The latest version of FASTbook checks to see if you are running the correct version of the Firebird database. This is to assure maximum stability and prevent any data corruption issues. It also greatly improves the efficiency and speed of the program.
As of this writing, the correct Firebird version is 1.5.6. If either your server or client files are out of date, here is what you should do.
Server
If the server is not version 1.5.6, you can download it here: Download Link
This should be installed by a skilled IT person on your database server, while no one is using FASTbook. Its usually recommended to uninstall the old version completely before installing the new one. Make sure to also stop the service if its running. We have had issues with the install not correctly stopping the server first.
After 1.5.6 is installed, your server files should be up to date.
Client
If your client files are out of date, you can do the following:
Go to your Firebird database server and locate the Firebird install directory. In it is a subdirectory named ‘bin’. Within that directory should be a file named fbclient.dll. Right clicking it and going to properties should help you determine if it is indeed the correct 1.5.6 version.
Take that file and place it somewhere that all the client machines have access to. Also, make a copy of the fbclient.dll file and name it gds32.dll.
Now you will need to replace any instance of those two files with the new ones we just prepared. Both files should be copied over.
The most likely places for them to be are – Your fbwin50\bin directory – Your Windows\system32 directory – Your Windows\syswow64 directory
If you find it other places you can replace those as well. The above mentioned should be the most common locations.
Once you have removed any old versions of fbclient.dll and gds32.dll, and you have replaced them with the new versions, you should be able to relaunch FASTbook without the warning. This last step will need to be applied to every workstation FASTbook is run on.
Assuring the versions are proper helps eliminate many inconsistency issues, data stability issues, and performance speeds.
If you have any issues or need assistance, please contact Event Software technical support.
Site Redesigned! (Finally)
/in Informative /byWell the last design had a good run and it did what it needed to do. But it was looking dated and needed an overhaul. We have a adopted a more modern WordPress style site with some of the new bells and whistles. It runs smoothly and has a lot better SEO plus a boost to performance. Should be a great start to a more interactive experience.
While I was looking over the redesign, I did a little bit of research on archive.org (check it out if you never have) and got to see a few older iterations of our site. I thought I’d share some of them for kicks and giggles (yes I used a sanitized form of the phrase).
Announcing FASTbook 5.6
/in Release Notes /byFASTbook 5.6 is here. This is the largest update we’ve had in years, and for good reason.
We have added much of the necessary work to prepare for the new database version and bring FASTbook up to par with more of the leading edge technologies. The database is now running on dialect 3 which means improved versatility. Also, all the financial fields have been changed from floating point to binary-coded decimals. This is a more accurate method of saving decimal numbers. In the past there were some issues with rounding that could occur. This eliminates those. There were some other changes at the database level to improve performance.
We have added a new calendar report that should work much faster and allow printing of multiple months at a time. There is also a simple report-building feature that turns SQL statements into nice looking reports (For Advanced Users who understand SQL).
There is a slight change to the look and feel of FASTbook. We have changed the desktop icon from the old blue ‘F’ to a new purple background with a lightning bolt. This was in response to a lot of confusion with our original logo and the popularity of Facebook which had adopted a similar logo. There is a new splash screen on start-up and some of the icons along the main toolbar have been updated to be more visible and represent their purpose a bit more.
To assist with FASTbook Online processing events can now be canceled from the calendar screen. You can right click on the event below the calendar and select ‘Cancel’. Also, when you get in program messages about new FASTbook Online events, the subject line should show the event name if applicable.
Here is a list of other features and changes in FASTbook 5.6.1.1505
Please Note:
This update contains a substantial update to your database. It is recommended that you make a backup of your fbdata.fdb file prior to running this update. This is a precaution in case anything out of the ordinary should occur.
For more information on this release or to schedule an update, please call us at (480) 517-9990 or email our technical support at support@eventsoft.com
What If My Firebird Version is Wrong?
/in How To /byThe latest version of FASTbook checks to see if you are running the correct version of the Firebird database. This is to assure maximum stability and prevent any data corruption issues. It also greatly improves the efficiency and speed of the program.
As of this writing, the correct Firebird version is 1.5.6. If either your server or client files are out of date, here is what you should do.
Server
If the server is not version 1.5.6, you can download it here: Download Link
This should be installed by a skilled IT person on your database server, while no one is using FASTbook. Its usually recommended to uninstall the old version completely before installing the new one. Make sure to also stop the service if its running. We have had issues with the install not correctly stopping the server first.
