1 Home Manager User Conten I

Table of Contents
Part I Welcome 2

Part II Introduction 2
1 Getting Started .................................................................................................................... . 3
...........
Installation .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Enter your license key .......................................................................................................................................... 5
............
2 Reference ............................................................................................................................ . 5
...
Menu Bar .......................................................................................................................................................... 6
File Menu ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Backup ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Restor ......................................................................................................................................... 7
e Exit ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Help ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Check for updates ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Ask a question . ......................................................................................................................................... 8
About Home Manager ................................................................................................................................... 9
......
Residence .......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Inventory .......................................................................................................................................................... 10
General ......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Maintenance and Repair ................................................................................................................................... 13
..................
Warranty and Insurance................................................................................................................................... 14
..................
File Attachments ............................................................................................................................................... 15
......
Notes ......................................................................................................................................................... 16
Reports .......................................................................................................................................................... 16

Part III System Information 17

1 File Locations
........... .................................................................................................................... . 17
2 Updating The Software ...................................................................................................... . 18
........................
3 Technical Details ............................................................................................................... . 19
................

Part IV How To (Steps) 19

Part V How To Buy 20

Part VI Getting More Help 21

Index 0

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1 Welcome

Welcome to the Home Manager User Guide

If you have just started using Home Manager, check out the Introduction and Getting
Started links below. More details can be found in the Reference and How To section.

Ø Introduction
Ø Getting S tarted
Ø Reference
Ø How To (S teps)

2 Introduction
Home Manager is an easy-to-use database for tracking information about your home
and personal belongings. Home Manager provides a central repository for storing and
retrieving your Home records, allowing you to quickly look up information about a
specific item at any time. A free trial version is available on our website and can be set
up in minutes so you can try the full functionality of the software.

What It's For

Do you need a way to track all of your "stuff"? With Home Manager you can organize and
track your
home inventory. Easily enter the details about your belongings, and use the built-in
search feature to find it again quickly. If you already have a lot of digital pictures,
simply drag and drop them into the program to automatically create new inventory
items for each one.

Organize your inventory by category and location, and drag and drop items from one
category to another. Keep a running maintenance and repair history for your assets.
Print a home inventory report (complete with digital pictures) for your insurance
agent; backup your data for safekeeping, and get the peace of mind that comes with
having a full accounting of your home inventory.

Home Manager Helps You Get Organized

You have better things to do with your time than searching through paperwork or
digging through old paint cans looking for that lost color code. Now you can stop the
frustrating searching and take control. With Home Manager software you can have all
the information you need about your home right at your fingertips.

Be Prepared For The Unexpected

Sadly, every year natural disasters like earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes and
hurricanes leave people without a home and with their possessions lost or destroyed.
Without a detailed record, making an insurance claim can be a hassle at best. Whether
you own your home, or rent an apartment, insurance companies recommend that you
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keep a current home inventory record to assist in the event of an insurance claim.
Home Manager gets you started by building a complete home inventory. You can track
warranty and insurance information, and even include digital pictures to assist in the
unfortunate event of

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an insurance claim. Use the built-in backup feature to backup to a remote drive or email
server

Features at a Glance
ü Home Inventory Tracking for one or multiple residences.
ü Track costs for home improvement and repair.
ü Store your book and movie information in a database.
ü Track warranty and insurance Information.
ü Import an unlimited number of digital pictures.
ü Search your inventory to find records fast.
ü Backup your inventory to disk, floppy, or as an Email Attachment.
ü Print report for off-site storage.
ü Create your own custom categories and locations.

Home Manager Licensing

· Home Manager licenses may be purchased online with a credit card, bank
transfer, or a check. The license key is delivered via email and unlocks the 10
record limitation of the trial.
· Home Manager licenses include free minor upgrades for the life of the version and
major upgrades for one year. Upgrading is voluntary and not required to continue
using the version of the software that has been purchased.
· Support by email is available free for both trial and licensed users (see additional
support information in the next section).

Product Number of users Price (USD)*

Home Manager Standard Edition Single User PC $29.99

*Prices in EUR and other currencies based on the exchange rate at the time of purchase.

