Answers to Common Questions about Tswin
Report collection for a new month contains old data and no pioneers.
This is caused by a bug in version 9c (9.0.3.0) that appears when the previous month's collection was not closed. Workaround is to close the new month's report collection. Then click Reinitialize and open report collection. Initializing a new month with Version 9d or later fixes the bug.
Can I add monthly service reports from a CSV file?
Yes, Tswin Version 9d and later can accept reports in CSV file format. A header row that labels the columns is required. The recommended English format is:
| First Name | Last Name | Placements | Video Showings | Hours | Return Visits | Bible Studies | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John | Doe | 9 | 9 | 20 | 9 | 1 | |
| Jane | Doe | 25 | 3 | 82 | 30 | 5 | sample remark |
Will Tswin run under Linux or on a Mac?
Tswin can run on Linux or on a Mac using Wine. Wine is free software that enables programs written for Windows to execute with Linux. No special Wine configuration is needed to run Tswin.
What antivirus should I run with Tswin?
Microsoft Security Essentials is recommended. Some other security software will prevent Tswin from operating correctly. If you are running security software other than Microsoft Security Essentials you will need to configure it to exclude sutswin.exe and tswin.exe.
Why should I avoid the C:\Program Files path when installing Tswin?
The recommended location for Tswin is C:\Tswin. It is OK to install in another location including a removable drive as long as you avoid the C:\Program Files path. Why is that?
Windows treats the C:\Program Files path in a special way and will relocate your data. Here are some bad consequences:
None of these problems occur if you avoid the C:\Program Files path.
How can I install an updated version without losing my data?
Updates for TSWIN consist of 2 new files, TSWIN.EXE and TSWIN.CHM. These are packaged into a setup file named SUTSWIN.EXE. The simplest approach is to execute SUTSWIN.EXE and allow it to replace your older versions of these 2 files with the new ones. This will not disturb your data files. If your old version is located at C:\TSWIN you can accept the defaults when running SUTSWIN.EXE. If it is in another location you will need to enter that path when SUTSWIN.EXE asks for the location. It is good practice to make a backup copy of your program and data files before installing any update.
How do I move the TSWIN program with data to a new computer?
All that is necessary is to copy the entire TSWIN folder onto the new computer. No installation routine is needed. Some possible methods are:
Zip up the TSWIN folder on the original computer and attach the zip file to an email. Open the email on the new computer, detach and unzip the TSWIN folder to drive C: Create a shortcut to TSWIN.EXE inside the folder. Ideally the folder should be C:\TSWIN.
Copy the entire TSWIN folder to a USB device. On the destination computer, copy the TSWIN folder to drive C: Create a shortcut to TSWIN.EXE inside the folder.
If you are not sure where your TSWIN folder is located on the original computer, launch TSWIN and click the yellow question mark. The 'Directory' box contains the path to your TSWIN folder.
How can I e-mail reports?
The Missing Reports list can be copied to the clipboard for inclusion in an e-mail. A good way to e-mail any of the other reports is to install a PDF printer, for example "Microsoft Print to PDF". This software acts like any other printer except that instead of printed output, it creates a pdf file containing the output. Thus, anything that can be printed in TSWIN can be attached to an e-mail.
My new computer doesn't have a floppy disk drive. How can I run without storing my data in the computer?
The best solution is a USB flash drive. They are also called jump, thumb, pen, keychain etc drives. Select the smallest capacity you can find for TSWIN. You need less than 2 megabytes to run TSWIN.
Install the TSWIN program on the flash drive. Copy all the files that were stored in the root of the floppy disk into the TSWIN folder on the flash drive. Then launch the program and set the Data Directory option to Current Drive and Directory.
Some have asked about CDRW devices. With some systems it may be possible to run TSWIN directly from CDRW media, but it is not possible in all cases. A USB flash drive is a better choice.
What do I need to do to see my data in TSCARD?
Install TSCARD into the Directory that contains TSWIN.
Set the Data Directory option in TSCARD to match that of TSWIN. All your TSWIN data will then be available in TSCARD.
