QuickBooks Enterprise 17 installation error due to lack of important Windows Updates.

While a on a maintenance visit to one of our clients in Buchanan, 3 laptops were delivered to us from another client, Population Services International (PSI) for installation of:

1. Microsoft office
2. QuickBooks Enterprise Solution 17.0 
3. and other software

My colleague managed to install the MS Office and other software on the laptops except for QuickBooks. According to him, he tried several times, but the installation keeps giving an error message. He quickly messaged me about what was unfolding on our WhatsApp channel. I requested him to give me full access to the laptop via TeamViewer connection. Disabling the anti-virus and other security features still didn’t help us out.

Due to insufficient time and bad internet connection from my end, we had to inform the customer and escalated the job until my return. I got back Monrovia on a weekend with a lot of research on resolving this issue.  I powered on both laptops to run a system check and know if the system meets the requirement to have QuickBooks installed. The result showed that the RAMs, Hard Drive, Operation System, BIOS, Video card and others were okay for installation.

I copied the QuickBooks software from one of the client’s laptops to a USB drive to run a test on my computer and it ran very smoothly on my PC. But there was one thing I noticed during the installation process which was the Microsoft NET Framework 4.6 and 4.7. 

This important update was lacking from the many Microsoft Updates downloaded on the client’s PCs as NET Framework is a software development platform developed by Microsoft to create applications and support web services. I became more concerned as to why Windows wouldn’t download such an important update. Than I discovered that the Operation System installed on these PCs were counterfeit and not a genuine copy of windows instead. 

My mind ran back to one of the days where we had an issue with a counterfeit Windows installed on a customer PC when they brought it in to do a hardware repair. The moment the customer received the PC in a few days he said the PC was giving pop up notification of counterfeit Windows and blamed it on the repairs we did. 

But in this case, there’s no notification or pop up message to display. Even if you check the System properties it shows ‘Windows Activated’. 

There are lots of software tool available on the internet to crack Windows OS, Office suites and other applications. But the good thing I have learned and like about Microsoft is that you may use your crack software on any of their products but once it gets on the internet, Microsoft automatically recognizes or detects the counterfeit or pirated copy you are using and blocks all important updates to it. 

This leads you to future problems until the right thing is done and this is what our client's problem was.

I backed up all the data from the Client’s PC and an external HDD and pulled out a CD from one of our many Windows Operating Systems. To be specific, Windows 10 Pro. A fresh installation of Windows 10 Pro was installed including MS 2016 office suites, and a transfer of all data from the external HDD back to the PCs with all important updates downloaded and installed; giving these laptops a new life once again.

Early Monday morning I took the 2 laptops to the customer site. I ran the QuickBooks Enterprise version 17 on the laptops with a successful installation. I mapped the QuickBooks server data drive on each PC to locate the data files for backup. The end-user could work in their respective departments using his/her username and password to have access since it was configured on a multiple user mood

So, Windows 10 Pro Activated did the trick. It could be any edition of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems - reach out to New Africa Technology Company for genuine licensed copy of software to safe yourself the stress of future problems.

Prepared by:

Daniel Collins

New Africa Technology Company

End of the year Blog Post

I am Louise W. Gray Office Manager of New Africa Technology Company for the past two (2) months.

My experience with New Africa Technology Company is great and quite different from my last place of work and I love it so much.

I am getting familiar with technical work because this is what we are into.

New Africa is really the best IT company in Liberia. We give out Wide Area Connectivity, Local Area Network, Technical Support, Network Security, Services and Maintenance, Supplies of IT Equipment, VSAT ISP and Wireless fibers and more. 

The most amazing experience is that, the day to day transactions can be collected either from the general ledger or the company;s WhatsApp channel. Every employee will have to get online as often as possible so as to get the daily happenings in and out of the office.

What interests me most is that I am the Office Manager /Accountant. My Responsibility is straightly financial work and office upkeep. But can you imagine, I was in the office one day and a client brought in a laptop for repairs, all our technical staffs had gone on site and I was the only one at the office. I received the item and made a delivery note and the client went away. After some hours, Rita who is one of our technical staff came and I told her about the laptop and give her the form that I filled to receive the laptop.

She smiled and said “You should have filled the Equipment Pickup form instead of Delivery note form." She went on to explain that the Delivery Note will only be used when we are returning the item to the client after we must have solved the problem for which they brought it.

I grabbed the idea and was wishing for a day to come that no technical staff will be around then I will applied what I learned from Rita. After some weeks another client came and I used the Equipment Pickup Form to collect the item from him.

The whole logic behind this scenario is that, I am the office Manager and Accountant but I also feel happy to learn other things outside my job experience.

Finally, like I told you before in my Introductory Post, that my main objective is to move New Africa Technology Company Reports from Excel to QuickBooks.

My Bosses had given me the opportunity to achieve this goal by hiring a consultant who did our QuickBooks software setup and is conducting an excessive training on how to operate my financials in QuickBooks and generate my reports. I have devoted my time from 5pm -7:30pm every day after work.

Presently I am 90%  done because we are reviewing all the reports and making sure that our balances are up to date and I am very happy that I am making progress and very soon my goal will be accomplished.

