data for. There will be an insert button on that screen so that you can enter any small groups that you need or events that you might have.

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Consider the Youth Ministry Pending a temporary area for individuals who are "in between ministries". Normally, you would use the corresponding pending ministry to hold individuals transferred to your ministry. For example, if you were transferring individuals from the Children's Ministry to the Youth Ministry, you would transfer them to Youth Pending first.

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N·Spire does not ship with any pre-defined forms. You may, however, add your own forms to the program, or purchase forms separately. Betterministry offers a book/CD-ROM called Youth Ministry Management Tools with over 100 professionally designed forms for ministry that is compatible with N·Spire.

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Select this query option to create a quick query. If there is a query you find you use often, you can define the query and save it to your query list.

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Nspire will support several graphical file formats, such as: bmp, gif, jpg, and wmf. You can use picture files from a Photo CD, digital camera, or a scanner saved in any of these four file formats. After you have your images, you need to associate each image with an individual. You can associate pictures with an individual by selecting the file from the lookup button in the individual update form. All images are saved in the individual, household, and event folders in your N·Spire directory on your computer's hard drive.

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You can add new prompts to any of the tabs located in the upper right corner of the screens in the View menu. To add a new demographic prompt, go to Utilities | Setup | Ministry Customization | Prompts. Select the area you wish to put the demographic in (like Individuals) and select the demographics tab. You can then insert the information that you want to add.

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When you walk through the wizard for entering new pages into the program, you will come to a screen where you will be asked to choose the ministry zones that you want a particular page to be available in. If you have Total Church for instance, but you only set a certain page to be available in the Children's ministry zone then you will only see that page in the Children's ministry zone.(It will not automatically show up in different ministries zones for you.)

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Information for guardians and other individuals who are not part of the individual or volunteer list can be entered in the unassigned section. To view Unassigned, choose Unassigned from the ministry drop box in the top left-hand corner of your View Individuals screen. If you have upgraded from The Youth Assistant, all of your guardian information will automatically be in the unassigned area.

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From your desktop, right click the desktop and select ‘Properties’. Select the 'Settings' tab. In the lower right corner of the screen click on the 'Advanced' button. On the 'General' tab, make sure that the field titled 'Font Size:' has the 'Small Fonts' option selected. If not, click on the drop-down menu button to the right of the field and select 'Small Fonts'. Click 'Apply' and then 'Ok' at the bottom of the screen. *Also, see the topic for system requirements. 800 X 600 is no longer a valid resolution for use with Nspire. http://www.nspiresoftware.com/dbadmin/sqleditfaq.php?id=122

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Nspire software is designed to use the Windows default font which is MS Sans Serif. If your font has changed, either the font has been inadvertantly deleted or it may have become corrupted. Solution: The easiest solution is to reload the font from your Windows CD. Close any programs running on your computer and place the CD in your drive. Make sure to cancel any auto-start attempt. Click on the 'Start' button on your screen then the 'Programs' button. Go on to 'Accessories' and then click on 'System Tools'. Once there, click on the 'Tools' button at the top and then on 'System File Checker'. Click the second option button that says 'Extract one file from installation disk'. In that box enter the file name for the font (Sserife.fon). Click the 'Start' button and then in the 'Restore From:' field select your cd-rom drive as the source. In the next field called 'Save File In' type in C:WindowsFonts and then hit the 'Ok' button. Follow the on screen directions. This should restore a good copy of the font to your system. Reboot the system and then try the program again.

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When you are using the barcode tokens you will need to have a barcode font in your WindowsFonts folder. With this font, the result of the barcode token will be an actual barcode and not the number.

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No. This list of items cannot be added to, however there were a few new import fields added to Nspire in version 3.30. (These fields included work phone and member status).

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Yes. The way to do this would be to make sure that when you add these individuals to the program you mark them as being in a HOUSEHOLD. If the individuals are parents, mark them as adult. If they are the child(ren) of course, you would mark them as child. Make sure too that you have selected the proper gender so that your records are correct.