Home Manager Support

All Home Manager support is available free by email. Additional paid support by
telephone is not available at this time. This support model allows our customers around
the globe to reach an appropriate expert
for their specific technical, sales, or customer service question without wading through
multiple levels of support and call backs. Support tickets may be submitted through
the website at www .kzsoftware.com

See Also
Ø Getting S tarted
Ø Reference

2.1 Getting
Started
Choose from the following topics to get started:

Ø Installation
Ø Enter your license key
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Or for experienced users, jump to the Reference section.

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2.1.1 Installation
To install from the web:

1. Download Home Manager from the website at:

http: //www .kzsoftware.com/products/home-inventory-
software/demo.htm
2. Open/Run the setup file, HomeManagerSetup.exe.
3. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard to complete the installation.

Open/Run the setup file Read the license You may leave the default
to begin the Setup agreement, and then installation location
Wizard, and then click select "I accept the selected, or select a
the Next button. agreement" before different location if
clicking the Next button needed.
to continue.

A shortcut will be created Click the Install button to

in the Leave the checkbox begin the installation.
Start Menu Folder. Click checked to create a
the desktop icon. Click the
Next button to continue. Next button to continue.

Also note: if your

computer does not have
the .NET2 framework
installed already, the
installer will
automatically download
and install it before
continuing.

Click the Finish button and

wait a few moments as
the software initializes the
first time.

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To install on a PC without internet access:

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1. If the computer doesn't have the .NET 2 Framework installed, download it onto a
disk, flash drive, etc. and then install it. To check, you can look at the Add/Remove
programs list in Windows and look for an entry "Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0". The
.NET Framework can be downloaded at the links below:

.NET 2 (32 bit)

.NET 2 (64 bit)

2. After confirming or installing the .NET Framework, install Home Manager.

3. The setup file can be downloaded to another computer and then copied to a disk,
flash drive, etc, by right-clicking on the download link for the Edition you need, and
then selecting 'save target as' to download the setup file. Copy this file to the other
computer and run the installation wizard.
4. After opening Home Manager, enter your license key.

2.1.2 Enter your license key

After purchasing a license key, you will need to enter it into the software to
unlock the 10 record limitation imposed while in Trial mode.

1. Select the menu item Help à Enter License Key (note: the menu items are the
"text" links at the top of the window - not to be confused with the "buttons" in the
toolbar).
2. Enter your license key into the License Key form.
3. Press the enter key or click the Ok button to save.

License Key Form

Note: The button will remain disabled if the key is invalid.

2.2 Reference
The Reference section provides a detailed explanation of each area of Home
Manager. Click on a link below for details about the item.

· Menu Bar
o
File

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o
Help
· I nv e nt o r y

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o
General
o Maintenance and
Repair o Warranty
and Insurance o File
Attachments
o
Notes
· Reports

2.2.1 Menu Bar

The menu bar is located at the top of the main window. Click on any of the menu items
listed below for more information.

Menu Bar Items

Ø File
Ø Help
2.2.1.1 File Menu

The File menu contains the menu items listed below. Click on a link below for complete
details.

File Menu Items

Ø
Backup
Ø
R e s to r e
Ø Exit

2.2.1.1.1 Backup

The Backup function creates a compressed data file containing a full backup of the
database. This feature allows you to create a backup manually at any time.

Backup Database Dialog

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Steps to backup a database

1. Select File à Backup to open the Backup database dialog box.

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2. Click the Browse button to select a location for the file, and enter the name of the file
to save.
3. Click the "Backup" button to perform the backup.
4. Dismiss the confirmation box. If the Backup operation fails for any reason, close
the application and then reopen it and perform the Backup operation again.

Confirmation Dialog

Key Points:
v The backup file is a compressed snapshot of the database. It cannot be opened
directly. To restore the database from the backup file, use the menu option: File à
Restore.
v Be sure to store the backup file on an external or remote drive so it will be available
in case your hard drive crashes and becomes inaccessible. If possible, copy the file
to a network server that is backed up. You can also attach the file to an email that
you send to yourself in order to have it saved on your email server.
2.2.1.1.2 Restore

The Restore function restores the data from a compressed backup file over an
existing database. This operation will completely overwrite the current database
with the contents of the backup file.

