Getting Started with Best Choice Software

The following is a list of important things that you must do to get Best Choice up and running. It is important that you read and complete all of the following details.

We suggest you get a folder and on the cover tab print "BEST CHOICE". Keep this folder on your bookshelf or desk drawer. In the future you will need this information. It would also be good to print this page and keep with your records.

Here are quick links to the topics on this page.

Step 1: Setting up your Data Account

Step 2: Licensing Best Choice

Step 3: Setting up the stock databases on your computer.

Step 4: Installing the Database Files from the CD-ROM

 

Step 1: Setting up your Data Account
You may select either National Data or Dial Data as your data source.

Some packages already come with National Data included but you still will need to call the office to activate your subscription and also when the intial subscription expires.  Please contact us at (941) 747-5858 when you need to start your National Data Service.

Call the Best Choice Main Office at (941) 747-5858 to get more information about the two different data sources.

Once you have selected your data source, the office staff can assist you with your National Data account. If you choose Dial Data, you will have to call them directly to set up a Dial Data account.

Dial Data is part of Track Data Inc and it is the only company that we have found aside from National Data that has the earnings included in the data. Both of these data services have the current price and earnings data on stocks that is necessary for the Best Choice program.

Dial Data's billing cycle is monthly, starting on the 25th and closing on the 24th of the following month. They do not pro-rate. This means that if a new person downloads from Dial Data on the 20th or 23rd, for example, you will be billed the entire month. You can call them to open an account anytime. If you ask them not to start your downloading access/billing until the 25th, they will honor that request. This way we can license your computer and you can familiarize yourself with the many features of Best Choice prior to the 25th.

Call Dial Data at 1-800-275-5544. Tell them you are a Best Choice user and you would like to open a "Plan C" account (approximately $50 monthly). If you would also like mutual fund data or Canadian data or London data (approximately an extra $10 each a month), be sure to let them know.

Tell them you wish to have your Username, Password, and Charge Code right away so we can license your computer as soon as possible. You can ask them to give it to you verbally on the phone, but they will also send it to you by e-mail.

On the inside front cover of your Best Choice folder, or on this printed page, record the following below:

Dial Data information:

USER ID: CB_______________ (all user id's begin with CB)
PASSWORD: __________________
CHARGE CODE: __________________

C. Give Dial Data two hours to activate your account after you get off the phone before you try to download anything. You do not have to wait 2 hours before moving on to the next step. If you have completed everything above, go ahead and complete Step 2.

Step 2: Licensing Best Choice

Licensing is a one-time procedure that is simple if you follow the instructions. Prior to licensing, Best Choice will only open as an evaluation/demo copy. This is normal even if you rented or purchased the software. The licensing is the key to opening the program.

Once you have your User Id, Password, and Charge code from Dial Data, open your Best Choice demo and call our office at 941-747-5858 between 10:00 am and 6:30 pm ET, or between 8:00 pm and 10:30 pm to be issued a program license.

COMPUTER ID: __________________

WARNING: ONCE YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN LICENSED, DO NOT MAKE ANY HARDWARE CHANGES TO YOUR COMPUTER UNTIL YOU CALL OUR OFFICE AT 941-747-5858. OTHERWISE, YOUR PROGRAM WILL REVERT TO A DEMO COPY.

If you ever change e-mail addresses, be sure to notify us or you will fall out of our communication media. We don't want to lose touch!

Click here for all information regarding how to best get ahold of Best Choice.

Step 3: Setting up the stock databases on your computer.

  1. Once you have a licensed your PC, then the first time you click on the BestChoice 4.0 icon on your desktop will open the white splash screen.
  2. This screen will look at the directory where the program is installed and see if you have all the files needed to run the program correctly.
  3. The installation program does not install the database files, so the first time you run the program the splash screen will notify you that you need to install these files first.
  4. If you have a BestChoice 4.0 CDROM disc, click the CDROM Disc button. This will be useful for users that have a 56k internet connection, as the database files are too big to download for these users over the internet. Go to the instructions below labeled "Installing the Database Files from the CD-ROM"
  5. If you do not have a CDROM disc, and have a Cable or DSL internet connection, make sure you are currently connected to the internet, and click on the Internet button.
  6. This will automatically start the download process over the Internet. It will take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, depending on your internet connection.
  7. There are three files to download. The time shown left to download is for each separate file, not the entire download.
  8. Once the download is complete, the program will automatically open behind the white splash screen.
  9. Click anywhere on the white splash screen to close it.
  10. Have fun.

Step 4: Installing the Database Files from the CD-ROM

  1. Once you have clicked the CDROM disc button, you will be taken to another screen.
  2. Please read the instructions on the screen carefully.
  3. You will need to select in the dropdown box towards the bottom of the screen which drive is your CD-ROM drive.
  4. Click on the down arrow to pull up a list of drives on your system. The A: drive is your floppy drive. Your C: drive is your local hard drive. These two drive should not be selected. If you only have one CD-ROM drive and one local hard drive, then your CD-ROM drive should be drive D:. If you have two CD-ROM drives (maybe a DVD drive and a CDRW drive), then it will be either drive D: or E:. If you are only showing A:, C:, and D:, select the D: drive.
  5. Dont click on the box next to "If the file exists..." unless tech support has told you to do so over the phone.
  6. Once you are ready, click Install. You will now see your CD-ROM drive light start to flicker, and the bottom of the splash screen should say "Extracting ..." the database files, with some dots going across showing activity.
  7. Once this process is finished, you will see "** Extraction Complete **" in black and yellow. Click on the bottom blue line to go back to the white splash screen. This may take a second as the program will check for updates. The main program will now automatically open behind the white splash screen if everything is installed properly.
  8. Click anywhere on the white splash screen to close it.

 

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