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Installation and update
EPOS-Plan is a standalone Windows application. Unlike its predecessors it no longer needs Excel: calculation, data storage and presentation all run inside the program. The download is provided through our server; access is granted as part of the maintenance agreement.
System requirements
Windows 10 or Windows 11 is required, in the 64-bit edition. Recommended are 8 GB of RAM, about 1 GB of free disk space and a screen resolution from 1,600 × 900 pixels. Two components must be present and are installed by the setup if necessary: the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime and the Microsoft Access Database Engine for access to the parameter database. An internet connection is needed for climate data, online documentation and updates; all calculations run locally.
Installation
Sign in to the download area and download the current installation package. Run the setup with administrator rights and follow the steps; the program, the sample and master database and the required runtime components are installed. Afterwards EPOS-Plan creates two data directories: shared data under %ProgramData%\WP-Plan and user data under %LocalAppData%\WP-Plan. Both should be included in your backup.
At first start the program opens the parameter database at the location set under Administration › Settings; by default this is %ProgramData%\EPOS_PLAN. If instead a message appears that the database cannot be opened, check first whether the database file is present at that location. If a database driver is missing, install the Microsoft Access Database Engine (32-bit), which the setup normally installs together with the program.
First steps after installation
Check the import and export directories, the path to the VDI 3805 manufacturer data and the address of the online documentation under Administration › Settings. Then the Quick start guide takes you through a complete project in ten steps. The licence agreement can be viewed, printed and saved at any time under Help › Licence.
Updates
Updates are provided as a complete installation package and installed with the same setup; existing projects and master data are preserved. If an update contains changes to the data model, EPOS-Plan adapts the database automatically at first start. Back up the database and both data directories before every update. Which functions were added with which version is listed in the Update log; the installed version is shown in the header and under Help › Version.
Multi-workstation use and backup
Project and master data are held together in one database file. For use at several workstations this file can be placed on a network drive and the database location of every workstation pointed to the same UNC path; simultaneous editing of the same project should be avoided.
If something does not work
If the program does not start, in most cases either the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime or the database engine is missing. If EPOS-Plan reports a database error at start, check the database location under Administration › Settings as described above. If the climate data import or the online documentation does not respond, check the internet connection and the addresses stored in the settings. Further hints are collected in the FAQ.