Restore Database Dialog

Steps to restore a database

1. Select File à Restore to open the Restore database dialog box.
2. Click the Browse button and select a backup file that you have created earlier.
3. Click the Restore button and click "Yes" when asked if you want to proceed.
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4. Wait while the database is restored. This may take several minutes for a large
database. Do not interrupt the Restore operation, or the restored database may
be corrupt.

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5. Dismiss the confirmation box. If the restore operation fails for any reason, close
the application and then reopen it and perform the Restore operation again.

Confirmati
on

Key Points
v The restore process may take several minutes to complete, and it should not be
interrupted.
v The restore process will completely overwrite the database with the contents of the
backup file. Any data entered since the backup file was created will be overwritten.
2.2.1.1.3 Exit

Select File à Exit to close the application. This has the same effect as clicking the 'X'
in the upper right corner.
2.2.1.2 Help

The Help menu contains the menu items listed below. Click a link below for complete
details.

Help Menu Items

Ø Check for updates
Ø Ask a question/S end feedback
Ø About Home Manager
2.2.1.2.1 Check for updates

The Check for updates menu initiates a connection to our update server to compare
the version of the software you are using with the current version of the software. A
pop-up message will notify you to let you know whether you are using the current
version of the software. If you are using an older version, you will be provided with an
option to download the update. To install the update, download the setup
file when prompted, and click Open or Run to update your software. Your database will
remain intact, so you will not lose the data that has been previously entered.

If a firewall prevents you from connecting to our update server, you may also
download the software from the downloads page on our website. This is the same
software which can be downloaded through the Check for updates menu.

2.2.1.2.2 Ask a question

The menu option Ask a question / Send feedback will open a dialog box you can use
to contact
Support. You may use this form to contact us about:
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· Question
· Enhancement Request

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· Bug Report
· Other
Feedback

Feedback Form

2.2.1.2.3 About Home Manager

The About Home Manager menu item opens a dialog box with information about the
currently installed
Home Manager software, including the version number.

2.2.2 Residence
The Residence screen contains general information about your residence including:

· Address Details
· Features
· Mortgage
· Insurance
· Appraisals
· Home Warranty

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Residence
Screen

After filling in the desired information, click the "Save" button to save the changes.

2.2.3 Inventory
The Inventory screen contains the Search Box, Category/Location list, Inventory List
View, Picture Box, and Data Entry tabs.

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Inventory
Screen

See Also
Ø
General
Ø Maintenance and
Repair Ø Warranty
and Insurance Ø File
Attachments
Ø
Notes
2.2.3.1 General

The General tab on the Homes form is used to track additional information
about the Home.

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General
tab

Fields and Form Elements

Field or form element Description
Description A text field to track the Description of the item.
The description is displayed in the inventory list
view
Category and reports.field to identify the Category of the
A selection
item. Add, edit, or delete the Category values
by clicking on the "+" button located to the right
of the field.
Brand A text field to track the Brand of the item.
Model A text field to track the Model of the item.
Serial # A text field to track the Serial # of the item.
Condition A selection field to identify the Condition of
the item.
Status A selection field to identify the Status of the
Location item.
A selection field to identify the Location of the
item. Add, edit, or delete the Location values by
clicking on the "+" button located to the right of
Purchased at the
A field.
text field to track the name of the store
where the item was purchased.
Purchase date A date field to track when the item was
Purchase Price purchased.
A numeric field to track the purchase price of
the item.
Current Value A numeric field to track the current value of
the item.
Replacement Value A numeric field to track the Replacement Value
for the item.

See Also
Ø Maintenance and Repair

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Ø Warranty and Insurance

Ø File Attachments
Ø Notes

2.2.3.2 Maintenance and Repair

The Service tab contains a list of the service (maintenance, inspection, or

repair) that has been completed for the Home.

Maintenance/Repair
Tab

· Click the New Service Entry button to add a new completed service entry, or to
schedule service to be performed.
· For completed service, fill in the Completed Date on the service entry form.
· For Scheduled service, fill in the Next Due date on the service entry form.
· Fill in both dates to indicate the service has been completed and to reschedule it for
future service.

