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The Lien Writer® Newsletter November 29th, 2018




Program Defaults
The Defaults for Lien Writer® portion of the program, found under the Setup section of the Main Menu, is important to all users of Lien Writer® but for different reasons. This is why each user of the Lien Writer® program, whether Single State, Multi-State, Pro or Citrix/Terminal Server, has their own copies of the Initial.dbf/fpt files for their individual use.  But there are sections of this system that are shared by all program users:
As we designed the System Defaults section of the program over the last 27 years, we found that many users in multiple station offices had reasons for doing some portion of their forms differently then other users in the same office.  Therefore, we set up the System Defaults files to allow each station to be individualized to the user.  Each black field set up in the defaults section is individual to that user of the program:
We still get a number of calls each month from new users stating that their program’s System Defaults set up is not the same as with other users in their office.  This is intentional.  If you want to set up a standard on one computer, but have that set up apply to all computers, we suggest that you print each of the screens of System Defaults (using the F12 key) from the first station you set up and then set up each other stations with the same configuration.  If you are setting up each station with different configurations, again use the F12 key to print each individual station’s configuration screens and save them for the event you have to set up that particular station again.  This will save you a lot of time and hassle.
Now, in System Defaults there are a few fields that apply to all stations in a Lien Writer® network.  These fields, set up in green, are found on Pages 4 and 8 of most Lien Writer® programs:
And on Page 15 of Lien Writer® Pro programs:
Any station in the network that makes changes to a green field will change that setting in all of the Lien Writer® programs in the network.
Keeping Up To Date With Lien Writer®
The current version on the street is our 10.1.1.1 version.
It is easy to update Lien Writer®:
  1. If you are using a Lien Writer®version 9.3.2.7 or before, first run Lien Writer®, then go to Help / About Lien Writer and write down your version number and expiration date for verification;
  2. Open your Internet or Google Explorer;
  3. Go to our website at http://www.fwmsoftware.com/fwm-software-downloads/;
  4. Click on Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.1;
  5. The site will ask where you want the program to download.  Put it in a directory location you want, or just download to the Desktop.  Normally, it should take less than 5 minutes;
  6. Once the program is downloaded, go to the directory site, or the Desktop, and double click on the Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.1.  The program will begin installing and updating your data files;
  7. If the former program was of the 10.x.x.xseries, it will simply update.  If your version is of the 9.3.2.7series or less, it will install but you will need to get a update code.  Call (530) 622-1344,or write us at techsupp@fwmsoftware.com to receive your new code;
  8. A WARNING ON USING LIEN WRITER® VERSIONS PRIOR TO 10.x.x.x.  THESE PROGRAMS ARE OUTMODED AND IN SOME CASES HAVE ILLEGAL AND OUTDATED FORMS.  PLEASE UPDATE IMMEDIATELY;
  9. Once you update, just use the program as you have always used it
Contact Us
You can contact someone to discuss any newsletter subject:
Address:              FWM Software
                             705 Pleasant Valley Road
                             PMB #108
                             Diamond Springs, CA  95619
Telephone:                   530-622-1344
Fax:                      530-622-1385
Email:                   techsupp@fwmsoftware.com
Website:              http://www.fwmsoftware.com
On-Line Help:     https://www.lienwriterhelp.com

