First off, all RE/FE updates require the user to be in the local administrator group. Second of all, why don't Blackbaud has a utility like Windows Update where it will let configure when to download and install? Third, why dont' Blackbaud fix the problem of showing the Sample database every time we upgrade even if we did not have the Sample database installed? When I called Blackbaud, they suggest I hack the Registry. In the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Blackbaud\REINI_50\General] I have to set Visible=0 so that it does not appear as an option every time we run RE.

Hi Chong,

Installing RE\FE require that system files be updated which means that the user updating the application must have the rights to update these locations.

We do not provide an automatic update for our applications because we encourage our clients to test the update in their environment before installing.  Plus, we want to be sure that users are ready for the changes we make to an application in the updates. 

The sample database is installed on the server by default.  If you do not want your users to see the sample database make sure that it is detached from the Blackbaud Management Console on your server. 

-David Johnson
Product Support Lead - MCTS, OCP

The Blackbaud upgrade has been a pain. I think they should have done a test before install. I think they should have a more hands on solution to customer help and complaints.

Cheryl Palmer

 

I have been trying to install the upgrades to my workstations for two days now.

 I have tried everything the knowledge base recommends, and I still cannot upgrade.

I'm ready to throw the software away and track by hand. This is horrible!

Jane Bizeur:

I have been trying to install the upgrades to my workstations for two days now.

 I have tried everything the knowledge base recommends, and I still cannot upgrade.

I'm ready to throw the software away and track by hand. This is horrible!

Sorry about the upgrade issues.  While I've gotten very frustrated with RE at times, it hasn't been over the upgrades.  Our upgrades have gone very smoothly compared to posts here.  Very thankful for a good IT guy who's been able to work out any gliches with RE / FE!

I was looking for some information on best practices when storing files on/through the media tab.  I came across this post and felt I needed to respond.  I have been installing RE since 1999 and currently install on 68 workstations.  I have never had an issue with the installation on the server or the workstations.  I agree with JoAnn Strommen regarding frustration with other aspects of the software, but differently not the installation.

Mike Anderson

Buffalo State College

 

 I have to admit that I did have some trouble updating to 7.85 and had to have Blackbaud Support walk me through it (they're great!). Most of the problems stemmed from the fact that 7.85 uses a different type of database programming, so the process is a little more involved. I agree that it could be easier with an automatic updater or a simple 1 or 2 click process similar to what other programs and plug-ins use, but I can also see how that would be incredibly difficult to develop on Blackbaud's end. The process of updating the server and then updating each workstation individually is also cumbersome, but again, I can understand how that would be difficult to change.

David Johnson:

Installing RE\FE require that system files be updated which means that the user updating the application must have the rights to update these locations.

 

Are you saying every users that are on the network must also have local administrator rights to the machine so that RE/FE and updates? There's got to be a better way doing this. It's a huge security issue. If you have hundreds or thousands of users and you allow all users to have local administrator rights, that's like asking for trouble. Nevertheless, even if the user has local administrator rights, every time when I tried to install, I kept getting this error:

Error 1327.Invalid Drive: N:\

I already followed solution ID: BB133305 but it's not help. I still got the same error...unless I logged in as local administrator user. This is ridiculous!

David Johnson:

We do not provide an automatic update for our applications because we encourage our clients to test the update in their environment before installing.  Plus, we want to be sure that users are ready for the changes we make to an application in the updates.

Why couldn't you provide a roll back? If it's not working, give the user the option to click one button to roll back to the previous version/patch. However, let's say that we tested the update and everything is working smoothly as it should, why do I have to manually go to each and every individual computer to make one small update? Why can't I just press one button on the server side and all the client stations will be updated the next time it restart? Why can't that be done?

David Johnson:

The sample database is installed on the server by default.  If you do not want your users to see the sample database make sure that it is detached from the Blackbaud Management Console on your server.

 

Believed me, I am absolutely sure that the sample database is not installed on the server and is not in anyway attached to the BMC server and I still see this sample database being available when the user launch RE. The last time I contacted Blackbaud, one of the tech support had me modify the database Property/Description. That got rid of the sample database; however, every time there is an update, it comes back. So I believed that it's bug that Blackbaud just never bother to fix.

Jane Bizeur:

I have been trying to install the upgrades to my workstations for two days now.
I have tried everything the knowledge base recommends, and I still cannot upgrade.
I'm ready to throw the software away and track by hand. This is horrible!

 

Exactly how I felt each and every time we have to upgrade.

Mike Anderson:

I have been installing RE since 1999 and currently install on 68 workstations.  I have never had an issue with the installation on the server or the workstations.

Mike, do you manually have to go to all 68 workstations to do any kind of update? If not, how do you do it without letting all the users being part of the local administrator group?

Zane Magnuson:

I have to admit that I did have some trouble updating to 7.85 and had to have Blackbaud Support walk me through it (they're great!).

I wish "they're great" when they first created/updated the software so I don't have to contact them as often to find out how great they are. I'm using Blackbaud's product like a beta tester. I used to dislike Microsoft until I found Blackbaud.

Zane Magnuson:

The process of updating the server and then updating each workstation individually is also cumbersome, but again, I can understand how that would be difficult to change.

With 11 or more thousands of dollars annually from each of Blackbaud's client, it shouldn't be too difficult to make this change. 

Okay, today I found the answer to the error "Error 1327.Invalid Drive: N:\" when trying to update/install FE/RE on a user's machine with local admin rights because after all Blackbaud requires that any user who uses Blackbaud's product must have local administrator rights to the machine. Blackbaud is happy to say that it's a Microsoft issue even though I have installed probably thousands of software until I install Blackbaud's software that I encounter this issue; however, I do understand that it does occur and is probably a Microsoft problem. However, does this defeat the purpose of Blackbaud's idea that a user must have local admin rights to install/update, but when he/she tries to update/install this issue occurs? But as an IT we have all the time in the world to manually hack the registry, as proposed by the MS article above, so that RE/FE can be updated/installed and then re-map the Documents and Image folders back to the network drive so it's convenient for the users to save their files to the correct place on the network drive.

So, regardless of allowing the user to have local admin rights or not, for every update/install of RE/FE, there's going to be a pain in the you know where especially when you have hundreds or more computers. And by the way, updates/install don't just take 5 minutes.