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Maintenance/Repair Entry form

Field Name Description

Date of problem A date field to track when the problem was
first discovered.
Date of repair A date field to track when the
maintenance/repair was completed.
Summary of problem A text field to provide a short summary of
the problem.
Service Summary A text field to provide a short summary of
the service.
Material Cost A numeric field to track the material cost of
the maintenance/repair.
Labor Cost A numeric field to track the labor cost of
the maintenance/repair.

See Also
Ø General
Ø Warranty and Insurance
Ø File Attachments
Ø Notes
2.2.3.3 Warranty and Insurance

The Finance tab includes additional fields for tracking Finance related information.

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Warranty/Insurance
Tab

Fields
Field Name Description
Manufacturer Phone A text field for tracking the manufacturer's
phone number.
Manufacturer Website A text field for tracking the manufacturer's
website address. Click the Globe icon to open
the website in a web browser.
Warranty Expiration Date A date field to track the warranty expiration
Warranty information date.
A text field to track additional
warranty/insurance information.

See Also
Ø General
Ø Maintenance and Repair
Ø File Attachments
Ø Notes
2.2.3.4 File
Attachments

The File Attachments tab contains an area where files may be added to the database.

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File Attachments
Tab

See Also
Ø
General
Ø Maintenance and
Repair Ø Warranty
and Insurance Ø
Notes

2.2.3.5 Notes

The Notes tab contains a text field where free form text Notes
may be added.

Notes
Tab

See
Also
Ø
General
Ø Maintenance and
Repair Ø Warranty
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and Insurance Ø File
Attachments

2.2.4 Reports
Home Manager comes with 3 built-in reports which can be viewed on-screen, printed,
or saved as a file.

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Reports
Screen

· Click on a report link to open it in a new window.

· Standard filters, grouping, and sorting options are available on the report screen.

3 System Information
Ø File Locations
Ø Updating T he S oftware
Ø Technical Details

3.1 File Locations

Below is a listing of default file locations for Config, Database, and Log files for our
software products. This information may be useful for special configurations or when
diagnosing a connection error. In most cases you will not need to modify these files. If
you decide to modify any of the files listed below, create
a backup copy of the original file before changing it.

Config Files

File Name Location Description

[Program Name].exe.config Program Files\[Program Name] This file contains the default
values that will be used to
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the initial user.config file which

in turn is used to store
individual user preferences.
user.config Local Users Application This file is created the first time
Data folder* a specific user opens the
program, and it is updated as
preferences are changed

Database Files

File Name Location Description

[Program Name].hdb All Users Application Data This is the raw Firebird
folder* (on the client) database file used by the
embedded client.

Log Files

File Name Location Description

log.txt All Users Application Data This file contains the log of
folder* (on the client) any application errors that
occur on the client.

*System Defined Folders

Local Users Application Data Folder:
The location of this folder varies according to the operating system:
· Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\[user account name]\Local Settings\
Application
Data\Kaizen_Software_Solutions\[Unique
Program ID]
· Windows Vista/Windows 7, 8, and 10: C:\Users\[user account name]
\AppData\Local\Kaizen_Software_Solutions\[Unique Program ID]
You may also find this folder by typing %USERPROFILE% in the "Run" box (Windows XP),
or the "Search" box (Windows Vista/Windows 7, 8, and 10) and then drilling down into
the appropriate folder.

All Users Application Data Folder:

The location of this folder varies according to the operating system:
· Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\[Program
Name]\[database file]
· Windows Vista: C:\ProgramData\[Program Name]\[database file]
You may also find this folder by typing %AllUsersProfile% in the "Run" box (Windows XP),
or the
"Search" box (Windows Vista) and then drilling down into the appropriate folder.

These folder locations are hidden by default, so you may need to show all files and
folders in order to find them (My Computer --> Tools --> Folder Options --> View tab
--> Show all files and folders).

