RedAlert™ Online Updater
This document describes the complete procedure for updating your RedAlert™ Fire Department Management System. The RedAlert™ System is highly customized for each customer; therefore every RedAlertTM user has a different system application file (RedWin.Exe). Each fire department needs to download their own update.
At Alpine Software we are constantly working to improve our software products and services. We have designed this procedure around the power of the Internet to allow for a quick, safe, and simple update.
Before you can use this utility, the Appendix A: Computer Fact Page must be filled out. You can download this form in PDF format and it is also found in Chapter 1E of the User Manual. The System Location, E-Mail Address, and Fire ID Number must all be filled out.
To download your software update simply follow the steps described in this manual.
- Go to the site: www.AlpineSoftware.Com. Select the User Support tab.
- Submit Your Automated Update Request. Use the Internet to notify Alpine's Update Server of your request for an update. An E-Mail will be returned to your E-Mail address when the update has been successfully up-loaded to the Internet.
- Update Screen: Enter Customer Information.
- Downloading the Update File. Describes how to download the single file for an update.
- Administer the Update. Describes how to unzip the files and perform the update.
Connect to the Internet: AlpineSoftware.Com
Use a standard Internet Service Provider (ISP) to access the www.AlpineSoftware.Com Web Page. AOL, Earthlink, Mindspring offer internet access for as little as $4 per month. Juno and NetZero offer free access.
Submit Your Automated Update Request
While viewing the AlpineSoftware.Com Home Page, select the User Support tab. Then press the Request an Update label to access the Update Request Page.
Enter data in the following fields:
| Field Name | Description / Comments | Example |
| State | The state where the fire department is located. Use the lookup for a list. | Delaware |
| Fire Dept ID | Five digit Fire Department Identification number. This is the number we have on file in our office. | 12345 |
| E-Mail Address | Address in which you want the notification sent back when the file has been updated. This must be a valid address stored in our files. | JohnDoeFireFighter@Aol.Com |
We will E-Mail you when your update has been successfully up-loaded. Your update will remain on the web site for 12 hours. Your e-mail will contain passwords used to complete the update.
Update Screen: Enter Customer Information
After you have received an E-Mail confirming that your update is ready, use your web browser to go to our web site www.AlpineSoftware.com. Select the User Support tab. On the left side of the screen select the Download an Update choice to go to the Internet Update Utility.
The page title is RedAlert™ Update Download Form. It will prompt you to enter your State, FDID, and Password (this is the password that was given to you in your email notification).
Click the Submit button to see if an update is available for you to download.
Downloading the Update File
After submitting the proper information and password, a screen will display the status of your update.
If an update is not available, the screen will display Update Not Available. If your update is available select Click Here to Download Your Update to begin the file transfer. After you press the Click Here to Download Your Update text, the following window will appear. It might look a little different, depending on which Internet Browser you are using.
Select Save this Program to Disk and then press OK.
IMPORTANT NOTE
It does not matter where you save the Update File. It is very important that you remember where to save it so you can run the update.
The following screen will show the progress of the update.
Remember where you saved the update file.
Administering the Update
Before going forward, make sure that every user is out of the RedAlert™ System. You cannot update the system when it is in use.
The downloading program will download one file. It follows the naming convention:
<Fire Department ID><State>.EXE.
An example file would be called 12345VA.EXE where 12345 is the five digit Fire Department ID and VA is the state. There are several methods of launching the program. Consult your Windows manual for instructions on the different methods. We recommend utilizing Windows Explorer to launch the application. After you have successfully launched the application, the following screen will appear:
Do not change the C:\WINDOWS\TEMP field. If you are running WindowsNT, it might say C:\WINNT\TEMP, or C:\TEMP. Press the Unzip button. The password window will appear:
Enter the password in the space provided. The password will be included in your E-Mail confirmation.
After all of the files are unzipped, the following screen will appear:
Press the Next button. The update system will try to get exclusive use of the system tables. If successful, the following screen will appear:
Press the Update button. The program will perform several update functions. When it is successfully finished, the following message will be displayed:
Appendix A: Computer Fact Page
The following information must be on file at Alpine Software Corp for the updater system to be active for your account:
- System Location. This defines where your system is located.
- E-Mail Address. Notification will be sent to this address when the update is available.