After 1.5.6 is installed, your server files should be up to date.
Client
If your client files are out of date, you can do the following:
Go to your Firebird database server and locate the Firebird install directory. In it is a subdirectory named ‘bin’. Within that directory should be a file named fbclient.dll. Right clicking it and going to properties should help you determine if it is indeed the correct 1.5.6 version.
Take that file and place it somewhere that all the client machines have access to. Also, make a copy of the fbclient.dll file and name it gds32.dll.
Now you will need to replace any instance of those two files with the new ones we just prepared. Both files should be copied over.
The most likely places for them to be are – Your fbwin50\bin directory – Your Windows\system32 directory – Your Windows\syswow64 directory
If you find it other places you can replace those as well. The above mentioned should be the most common locations.
Once you have removed any old versions of fbclient.dll and gds32.dll, and you have replaced them with the new versions, you should be able to relaunch FASTbook without the warning. This last step will need to be applied to every workstation FASTbook is run on.
Assuring the versions are proper helps eliminate many inconsistency issues, data stability issues, and performance speeds.
If you have any issues or need assistance, please contact Event Software technical support.
FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.21.1449
/in Release Notes /byHere is a list of NEW features and changes in FASTbook 5.5.21.1449
Please Note:
This version checks to make sure you have the proper version of Firebird both client and server. If you do not you need to update those components immediately as running the wrong version may cause database instabilities.
For more information on this release or to schedule an update, please call us at (480) 517-9990 or email our technical support at support@eventsoft.com
FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.21.1395
/in Release Notes /byNEW FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.21.1395
Here is a list of NEW features and changes in FASTbook
For more information on this release or to schedule an update, please call us at (480) 517-9990 or email our technical support at support@eventsoft.com.
FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.21.1336
/in Release Notes /byNEW FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.21.1363
Here is a list of NEW features and changes in FASTbook
For more information on this release or to schedule an update, please call us at (480) 517-9990 or email our technical support at support@eventsoft.com.
FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.20.1359
/in Release Notes /byNEW FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.20.1359
Here is a list of NEW features and changes in FASTbook
For more information on this release or to schedule an update, please call us at (480) 517-9990 or email our technical support at support@eventsoft.com.
NEW FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.19.1335
/1 Comment/in Release Notes /byNEW FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.19.1335
Here is a list of NEW features and changes in FASTbook
For more information on this release or to schedule an update, please call us at (480) 517-9990 or email our technical support at support@eventsoft.com.
Printers!!
/in Informative /byGive me a moment to rant, won’t you?
Printers, can I tell you how much I despise printers and all the headaches they create for me? Not only do printers affect my professional life, but they seem to make my personal life much more complex than a typewriter with an ego should.
It seems that every time the folks at Windows decide I need to update some feature on my computer that I never knew existed or don’t use in the first place, my printer stops working. I didn’t unplug anything or delete anything or change any settings on my system except for FINALLY updating after the hundredth time of seeing the dumb reminder to update. I think I purposely leave my computer on, just so I won’t see that pop-up every time I just want to do a little online shopping or make a funny tweet about something my cat did. Don’t mock, my cat is hilarious. Anyway, it drives me crazy, especially since I print something maybe once a quarter. So when I attempt to print my boarding pass for the one trip a year I get to take, an hour later, some tears and some very violent threats to my printer, computer and the ridiculous people who invented such unnecessary “tools” to make my life “easier”, before I ever get to see the dreaded “Group C” on my boarding pass. I should have just saved the headache and checked in at the airport anyway.
Professionally, printers have it out for me as well. Reports in FASTbook use whatever your default printer on your system to generate the print preview and whatever is generated in the print preview is what is spit out on the actual print. Well, guess what, almost EVERY TIME Windows makes an update, your print drivers and print spoolers are changed as well, which means FASTbook now has issues printing reports. This typically requires all print drivers being removed from the computer, a PDF Printer installed (we always recommend BullZip, it’s free, easy and seems to work well www.bullzip.com), then trying to generate reports with the PDF printer as the default. Once we have tricked Windows into working with the PDF printer, you should be able to install your printer’s updated print drivers and make your printer the default.
It is a lot of headache for something that seems so easy and trivial, but as it turns out is the nature of the beast.
NEW FASTbook Update – Version 5.5.19.1327
/in Release Notes /byHere is a list of NEW features and changes in FASTbook
For more information on this release or to schedule an update, please call us at (480) 517-9990 or email our technical support at support@eventsoft.com.