Install ACL for Windows

The procedure below outlines the steps for installing or upgrading ACL for Windows.

If you are the primary contact at your company

If you are the primary contact at your company, you should have received a welcome email from Diligent with instructions for signing in to your Launchpad account.

If you have not received the welcome email, contact Support for assistance.

If you are not the primary contact

If you are not the primary contact, you should have received an email notification when the primary contact, or your company’s Analytics account administrator, added you to Launchpad. The email notification contains instructions for signing in to Launchpad. You must be able to sign in to Launchpad in order to use ACL for Windows.

If you have not received the email notification, contact your company’s Analytics account administrator. Also check your spam filter. The email notification should be sent from notifications@highbond.com.

Important information about the Microsoft .NET Framework prerequisite

Windows 8.1 Update KB2919355 is required by Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.x, which in turn is required by ACL for Windows 16.

If you are using Windows 8.1, and .NET 4.6.x is not installed, and you have not run Update KB2919355, the ACL for Windows installer terminates with an error message during the .NET 4.6.2 prerequisite installation.

You need to download and install Update KB2919355 before you can continue with the ACL for Windows installation.

Alternatively, you can install Update KB2919355 before you begin the ACL for Windows installation and avoid the error message.

Analytics projects and data files

When you install or upgrade Analytics, any Analytics projects you previously created, and any data files, are not affected and are available to use in the new version.

Analytics sample data files

When you install or upgrade Analytics, any existing Analytics sample data files are overwritten if they are in the Analytics working directory you specify during the installation or upgrade.

The default location for the working directory is:

C:\Users\user_account_name\Documents\ACL Data\Sample Data Files

The default location for the working directory prior to version 11 is:

C:\ACL DATA\Sample Data Files

Ensure Analytics can connect to the certificate authority

Analytics uses a digital certificate to validate its authenticity and integrity. The certificate requires an Internet connection to DigiCert, the third-party certificate authority, so that the certificate can be verified. If you are installing Analytics behind a network firewall, the firewall must be configured to allow the certificate to connect to DigiCert. Without the required connection, you will not be able to use Analytics.

If required, work with your organization's IT department to configure a network firewall or proxy server to allow the connection between the certificate and DigiCert. The digital certificate in Analytics uses the following URLs to connect to DigiCert's certificate revocation list and OCSP server:

• http://cacerts.digicert.com
• http://crl3.digicert.com
• http://crl4.digicert.com
• http://ocsp.digicert.com

For more detailed URL information, you can inspect the installed certificate.

Inspect the installed certificate

After installing Analytics, inspect the installed certificate to see certificate authority URLs.

1. In the Analytics installation directory, right-click ACLWin.exe and select Properties.

   The default installation directory is: C:\Program Files (x86)\ACL Software\ACL for Windows 16\

2. In the ACLWin.exe Properties dialog box, select the Digital Signatures tab.
3. In the Signature list, double-click Diligent Corporation, then click View Certificate.
4. In the Details tab in the Certificate dialog box, select each of these fields:
   • CRL Distribution Points
   • Authority Information Access

   For each field, URLs appear in the display area at the bottom of the dialog box.

5. In the Certification Path tab in the Certificate dialog box, do the following:
   1. Select each of these certification path entries:
      • DigiCert Trusted Root G4
      • DigiCert Trusted G4 Code Signing...
   2. For each entry, click View Certificate.
   3. In the Details tab, select each of these fields:
      • Authority Information Access
      • CRL Distribution Points

      For each field, URLs appear in the display area at the bottom of the dialog box.

Installation steps

Download the installer and begin the installation

1. Download the ACL for Windows installation package (ACLforWindows1611.exe) from Launchpad:
   1. Sign in to Launchpad (www.highbond.com).
   2. Under Resources, click Downloads.
   3. In the top menu, click ACL for Windows.
   4. Click Download Version 16.1.1.

   A company’s Analytics account administrator can also supply other users with the installation package.

   The installation package contains both the non-Unicode and Unicode editions of Analytics.

2. Close all other Windows applications.
3. Double-click the installation package.
4. If a security warning dialog box appears, verify the information listed, and click Yes.

   Tip

   The security warning dialog box could be hidden behind any windows you have open.

5. Select the language you want to use for your installation and click OK.

Extract the installation files

In the Setup Extraction Location page, specify the folder where the installation files will be extracted, and click Extract.

You can click Browse to select a folder, or accept the default location:

C:\Users\user_account_name\Downloads\ACL Installers\ACLforWindows1611

The setup files are extracted to the destination folder you specified. After the files are extracted, the installer starts automatically.

