Along the way, in the development of Premium Edition, FrontRange Solutions chose to change the label on the "additional contact" fax field from "Fax" to "Mobile."  This created several problems for users who had actively been entering fax numbers into that field for the original purpose it was intended.

To begin with, if you'd been storing faxes there they were all labeled as "Mobile" numbers.  That's enough confusion, but it was further complicated if you went to "Swap" an Additional Contact with a Primary Contact.  When you did that the value in the Primary Fax number (C1) field swapped with the Additional Contact's "Mobile" field.  Ugh!  FrontRange was making even more of a mess of things.

There's a couple things you could consider doing.  For one, there is a way to change the label on the Additional Contact "Mobile" BACK TO FAX!  Here's how:

The Mobile field in the Additional Contact record can be relabeled for use as a Fax number or for storing other data.  To change the label of this field, include the following entry in the [GoldMine] section of the gm.ini configuration file:  AddContactFaxLabel=Fax

After you've done this the "Swapping" of contacts makes sense again.  Albeit, now you won't have a field for "Mobile" in the Additional Contact Record.  Since Mobile phones are probably more useful than Faxes for additional contacts you may want to consider the following alternative approach.

Rather than "relabeling Mobile back to Fax" one could create a brand new "Fax" field on the Primary Contact Screen and globally move all the existing C1.Fax data into it.  Then, relabel C1. Fax to "Mobile."   And now, when you swap contacts the Mobiles match up!  Just a thought ....

Carbonite is a popular online backup program. Although this is a great piece of software and in general online backups are a terrific supplement to an onsite backup solution, there is something GoldMine Premium/Corporate Edition administrators should know. By default Carbonite does NOT backup files with a .BAK file extension. This is important for GoldMine Administrators to understand because database backups created by SQL Server are named with a .BAK extension. And although it is possible to override this Carbonite setting for a selected file, it cannot be done at the folder level. Since the names of your SQL backup files change daily, this would quickly become unmanageable. The solution is to set your SQL maintenance plan to use a different extension, say .BUP or .BKP., just something other than .BAK.

Of course should you ever need to restore from one of those files you will have to rename it back  to the standard .BAK extension that SQL expects. If you use some other online backup solution like Mozy, SOS, LiveDrive, etc… you should check with their documentation to see if they have a similar policy. And keep in mind that SQL backups can be rather large, so also make sure you have sufficient bandwidth to handle the uploads.

For those wanting to know, here are the files and directories that are excluded.

"The following folders are excluded from Carbonite backups:

"%WINDIR%\*",
"%TEMP%\*",
"%TMP%\*",
"\Recycler\*",
"\Recycle Bin\*",
"\System Volume Information\*",
"\MSOCache\*",
"\I386\*",
"\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\*", // skipped because most of this is system configuration stuff
"\Documents and Settings\*\Cookies\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Local Settings\History\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Local Settings\Temp*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\NetHood\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\PrintHood\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\History\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\NTUSER.DAT",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*\Cache\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Opera\Opera\profile\cache*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Yahoo! Desktop Search\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Google\Google Desktop\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Microsoft Help\*",
"\Documents and Settings\*\Application Data\Carbonite\*",
"\Program Files\Carbonite\Carbonite Backup\*",
"\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Clipart\*",

The following file types are excluded from Carbonite backups:

.bak;.log;.cab;.cf1;.chm;.com;.cpl;.dll;.dmp;.drv;.evt;.exe;.inf;.ico;.iso;.jar;.lex;.lib;.msi;.msm;
.mst;.ocx;.otf;.pnf;.pf;.prn;.reg;.rll;.swf;.sys;.ttf;.tmp;.vxd;.chq;.chw;.hlp;.hxi;.hxq;
.hxr;.hxs;.abf;.afm;.bdf;.dfont;.eot;.fnt;.fon;.lwfn;.otf;.pfa;.pfb;.pfm;.suit;.ttc;.ttf;.ani;.ann;
.bmk;.cnt;.cpl;.cur;.dev;.drv;.dvd;.ffa;.ffl;.ffo;.ffx;.ftg;.fts;.gid;.grp;.idx;.img;
.ini;.ins;.ipf;.isp;.its;.kbd;.kext;.key;.msc;.msp;.nt;.plist;.pol;.pref;.prf;.pwl;.reg;
.scf;.scr;.sdb;.swp;.sys;.theme;.vga;.vgd;.vxd;.fxp;.jse;.obs;.prg;.rox;.shb;
.tms;.vbe;.wpk;.$$$;.$db;.113;.abk;.bac;.bck;.bcm;.bdb;.bkf;.bkp;.old;.rdb;
.win;.PCH;.SBR;.PDB;.OBJ;.BSC;.ILK;.NCB;.IDB;.v2i;.ost;.lnk;.vhd;.vmc;.vmdk;.vmsd;.vmx;.vmsn;