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Yes. In the Nspire program go to Utilities and System Administration. Next choose Ministry Properties and the ministry zone that you are working in. Click on the change button. Once you click change, you will see the update ministry window. Once that window is fully displayed you will see a font option. Change the font in that window and that should change the font for the file. Adjust the font and then try to print the report again.

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You are not able to add grades to this list. The grade list directly affects the programs ability to promote indivivudals. Once you start adding in grades, there is a greater possibility that your individuals will not be promoted correctly especially if the grades are placed into the program out of order. * Note * You can give the grades that are listed a custom description. If you need to do this for a grade here and a grade there, change them all. Start at the top and go down. That way, the grades will still be in order should you need to promote. Keep in mind that this will be a case by case call. You may not use the Post High School or College Fields, which will give you more possibilities when changing descriptions. On the other hand someone else may not use the Birth to 12 Months grade description and so on.

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If you have a current membership and are on the latest version of the software, which is version 3.30, you have the ability to choose the printer that you want to print to. There is a new print dialog button on the title window on reports.

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Yes. If you are on the latest version of the software which is 3.30, you do now have the capapbility to add 3 character states to the program.

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Yes. In Nspire in order to turn off the color, you will click on View | Options |Use Color. If there is a check there, you will have color (likewise, no check no color).

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Yes. In Nspire in order to turn change the color of a particular ministry zone, you will click on Utilities | System Administration |Ministry Properties. Choose your ministry then click change |change color. Anytime after that, you can click on default color to revert back to the original color.

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When you renew the membership, you will get a new cd so as to ensure that you have the latest version of the software available. If you have already downloaded the newest version of the software from your SuperMinistry Zone, then no do not install the program again. It is suggested that you mark the version on the new cd and share it with someone (demo)or store it for safe keeping.

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Nspire requires: · Windows XP or later · 1.0 GHz or better · 200MB free hard drive space · 1024x768 minimum video resolution · E-mail requires access to, and permission to relay over, an SMTP mail server or a MAPI compliant e-mail program like Outlook Express. · PhoneTree™: Requires PhoneTree™ Plus, USB, 2100 or better telephone messaging system · Palm OS application requires a Palm OS 3 or later handheld device · Pocket PC application requires a Pocket PC handheld device, and is compliant with most devices and Microsoft Activesync 4.2 & 4.5.

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Note:(These instructions are only going to work if The Youth Assistant program is at version 4.22. YA updates are available on the Nspire cd in the Updates folder. If you are installing to a network, it is best to install the program onto the network from the workstation where The Youth Assistant is used and where you will be using Nspire.) The Youth Assistant program needs to be installed and ran on the computer that the Nspire program will be installed on. If TYA has been ran, Nspire’s auto feature will know to install the program as an upgrade. If not, manually choose the install (Nspire.exe) file from the Updates folder on your cd. Make sure that you choose the Installation type on the appropriate screen - which in this case will be, Upgrade the Youth Assistant version 4.22. There will also be a screen that asks where the Youth Assistant data is installed, you want to make sure that the correct location is given so that the Nspire program can find the data that you are wanting to convert. Once the installation is complete, make sure that you run the Nspire program and check for your data before you start adding to the program.

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If you can, first make sure you know which version number your old software is on. To do this select the ‘Help’ menu item in N·Spire and select ‘About’. Second, install your software on the new machine and apply any updates you need to. Make sure the version on the new computer matches the old install. Finally, you want to use your backup file from the old computer to restore your data into N·Spire. You do not need to enter you permanent registration information into your new computer before restoring your data. You can simply register using a temporary number. After you restore your data the old registration information will be back. If you are having trouble restoring your data, please refer to the FAQ section ‘Restoring, Backing up, Exporting, Importing and the like’.