Install prerequisites, if required

If you are prompted to install prerequisites, click Install. After the prerequisites are installed, the installer automatically proceeds.

For a list of prerequisites, see Automatically installed prerequisites.

Perform the main ACL for Windows installation or upgrade

1. If the upgrade prompt appears, click Yes.
2. In the Welcome page, click Next.
3. In the License Agreement page, select I agree to the above terms and click Next.
4. In the ACL Edition Selection page, select the edition you want to install and click Next:
   • Non-Unicode
   • Unicode

   Caution

   Ensure that the edition you install is the correct edition for your organization.

   For more information, see Should I install the non-Unicode or Unicode edition of Analytics?

   Note

   If you are installing Analytics side by side with an earlier version, or upgrading Analytics, the installer enforces selecting the same edition as the currently installed version.

   Non-Unicode and Unicode editions cannot be installed side by side.

5. In the Optional Analytics data connectors page, click Next to allow installing the optional data connectors for Analytics.

   If you do not want to install the optional data connectors listed on the page, deselect Install optional Analytics data connectors before clicking Next. If you want to install the optional data connectors in the future, you need to uninstall and re-install ACL for Windows.

   If you are upgrading Analytics, the installer enforces the selection you made for version 16.0.

6. In the Enable machine learning page, click Next to allow installing the Python engine to enable Analytics machine learning commands.

   If you do not want to install the optional Python engine, deselect Enable machine learning (install Python engine for Analytics) before clicking Next. If you want to install the Python engine in the future, you need to uninstall and re-install ACL for Windows.

   If you are upgrading Analytics, the installer enforces the selection you made for version 16.0.

7. In the Destination Folder page, specify the locations where the ACL for Windows application files and the Analytics sample data files are installed and then click Next.

   If necessary, click Change to modify either, or both, of the default locations.

   The location where you install the sample data files becomes the default Analytics working directory.

   Application or data files	Default location
   ACL for Windows application files (64-bit operating systems)	C:\Program Files (x86)\ACL Software\ACL for Windows 16\
   ACL for Windows application files (32-bit operating systems)	C:\Program Files\ACL Software\ACL for Windows 16\
   Analytics sample data files	C:\Users\user_account_name\Documents\ACL Data\Sample Data Files\

8. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.

   ACL for Windows is installed or upgraded.

9. If a prompt appears that gives you the option to install Microsoft Access Database Engine, do one of the following:
   • Click Yes to install the Database Engine if you need to import from, or export to, older Excel files (*.xls), or Microsoft Access files (*.mdb).
   • Click No to exclude the Database Engine if you use Analytics with only the current generation of Excel file (*.xlsx), and you do not use older Excel files, or Microsoft Access files. The Database Engine can cause compatibility issues with other, newer Microsoft Office products. For this reason, you should exclude the Database Engine unless you actually need it.
10. When the installation or upgrade process is complete, click Finish.

Activate Analytics

How you activate Analytics depends on your company's Launchpad authentication method:

• Standard authentication If you have a single Analytics subscription, you probably use the standard authentication.
• Authentication using a custom domain If your company uses Single Sign-On (SSO), you authenticate using a custom domain.

Standard authentication

1. Double-click the ACL for Windows 16 shortcut on your desktop.

   The Launchpad sign-in screen opens.

2. Enter your Launchpad user name (email) and password and click Sign in.

   You should already have these credentials based on the instructions in the welcome email or the email notification.

3. Select your HighBond instance if you are prompted to do so, and click Activate Analytics.

   ACL for Windows opens.

   You can also click Continue without activating a license if you only need to use Offline Projects.

Authentication using a custom domain

1. Double-click the ACL for Windows 16 shortcut on your desktop.

   The Launchpad sign-in screen opens.

2. Click Sign in to a custom domain at the bottom of the Launchpad sign-in screen.

   Note

   This method of signing in is only available if it has been set up by your company.

3. Enter your company's custom domain and click Continue.

   If you do not know your custom domain, contact the Analytics account administrator in your company.

4. Enter your SSO credentials.
5. Make sure your HighBond instance is selected, and click Activate Analytics.

   ACL for Windows opens.

   You can also click Continue without activating a license if you only need to use Offline Projects.

Start Analytics

To start working with Analytics, choose an option in the ACL for Windows main screen.

Option	Action
Create a new, empty Analytics project	Under Create, click Analytic Project
Open an existing Analytics project	Under Open, click Analytic Project
Open a recently used or a sample Analytics project (*.acl)	Under Recent Analytics Files, or Sample Files, click the name of a project

Display the toolbar and command line

In Analytics, to display the toolbar or command line, select Window > Tool bar or Window > Command Line.