The Lien Writer® Newsletter December 6th 2018



The Lien Writer® Newsletter
Thursday, December 6th, 2018
IMPORTANT NOTICE BELOW!
NEXT VERSION
The next version of Lien Writer® planned for release will be the 10.1.1.2 version which should hit the streets the week of December 31st, 2018.  This version will have a number of minor State revisions plus a new update of our Lien Writer® Help File.  When announced, just pick up the upgrade at our website (see below).
LIEN WRITER® ON-LINE HELP
As a service to the entire Building Construction Industry we have put our Lien Writer® Help File at a new website of www.lienwriterhelp.com.  This website is our Lien Writer® Help File released for use by the general public and as a convenience for our customers.  The Help File also contains valuable information on all of the Mechanic’s Lien laws for the 50 U.S. States, 11 Canadian Provinces and the U.S. Territories for Public, Private and for Federal Jobs.  We have provided this on-line service for the benefit of our customers, who may be away from their office programs in the field, and for the benefit of everyone in the Building Construction Industries, including your customers, who may need some information on doing Mechanic’s Lien paperwork themselves.
Spread the word.  The website www.lienwriterhelp.com is available for everyone’s use at no charge.  If they want the required Mechanic’s Lien forms to use themselves, tell them they will have to buy Lien Writer®.
AMAZON.COM
On Friday, December 7th, 2018, we will be online at Amazon.com with our Lien Writer® product line.  This means that anyone needing to purchase Lien Writer®, or order upgrades or additional licenses of our products, can order them any time via www.amazon.com.  Tell your friends, customers and associates.  Just look up Lien Writer®.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON UPGRADING FROM 9.3.2.7 AND PRIOR VERSIONS
In our last newsletter we wrote to clients about the importance of upgrading from any version of Lien Writer® 9.3.2.7 and before.  These versions are now simply too outdated to continue to use, and it is easy to update (see below).  Using old, out of date software is not worth the risk to your construction jobs.  To solve the problem, just call us!
We are aware that Golden Omega Software made a claim they were going to be offering a new Version 12 of the Lien Writer®software, which they are calling i-Lien, on December 1st, 2018.  Well, December 1st, 2018 has come, and gone, and Golden Omega Software is still not selling their claimed Version 12.  We personally do not believe they have a new version of the program to offer since they have been promising a new release since September of 2018.  We know they do not have a current version of our source code and we know they cannot make another program current with the laws of the land.  Further, this product belongs to us.
Our current software version of Lien Writer® is Trademarked.  Action is planned against Golden Omega Software, and we encourage you to cease using these old versions of Lien Writer®, as hundreds of other companies have done.  It is not worth your time to lose your program for non-compliance or get caught up in a Trademark action.
Anyone with questions on getting the latest update should call us for help (see below).  The cost to current users upgrading from the old 9.3.2.7 and before versions is currently free to any registered user of the program, but this will cease on December 31st, 2018.
KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH LIEN WRITER®
The current version on the street is our 10.1.1.1 version.
It is easy to update Lien Writer®:
  1. If you are using a Lien Writer®version 9.3.2.7 or before, first run Lien Writer®, then go to Help / About Lien Writer and write down your version number and expiration date for verification;
  2. Open your Internet or Google Explorer;
  3. Go to our website at http://www.fwmsoftware.com/fwm-software-downloads/;
  4. Click on Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.1;
  5. The site will ask where you want the program to download.  Put it in a directory location you want, or just download to the Desktop.  Normally, it should take less than 5 minutes;
  6. Once the program is downloaded, go to the directory site, or the Desktop, and double click on the Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.1.  The program will begin installing and updating your data files;
  7. If the former program was of the 10.x.x.xseries, it will simply update.  If your version is of the 9.3.2.7series or less, it will install but you will need to get a update code.  Call (530) 622-1344,or write us at techsupp@fwmsoftware.com to receive your new code;
  8. A WARNING ON USING LIEN WRITER® VERSIONS PRIOR TO 10.x.x.x.  THESE PROGRAMS ARE OUTMODED AND IN SOME CASES HAVE ILLEGAL AND OUTDATED FORMS.  PLEASE UPDATE IMMEDIATELY;
  9. Once you update, just use the program as you have always used it
CONTACTING US
You can contact someone to discuss any newsletter subject:
Address:              FWM Software
                             705 Pleasant Valley Road
                             PMB #108
                             Diamond Springs, CA  95619
Telephone:                   530-622-1344
Fax:                      530-622-1385
Email:                   techsupp@fwmsoftware.com
Website:              http://www.fwmsoftware.com
On-Line Help:     https://www.lienwriterhelp.com

The Lien Writer® Newsletter December 27th 2018





The Lien Writer® Newsletter Since 1991
Wednesday, December 27th, 2018
NEW LIEN WRITER® UPDATE
10.1.1.2 – Minor Release – Minor Update, Please UPDATE
All Required State Updates
Firm Mailing Log of Accountable Mail – This U.S.P.S form was updated to comply with changes in the law;
Help File Changes  Pressing ‘F1’ on any individual field give the requirements for the field.  These have been upgraded with changes in the laws of the various States and Provinces.




KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH LIEN WRITER®
The current version on the street is our 10.1.1.2 version.
It is easy to update Lien Writer®:
  1. If you are using a Lien Writer®version 9.3.2.7 or before, first run Lien Writer®, then go to Help / About Lien Writer and write down your version number and expiration date for verification;
  2. Open your Internet or Google Explorer;
  3. Go to our website at http://www.fwmsoftware.com/fwm-software-downloads;
  4. Click on Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.2;
  5. The site will ask where you want the program to download.  Put it in a directory location you want, or just download to the Desktop.  Normally, it should take less than 5 minutes;
  6. Once the program is downloaded, go to the directory site, or the Desktop, and double click on the Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.2.  The program will begin installing and updating your data files;
  7. If the former program was of the 10.x.x.xseries, it will simply update.  If your version is of the 9.3.2.7series or less, it will install but you will need to get a update code.  Call (530) 622-1344,or write us at techsupp@fwmsoftware.com to receive your new code;
  8. A WARNING ON USING LIEN WRITER® VERSIONS PRIOR TO 10.x.x.x.  THESE PROGRAMS ARE OUTMODED AND IN SOME CASES HAVE ILLEGAL AND OUTDATED FORMS.  PLEASE UPDATE IMMEDIATELY;
  9. Once you update, just use the program as you have always used it
CONTACT US
You can contact someone to discuss any newsletter subject:
Address:              FWM Software
                             705 Pleasant Valley Road
                             PMB #108
                             Diamond Springs, CA  95619
Telephone:                   530-622-1344
Fax:                      530-622-1385
Email:                   techsupp@fwmsoftware.com
Website:              http://www.fwmsoftware.com
On-Line Help:     https://www.lienwriterhelp.com
Order Site:          https://fwm-software.myshopify.com
Facebook:           https://www.facebook.com/lienwriter