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If you have a backup file, you do not need your permanent registration numbers to restore your data. If you are on version 1.10 it will automatically register your modules in temporary mode. If you are on an earlier version you can call technical support and get a temporary number from the automated attendant any time. After you restore your data your registration information will be back. If you are starting over with a fresh data file, you need to get your old registration information off your old computer before installing on the new one. You can go to the menu item ‘File’ and select ‘Registration’ select the module you wish and click ‘Next’. In the second screen is a print button you can use to print a copy of your registration information.

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The N·Spire registration number is a unique number that identifies your church. It requires that you have entered the exact same registration information such as Organization name and phone number as you did when you first registered. If your number will not work you need to make sure that you have the information typed exactly the same. If you do not know what information was used to register your copy of N·Spire you will need to contact TCS Software for that information. However, if you are outside of your 60 days of free phone in support, you may incur a fee. Our temporary numbers are time sensitive. If you are trying to use an old temporary number it may not work because it is out of date. You may call TCS Software technical supports automated attendance to get another temporary number. Please note that only paid users of N·Spire have access to this area.

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Occasionally, the auto-run program may have problems detecting your software configuration or may not let you reinstall the software if you already have a copy on your computer. You can always bypass the auto-run program and manually install Nspire. To manually install the program, insert your CD into your CD-ROM drive. Close the auto-run program if it opens. Click the Start button in the lower left corner of your screen. Select Run and then browse to your CD-ROM drive. On the CD, select the Updates folder and double click the file Nspire.exe. In the run window click the OK button to run the install. Follow the install instructions to install Nspire.

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Each module is a separate purchase and has its own registration number. If you have purchased the license for 2 modules, then you would have two separate registration numbers to use when getting the program set up. When you get the permanent registration number, make sure that you note exactly how the Organization Company name and the phone number are entered on the main screen. This information will be needed (and has to be entered exactly the same) if you ever have to re-install and register the program again.

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In the Youth Assistant there was no gender classification for guardians. When we brought the data into Nspire, we had to make the guardians either male or female. To change the gender for a guardian, simply choose Unassigned from the ministry drop box in the top left-hand corner of your View Individuals screen. Highlight the name of the guardian in the list and click the change button. Then change the gender to female and save it.

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When you upgrade from Youth Assistant, Nspire groups your individuals and guardians together into households using the address. If an address has been typed in differently for an individual and his / her guardian, then Nspire will place them in different households. The same holds true if siblings have slightly different information. Because you cannot have two households with exactly the same name, the program adds a number to the household name to make it slightly different. You can change the household name or transfer individuals into the same household and delete the duplicate household. Individuals with a number in their name are duplicates or different individuals with the same name. You can now use generation to record if a name is a jr., sr., or I, II, or III. You will want to make sure that the person is not actually the same person accidentally entered twice into The Youth Assistant

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With each new installation, the Nspire program does have a temporary registration number that installs with it. You need to make sure that on the registration screen that you click on the register Nspire to activate the trial period.

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There are several things you need to check before installing the software on your network. First you need to have network rights to create or install the files into a folder on the server. Second, you must have a mapped network drive to the folder on the server where N·Spire has been installed. And last you must run ws_setup.exe(Prior to version 3.10), the workstations setup file located in the N·Spire folder on your server, on each workstation that will have access to N·Spire. You may need to contact your network administrator to make sure you can complete all 3 tasks. After installing, each user must have full network rights to the folder containing the N·Spire files. They must be able to read, write, create, delete, rename, and modify to be able to use the features in N·Spire. Also, please remember, you must run N·Spire across a mapped network drive. If you do not you may corrupt the data file or at the minimum you may have odd behavior and crashes. MAP THOSE DRIVES. There is no need to install N·Spire at the server computer. You can install it at a workstation just as easily. If you do, you do not need to run the ws_setup file at that workstation. We do recommend that you install updates from a workstation. The updates use initialization files that are only on a computer that runs N·Spire to locate the files to update.

