Setting up Labbie,
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Software
for the Civil Engineering Concrete and Soils Testing Laboratory:

This page tells you how to install the personal computer program Labbie, from Software Africa.

If you need information on Labbie itself, what it does and how it works, please go to the Labbie introductory page.

Setting up Labbie

If you have trouble with installation, please do not hesitate to phone us on Johannesburg 011 802-2685 (International: +27 11 802-2685) (ask for Rick), or e-mail us here (rick@softwareafrica.co.za).

Operating System

Labbie should install with no problems on Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista (not "Home" edition), and on Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or 3.  To find out which Windows version you have, click Start > Run, type WinVer and press Enter.  If you have Windows XP but not Service Pack 2 or 3, we recommend that you visit Microsoft Windows Update to download and install the latest updates for your system.

You also need Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or greater: Go here to download it.

Prerequisites

They can be installed as part of the setup process, but your PC must have:

• Windows Installer 3.1 (usually part of the Windows system)
• Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 or later

You must install Crystal Reports separately before installing Labbie itself, as explained below.

Setup Methods

Note – Data File: Both the Labbie Setup methods below are complete except for one thing: The blank data file.  You need to apply for one by e-mail in order to get up and running: To do this, Click here.

Setup Method 1: Quick (Single PC directly from the Internet)

Setup Method 2: Download First, then Install (for Multiple PCs over a Network, or PCs without Internet access)

 

Setup Method 1: Quick (Single PC directly from the Internet)

To install Labbie directly from the Internet, follow the following steps:

If you already have Crystal Reports installed, skip to Install Labbie below.  If it is not installed, Labbie will refuse to install and say it needs a prerequisite, Crystal Decisions.  If so, install it as follows:

Install Labbie:

Now you will open the Labbie Publish page. On it, click the Launch hyperlink if the listed prerequisites are already installed (or you are upgrading Labbie from an earlier version), or click the Install button if you are not sure.  When done, close that browser window or tab to return here.  Click here to open the Labbie Publish page.

If you have any problems installing, go to the Troubleshooting Page.
Alternatively, use Setup Method 2 (directly below).

To run Labbie from the Start menu, click Start > Program Files > Software Africa > Labbie.
You should also find the Labbie shortcut on your desktop:

Summary: This is the method to download a full installation that you can use later over a network or via a CD.

Note: If you want to install on the PC that is doing the downloading, do this:  While downloading, unselect the checkbox "close this window when download completes".  When downloading has completed, click Open and setup that component before carrying on with the next one.

Do I Need the .NET Framework?

Recent PCs come with the .NET Framework (version 2 or later) already installed, or it may have been installed for a previously-installed program.  The easiest way to find out, is to try to install Crystal Reports (below).  It will tell you if the .NET Framework needs to be installed.  Alternatively, if you are on a fast link and a 23 MB download does not bother you, you might download it anyway in case one of the PCs needs it.

Download Instructions:

1. Do this, once only, on a PC or Server that has internet access.

2. For each of the downloads below there is a hyperlink.  When you click a download link, your Internet browser should run and ask if you want to Open, Save or Cancel.  Click Save and save to a suitable folder on your network that will be accessible to all PCs (e.g. P:\Labbie\Setup, where P: is a server drive you map from each PC).

3. Crystal Reports: Click here to Download CRRedist2005_x86.msi

4. If you need the .NET Framework (version 2.0), as discussed above, Click here to go to the Microsoft download page, and click on "Download".  Close that window to return here.  If the Microsoft download page does not work, download it directly from this site.

5. Finally download the full Labbie setup.  Click on this link to download Setup.zip (10 MB zipped down to 4 MB).

Install supporting files and Labbie as follows:

Installation Instructions:

1. Go to the PC on which you want to install Labbie.

2. Run Windows Explorer ("Windows key" (ÿ) + E ).

3. If necessary, map the P: drive to the drive containing the shared folder for Labbie (in Windows Explorer, click Tools > Map Network Drive) .

4. Navigate into the folder P:\Labbie\Setup (or wherever you put the downloads).

5. If you need to install the .NET Framework, double-click the file you downloaded (probably dotnetfx.exe) and follow the prompts.

6. Double-click CRRedist2005_x86.msi: Crystal Reports installer should run and install.  If it tells you  that you need the .NET Framework, return to previous step or do the download if you haven't yet done so (Note: Crystal Reports offers a link for the download, but ours above is more direct).

7. Agree to the Crystal Reports License when requested.

8. Navigate into the file P:\Labbie\Setup\Setup.zip (or wherever you put it) –inside it you should see a file Setup.exe –double-click it.

9. Click OK or Yes as required to approve the installation.

10. After a few minutes Labbie should start, showing the latest Version and date on the Splash screen.

11. Repeat from step 1 above for each user's PC. 

To run Labbie from the Start menu, click Start > Program Files > Software Africa > Labbie.
You should also find the Labbie shortcut on your desktop:

Updating Labbie

From time to time Labbie is revised to add enhancements and fix bugs.  The list of recent revisions is on this separate page.

When you start Labbie on any PC, it will check whether there is a more recent version on the Internet.  If it finds one, it will tell you that there is a more recent version, and offer to install it.  Accept this, and it will update automatically.

If Labbie can not connect to the internet, it will tell you so.  PCs that do not have an internet connection have to be updated manually using Setup.zip exactly as you did when installing Labbie originally:

• Go to a PC that has an internet connection.
• Click on this link to download Setup.zip.
• Save to P:\Labbie\Setup (or wherever you put it before) –replace the old version.
• Go to the PC on which you want to install Labbie.
• Run Windows Explorer ("Windows key" (ÿ) + E ).
• Navigate into the file P:\Labbie\Setup\Setup.zip.
• Inside Setup.zip you should see the file Setup.exe:  Double-click it, and approve installation.

To protect you against running an out-of-date version for too long, each issue of Labbie comes with a built-in expiry date one- to two months in the future.

Problems?

If you have any problems installing, go to the Troubleshooting Page.  Still stuck?  Please do not hesitate to phone us on Johannesburg 011 802-2685 (ask for Rick), or e-mail us here (rick@softwareafrica.co.za).

Please keep copious notes and, preferably, screen captures of the problem.  To capture a screen, press the Print Screen button on your keyboard (Alt+Print Screen to capture just the active dialog window). Then swap to Microsoft Word (or your word processor of choice that can handle graphics), and Paste (Ctrl+V).

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