Please note that this is research software and therefore there are still rough edges. We can make no guarantees about overall system stability or the data tables you have built while using Tracy. As in every case: BACK UP YOUR DATA REGULARLY! (Things like WinZip are good for this). Tracy was designed with this task in mind. Therefore, each type of data table is in a separate directory so that they may be easily located. The following are the steps to obtaining Tracy: 
 

1. Identify yourself
2. Obtain WinZip (or another decompression tool)
3. Get a copy of Tracy22Install.zip
4. Run Setup.exe
5. Get a copy of Tracy22Support.zip and run it.
6. Uninstalling Tracy

Who are you? 

Please let us know who you are, where you are located and how we can get in touch with you. Although Tracy has been used locally for over a year, it is still very much in development. Patches will be made periodically. If we can't locate you, then we can't inform you of updates. This would be a bad thing.  Please take a few minutes and send the author some mail about yourself and what your going to use Tracy for.  Also, please, please, please, let us know about any weirdness you find in the program so that it can get fixed for all. 
 

Get WinZip

WinZip is a nifty archiving tool that is shareware. You can however use it for a free evaluation period and if you like it send the author a few bucks. You can also use any number of other un-zipping programs such as PK-ZIP and others. I like Win Zip so here is a link to it. 

Just go to the WinZip site above and download the Win 95/NT evaluation version of the program. Save it to something like c:\temp and then run the program. It will install itself. 
 

Tracy Install

The install program for Tracy is archived in a zip file. To obtain a copy simply follow the link below and tell your browser to save the file to a convenient location. (Somewhere like: c:\temp.) 

After the file is retrieved, go into the folder you saved it to, and extract the contents of the zip file to that directory.  If you have installed WinZip, simply right mouse on the file and drag it a bit to the side and drop it.  A menu will appear.  Select the item that says something like "Extract to c:\temp".  WinZip will then decompress the install program to the c:\temp directory.  There will be a file called setup.exe in the c:\temp directory. 
 

Run Tracy's Setup.exe

Setup.exe is the install program for Tracy.  It will be located in the directory to which Tracy22Install.zip was extracted.  Locate the setup.exe program and run it.  Generally, just accept the default installation path and at the end of the install procedure click the finish button. If all goes well the install program will finish and close itself down.  If you get any error messages you should contact the author with a copy of the message you received.  The install program will create a shortcut to Tracy.exe and place it under the Program section of the Start menu.  Simply select the item named Tracy, and the system will launch.  If Tracy does not start up at this point, check the Installation Issues subsection below for helpful information.  If you are still unable to get Tracy to run,  then contact the author as above with a copy of the error message you are  receiving. 
 

Tracy Support Install

The Tracy Support setup is archived in a zip file. This file contains the Borland Database Engine files Tracy needs to run.  If you already have a version of the BDE installed from some other program such as Borland's Delphi, C++Builder, or Paradox, you may not need to obtain and install this file.  If you run the Tracy program and get an error mentioning the "engine" or "database engine" you need this file.  To obtain a copy simply follow the link below and tell your browser to save the file to a convenient location. (Somewhere like: c:\temp.) 

After the file is retrieved, go into the folder you saved it to, and extract the contents of the zip file to that directory.  If you have installed WinZip, simply right mouse on the file and drag it a bit to the side and drop it.  A menu will appear.  Select the item that says something like "Extract to c:\temp".  WinZip will then decompress the install program to the c:\temp directory.  If it asks you if you want to overwrite files, say yes.  There will be a file called setup.exe in the c:\temp directory.  Run that file and it will install the BDE files.
 

Uninstalling Tracy

You may uninstall Tracy by opening the control panel and selecting the Add/Remove Programs icon.  In the list of installed programs, you will find one called Tracy.  Highlight it with a mouse click and then hit the Add/Remove button.  The uninstall program for Tracy will then be launched and will uninstall the files in the \Tracy directory. Note that it will NOT delete any of the data tables.  This prevents unintended removal of your data.  If you do not want to keep the information in any of these tables you may simply delete them and the directories containing them.  To do this quickly, just find the CSDL or Tracy folder (probably to be found at c:\program files\csdl or c:\program files\tracy) and drop it in the recycle bin. To remove the shortcut to Tracy from the Start menu you will have to go and find it in the Start menu area.  See the online help for editing your Start menu. 

If you installed the support files you may also want to uninstall it from the Add/Remove Programs control panel by selecting the Tracy HMS Support Files (BDE) item and hitting the Add/Remove button.