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There are different ways to map a network drive. In any case you must have the network rights to do so. If you cannot get a drive mapped you will need to contact your system administrator to map one for you. In Windows 98, open Windows Explorer. Browse through Network Neighborhood to the folder you wish to map your drive too. Network Neighborhood is located in the browse list on the left in windows explorer near the bottom of the list. You can click on the plus next to Network Neighborhood to open it and navigate on your network. In Windows XP, open Windows Explorer. Browse through Network Places to the folder you wish to map your drive too. Network Places is located in the browse list on the left in windows explorer near the bottom of the list. You can click on the plus next to Network Places to open it and navigate on your network. Locate the server/computer with the N·Spire files and locate the shared folder. Once you have found the folder you want, right click the folder and select Map Network Drive from the popup menu. When the Map Network Drive window opens, select a free drive letter to use (for example, N:) and make sure you check the Reconnect at login check box. Click the Ok or Finish button and you are done. Now you can click on the negative sign next to Network Neighborhood to close it and find the new drive you created. You will find the drive (N:) below your CDrom drive. Double click it and find the ws_setup.exe file. You will need to run the file if you did not install N·Spire at this workstation. You can also map a drive by selecting menu item ‘Tools’ and then ‘Map Network Drive’. However, you will need to know the path to the folder you want to map. This can be difficult if you do not know what your computer names are in Network Neighborhood. Good luck!

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When you are installing the program on a server (network), you do not want or need to install the program on each of the workstations. You only need the full program installed on the server or host computer.

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With vesrion 3.10 of the Nspire program, the ws_setup file goes away. Once the program is properly networked, the first time that you run the program at a workstation, the necessary files will be installed on the workstation.

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On the screen that allows you to choose a label, look at the top of the window and make sure that is says Laser Ink Jet in the printer drop box. This will give you more options to choose from including the Avery Label series.

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If the information that you have in your fields takes up more room than is offered in one line across the page, then your columns will be cut off. If you have lists of things that you have on the report then you need to try using the detail token list to see if that helps give you more room. Save the Header Token space for information such as: Name, Address, Phone, etc. Use the Detail Token space for more detailed and lengthy information. Another way to get extra space is to not include prompts. Many fields like phone number and name are clear that is what they are. Try your report without the prompts turned on and see if that helps. You can also increase the size of a column by not having as many. If you are trying to create a 4 column report and the columns are getting cut off, change the header format to a 3 column report.

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When you are in the window where you select a mailing label, select the label stock you want and click the change button in the lower right corner of the screen. Click the next button until you get to the window to change the page margins. Make the left margin larger. Then try your labels. If that still does not work, adjust the margins more until you get the output that you want.

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The report description you are looking for is called Information Report- NameAddressPhoneNumber. Using this report will give you the same output as the Youth Assistant. If you cannot find the report, make sure you are on the latest version of Nspire.

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When you create a report only the tokens that are appropriate are available in the token select screen. The tokens are divided into sections to make it easier to find the token you wish to use. In the token select screen there is a brief description to the right of each token in the "pick list". Use these descriptions as guides to decide which tokens you need to use. You may also want to look in the help file or users guide under the topic "Common Tokens".

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When you click the "Print" button (printer icon), the print options window will show you the different output types available with the program. They are Reports, Labels, Letters, Postcards, Envelopes, Phone Tree, and E-mail. Labels, Letters, Postcards, Envelopes, and E-mail are all part of the mail merge feature in N·Spire. Use these functions to send personalized letters and notes to individuals.

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Before you can successfully print to Word from the program, you need to make sure that you have the Word Specifications setup for your current version of Word. In Nspire, go to UTILITIES | Set Up | Microsoft Word Specifications. Make sure that you choose the version of Word that you have, and that the Doc. file format has been selected on the select screen. If you are on a network, you must also have an OCX installed onto each of your workstations to be able to print to Word. This file is installed when you run the ws_setup.exe that is located in the Nspire folder on your network.

