Simple Software Solutions
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Payroll Master work with Vista?
Yes. PayrollMaster version 2.0 is now Vista compliant. It is also digitally signed proving the authenticity of the author.
I have an older version of PayrollMaster. Will the new version work with my existing records?
Yes, however due to PayrollMaster now in compliance with Microsoft's Vista rules, the program files and data records are in different folders. There is a patch available that will transfer the data records into the new data tables, but you have to e-mail us requesting the patch and instructions for use. It's not a complicated procedure.
When installing Payroll Master on my Vista computer I got an error 740. What is it?
You have an older version of PayrollMaster. Update to the latest version.
Error 740 occurs when there is a difference in what Vista is expecting for the user's authority. The older versions of Payroll Master invoked Admin authority when installing. Even though the user may have Admin authority, the error still occurs. Vista automatically corrected this when you install Payroll Master so that you will not see the error again when you run the application for the first time. The latest versions of PayrollMaster requires only Invoker privileges which is much less than Administrator authority.
Part of the problem is that Microsoft changed the rules for program development with their operating systems when Windows 2000 and XP was first introduced, but didn't enforce them. Microsoft drew the line in the sand with Vista, and compliance is now mandatory or you get errors like Error 740. It's only a matter of time when Microsoft will no longer "be nice" to the lazy programmers who will tell their clients just to accept the errors on the installation and let Vista make the corrections. The programs that are not fully compliant with Vista rules will no longer work when Microsoft upgrades their Vista product. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa965884.aspx for information on Vista's Registry Virtualization.
Will Payroll Master run on a network?
Payroll Master is designed and licensed to be used on one computer only. You may use it on a network however, it is to be used by one user only. The product may allow two users on at one time, but there are no guarantees that data corruption won't occur. There is file locking, but the more advanced servers and workstations may be able to bypass some of the locking features and corrupt the file data. It is not recommended to be used by more than one person at a time. Payroll Master has been tested on a peer to peer network, and it works fine. It has not been tested on a dedicated server. You have 30 days to try it. If it works, let us know!
How secure is the information in Payroll Master?
The Social Security Number is encrypted, as are the passwords and access levels. The files however, are not. Special care has been taken to restrict access to the software by using a two tiered password access system. The two tier password level allows the payroll and employee data to be seen only by authorized personnel. The more sensitive the data the higher the restricted access.
I hate updating the tax information. How does Payroll Master make it easier for me?
When viewing the Tax Data Table form context sensitive help is available by pressing the F1 key when you are on a field or button. There is additional content and indexed help available by selecting Help from the main menu bar. The U.S. Federal Tax Guide Circular E weekly percentage method is used for calculating the taxes in Payroll Master. The top half of the Tax Data Table form looks exactly like the tax guide to make update entry easily recognized. For bi-weekly payroll schedules PayrollMaster doubles the weekly values. For those who want the easy fix, Simple Software Solutions personnel will make available the updated U.S. Federal tax data for Payroll Master in a zip file for easy download with no effort installation soon after we receive the guide. Download the new tax data table by clicking Maintenance - Tax Table Download from the main menu. It will download and install the new tax table automatically.
How do I resolve any issues that I have with Payroll Master?
Contact support@simple-software-solutions.com with any questions or issues you may have. We pride ourselves with quick turnaround responses. At present there is limited telephone support Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Leave a message and we'll return the call ASAP.
Preparing payroll has always been a chore. How easy is it to use?
Payroll Master is the easiest to use payroll program on the market today. There is nothing complicated to do. The design is straight forward, and the information requested flows in a natural order.
It's designed for small to medium size businesses that handle their own payroll. It will also calculate taxes for the self employed individual. Theoretically, you could do hundreds of employees with Payroll Master or as few as one.
It takes literally seconds to prepare an individual employee's payroll record and print a receipt or check: Select the employee, enter the number of regular time hours, overtime hours and rate if applicable, and bonus if applicable. Review the screen and click the print button. For most payroll entries you will enter the number of regular hours, press the Enter key 3 times, review the screen and click on the print button. That's it! The next employee is displayed automatically to start the process over again. The payroll receipt will print either on plain paper or pre-printed checks. If we get enough requests to incorporate using blank checks (as found for sale in office supply stores) into PayrollMaster we may add that feature in a future update.
Why do I get an Internet Explorer error when I try to use HELP on PayrollMaster? I am using XP Professional with the latest updates and security patches.
You are running into security issues caused by the tightened
default security settings in Windows XP (if fully patched) and Windows Vista
(out of the box), and is not the fault of PayrollMaster or any other software
vendor.
Many software vendors, not just the author of PayrollMaster, use CHM files for their help
files. Technically, a CHM file is a collection of HTML files and other support
files compressed into a single file. That means that a CHM file carries
the same programming as an actual web page, including any malware that can
attach to your downloaded product. Because of this, Microsoft tightened the security restrictions
in a Windows XP security update. On Vista, this is the default. If
you open the downloaded CHM file, you may get an Internet Explorer error message
instead of the actual help text beside the help file's table of contents.
Internally, the HTML Help system uses Internet Explorer to display the topics in
a CHM files.
The main problem with the security restrictions is that CHM files don't work on a network. Unless you change the security settings on your computer, you have
to save the CHM file to a local hard disk to be able to view it. If you
have the NETWORK version of PayrollMaster and trust all the computers on your LAN or
intranet (and those that use them!) you can lower the Local Intranet Zone
restrictions to permit CHM files to be viewed by following these steps:
1. Click, Start, Run, type regedit and click OK
2. Locate then click the following subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\ItssRestrictions
If this registry subkey does not exist, then create it.
3. Right-click the ItssRestrictions subkey, point to New, and
then click DWORD Value.
4. Type MaxAllowedZone, and then press Enter.
5. Right-click the MaxAllowedZone value, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
7. Quit Registry Editor.
Another issue is the CHM files that you downloaded to your local hard disk will still have the security restrictions applied to them. If you click Open without clearing the checkbox, the help file's table of contents will appear, but the text body will not. To be able to view the help file, you have to turn off the "ALWAYS ASK BEFORE OPENING THIS FILE" in the security warning. Only then will the file be displayed correctly. Alternatively, open Windows Explorer, locate the CHM file you want to open and right-click on it, click Properties, and then click Unblock. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902225/ for more information.
This security patch and it's effects are full described on Microsoft's web site at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896358.
Will Payroll Master work with Windows 95?
No. Windows 98 is the oldest operating system that will work with Payroll Master. It is highly recommended that you upgrade your operations system to take advantage of the improved system reliability.
Do you accept suggestions for improvements in Payroll Master?
Yes. E-mail us at customerservice@simple-software-solutions.com with your suggestions. All suggestions will be given serious consideration.
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