Installing Prime

The initial installation of Prime should be performed by KCW Staff.

Recommended Hardware and Software

The system will not work correctly without the proper equipment. There are minimum requirements to run Prime.

Prime Office

1) A server with Microsoft SQL Server version 12 or later installed on a dedicated server running Windows Server and correctly installed so workstations can share it.

2) A computer capable of running Windows 7 or later as a workstation;

3) One full copy of Microsoft Access (2010 or later) 32 bit installed and running on at least the Prime Administrator’s workstation.

4) The remaining workstations can use the full version of Access, many times included with Microsoft Office. If this isn’t available, a free ‘runtime’ version of can be downloaded from Microsoft.

5) A hard drive with 250 megabytes free; and

6) At least 4 GB of RAM memory

7) If Prime is to be shared amongst workstations, a properly set up network.

Prime Cloud (ASP)

1) A computer with graphic web browser; and

2) A computer capable of running Windows XP or later

3) The ability to access the Internet

4) All other hardware needs are taken care of by our hosting company, Venture Technologies

Prime Web based

1) Prime Web based is also hosted on Venture Technologies.

2) It only requires the user to have access to a browser to work.

Installing Prime on the Computers

If you run Prime Office, it is installed on your local computers. It is important you understand how it is installed if you add additional computers, change servers, etc. It is necessary to understand what software Prime is composed of and where the software needs to be located. If you don’t understand this, serious errors can occur in your installation. This could result in the program not running, a loss of data, or the program running extremely slow. Prime has six major parts:

1) Microsoft SQL Server – This database software is located and runs on the server.

i) The Tables – These are stored on the server running the Microsoft SQL Server software. This is where the data about your cases, time, calendar, courts, etc. is stored.

ii) There are two files, one that ends in an .MDF which holds the data, and one that ends in a .LDF, which is a log files of actions taken. The names of these two files usually begin with the word Prime and then the version number, e.g., Prime_16_3_01.MDF.

iii) This file is shared by all the users. These two files are the most important, since they contain the unique information about your clients and cases.

2) The Front End – This is a Microsoft Access database file, although it stores no data.

i) Its name usually begins with CFWPrime (Clients for Windows – Prime) and then the version number, e.g., CFWPrime_16_3_01.ACCDB.This is located on the user’s workstation. If Remote Desktop is used, each user has a copy in their profile.

ii) This file contains the forms, reports, menus, queries, and code that make the system easy to use.

iii) The Database Administrator usually keeps a master copy of the front end on the server. When a change has to be made, it is made to the master copy and then distributed to the users’ workstations.

iv) Access 2010 or later 32 bit (full or runtime version) located on the workstation.

3) Supporting Files – There is an installation utility that installs these ActiveX and other files on the user’s workstation.

i) It takes about two minutes to install them with the utility.

ii) The supporting files are needed to make Prime work and add useful features.

4) An ODBC connection is set up on the workstation that links the front end to the data on the server.

i) This is either done through the Windows Control Panel for 32 bit machines or

ii) By running a utility that looks the same called odbcad32.exe located in the C:\Windows\SysWow64 directory.

Correcting a ‘Missing References’ Message on Startup

References refer to small add-on programs that Prime uses when it runs. There are several reasons you could get the message, ‘Missing References’ when starting up Prime. This might occur because:

a) You didn’t install the ActiveX installation utility provided with Prime. This installs a series of small programs that Prime uses, such as ‘Microsoft Common Controls’, etc.

b) However, if you previously ran Prime on the computer the problem could be that you changed the version of Office that is running.

c) Normally, Access will automatically upgrade references from an older version, such as Office 10, to a newer version, such as Office 13. However, when you start the program the first time it might take quite a while to start as it makes adjustments.

d) However, what can you do if you want to step down to an earlier version or do the changes manually? This can be done in 10 easy steps. We can do it for you, if you wish.

e) Here are the steps I follow to correct the references:

1) Startup holding down the Shift Key. This bypasses the startup sign-in.

2) Press F11 to open the navigation pane

3) Go to any module and open it in design mode (may take 10 minutes to open or happen immediately)

4) Go to top line menu choice Tools

5) Choose References

6) Look for something that says Missing in front of it. It may be Microsoft graph. For example, Missing Microsoft Graph 16.

7) Uncheck it. Scroll down and find the earlier version and check it. For example, Microsoft Graph 14.

8) Click OK.

9) Go to Debug top line menu

10) Choose Compile.

If things compile everything is ok. I would then go to File and choose Compact and Repair to make the front end as small as possible.