The best just got better!

 It's now become a bit of an annual ritual - a new version of Wessex Professional. This time it is version 4.4.16 (You can check your version by going to "Help" > "About", and view which version you have).

If you are new to Wessex Professional - welcome!

If you already use the program I would really encourage you to take the trouble to upgrade as this will give you a more reliable, user friendly experience. Also, it's free to upgrade! 

Go to the Wessex Pictures website and navigate to the Pricing Programs section . Select the Free 30 Day Trial and download. Your web browser will probably come up with various warnings, but have a look at this post to complete the download.

Before you start the new installation it's sensible to take a copy of your database file (V3.mdb) and the Labels & Values file (user.xml). These two file contain all your data, so treat them well!

Double click on the downloaded file (SetupWPP4_4_16.msi) and install. Run the program and check that all is well - and you're done!

Below is a screenshot of the changes -

When you have got Wessex Professional up and running, if you haven't done it already, set up a automatic backup - it could save a lot of frustration. Have a look at this post for more information.

More Mac

As you may have gathered from the previous post Wessex Professional has now been optimised to run on a Mac computer, using CrossOver Mac by Codeweavers.
The only piece of the program that is not quite right is the WorkTicket list in the full version. In Windows the entries are coloured (Red for overdue, Blue for to-be-completed, Black for completed), whereas on a Mac they are all black. In practice this is not too much of a problem. Codeweavers have, however, flagged this up and hope to get the list showing correctly on their next update.

It is very simple to install the the pricing program using this app, particularly as Codeweavers have added the Wessex program to their database of compatible programs.

The Mac installation method is as follows. -
Download and install the free trial of CrossOver Mac from Codeweavers.
Download the 30 Day Trial of the Wessex Pricing Program to the Download folder on your Mac.

Start CrossOver and click on "Install Windows Application".
In the search box type "Wessex"and select "Wessex Pricing 4.x" and click "Continue".
And that's it!
Crossover knows which extra files to download and install (for the record - dot Net Framework 2, MDAC & Jet 8).
It finds and installs the Wessex download in your Download folder.
In about five minutes you are good to go.
You have 14 days to check you are happy with CrossOver before you need to buy it, and 30 days for the Pricing Program.
The cost of CrossOver varies depending on how much support you want to purchase, but this is the most cost-effective and simple solution to running Windows programs on a Mac that is around.
Give it a go!

Windows 10 and the Pricing Program

Windows 10 is here and lots of people are installing it (after all, it is free to most users of Windows 7, 8 & 8.1). In general it is a well worthwhile upgrade, certainly far better than 8 & 8.1. Windows 7 users well feel at home pretty much straightaway.


The Wessex Pricing Program runs just as well on Windows 10 as on the previous versions of Windows.


The only potential problem I've seen is the increased security. So, when you download something from the internet and try to open the file there are many warnings along the lines of "Files downloaded from the internet are potentially unsafe." and  "Are you sure you want to continue?". In fact you might even have to explore "Additional options" in the dialogue box to run the file.
As more and more people are downloading the program from the Wessex website I hope that they won't be put off when they first go to install it.
So, for now, the procedure to try out or upgrade the program is

1. Download the "30 Day Trail" from the Wessex website (you may need to log in with your user name and password).
2. If you are at all worried, scan the downloaded file with your Anti-Virus program.
3. Double-click the file to run it.
4. Select "Additional Options" from the warning Dialog box.
5. Click "Run Anyway".

Alternatively - order a CD from Wessex.

(NB. If you are upgrading an existing program remember to take copies of your Database and Labels/Values file (v3.mdb & user.xml) before you run the file, just in case!)

Business as usual

After 2 or 3 frustrating days of trying to get the program download link to work correctly on the new Wessex Pictures website, things are now back as they should be (thanks to Martin).
It does focus on the question I'm often asked - "Whereabouts do I download the latest version of the program?"
The answer is to go to the "30 Day Trial" and download that.
When you run the install the program will recognize if you have enabled the program and will simply apply the updated files (but make sure you have made a copy of the database and user files, just-in-case!).
On the other hand if you are trying out the program then you'll be allowed to use it for 30 days from the time you run it. After that the program is disabled, BUT any the database and values/labels files are still there ready to be used when the program is enabled.
So now you know.