Frequently asked questions and instructor notes
All our courses assume that each student has a personal computer to use during the class. Our hands-on approach to learning requires they do. This topic gives information on how to set up the classroom to teach this course. It includes minimum requirements for the students’ personal computers, setup information for the first time you teach the class, and setup information for each time that you teach after the first time you set up the classroom.
Hardware requirements
Each student’s personal computer should have:
· A keyboard and a mouse
· At least 1.8 GHz processor (2.0 GHz recommended)
· At least 512 MB RAM
· At least 2.3 GB (2.5 GB recommended) of hard-disk space
· A CD-ROM drive
· A monitor with at least 1280x960 resolution at 24 bit color or better
Software requirements
You will need the following software:
· Windows XP, Service Pack (SP) 2 or higher, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
· QuickBooks 2009 Pro or QuickBooks 2009 Premier
· A printer driver (An actual printer is not required, but if a printer driver is not installed, then students will not be able to complete the printing and previewing activities in the units called “Working with business forms,” “Banking and billing activities,” and “Working with reports and budgets.”)
Network requirements
The following network components and connectivity are also required for this course:
· Internet access, for the following purposes:
– Downloading the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com
– Completing the payroll service activity in the unit titled “Banking and billing activities”
– Downloading the Student Data files (if necessary)
First-time setup instructions
The first time you teach this course, you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.
1 Install Windows XP on an NTFS partition according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. If the student machines have Internet access, and they are behind a software or hardware firewall, install the latest critical updates and service packs from www.windowsupdate.com.
Note: You can also use Windows Vista, but the screen shots in this course were taken in Windows XP, so students’ screens might look somewhat different. Vista will have higher system requirements (at least a 2.0 GHz processor with 1GB RAM recommended).
2 From the Control Panel, open the Display Properties dialog box and apply the following settings:
· Theme — Windows XP
· Screen resolution — 1280 by 960 pixels
· Color quality — High (24 bit) or higher
Note: To avoid a blurred or distorted screen, users of flat panel or widescreen displays should either choose their monitor's native resolution, or disable image stretching and scaling if possible. Students' screens may look slightly different at other resolutions.
3 Install the print driver of your choice.
4 Install QuickBooks 2009 Pro or Premier Edition, according to the software manufacturer’s instructions. Accept default values during installation. Do not use Google Desktop, and do not install any other features or programs. You can download updates when you are prompted, or wait until the next step to update.
5 You need to turn off the Automatic Update feature to avoid having QuickBooks update your software in the background. Here’s how:
a Start QuickBooks.
b If a message describing Automatic Update appears, click OK.
c Choose Help, Update QuickBooks to open the Update QuickBooks window.
d Manually update QuickBooks by clicking Update Now.
e When the update is finished, click the Options tab. For the Automatic Update option, select No.
f Click Save and then click Close.
g Close QuickBooks.
h Restart QuickBooks and follow on-screen instructions to install updates.
6 Register QuickBooks. Choose Help, Register QuickBooks, and follow the on-screen instructions. You can start QuickBooks only a few times without registering.
7 Close QuickBooks.
8 Mute speakers on all computers.
9 Change the system date to February 15, 2009. The student data for this course is date-sensitive, so performing this step correctly is critical. Here’s what you do:
a On the taskbar, double-click the clock to open the Date/Time Properties dialog box.
b Under Date, select February from the list of months.
c If necessary, change the year value to 2009 (use the spinner controls).
d In the calendar, select 15.
e Click the Internet Time tab.
f Clear “Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server.” This will prevent the clock from resetting automatically.
g Click OK.
10 If you don’t have the data CD that came with this manual, download the Student Data files for the course. You can download the data directly to student machines, to a central location on your own network, or to a disk.
a Connect to www.axzopress.com.
b Under Downloads, click Instructor-Led Training.
c Browse the subject categories to locate your course. Then click the course title to display a list of available downloads. (You can also access these downloads through our Catalog listings.)
d Click the link(s) for downloading the Student Data files, and follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
Setup instructions for every class
Every time you teach this course (including the first time), you will need to perform the following steps to set up each student computer.
1 You must reset any defaults that have been changed in previous classes. To do so, choose Edit, Preferences. Click Default and then click OK.
2 Change the system date to February 15, 2009 (refer to step 3 of the first-time setup instructions).
3 Delete the contents of the Student Data folder, if necessary. (If this is the first time you are teaching the course, create a folder named Student Data at the root of the hard drive. For a standard hard drive setup, this will be C:\Student Data.)
Important note: It is critical that you start each class with new data files. QuickBooks files are automatically updated as soon as any change is made in them.
4 Copy the data files to the Student Data folder. (See the download instructions in the preceding section.)
Cautionary notes
When you’re preparing for and teaching this course, it’s important that you keep the following information in mind.
Software updates
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This course should work without your installing the latest updates and patches to the QuickBooks software. If you choose to update the software, be aware that the process might take several minutes. Also, when you open data files that were created in a slightly different version of the software, you might get a message to that effect, though you should be able to open any data file created in any version of QuickBooks 2009. |
Date-sensitive data
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We designed this course to be completed in one day. As indicated in the first-time setup instructions, it’s critical that you set each student computer’s system date to February 15, 2009 before starting the activities. If you choose to teach this class over two or more days, be sure to set every computer to the specified date at the beginning of each day. Also, before you start the class, it would be a good idea to tell your students about this special date setting. We also suggest providing periodic reminders throughout the day. |
Unexpected dialog boxes
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Message boxes will regularly (but unpredictably) open to offer suggestions or to advertise other QuickBooks features. Have students check the option not to be asked again (if applicable) and close the message box. |
CertBlaster software
CertBlaster pre- and post-assessment software is available for this course. To download and install this free software, students should complete the following steps:
1 Go to www.axzopress.com.
2 Under Downloads, click CertBlaster.
3 Click the link for QuickBooks 2009.
4 Save the .EXE file to a folder on your hard drive. (Note: If you skip this step, the CertBlaster software will not install correctly.)
5 Click Start and choose Run.
6 Click Browse and then navigate to the folder that contains the .EXE file.
7 Select the .EXE file and click Open.
8 Click OK and follow the on-screen instructions. When prompted for the password, enter c_qb09.
Topic B: Frequently asked questions
There are no frequently asked questions for this course at this time.
Topic C: Course notes
There are no notes for this course at this time.
Topic D: Additional information
There is no additional information for this course at this time.