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Once you have chosen the list of individuals that you are wanting to print labels for, click on the printer icon (which will be at the bottom left of the window). Choose the Label radio button, which will open the Label Report Description Window. ** Note: You have two options. You can insert a new label report description - and the label stock button will be on the first page that pops up after you click on insert ( which will say Record Will Be Added). Or you can choose a report description that is already in Nspire - and the label stock button will be on the first page that pops up (It will say, Record Will Be Changed). Look for Default Stock and click on the lookup button.

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There is an easy fix for this. If you will go to the report that you are printing to in Nspire, highlight the report and click on change. Go to the screen that says header tokens. Next to the field that has the name token listed - if you will uncheck that box, there will not be a header on the report that prints. Note: Checking the box next to a token does not meant that it will not appear on the report. It only means that the report will have a prompt there before the token.

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So security has got you down and out. Well it is actually really simple. Each user is an individual or group of individuals who have special rights to access N·Spire. Each user is assigned to a security group which controls what areas of N·Spire the user has access to. There are several default security groups that come with N·Spire and you can create your own custom groups as well. When a user logs into N·Spire, their security group controls what areas are available to them. The security group settings will also turn off features that they do not have access to. One of the functions of the security group is limiting which ministry areas a user can access. For example if you did not want a children’s pastor to have access to the college ministry you would not assign a security group to that user which turns on the college module. One gotcha is that if you do give a security group access to a ministry you must have that ministry registered. When you cannot access any area, you have logged into N·Spire using a security group that does not have access to the current ministry. For example, if you are using only the youth ministry area and you log in with a security group such as ‘Adult minister’ you could not access any ministry except the adult area. So because the adult module is not registered, the program cannot switch ministries to the adult ministry. Essentially blocking the entire program from the user. To fix the problem, you will need to log in as the system administrator or N·Spire and edit your users. Make sure you give them each appropriate security groups. If you do not have the adult ministry do not give that security group to anyone.

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The Nspire program is not shipped with a password. When the login window appears just click OK and you will go into Nspire. **Note: (If you are upgrading from The Youth Assistant, you can log into Nspire using your User's setup for The Messenger). Later, you can decide who will be able to use the program, then set up a password for each individual user and decide how much of the program they have access to. The password field is case sensitive, so take care when entering the password that you make no mistakes.

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When you create a login, you must select a security group for the user. The security group determines the access to the different areas of Nspire including the different modules you have purchased. For example, if you choose Adult Minister as your security group, then this will give you access to the Adult module only. If you do not have the Adult module registered then the only ministry area you will have access to is Unassigned. If you create a new security group you must make sure you include at least one ministry module for that group. If you do not, all you will have access to is the unassigned ministry.

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This is a simple process. In Nspire, you just go to Utilities | User Settings | Change Password and there you will be able to edit the password for the default user. Remember that the old password is simply left blank because we do not ship the program with a password. Once the password is set however, take care to remember the password and the exact way that it was entered into the program because this field is case sensitive.

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To print name tags from Nspire, you need to first make sure that you have attendance events in the program. You can use generic or event based name tags for REGULAR attendance events, but not CHECK IN CHECK OUT events. Those events will require CHECK IN CHECK OUT name tags. ** Note: A suggestion would be to enter an attendance event simply called Name Tags (or Name Badges). This will allow you to add names as needed without the risk of messing up and attendance sheet. When you click on the attendance icon, (book with the checkmark), you should see the Name Tag event in the list. Highlight this event and click on View Sheet, under the event list. With the attendance sheet opened, to the right you will have a radio button for adding individuals to the sheet. (Individuals - with the sheet of paper) This is where you will choose which of your individuals that you need name tags for. Click on the radio button (Individuals). On the right side of the window that pops up there will be a list that has all of your individual names listed for that particular ministry. You can choose a different list of individuals from the drop down box if needed. Once the names have been chosen, highlight the names and click on the arrow that points to the left (with the plus sign). This will assign the individuals to the attendance sheet. Click OK. **Note: Before you can save or use the attendance sheet, you will need to have at least once column on the sheet. At the bottom of the sheet click on the radio button that says Insert Column. Once the column has been added, to the top right of the sheet you should have options to Print Rosters or Name Tags. You will also have the option to Export, PrintMail Merge or Print Summary. Click on Print Name Tags. Choose which type of name tag that you want to print.

