GiftWorks Pro- Installing and Configuring

Here are a few of things to consider when installing and configuring GiftWorks Pro

Installing and configuring Microsoft SQL Server

1. GiftWorks Pro is compatible with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or greater
2. You can use any edition of Microsoft SQL Server (Enterprise, Standard, Express, etc.) If you choose to use the Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition, you will need to also install the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio tool. This tool is included in the installation file for the other SQL editions, but may not be included with the Express Edition installation file. Be sure to choose the installation file that includes the Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio tool or install it separately after you install Express.. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio tool is required for managing Microsoft SQL Server (including restoring a database).
3. When installing Microsoft SQL Server, pay special attention to whether you are installing the default instance or a named instance. This will be important when connecting GiftWorks Pro to Microsoft SQL Server. 
4. When installing Microsoft SQL Server, pay special attention to the Authentication Methods that you will enable with Microsoft SQL Server. The two methods are: Windows Authentication and SQL Server Authentication. This will be important when connecting GiftWorks Pro to Microsoft SQL Server. 

Installing and configuring GiftWorks Pro

1. Install GiftWorks Pro on the computers that will be using GiftWorks Pro. You do not need to install GiftWorks Pro on the computer/server where Microsoft SQL Server is installed unless a user wants to use GiftWorks Pro on that computer/server.
2. After installing GiftWorks Pro, choose the option to "Create a new database" which will require information about your Microsoft SQL Server installation.
3. For the "Server Name", you will need to know either the name of the default instance or the named instance. A default instance will look something like "MyServer" versus an instance name which will look like "MyServerMyInstance".
4. For the username/password, if you are using Windows Authentication, you will leave the username and password fields blank and GiftWorks Pro will use the credentials that you used to log into your computer to authenticate with Microsoft SQL Server. If you are using SQL Server Authentication, you will enter the appropriate username and password.
5. It is important to note that creating a GiftWorks database may require special permissions. You may want to consider creating your GiftWorks database using the "SA" username or a Windows Administrator account. If you choose to create the database signed in as the administrator, you should sign out of GiftWorks, then choose the "Select an existing database" option and enter the credentials for the user that will be using the computer.