Installing/Updating

About Version Numbers, Reinstalling and Updating

A typical version number for PartyCAD 12 is something like:

Version 12.2.413

The first number is called the major number and will always be 12 for PartyCAD 12.

The second number is the minor number and periodically changes as the program enters a new phase of development. Updating to a new minor release will require you to reinstall the package by downloading a 40MB file from the internet. Once you have installed PartyCAD 12 the first time, the program itself makes the reinstallation nearly automatic, but the process will require more or less time depending on the speed of your internet connection.

The third number...413 in the example above...is the revision number. Typically you can update to a new revision by downloading a 3MB file and again, the process is nearly automatic.

Anytime you do a reinstall of PartyCAD 12, the old version is completely removed from your system and a new one is installed to replace it. This process will not harm your stored PartyCAD data or program setting in any way.

Anytime you do an update, the existing program is modified to improve its operation. This is a much quicker process, and again, your data and settings are not at risk.

Installing PartyCAD

If you have a PartyCAD 12 CD, discard it. All CDs are now out-of-date and should no longer be used. Instead, download PartyCAD 12 from the internet as explained here

Once the install completes, you will run PartyCAD 12 for the first time by double-clicking its icon on your desktop. This causes some preliminary work to be performed, and you will then be asked to register the software. The registration process passes information about you, your serial number if any, and your computer to a registration website. This information will be used to validate your software in the future, to insure it has not been stolen and is not being used in violation of the terms of the license agreement.

Once the registration completes, PartyCAD will immediately check for updates to insure the software is completely up-to-date. Once any update completes, the program ends and is ready for use.

To run PartyCAD 12, double-click the desktop icon. The program will come to the Start menu, and you can then begin working on a project.

The Update Process

Unless you tell it otherwise, PartyCAD 12 will periodically check the internet to see if new updates are available. During this process your registration information will be validated, and usage and error information will be uploaded to help us to improve the program.

If a new update is available, you will be asked if you would like to apply it. Typically this takes just a couple minutes, and updating insures you have the latest bug fixes and improvements. Updating will not harm your stored PartyCAD data or program settings in any way.

Controlling the Update Frequency

By default, PartyCAD will check for updates as it sees fit. This means it may check daily during periods of great development activity here at Hufnagel Software, or perhaps monthly during quieter periods. If frequent requests to check for updates becomes irritating, there is a way you can control the process:

Get to the Start Menu then click Options and Auto-check for Updates...

A menu will appear that will allow you to adjust how often PartyCAD checks for updates.