New User Login

When you start MemberTies the first time after a new installation, the first thing the system has to do is create a database for you to use (The "database" is where all of your information is going to be stored. All of the windows you see on your computer are just there to make it easy for you to make changes to the underlying database.) Since there is no database available, MemberTies will display a window similar to the following:

Note: If you are running any sort of firewall or antivirus software on your computer, read this.

Note that this window appears instead of the Login window because the system could not find any existing databases on this computer. To tell the system what you want to do, choose one of the following options:

1	If you want to connect to a remote database (on another computer) select, "Choose Existing Database."

2	If you have a backup file and need to restore it as a new database, select, "Restore Database from a Backup File."

2	If you're just beginning with MemberTies and need to create a new database to use or import data into, select "Create New Database."

Once you've made your decision, click Next and follow the appropriate steps below.

1	When you choose this option, the system will open the Choose Database window. This window provides two different ways to identify the database you want:

The Local Database option lets you pick one of the database already on this computer.

The Remote Database option lets you point to a database on another computer. If you're not sure what these fields are for, see Setting Up a Multi-User System for complete details.

3	On the Database Profile window, provide a short name for the database in the Database Name field. This name is going to appear in the Database dropdown list on the Login window, so keep the name simple and short. An abbreviated name of your organization is a good choice.

4	If you have your license information available, you may enter it now. If not, leave the license fields blank.

6	On the Login window, enter the user name and password of an existing user on the selected database, then click Login.

When you choose this option, you are immediately taken to the Restore window so you can choose a database backup file.

By default, the system will probably open the My Documents\MemberTies\Backup folder if it exists, since that is the default location normally suggested to save backup files. If your backup file is somewhere else, you can navigate to that.

3	After the restore completes, click Close and you will be taken to the Login window so you can log in using a user name and password that is valid for the database that was just restored.

When you choose this option, you are immediately prompted to provide a name for your new database.

By default the new database is going to be called "MyDatabase," but you can change it to whatever you want. Remember that this name is going to appear in the Database dropdown on the Login window, so keep the name simple and short. An abbreviated name of your organization is a good choice. After you choose a name, click OK.

2	MemberTies now creates the database for you, and then displays another message asking whether you want to create a user in addition to the default administrator user. You should normally choose Yes so you can create a user for yourself. See Users Overview for details about user accounts.

3	When prompted to create an account for yourself, enter a user name (i.e., john or jsmith), and a password.

Important: Passwords are case-sensitive. "PASSWORD", "PaSswOrRd" and "password" are all completely different words to the database.

When you have entered a user name and password, click OK. The system will confirm that the password is valid, and then will add your new user account to the database. Be sure to store your user name and password somewhere safe!

4	When the database has been created, the system will offer to print some details about the new database, such as the database name, and the user/password(s) you just created. It is a good idea to let the system print this report for future reference.

5	When the Login window appears, enter the user name and password you just created, then click Login to connect to your new database.

•	As a new user, there are some other things you might want to set up. See Initial Setup in the help section called "Getting Started" for details.

•	If you want to register the software, or if you have already registered and just need to use your new license, see Registering or Using a New License for additional instructions.