system/;dtSearch*;Intermediate *;VMWare*;Virtual PC*;Virtual Machine*

Additionally, music and video files are excluded during free trial subscriptions of Carbonite.

Files that end in "_" or "~" don't get "Back this up" option in context menu. It means it's a compressed system file. It can be renamed (from the command line) to an extension w/out the "_" (underscore)or the "~"(tilde) and then you will get the backup option."

Make sure that the files you want to be backed up are not included in the above exclusions.

Many people are starting to use an online backup service to store their documents. Businesses will use this to keep their files safe in case of a break-in or disaster at the actual office site. Home workers may do this in order to have a secure place to store their files without having to purchase an external hard drive to do so. However, there are pros and cons to using online backup services.

What is an online backup service?

First, the basics – what is an online backup service? Put simply, it’s an Internet-based system that can be set up to automatically backup all of the files that you have on your computer. These files are stored online. You can then access these files remotely. This means that you don’t have to be in the office to access them. It also means that there is a copy of every file available to you in case damage is done to your computer and the files can’t be accessed from there.

Advantages of using an online backup service

There are some really good reasons that people today are relying on online backup systems. Some of the advantages of using these systems (as compared to other options for backing up files) include:

• The entire system is automated. When people have to be relied upon to do the backing up of files manually, there are often problems. People get delayed and files don’t get backed up in a timely manner. People make errors and files aren’t properly stored. These problems are typically avoided when using an automated online backup service to store files.

• The backup copy of the data is stored in a location other than the office or home office. This is important because it means that problems affecting the office computer won’t affect the files that are stored elsewhere. In other words, if there is a fire at your office and all of your files and equipment are damaged, you will still have the off-site backup copy of everything.

• You can store as much information as you need to store. Many people have used other forms of backup like the external hard drive to keep copies of their files. These forms are limited in the amount of information that can be stored. That isn’t the case with an online backup service (although you do pay for whatever you use).

• Your information is stored in an organized fashion. Most remote backup services offer some type of inventory-style list of the information that’s been backed up. This may be more organized than whatever system you use yourself.

Disadvantages of using an online backup service

There are a lot of advantages to using online backup services. However, not everything is perfect about them. Some of the disadvantages of these systems (as compared to other options for backing up files) may include:

• Your system may slow down during backup. This isn’t too much of a problem for most businesses today. However, it can happen. This depends on the service that you’re using, the speed of your Internet connection and other technological factors.

• You do take some minimal privacy / security risks when using an online backup service. As a general rule, your information is safe when stored online with these services. However, hackers (and problematic employees working for the remote backup service) could be a threat in some rare instances.

• The cost may be high for businesses that are storing a lot of information. Most remote backup services charge you based on the general amount of data that you backup every month. If your plan requires that you backup a lot of information then this can get pricey.

• The company could go out of business. You want to make sure that you understand what’s going to happen to your information if the company goes out of business. There should be some sort of plan in place for that but smaller companies may fail to take those precautions which can put your information at risk of loss.

Some other things to know about remote backup services

As you can see, there are drawbacks to using remote backup services but these may not outweigh the benefits of backing up your files in this manner. There are just a few other things that you might want to know about these services to determine whether they’re right for you:

• There are a lot of different online backup service providers to choose from. They vary in the exact services that they offer. They also vary in cost. You'll want to  do your research and choose a provider that you feel will meet your needs.

• You will want to look at managed vs. unmanaged backup service options. The difference is in the amount of monitoring and assistance that you get from the company that is providing the service.

• Some online backup services are good for people who work remotely. That is because you can access your files through these services no matter where you are working from. This particularly makes these types of services beneficial for people who are collaborating remotely with others. There are other ways of doing this type of collaboration but it could be an added benefit of certain online backup systems.

• The cost of remote backup services is generally considered to be worth it for most businesses. That is because you save yourself a lot of time, stress and even money if you do have to use the service. If your files are lost, it’s going to be costly to replace that information. The online backup service works as a sort of insurance program to protect you from that.

