Installing  Reckon Wiz
(updated to Windows10)
These instructions apply to an original installation.
The file  reckon.zip  installs a new  \DATA  folder.
This can overwrite (erase) existing data if you are
still   using   the   original   default   data   location.

•	1.  Download the file  reckon.zip  (http://www.acomputerwiz.com/download/reckon.zip) and save it on your local computer in the  MY DOCUMENTS  folder.
•	a.  This installation does not read your file structure and does not find your personal user name.  You have to know where you keep your documents folder.  Use Windows Explorer, My Computer, or an equivalent navigation tool.
•	b.  Reckon Wiz behaves badly if installed in your Program Files folder under Windows7 or later.  These problems are avoided if you install in a DATA folder (such as My Documents) instead of installing in a PROGRAM folder.
•	2.  In your documents folder, extract the  reckon.zip  archive.
•	a.  Single left-click simply shows you the content of the archive.  That is not what you want here.
•	b.  Double-click might launch the extraction, but in the wrong location.  That is not what you want here.
•	c.  If you right-click on the filename  reckon.zip  you should see the option "extract all" which will show you where the component files will be placed.  This should normally be the folder  \Documents\reckon.  (Hopefully that will show as the default destination; otherwise, you might have to CREATE that folder manually so that you can unzip the archive into it.  Under that folder, the extraction process will create the necessary subfolders for you.)
•	3.  Windows now protects you from downloaded files by asking your permission to open them.  In the program folder (e.g., \Documents\reckon) find and double-left-click the file  RECKON.chm.  Be sure to UNCHECK the box "Always ask before opening this file" before you click the "open" button!  If you do not grant this permanent permission, you will not have a live HELP FILE while running Reckon Wiz.
•	This context-sensitive help is sometimes extremely useful, but most of the instructions are much too wordy.  You can learn a great deal by experimenting (clicking on everything) while working in the \DEMO folder.
•	4.  Find the file  reckon.exe  in the  \Documents\reckon  folder.  Double-click on this file to launch the program Reckon Wiz.  
•	Either before or after this step, you can create a desktop shortcut that will launch the program for you in the future.  It is up to you to create this shortcut yourself (right click on the filename, choose "create shortcut", etc.).
•	Reckon Wiz opens with a message box.  Depending on what else you have running, that message box might not appear on top of other windows.  You might have to find the message by clicking on a Reckon Wiz icon in the taskbar or by using alt-tab keystrokes, or by minimizing other windows, etc.
•	5.  DO  NOT  accept the default data folder of  .\DATA.  That is a temporary name.  In the very first message box, you must click on the  "Change"  button and locate the folder  \documents\reckon\DATA.  When that folder is highlighted, click "OK."  When that folder shows up in the message box, choose "Keep."
•	6.  The next message box (asking which profit center) is irrelevant at this point.  After you set up your own user name in  Reckon Wiz,  this box will have more significance.  Click "OK."
•	7.  Until you install a permanent license, the program will ask you whether you want to find your license file.  Until your permanent license arrives, you have to click "No" on this question.
•	8.  Reckon Wiz  now opens with the introductory screen.  There is a topline menu where you can click drop-down menus that launch specific program functions.    You probably want to start with  2. Sales Journal  right away so you can enter customers and their pianos.
•	9.  Reckon Wiz  includes a 100% real-time, industrial strength accrual accounting system including billing and check writing.  That is based in the  3. General Ledger  menu section.  You do not have to complete your chart of accounts right away; you can modify it greatly as you go along.  Keep in mind that you can rename and shuffle accounts, but you can never delete an account that has entries in it.  Therefore, do not enter any financial events into accounts that you intend to remove from the chart.
•	10.  PLEASE  read the tool tips and context sensitive help.  You can do a little bit with  Reckon Wiz  by intuition, but many functions are not so obvious.  When the mouse hovers over an entry field, a tool tip pops up to suggest what to do.  Press  F1  key on every screen to read details about the functions of that screen.  Reckon Wiz  is a richly featured program.
•	To practice with DEMO data, use the "Change" button to find the DEMO folder.  Then the confirmation box will show the same pathname in both places, DEMO and DATA.  Go back to your DATA folder when you are ready--you can go back and forth at will, and you can have more than one demo folder in more than one location (including a network server).
•	Once you use real data, go to the  DUMMY  INFORMATION  in the Defaults menu (M0.1).  Write YOUR information OVER the dummy placeholders.  Likewise, adjust the Chart of Accounts (M3.4) to suit your own accounting system.  You can renumber (rearrange) and rename accounts at will.  The program prohibits moves that would spoil the system.
•	11.  To purchase a permanent license, send a check for $45 to  Kent Busse, 1660 W. 104 Street, Chicago, IL  60643-2823.  You must specify the company name (up to 40 characters) that should print on your invoices (the license is branded to you) and the email address to which the license file should be sent.  When you receive the license, save the file somewhere on your local disk because you cannot install an email attachment directly from within Reckon Wiz.  Then when you next open Reckon Wiz, click "yes" on the license question and locate the license file that you have saved.  The program will complete the license installation for you and you can archive the downloaded file in a safe place.
•	12.  The program portions of the  \reckon  folder do not have to be backed up daily; it is sufficient to do a full-disk backup from time to time.  However, your data files in the  \reckon\DATA  folder should be backed up after you change them.  You may find it more convenient to move that data folder to a different place in your file structure that is automatically backed up daily.  The opening question box in  Reckon Wiz  will let you FIND the new data location for uniterrupted program use.
•	Each data folder can contain several profit centers.  These might be used to separate personal from company finances, for example, or to separate shop work from field work.  The centers may or may not use a common checking account.
•	On the other hand, you may have completely different companies that have no accounting in common.  In that case, you are free to create a SEPARATE DATA FOLDER for each company.  That is the reason that  Reckon Wiz  asks you every time in which data folder you would like to work.
•	Reckon  Wiz  is very flexible and scalable.  Users on different workstations can share a networked data location and work on the files simultaneously.  However,  Reckon Wiz  no longer updates automatically from the internet.  If there are future program changes, you will have to install them separately at every workstation.  Similarly, the license file must reside on every workstation.  The installation does not rely on Windows registry entries.  You can transfer or move copies of the program or data as you see fit using ordinary file transfer methods so long as you save the locations according to the above installation steps.
•	13.  Other Features:  There is a  \reckon\LOCAL  folder that contains additional helps that are not directly part of  Reckon Wiz.
•	The file  mileage calculator2014 generic.xlsx  is explained in the program help file.  It is a more convenient updated way to record vehicle use according to tax categories.
•	The file  Bcards_template.doc  is a sample of business card structure yielding twelve business cards per sheet of velum stock.  I use the heaviest (65 pound) stock that my inkjet printer can handle.
•	The file  Invoice_template.doc  is a sample of my customer invoice which I print side-by-side in landscape mode on standard paper stock.  One can insert numbered blank pages between cut printed pages and optionally pad them using the machines that place a glue strip across the top of the pad.