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3.2 Updating The
Software
Software Updates

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As new releases become available, you may upgrade the Home Manager software as
follows:

1. Make a backup of the database for safety (File --> Backup).

2. Use the menu option Help --> Check for updates, and follow the installation
prompts, or if you are unable to connect to our update server, close Home
Manager, and then install the current version of the software from our website.
This will not overwrite your existing database.

3.3 Technical Details

System Requirements

The initial installation will require 15mb.

The normal rate of growth of the database file without file attachments is 1 MB
per 1000 records. Pictures can be added at a rate of about 6 MB per 100 records.
If file attachments are added to records, the database will grow in size based
on the size of the attachments.

PC:
· Minimum CPU: 300 Mhz
· Operating System: Windows 98 or higher (2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8, and 10).
· Notes: The setup process will download and install the .NET Framework v 2.0 if
it is not already installed.

Home Manager Database

· Home Manager stores all of the data and pictures in a single database file.
· Home Manager Database files have the file extension “.hdb”.
· Home Manager backup files are compressed to save space and have the file extension
“.hbk”.
· Home Manager uses the open source Firebird database for data storage.
· The local database is stored at the following location:
Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\HomeManager\
HomeManager. hdb
Windows Vista: C:\ProgramData\HomeManager.hdb

4 How To (Steps)

Add a new inventory item

1. Click the "New Inventory Item" button on the General tab.
2. Fill in the item details.
3. Click the Save button on the General tab.

Notes:
· Select the Category and Location for the item from the drop-down list. You may add,
edit, and remove
Categories and Locations from the list by clicking on the button next to the drop down
field.
· You may select the Purchase date by clicking on the down arrow and using the
calendar, or you may type it directly in to the field.
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· Currency symbols are not required. The reports will display the currency symbol set in
your Windows
Regional Options.

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Find previously entered inventory items

Select the Location or Category on the left side of the Inventory window, and then look
for your item in the Inventory List view, or use the search feature to search across all
Locations and Categories at once. Items matching your search criteria will appear in
the Inventory List view. The search function will look for inventory items with words on
the General tab matching your search criteria.

Add a new Maintenance/Repair item

1. Select the Maintenance/Repair History tab at the bottom of the Inventory screen.
2. Click on the "Add Repair" button.
3. Enter the repair details in the repair item form.
4. Click the Ok button to save your changes.
5. The repair item will be added to the list.

Add the Warranty/Insurance Information

Select the inventory item in the list view, and then select the
Warranty/Insurance tab. Fill in the Manufacturer and Warranty
information, and then click the "Save" button.

Manage Categories and Locations

1. Click the button to the right of the Category/Location drop-down field.
2. Select the Category/Location in the list and then click "Edit" or "Delete", or click
the "New" button to add a new category/location.

Add individual pictures

1. Select the inventory item in the list view.
2. Click the "Add" button near the bottom of the picture box area.
3. Select your picture, and then click the Ok button.
4. You may add multiple pictures to an item by repeating steps 2-3.

Note: you may also drag and drop a picture file from Windows File Explorer to the picture
box.

Add pictures in bulk

If you already have a lot of digital pictures of the items in your house, you can
create new inventory records for them automatically by dragging an entire group
of pictures on the inventory list view.

1. Select multiple pictures in the Windows File Explorer.

2. Drag the pictures to the Inventory List View. This will create a new inventory item for
each picture.
3. Update the item data for each as needed.

5 How To Buy
You may purchase Home Manager online worldwide with any major credit card.

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As soon as your transaction is complete, your license key will be emailed to you, and
you can enter the license key to continue working where you left off.

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Purchasing Links

Direct Order:
http: //www .kzsoftware.com/purchase/homemanager/

Additional Purchasing Options

http: //www .kzsoftware.com/purchase/options.htm

6 Getting More Help

Technical Support and Customer Service is also available via email. You may contact
us for additional help using the links below:

Contact Us

For Technical Support:

http: //www .kzsoftware.com/support/index.htm

For Customer Service:

http: //www .kzsoftware.com/contact/index.htm

Reach us by mail at:

Kaizen Software Solutions, LLC
39962 Cedar Blvd. Ste. 323
Newark, CA 94560-5326

© 2015 Kaizen Software © 2015 Kaizen Software