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No. The name tags printed from Nspire are formatted to fit Avery 5390 name tag stock. You can print the name tags on card stock and cut the cards out with a paper cutter to save money. **Note: Laminate the cards to make them more durable.

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NO. To use the Check InCheck out feature you will want to print the name tags as Check InCheck Out name tags.

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The generic name tags you will be able to use for any Regular Attendance Event. The event based name tags are only going to work for that One Particular Event.

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Make sure that before you try to scan barcodes using the CCD scanner that the scanner is configured using the configuration sheet that comes with the package.

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Nspire has a new feature in the "PLUS" versions that allows you to Print a name tag for an individual after each scan. In the Scan Console Window, go to Options and click on print name tag after scan, then for each person's barcode that you scan, the program will print a basic name tag for that person.

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Yes. If you have the latest version of the Nspire program and you have PLUS, you can print a (2 X 4)label for a given individual. The label can hold their name, grade and a demographic of your choice.

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The ability to print multiple labels after scanning a barcode is going to depend on the settings that are set in the printer setup options. With Windows XP PRO: 1. Click on Start and then to Printers and Faxes 2. Right click on the Label Printer and then to Printer Preferences 3. Click on the Advanced Tab. 4. Under Paper/output make sure that the copy count option is set for 2. These instructions are per use with the DYMO LabelWriter 330 Turbo. However, the instructions for other label printers should not vary very much.

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The case may be that when the program was installed the regular version or ministry was installed instead of NspirePlus. Go to File | Registration - it should Say NspirePlus at the top of the screen. If it does not say NspirePlus, you need to make sure that you have the registration numbers entered properly. (The number that has Plus in it's title, should be the first (or Serial) number in the program. If you have purchased the Plus program, and the registration (or serial) number information that you received does not refer to the NspirePlus, then you should contact Nspire Sales to take care of that information for you.

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When you set up an attendance event, you have a list of attendance codes that you can use for that particular event. When you are setting up those codes, the first two in the list will be the default codes that print at the top of the barcode roster reports. To modify the codes, Go to the Attendance section (book with the checkmark). Highlight the event in question and click on the change button. On the left there will be a box that lists the attendance codes being used for this event. If you click on the Modify Codes List button you can change the order in which they are listed. When this is done, the first two codes will print at the top of the report while the next five codes in the list will be override codes that will print at the bottom of the page (giving you a total of seven attendance codes). The first seven codes will also be the codes that print on the summary report for a given event.

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You first need to have the N-Viewer or N-View on the handheld. To install N-View and its conduit for your handheld, go to File|Palm OS Export in the Nspire menu. Click the Install Palm button at the bottom of the setup window. Follow the install instructions. You will need to perform a full hotsync following the install. After your hotsync you should have the N-View application on your handheld. **Note: Make sure that when you are choosing the palm path, that the link is pointing to the correct folder. The palm path should look something like this: C:PalmFrankNspire You will know that you are in the right folder when you see the address folder, memo pad and datebook.

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Yes. Included in the Nspire software is a viewer for Palm OS handhelds. Nspire Viewer or N-View, allows you to take your Individuals and/or Volunteer information with you on your Palm OS handheld.

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No. Information can only be exported from one ministry at a time.

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Version 3.20 of the program was released with a few new reports. One new report does give you the ability to print a year end statement that is ready for a windowed envelope.

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NO. If you want to keep the contributions separate so that you know what John Smith gave and what was given by John Smith Construction then you will definitely want to make John Smith and individual and John Smith Construction an individual, each having "his" own envelope number.

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THERE IS NO LONGER A NEED TO LOOK FOR THE WS_SETUP FILE ...... With version 3, came a few changes - Workstation setup being one of those. Once the program is installed on the server and a drive has been mapped from the workstations, then you will run Nspire across the mapped drive. Once that is done, you should be prompted that Nspire will manually install the workstation setup files.

