Note: The steps outlined in this article are intended for advanced users of ShoWorks and Microsoft Access, provided "as is", and not supported by Gladstone.

Some ShoWorks users may want to modify the preset reports and queries inside of ShoWorks.  This can be done using the ShoWorks Access Companion, however preset objects such as preset reports and queries are not backed up using the regular ShoWorks interface and are overwritten in subsequent program updates.  Furthermore, these modifications are difficult to pass on to other users of ShoWorks.  This article describes how to create a "hotfix" file which stores your modifications to ShoWorks in which you can archive these modifications and share them with other ShoWorks users.  Running a ShoWorks update will remove any modifications and restore ShoWorks to its factory settings however this hotfix file can be ran afterwards to restore your modifications.

This procedure should only be done by advanced users and requires Microsoft Access.  For more information on how to edit reports in Access, please see the Access User Guide which comes with Access or one of the many resources available such as books and web sites on Microsoft Access. Gladstone does not provide technical assistance on how to use Microsoft Access.

Steps:

1. Make any modifications to ShoWorks as needed using the ShoWorks Access Companion.  More information on how to use the ShoWorks Access Companion may be found in the following help article: http://fairsoftware.com/articledetail.aspx?AID=113020
2. Create a new (blank) Microsoft Access database.
3. In this new database, create a new table (fields or values in the table do not matter) and name the table exactly: sw_check  (that is, all lower case sw, the underscore, then check)
4. Open the ShoWorks Access Companion if it is not already opened, leaving both the companion and this blank Access database opened at the same time (move the two application windows side-by-side to see them both at once).
5. Display the database window in the ShoWorks Access Companion by pressing the F11 key and entering in the Access Code (password) given to you by a Gladstone technician.
6. LLocate each modified preset object in the companion and drag/drop it into the blank database from step 2.  This copies the objects into the new database.  Do not attempt to open any queries as doing so will cause unexpected results.  You will be able to open them once you have completed this procedure.
7. Close both the ShoWorks Access Companion and the new database./li>
8. Rename the new database file extension from .mdb or .accdb to have an extension of .swpf
9. This is now a "hotfix" file. You can take this file or email it to any machine with ShoWorks and double-click on the file which will send these queries and reports to that machine's copy of ShoWorks.