No, this isn't about how smart Rhoads Associates is. In the Quality Management world, IQ isn't Intelligence Quotient. It's an acronym for Installation Qualification. Installation Qualification "ensures that an instrument is received as designed and specified. It documents the installation in the selected user environment." In this case, the instrument in question is EP Evaluator Release 6. This article is targeted more to the Information Technology staff than to the end user. It addresses

• Some pitfalls you may encounter when you install EE6 in a locked-down environment, and
• A procedure to verify that the software is, in fact, installed correctly

Permissions

With newer operating systems like Windows XP, the issue of permissions may come up even when the software is not installed on a network. XP allows multiple accounts on the same computer. Suppose the System Administrator (A) installs the software, runs it on his/her account, sets up a shortcut for the end-user (B), then leaves. Later on, user B tries to use the software, and gets error messages that say "unable to access file xxx" or "DBISAM Error yyyy".  This usually means user B does not have full read/write/delete access to either the EE database folders or the Windows temp directory. B can't use the program until A grants the appropriate permissions.  Any error message that uses the phrase "unable to access ..." is usually a permissions problem, and the only person who can fix it is your friendly IT rep. Key facts:

• System Administrator rights are required to install the software, to run it in evaluation mode (free trial prior to purchase), and to enter the unlock code. However, once it is unlocked, System Administrator rights are no longer required.

• All users must have full (read/write/delete/directory creation) permissions for the folder where EE6 is installed, and all of its subfolders.

• When running over a network, make sure the EE6 subfolders (particularly the Studies subfolder) is not cached on the client. The Studies subfolders contain database tables.

• When a new folder is created in the EE6 directory during program operation, that folder must inherit the full control rights. At least in Windows XP, this is not the default behavior  -- often a newly created folder receives only read/execute permissions. Common symptom: user either can't create a new project at all, or can't use it after he/she creates it.

• Another place EE6 writes is to the Windows temp directory. The user needs full control of his temp directory, including the ability to create new folders in it. Again, folders created in the temp directory must inherit full control rights. Common symptom: user gets error messages when he/she tries to print a report.

• An unlocked copy of EE6 only "writes" to three places: 1) the directory where the executable resides and children of it, 2) the Windows temp directory, and 3) the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry area. Nothing is installed or written to the Windows system directories, and the program does not use any custom controls that need to be registered in Windows.

• To install a program upgrade (within a release), all that's necessary is to run the setup program and install to the same directory where the old version was installed. However, it must be within a release. For example, do not install Release 6 on top of Release 5. Doing so makes Release 5 unusable.

• It is VERY IMPORTANT to get the permissions set correctly before the user tries to bring data forward from older EE versions.

Checkout Procedure

What you are looking for in this checkout procedure is ERROR MESSAGES - like inability to access files or directories, Exceptions, etc.

Note: this procedure will not work if you have a CLIA license, since it requires that you create a new project. The CLIA license does not allow creating new projects.

• Run the setup program; enter the unlock code; set user permissions; create desktop shortcuts for the users.

• Log on to the computer as an end-user would.

• Confirm that the program starts when you double-click the desktop icon. Click OK on the introductory dialogs until you get to the Statistical Modules screen.

• Select Help / Help Topics from the menu to make sure that Help comes up.

• Use File / New Project to create a new project.

• Use Utilities / Reload Standard Data to populate the new project with sample data.

• Click the big Method Comparison button, then select Alternate from the popup. Double-click the Meth1 line in the grid on the right side of the screen. You should get a screen with a graph on it. At that point, select File / Print Preview Experiment from the menu. Click OK on the Report Options Dialog. Close the print preview screen. Click the blue back arrow on the tool bar until you get back to the Statistical Modules screen.

• This is a reasonably good installation test, but you can repeat the process for other statistical modules if you like. The best choice for a second module is the Linearity module.

• Select Utilities / File Manager from the menu, and delete your test project.

• If the computer has Internet Access, select Help / Check for New Version from the menu. This should connect to dgrhoads.com and determine whether you have the latest build number.