The ODB installer may be downloaded from the Internet, or it may be provided on a CD, in an email attachment, or on a removable disk. New versions of ODB may be installed over older versions without affecting your existing data or settings; just make sure the older version is not running before you begin the installation.

Basic Requirements:

Hardware - any PC running at 50 MHz or faster, running Windows95 or later. Also, the Display settings in your Windows Control Panel should be set to "High Color" or better (16-bit/ 65536 colors).

Free Hard Disk Space - 10 MB.

Virus Protection - ODB (as well as any other software program) may not function properly if your computer lacks up-to-date virus protection. Often you can tell if your PC is protected by clicking (with the right mouse button) on the small "shield" icon, usually in the lower right corner of your Windows screen. Look in this menu for an option that provides the date when the anti-virus software was last updated. At www.Symantec.com, www.McAfee.com, or most electronics stores, you can buy virus-protection software for $30-$40. Or, from www.grisoft.com or www.free-av.com you can download a free anti-virus program. Make sure your virus protection is updated at least every two weeks.

Also, it is important to enable automatic updates (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) so that defects in Windows are fixed. This prevents both viruses and spyware from infecting your machine.

Adequate RAM Memory - The latest version of McAfee can use up enough RAM to bring your PC to a crawl, substituting one problem for another. Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties to check your RAM. If it is less than 64 MB on Windows98, 128 MB on WinME, 192 MB on Win2000, or 256 MB on WinXP, you should refrain from using McAfee, and consider upgrading your RAM to 256 MB or more. The upgrade should cost less than $40 for most PCs.

Installing from web browser:

1. From any web browser go to the location: http://organizersdb.org

   Enter your information into the fields of the download form, and click OK. You must provide a valid email address. The next page allows you to provide further information, then download the software.

   Choose to save the installer to disk. Then double-click the installer icon which should be on your desktop. Click Next, and then Finish.

2. If your Windows version already has "Jet 3.5" database drivers installed, ODB will start up automatically.

   If your PC needs the database drivers, ODB will offer to transport you to a web site where you can acquire it. (To keep the installer compact, we left this support out of the installer as 50% of Windows users already have it.) The additional components take seven minutes to download via 56K modem, or twenty seconds via DSL or cable. All the steps are explained at http://organizenow.net/odb/odbsupport.html.

   Please note that on WinXP or 2000, you must have Administrator rights to add the database drivers.

3. If this is an upgrade, ODB will open your existing database. If this is a new installation, the program will ask you a few questions (do you want to use a sample database or create a new database). To get going quickly, just accept the "default" settings by pressing the enter key on your keyboard four times. (See the Setup Wizard below.)

1. Click or Double-click the "My Computer" icon on your desktop (or in the Start menu in WinXP).

2. Click or double-click to open the CD or removable drive with the ODB software (usually D:, E: or F:).

3. Click or double-click the folder "ODB 1.0".

4. Click or double-click to open the odbinstall program. Just click Next, and then Finish.

5. See steps 2 and 3 - Installing from web browser.
   Note: if your PC needs database drivers, you may use the installer in the Database Support folder on the CD; the Internet is not needed.

Upgrading from within ODB:

1. Choose Check for New Version from the '?' menu in the upper-right corner or the ODB screen, while you are connected to the Internet.

1. Choose to create a new database. (Or if you have an ODB database already, choose the Use Existing Database option. You can also play around in the sample data. To do this, choose the Use Sample Database option).

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2. Select a location to save the data file.

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3. Choose to back up your database automatically.

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4. Select a template that most closely matches your organization, or choose the tutorial template to follow along with Section A below.

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5. After you first set up ODB, the software will offer to print a "Tip Sheet" providing information on your ODB configuration. You can generate the Tip Sheet at any time by clicking on the wrench, then on the Print Tip Sheet button.