I want to appreciate the New Africa Technology Company family for believing in me and giving me this great opportunity in making this dream come true.

Self Introduction by Louise Worwele Gray

by Louise Gray

My name is Louise Worwele Gray. I was born on May 2, 1990 at the Star of the Sea Hospital in the township of WestPoint.

My lovely parents are Mr. Ahmed Gray and Mrs. Lucia Blidi. My father is from Sasstown, Grand Kru County and my mother is from Grandcess, Grand Kru County.

I have one brother one sister from the father side and 3 sisters from my mother side. From all my siblings I am the oldest child.

I am Christian and a Catholic from our lady star of the Catholic Church in West Point.

I started my primary education at the Star of the Sea Catholic School in west point. I went high honor roll every period and was given certificates every year. 

When I was promoted to the 5^th grade class, I transferred to Saint Teresa Convent High School on Randall Street. It’s an all-girl school. Again I maintained my academy statue and I was always on the honour roll list.

One word I was really fighting  to change was “Can Any Good Things Come Out Of West Point”?

I said to myself yes so many good things can come out of West Point and I am going to be among those people that are fighting very hard to change this state or question.

Let me tell you a little about my father. My father is just a high school graduate because he did not have the financial support to continue his education up to university level, so he vowed to fight hard to give his children higher education.

My father was not working but was a Susu man in the community.  He so honest that people rather saved money with him then to save with a bank.

Through this Susu business he managed to pay my fees up to the 9^th grade. When I was promoted to the 10^th grade, the school sends 5 students to FAWE Girls to represent them in essay writing on girl’s education in Liberia. Out of the five students selected only two successfully passed the essay: one Sianneh Tehmeh and I. We were awarded a scholarship up to the 12th grade. I maintained this scholarship with good grades until I got out of high school.

In 2009 after my graduation, my father said I should take the Stella Maris Polytechnic entrance exam. I took the entrance and was awaiting the result so I decided to enroll at the Inter Digital Computer where I earned a certificate in MS Doc, Word Window and Excel.

In February 2010, I enrolled at the Stella Maris Polytechnic as a freshman student. I studied Accounting (major) and Management (minor).

In 2011, my father was knocked down by pressure and was taken from one hospital to another for 6months. Later he became much better but was paralysed and he could not continue the Susu business and could not afford to pay my fees again.

Then I decided to do used clothes business because I never wanted by dreams to die. I started with one (1) bill of house hold materials.

After my classes, I would take the clothes from one community to another to sell and that was how I was able to pay my fees for 3 semesters until I was sent for internship.

I was opportune to do my internship with Starks Foundation Inc. A Health, an  NGO which is owned by the CEO, Mr. Gabriel Starks.

Based on my performance, I was employed at Starks Foundation Inc. as the Finance Assistant after my internship program. I graduated with an Associate degree and decided to pursue the BSc degree, too.

During the 2011 elections, Mr. Robert A Sirleaf was offering scholarships to destitute students who had their last semester GPA of 2.5 or above. My GPA was 3.40 so I decided to take advantage of the scholarship.

Something interesting happened: the guy who was heading the scholarship programmed asked that I should give him 75.00 USD for the scholarship! I had no option but to give him the money because the scholarship would last me until I graduate.

My name came out that semester on the scholarship and I fought hard every semester to maintain the required GPA.

That was how I left the used clothes business because I couldn’t be working and selling at the same time.

Starks Foundation was more than an employer to me. They stood for me so many times, during my graduation and even the time I lost my grandfather, they were always willing to open their arms to me.

In 2016 Starks Foundation just ended their 5-year contract with Global Fund. All our activities were on hold and junior staffs were asked to stay home until the company can get another bigger contract. I stayed until June and there was no sign of contract yet so my Boss advised that we could take advantage of other opportunities because we had to sustain our families.

One day I was in a taxi from work and heard a man discussing how MERCY CORPS is helping Liberians through Apprentice program. He said they published lots of vacancies in the classified newspaper every Monday. I decided to get one paper the  following Monday and saw that NATC was accepting applicants for book keeping so I decided to take advantage.

After a week, I received call from William from MERCY CORPS who I have not met in person up to present called me and told me to prepare for an interview with the CEO of  New Africa Technology company. I had opted out of the Mercy Corps programme because the monthly stipend was too low but William offered to connect me to NATC Management for a direct interview. 

The interview went very well and I think the CEO was impressed with my level and professionalism and understanding. She said her main aim of hiring me is to migrate the company’s financial reporting from Excel to QuickBooks. NATC was not able to find an experienced bookkeeper through the Mercy Corps programme but was willing to hire me. 

I started work at NATC on of November 1, 2016 as the OFFICE MANAGER. The working environment is good and straightly professional. The CEO is a little bit tough but I think its professional way of during things because we Liberian like to get fire on our backs before we can do things straight.

My greatest aim and objective is to move NATC reporting from Excel to Quick books at least the end of this year or early next year. A Quickbooks expert recommended by me (my ex trainer) has been hired by NATC to set up the system and train me. 

Lastly I want to appreciate Starks Foundation Inc., Williams from MERCY CORPS and my present employer NATC for this great opportunity and challenge.