What precautions are necessary when changing the location of my data or sharing the files with some one else?
The Data Directory option merely defines the location where TSWIN will look for existing files and store any changes. Changing the Data Directory option does not move any existing files and will not back up your data. Before making a change to the Data Directory option, you will need to first remove any existing data files in the new location and copy all existing files from the old location to the new one.
Similarly, when sharing files, the entire TSWIN folder should be transferred to an empty folder. Problems can arise if all the files from C:\TSWIN on computer A are copied to C:\TSWIN on computer B when C:\TSWIN on computer B already contains some files. You should verify the new location is empty before copying the files into it.
Does TSWIN support hour fractions for some publishers?
You will need Version 5 or later to enter fractions of hours. It can be downloaded from this site. Use the decimal key to enter fractions.
.25 = 1/4 hour .5 = 1/2 hour .75 = 3/4 hour
How can I make a backup copy of my data files?
From inside TSWIN click File, Backup and Restore, Backup. Follow the prompts.
How can I exclude those who report zero hours from the No Time Report?
Enter a remark such as 'Zero Hours'. Any remark will exclude the publisher from the 'Missing Reports' List.
Regular Pioneer designations are lost from month to month
This is caused by not clicking the Initialize button at the start of each month's posting. Several important monthly housekeeping chores are accomplished with the Initialize button including carrying regular pioneers forward.
When I print reports available in the 'View' menu, the font is too small.
This problem usually appears with a new printer or computer. Click 'Settings', 'Printers' and examine the properties for your printer. Locate the 'Spool data format' setting. This is usually under the 'Details' tab in 'Spooler settings'. Set the Spool data format to EMF, not RAW. Also, any printer settings should be adjusted before launching TSWIN. Changing printer resolution while TSWIN is running may result in tiny fonts.
TSWIN will not accept my password.
The password is case-sensitive. Check the caps lock key.
How does TSWIN handle special pioneers?
Special pioneers are included in the 'Total Publishers' figure where this refers to all publishers including pioneers.
They are not included in the Report to the Branch since they report directly.
How can I enter time from a previous month?
If the report is late and should be included in the current month's report to the branch, use the Change Month (late report) button when posting reports. If the report is not to be counted as late, click Edit History and enter it there.
How can I view reports from previous months?
File a PDF or printed copy of the Congregation Analysis report each month. If you routinely need to refer to other old reports, file them as PDFs each month.
How can I add ones who have been inactive for over a year?
The best time to do this is just prior to initializing a new month for time collection. Start the program, Click 'Edit Publishers', 'Add Publisher'. Fill in the form and click OK. When the status dialog appears, click the 'Irregular transfer from another congregation' button, click OK. On the main panel, click the 'Inactive' button. Select the publisher from the right-hand list and click 'Transfer to inactive'. Select the month that you will shortly initialize for collection, and click OK.
After you initialize the month for report collection, the program will handle the person as if they became inactive 1 year ago.
I accidentally (a) deleted a publisher (b) initialized the wrong month (c) did something else I didn't intend to. How can I recover?
No changes are written to disk until you either exit the program answering 'Yes' to 'Save Changes?' or click 'File', 'Save' (the diskette button). If you realize you have erased something by mistake, you should immediately exit the program answering 'No' to the 'Save Changes?' box. When you restart the program you will have your old data. Of course any intended changes you made during the aborted session are lost along with the accidental ones.
How do I delete a field service group?
Groups must be numbered consecutively, (no gaps). Suppose that you have 6 groups and you need to delete Group 3. You could proceed as follows:
(1) Use the 'Edit', 'Field Service Groups' dialog to assign the publishers that were in Group 3 to one of the remaining groups. Verify that Group 3 contains no publishers.
(2) Use the 'Edit', 'Field Service Groups' dialog to assign all publishers from Group 6 to Group 3. Verify that Group 6 contains no publishers.
(3) Use the 'Edit', 'Field Service Groups' dialog to copy the overseer from Group 6 to Group 3. Then clear the information in Group 6.
This will leave you with 5 groups numbered 1-5.