Those are the basic things that you’ll need to know to get started with researching online backup systems. From there, it’s a matter of looking at the different services available to you and finding the right one.

The following is a list of some popular Online Backup Service Providers: ( in no particular order)

• SOS Online Backup
• Mozy
• BlackBlaze
• Carbonite
• IDrive
• Norton Online Backup

If you're on GoldMine 6.x you've likely come across an unwelcome bug that appeared along with New Years 2011.

There is a fix that can be credited to a post on FrontRange site from "AHarry" that we have seen work, albeit not test for all versions.

Here it is "word-for-word', link edited for easier download:

"This is a very easy patch with any hex editor. Find a free hex editor ( I use HxD from ftp://wa651f2:anonymous@mh-nexus.de/HxDSetupEN.zip) Load GMW6.EXE and do a text search for 20101231 change the 2010 to 2020 and save the file. No more warning (at least until 2020! )

Of course, you should back up your GMW6.EXE file before editing.. and you do this at your own risk although it is very simple I am not responsible if you mess something up.
And this also will not remedy any issues that may have been lurking that the developers felt they needed to warn against in the first place.. if there are any."

We can also tell you that upgrading to GoldMine 7.x Corporate or GoldMine 9.x Premium Edition* will address this problem along with many other issues that will continue to plague old and unsupported versions of GoldMine.  The best long range solution is to upgrade!!

* GoldMine Premium Edition 9.0.1 was released 01/10/201. Click here to read the latest release notes.

For assistance with applying this fix or upgrading contact your solution partner or First Direct Corp. 800-935-4386.

When information in your CRM system (GoldMine Premium) is out of sight (not visible) it is, as the expression goes, also out of mind.  That can be a problem, especially when the information (data) is important to your sales, marketing, and customer service efforts.

It is up to the GoldMine Administrator and management see to it that what users need to see and work with is visible or at least conveniently available.  While there are real and practical limitations to what can be displayed on any CRM record, there’s a lot that can be done to optimize how data appears in GoldMine Premium. Here is a list of a few areas in particular where you can make changes to the way your GoldMine system displays information:

1. Primary View – Otherwise known as the “Main View” or the top half of a GoldMine record.  With the “tab viewing” format in GoldMine Premium you gain nearly 75% more space than older versions of GoldMine to present fields.  Using a feature known as “Record Typing” to create custom Primary Views for different types of Records (e.g. prospects versus vendors) you can have unique Primary Views for each.  Pulling custom fields and Summary Tab expressions into your Primary Views is a great first step.  Then when people are on the Record they will be much more likely to see and/or capture valuable information.

2. Calendar Views – The default calendar views can be customized.  You can edit calendar preferences and options to add or hide types of activities.  You can also display your activity codes or even customize the view to show fields from the related records.

3. Dashboards, SQL Reporting Services, and SQL Queries – Information that helps with decision making, workflow, etc., can be provided with these functions in GoldMine Premium powered by Microsoft SQL.  This way you can offer customized views of data that are not otherwise available with GoldMine’s native UI (User Interface).

4. GM+Views and GM+Browser – Here’s a pallet that’s as flexible as HTML.  What do you need to see?  Maybe here is the place to build it.

5. Details – If you need it, here it is -- a table for certain types of particular details such as equipment, accounts, serial numbers, registrations, etc.   Each category of Detail comes with up to 12 custom fields, notes, and an automatic audit trail of creation and last update.

Like a lot of things in GoldMine, success with all these features is in the planning, execution, and training.   It’s clear though, you surely will only get the data you need if you have a place for the data that is easily accessible to users.  To put a spin on another old expression, “what you see is what you get!”

No doubt you’ve heard the expression “speed kills” as a reference to driving too fast.  But there’s there one situation when it’s the other way around and the lack of speed kills.  And, that’s when it comes to computers!  With computers, the lack of speed kills productivity, nerves, and job performance, which in turn can lead to even more damaging outcomes to a business!