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The file that you will need to run on each workstation is called Nspire2007client.exe. This executable will need to be ran on each workstation on which someone will be using Nspire. This will install the client files and setup shortcuts on your local machine. There are going to be features that will be disabled if you run them from a network drive.

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If you want to track information based on attendance, such as whether or not a person was absent or present you would use the Attendance events. The Event section is used for fundraisers, car washes and things of that nature. You can list the names of individuals registered for a particular event and also handled charges for Events in Nspire.

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Yes, you can print detailed attendance information for an individual student. To do this, you will go to the View Individuals section of the program. Click on the individual that you want or need information for. To the right hand side of the screen, click on attendance. This will bring up a list of the the attendance events this student is involved in. Just below the window, on the right, there will be a button that says Attendance Details. When you click on the Attendance Details button you will get a list of the events the student has been scanned for, with the date for the event and the (attendance) status for the student. There is an option to print that information.

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If you are viewing an attendance sheet in Nspire, at the top right hand side of the sheet there is an option for exporting the data. Nspire is able to export the information from the attendance sheets in summary format. This means that the export file (spreadsheet) will include a column for the dates that are on the sheet and then one for each attendance code that is used on the sheet.

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If you want to keep the attendance information separated by quarter, the yes you would want to create new sheets. The programmers have added a button for adding multiple columns to the attendance sheets, giving you the ability to add up to 15 columns at a time. Note: To keep the attendance list cleaned up once a quarter is over and a particular sheets is no longer needed in the immediate viewing window, make the "old" attendance events inactive. If you ever need to query information for inactive events later, just make sure that you choose active and inactive events when setting up the query.

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At this time, you are not able to print an attendance sheets with numbers, but you do have the ability to print summary information per attendance event.

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Yes. The Nspire Plus Scan Console window has been updated to let you see a person's picture as you scan them for attendance. Not only that, but you can display up to five fields of additional information about an individual as well. *** YOUR PROGRAM HAS TO BE UPDATED TO AT LEAST VERSION 3.30 BEFORE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE MAJOR CHANGES IN THE SCAN CONSOLE.

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Included in the Nspire software is a viewer for Palm OS handhelds and Pocket PC devices. Nspire Viewer or N-View, allows you to take your Individuals and/or Vilunteer information with you on your handheld computer. You select the individuals using a Query and when you sync with your handheld the information is automatically updated.

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At the time of this update (11/12/07), the current version of the software is 411. It can be downloaded and installed for free if you have a current membership. The new version will be one of the following depending on the ministry zone or zones that you have regiestered. Nspire2007_411 youthassistant_411 childrensassistant_411

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Yes, but if you enter them in through All Ministries, you will only have options of adding them into the Unassigned or one of the Pending ministry list for a particular zone. *Please remember that All Ministries is not an "individual" or "true" ministry zone. This is just a compiled list from your main zones so that you can see everyone at once.

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The registration process has changed with Nspire 2007. The registration numbers that you have for any previous versions will not be valid for Nspire 2007. With this version, the registration and membership numbers are alpha numeric. So, make sure that any number that you try has a combination of numbers and letters.

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No. With Nspire 2007, you might say that Nspire got new skin(s). Depending on the ministry zones that you previously had, your Nspire icon will be different. If you had the youth ministry zone with the older version of the program, you will have the new look of something like a "tennis ball", better known as the Youth Assistant. Same goes with the children's ministry, if you had that before then now you will have the Children's Assistant with red coloring. But never fear, you will have the same program and your individuals will be in the data base as long as the update was installed as an upgrade.

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Each person that will be accessing Nspire will need to have full access rights to the Nspire data on the server in order to run the program. If a user does not have these rights, they will normally get an error message that says something to the affect that Nspire was unable to locate a valid file in .... Make sure that you have followed setup instructions for installing the program.