The Lien Writer® Newsletter December 19th, 2018





The Lien Writer® Newsletter Since 1991
Thursday, December 19th, 2018
BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT SOFTWARE
By some estimates, over 40% of the software used in business settings in the United States is illegally copied or “pirated.” Many businesses and users in the US will use copies of software for which they are not licensed. In some countries, well over 95% of the software in use is pirated. Software pirates include casual, amateur copiers of software as well as those who sell and those who buy professionally pirated software products.
In most Western countries, the number of users who make casual copies of software in violation of their license agreements greatly exceeds those who use the products of professional pirates. At FWM Software we feel an important part of keeping prices down is to provide a level playing field so that those customers who play by the rules do not end up subsidizing those who cheat. Using serial numbers and activation effectively eliminates casual cheating, the bulk of piracy in most Western countries. We feel that strong criminal sanctions by government authorities will make trafficking in professionally pirated products too risky for most users in industrialized countries.
In some countries, virtually all of the software products that are sold are professionally pirated products that are ripped off on a massive, industrial level. It is always possible that professional pirates may circumvent the serial number and activation mechanisms in our Lien Writer® software. However, the technical effort to do so is very substantial and immediately marks any vendor or possessor of such a pirated form of Lien Writer® as a blatant lawbreaker.
Governments in countries where piracy is rampant have begun to realize that widespread piracy prevents the development of an indigenous software infrastructure within their countries. No one will create software for a market where software is universally ripped off. As a result, those governments have begun cracking down on software pirates.
All genuine Lien Writer® software from Release 10.0.0.0 onward requires a serial number and activation for permanent installation. If you have been supplied with Lien Writer® 10.0.0.0 or a more recent edition that does not require a serial number and activation, you may have been the victim of a counterfeiter. Contact techsupp@fwmsoftware.com to find out if the license offered to you is a valid license.
Resist the temptation to purchase or to install counterfeit software. When visiting countries in which counterfeit software is openly sold it is tempting to purchase a CD for a few dollars that contains thousands of dollars of software packages. However, when returning through Customs with pirated software you risk severe legal consequences if you are caught, including possible detention, conviction and the life-long stigma of a felony criminal record.
Customs officers know to examine hard disks and are very good at finding counterfeit software goods when people return from countries where such goods are sold. Remember, Customs officers look tens of thousands of people in the eye and do searches for hours every day of their work week for years on end, so they have much more experience detecting a possible problem than the novice smuggler has at concealing it. You may think you have the iron nerves required to bluff your way past an experienced Customs officer, but when you face that officer across an examination table and realize that he or she can strip search you or otherwise detain you it is too late to realize the stakes are not worth the risk.
Criminal penalties are often much higher than the amateur smuggler realizes. For example, when smuggling a counterfeit CD into the US it is very easy for the dollar value of the ripped-off software on the CD to total many thousands of dollars, which escalates the offense into the range of a serious felony. Even if extended jail time is avoided upon conviction, in the US people with a felony conviction lose many rights for life, including the right to vote, the right to own firearms and even the right to work at many jobs or professions. That is true whether you are caught in Customs or caught when pirated software, unknown to you, calls down authorities within your own country.
If offered counterfeit software within your own country or via the Internet, consider that counterfeit editions of popular software packages may include viruses or Trojan Horse “back door” programs that later allow entry into your computer system. Such programs can be used to automatically harvest (via network connections) information from any computer system running the Trojan Horse. This is a classic way to take over machines to steal credit card information or identity or to use your machine to perpetrate credit card theft or to generate spam. Criminals can use Trojan Horse programs to use your machine to make purchases on their behalf using stolen credit cards. When the crime is discovered, it will be your computer and your Internet connection that will seem to have committed the crime.
Criminals use counterfeit software to distribute viruses and Trojan Horses for three reasons: First, virtually all software requires Administrator rights to install so the criminal knows you will be giving his installation script full Administrative permission to do whatever it wants in your machine. Second, embedding malicious code within counterfeit software is a great way to avoid scrutiny by anti-virus or malware packages. Finally, the criminal knows that when you install counterfeit software you yourself will be committing a crime, so you won’t seek help from law enforcement authorities in case of trouble.
A final consideration is that some software companies are taking active measures against counterfeiters by placing special lures within their anti-piracy code that they know will be found and eliminated by counterfeiters. However, such lures can be craftily designed so that when they are removed the application begins emitting signals through Internet connections that advertise the use of a pirated copy to the software company and to law enforcement authorities. By using what you think is a safely “cracked” counterfeit copy, you could be inviting the police to raid your home or business.
Although it is true that raids are rare, especially in countries where piracy flourishes, even in the worst countries the authorities from time to time like to crush a few pirates, especially end users who are not making payoffs and won’t be missed anyway, to show they take the piracy problem “seriously.” In such cases only a fool would paint a target on themselves by unwarily using a cracked copy to invite a raid.
If you have never considered using counterfeit software the above comments obviously do not apply to you. However, you may find yourself someday counseling a friend or business colleague against the risks of using counterfeit software. The above information may help someone realize that the risks and possible costs of using counterfeit software are greater than they might appear at first glance.
KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH LIEN WRITER®
The current version on the street is our 10.1.1.1 version.
It is easy to update Lien Writer®:
  1. If you are using a Lien Writer®version 9.3.2.7 or before, first run Lien Writer®, then go to Help / About Lien Writer and write down your version number and expiration date for verification;
  2. Open your Internet or Google Explorer;
  3. Go to our website at http://www.fwmsoftware.com/fwm-software-downloads/;
  4. Click on Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.1;
  5. The site will ask where you want the program to download.  Put it in a directory location you want, or just download to the Desktop.  Normally, it should take less than 5 minutes;
  6. Once the program is downloaded, go to the directory site, or the Desktop, and double click on the Lien_Program_Installer v10.1.1.1.  The program will begin installing and updating your data files;
  7. If the former program was of the 10.x.x.xseries, it will simply update.  If your version is of the 9.3.2.7series or less, it will install but you will need to get a update code.  Call (530) 622-1344,or write us at techsupp@fwmsoftware.com to receive your new code;
  8. A WARNING ON USING LIEN WRITER® VERSIONS PRIOR TO 10.x.x.x.  THESE PROGRAMS ARE OUTMODED AND IN SOME CASES HAVE ILLEGAL AND OUTDATED FORMS.  PLEASE UPDATE IMMEDIATELY;
  9. Once you update, just use the program as you have always used it
CONTACT US
You can contact someone to discuss any newsletter subject:
Address:              FWM Software
                             705 Pleasant Valley Road
                             PMB #108
                             Diamond Springs, CA  95619
Telephone:                   530-622-1344
Fax:                      530-622-1385
Email:                   techsupp@fwmsoftware.com
Website:              http://www.fwmsoftware.com
On-Line Help:     https://www.lienwriterhelp.com