The following tips will help make the AIA contract documents even easier to use:

1. Follow this installation process. Once you have downloaded the EF software from the AIA Web site, a quick installation process allows you to be up and running quickly.
• You will need WinZip to decompress and install the upgrade. WinZip is easy to install and can be downloaded free.
• Download the EF 3.0 PLUS upgrade from the AIA Web site. Save the file to your local computer.
• Once the download is complete, double-click the zipped file called ef30plus.zip. Using WinZip, extract these files into a temporary folder. (These files may be removed after installation is complete.)
• After the files are extracted, double-click the Setup file and follow the directions provided by the install wizard.

2. Make the most of your documents in EF 3.0 PLUS
• Convert your documents from EF 3.0 to EF 3.0 PLUS to take advantage of new software improvements. EF 3.0 Plus allows you to make changes and additions easily to these new documents. You will also find it much easier to navigate through the document. However, you will realize these improvements only if you use the document templates provided with the new software. While you can load, modify, save, and print old documents created with earlier versions of EF 3.0, you will not get the benefits found in the new document templates.
• To get the most use from your new EF 3.0 PLUS software, recreate your favorite documents using the new 3.0 PLUS templates. For example, let's assume that you have a favorite document you created over a year ago using the A101 template. Your user file name for this document might be FAVORITE.AIA. To take advantage of all the new software has to offer, load FAVORITE.AIA into your EF 3.0 Plus environment. Then, using File/New, open the A101 template. When this is done, you will see both your old document and the new template on the same screen. Now, using standard Copy/Paste methods, copy your original user text from the old document and paste it into the new template. Also, look for areas in your old document where AIA blue text has been struck-through. Do the same in the new template. You will be very surprised at how quickly even a big user document can be manually upgraded by using this method. When the new template has been completely upgraded to reflect all of the changes that you made in your old document, you can save it under its original name, FAVORITE.AIA. By routinely upgrading to the latest templates that AIA has redesigned to your high standards, you will be assured that you are using the most accurate, most user-friendly documents.

3. Log on with the correct user rights
• If you are using Windows NT, 2000, or XP, make sure you are logged on to the computer as either a power user or an administrator for the PC. (You need not be logged on to the computer as the user with network administrative rights.) Failure to assign the correct rights and permissions can cause corruption of the program's meter or the appearance of security error messages when users attempt to access the program. If you have any questions about what rights have been assigned to you, contact your network administrator.

4. The EF software cannot be installed on a network server, peer-to-peer network, or network drive
• The EF software must be installed on the local hard drive of each user's individual workstation.
• Free satellite installations are a great way for everyone in the office to have access to the AIA EF Contract Documents. However, satellite stations can only print draft documents. Final documents must be printed from the workstation on which you first installed the software (master station). For more information about satellite installations, see the reference booklet on the AIA Web site (PDF file).

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.