The information in this article applies to:
Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software stores various settings in an STI.INI file and in the User Profile. This article lists what settings are stored in the STI.INI file and the User Profile.
Each time a Tabs3 or PracticeMaster program is started, the STI.INI file is checked for configuration settings.
The STI.INI file saves the following settings:
The STI.INI file is not stored with the rest of the program and data files, but instead is typically stored on each workstation. This location is different based on both the version of Windows that you are using, and also the version of Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software that is installed.
Note: If one or more of the files listed below is not displayed in Windows Explorer, it is likely that the file is hidden since the default Windows setting is to hide these files. To display hidden files, refer to the "Hidden File Information" section of KB article R11138, "Configuring Windows Explorer to Show File Extensions."
The STI.INI file is stored in a user-specific folder that depends upon the version of Windows that is running on the local workstation. For Windows Vista and Windows 7, the STI.INI file is stored in C:\Users\<User Name>\AppData\Roaming\Tabs3\ on each user's workstation. In Windows XP, the STI.INI file is stored in C:\Documents and Settings\<User Name>\Application Data\Tabs3\ on each user's workstation. Thus, each user profile on each workstation has its own STI.INI file, and the settings listed above can be saved separately for each Windows user.
The STI.INI file is stored in either a workstation-specific or a user-specific folder, depending upon the version of Windows that is running on the local workstation. For Windows Vista and Windows 7, the Tabs3 & PracticeMaster programs look for the STI.INI file in C:\Users\<User Name>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows. Due to the VirtualStore in Windows Vista, some users did not have access to their prior STI.INI settings due to security restrictions on the Windows directory. This was changed in Version 15 and later to allow all users to maintain access to their own STI.INI files, and in most cases the settings from the original STI.INI file are retrieved from the Windows directory during the Version 15 conversion. Therefore, each user has its own STI.INI file in Windows Vista and Windows 7, and the settings listed above can be saved separately for different users.
In Windows XP, the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster programs look for the STI.INI file in the Windows folder of the local workstation (i.e., C:\Windows). If you are not sure of the location of your workstation's Windows folder, select Help | About from the menu of any Tabs3 or PracticeMaster application and locate the Windows Directory in the lower section of the window. Therefore, each workstation has its own STI.INI file in Windows XP, and the settings listed above can be saved separately for different workstations.
Note: Prior to Version 15, if a user does not have rights to edit files in the Windows directory, the STI.INI file will not be updated to reflect changes to these settings.
If you use a Citrix server or a Microsoft Terminal Services connection to access the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster programs, the STI.INI file may not be located in the Windows folder on your workstation. Instead, the file is usually located in the Windows folder on the Citrix or Terminal services terminal. However, depending on how your network is set up, there may be several STI.INI files stored on the Citrix or Terminal Services terminal--one for each user. For more information on renaming the STI.INI file in a Citrix or Terminal Services environment, please see KB Article R10855, "Troubleshooting Terminal Services".
In some instances, it may be possible to resolve certain errors that result from a damaged or corrupted STI.INI file by renaming the file. If the error only affects one workstation and other workstations do not receive the error, the problem may be with the STI.INI file. When any Tabs3 or PracticeMaster program is started, the program looks for the STI.INI file for the configuration settings listed above. If the file does not exist, a new STI.INI file will automatically be created with default settings. Because a newly created STI.INI file might not resolve the error, it is preferable to rename the original STI.INI file rather than simply deleting it.
The practical side effects of renaming the STI.INI file include the loss of all settings stored in the original file, as listed above. For example, after renaming the STI.INI file, the first time you print in any Tabs3 or PracticeMaster program, no printer will be selected by default. The program remembers the last printer used, so it is not necessary to select a printer each time you print. However, since the information regarding the last printer used was stored in the old (renamed) STI.INI file, no default printer is defined. Therefore, clicking OK in the Print dialog box without first selecting a printer will result in the message "Invalid printer selection". To resolve this message, simply click OK and select a printer from the drop-down list.
As another example, when adding new fee transactions, the last Client ID for which a record was saved or changed and the last timekeeper used for a transaction are normally retrieved from the STI.INI file and selected by default. However, after renaming the STI.INI file, that information is no longer available since the file containing the information has been renamed. Therefore, the client with the lowest Client ID and the timekeeper with the lowest timekeeper number (e.g., timekeeper #1) will be selected by default when adding new fee transactions.
Important: Because of the side effects of renaming the STI.INI file, it is important to note that if renaming the file does not resolve the error, you may want to delete the newly created STI.INI file and rename the old file back to STI.INI.
To rename the STI.INI file
It is possible to inadvertently drag the Tabs3 toolbar off the screen, thereby causing the toolbar to appear to be "lost" or missing, thus giving the appearance that the toolbar has disappeared. If the View | Toolbar menu options do not bring the toolbar back, or if the Menu bar is missing entirely, renaming or deleting the STI.INI file will restore the toolbar and menu bar back to their standard positions. However, renaming the STI.INI file will also lose all of the other information listed above, including printer settings. Therefore, as an alternative, the STI.INI file can be edited so the missing toolbar is repositioned in its default position. Make sure the workstation is not using any Tabs3 or PracticeMaster software before making these edits.
To edit the STI.INI file and restore the missing toolbar or menu bar:
The User Profile is stored in the User Record in System Configuration. Since the User Profile is stored as part of a data file in the Tabs3 or PracticeMaster program folder, the settings stored in the User Profile travel with the user regardless of which workstation is being used.
The following information is stored in the user profile for Tabs3, APS, GLS and TAS:
The following information is stored in the user profile for PracticeMaster:
If it should become desirable to clear one or more of the settings stored in the User Profile or a given User ID, you can reset the User Profile in System Configuration. For example, suppose you have accidentally selected the Do not show tips at startup check box on the Tip of the Day window in PracticeMaster, and you want to see the Tip of the Day when starting the program. Resetting your User Profile will cause the Tip of the Day window to again appear when starting PracticeMaster.
Keep in mind that resetting the User Profile causes all of the settings listed above to be cleared; you cannot selectively clear certain settings. The only way to undo resetting the User Profile is to restore from a backup made before the User Profile was reset.
Note: Optional messages (such as the alert on shut down that active alarms will be lost) can be reset without resetting the User Profile. From the File Menu, select Help | Reset Optional Messages. Click Yes to reset. This affects only the current program.
To reset the User Profile
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