So when it comes to your computer you want it to scream with speed.  Here are five (5) main factors that effect the speed of your computer:

1. Too many services running in the background
2. Too many start-up applications
3. Too many unneeded programs taking up space
4. Slow Hard drives
5. Spy-ware and Viruses

Being the way hardware and operating systems have advanced and come down in price, it’s pretty safe to say that if your computer is 6-10 years or more old, you can achieve an ROI from a new machine.  By the same token, even a newer machine, let alone a somewhat older machine can gain performance speed with a some adjustments and maintenance.  Examples of what you could do include:

• Defragging the Hard Drive once a week
• Create a Page\Swap file with a fixed size and place
• Upgrade your network card to a 10/100/1000 style NIC
• Remove unneeded programs
• Add more RAM: 32 bit OS - 4GB maximum however it's really around 3.3gb that is usable .64bit OS -192 gb  maximum currently. The future for 64 bit is offered towards the 16 exabytes or 17.2 billion gigabytes maximum limit.

Applications such as GoldMine Premium demand a lot from the resources of your machine.   Add the demands of Microsoft Office products and today's graphics and audio files, and you can really suffer if you machine doesn't have what it takes!

If you want some help from a computer geek who’s also a speed freak, and you don’t know where to turn, give us a call at First Direct Corp.  We have just the guy!

GoldMine and Crystal Reports v9/v11 will only recognize System DSNs created using the 32 bit version of ODBC. On 64-bit machines, configure your DSNs using C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe instead of the ODBC administrator in Control Panel.

GoldMine Premium Edition 9.x has a new update in BETA.  9.01.27 was released to the BETA group on 10/14/10  for BETA testing.  FrontRange Solutions continues to work out issues with the latest edition of GoldMine Premium in BETA and has yet to provide a "general release" to address the issues that have been resolved in the BETA.  In most situations bugs/issues in Premium Edition are not a reason to hold off on the deployment of GoldMine Premium, especially for new users or users of older editions of GoldMine that wish to upgrade.  Even existing Premium Edition 8.x users are better off implementing the update since a large number of the changes in GMPE9.x address problems that existed in 8.x.

An important take away from the fact that there has been a succession of GMPE updates put into BETA testing is that FrontRange developers are actively finding and resolving problems.  I personally expect that FrontRange Solutions will come out with a public General Release update of 9.x pretty soon ... if I were to speculate I would say before the end of November.  FrontRange is clearing the way to shift focus more on "improvements" in 9.x, but rightfully so, is concentrating on addressing outstanding problems before moving on.

If a GoldMine Premium Edition Customer is experiencing a problem and does not believe they can wait for access to the next general release, FrontRange Solutions may provide access to the BETA by request.  Frankly, most firms with Premium 9.x are better to just wait for the general release.

The LAST thing you want is annoying Tweets with GoldMine promotions, product sales, and special events!  But here is a good use of Twitter that is specifically for those firms that use GoldMine and more specifically for the person that is responsible for administering your system.

First Direct Corp. offers a Twitter account that you can follow that will only Tweet the following:

1. GoldMine Product releases (not often enough!)
2. Bugs that we learn about - when we learn you do!
3. News about fixes to important/major bugs and product issues

We promise NOT to Tweet you about promotions, sales, special events and other things that are not related to the three bullets above!

If you're a GoldMine Administrator I sincerely believe you should be following this Twitter account!

To do so simply click here.

FrontRange Solution's release an update to GoldMine Corporate Edition - Here are some notable points:

Support for Microsoft Office 2010 (32-bit version) provides integration with the latest version of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.  The 64-bit version of Office 2010 is not supported.

Support for Windows 7 as an end-user operating system.

Support for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Support for Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Support for Windows Server 2008 R2.

Support for Windows Internet Explorer 8.

Cross-field validation enables an F2 lookup list to change based on the value in another field.

Option to "Show contact name on activity tabs" for use in account rollup.

Simultaneous alarms displayed within a single screen

Ability to import a One-Button-sync profile without using GoldMine user-to-user messaging

Below is a list of fixes:

WHAT'S FIXED IN GOLDMINE CORPORATE EDITION 7.6

Copyright  2010 FrontRange Solutions USA Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  GoldMine, HEAT and other FrontRange Solutions products, brands and trademarks are property of FrontRange Solutions USA Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.  Other products, brands and trademarks are property of their respective owners/companies.

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT (I) IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY; (II) DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF ANY KIND, OR EXTEND THE TERMS OF ANY EXISTING WARRANTY; AND (III) DOES NOT ALTER OR AMEND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENTS UNDER WHICH FRONTRANGE SOLUTIONS SOFTWARE PRODUCTS ARE LICENSED.