Overview

This guide will help you plan and prepare for your update to BarTender 11.4 and later, making the transition as smooth as possible.

Applicable to 

BarTender 2016-11.4

BarTender 12

Release Notes

• BarTender 12.0

General

Please note that the BarTender 11.4 and later License Server is incompatible with BarTender 2019, 2021, and 2022 License Servers. You must update your License Server to version 11.4 or later if you wish to utilize BarTender 12 anywhere in your BarTender setup.

Aside from those stated above, there are no additional considerations needed when updating to BarTender 12 and later. Please refer to the BarTender 11.4 - 11.11 guide below to plan and implement your update.

BarTender 11.4 - 11.11

Release Notes

• BarTender 11.4
• BarTender 11.5
• BarTender 11.8
• BarTender 11.11

Before You Update

Major Changes Starting With BarTender 11.4

• BarTender 11.4 is incompatible with BarTender 2019, 2021, and 2022 License Servers. You must update your License Server to version 11.4 if you wish to utilize BarTender 11.4 anywhere in your BarTender setup.
• Documents saved in BarTender 11.4 are now backward-compatible with BarTender 2022, as long as the document does not utilize any new 11.4 features (such as Google Fonts).

Factors to Consider When Updating BarTender

General

No matter what version of BarTender you're updating from, there are things you should be aware of before updating:

• A new Product Key Code (PKC) isn't required to update to BarTender 11.4; just make sure that the maintenance plan for your BarTender license has not expired.
• As mentioned above, BarTender 11.4 is incompatible with BarTender 2019, 2021, and 2022 License Servers. You must update your License Server to version 11.4 if you wish to utilize BarTender 11.4 anywhere in your BarTender setup.
• Installing SQL Server Express isn't a requirement. You can prevent it from installing by selecting Advanced during installation and unchecking the SQL Server Express box. Some BarTender features, however, require the use of a BarTender System Database stored on a local (possible for Automation and Enterprise Editions) or remote (Enterprise Edition required) SQL Server instance.
• Once the BarTender System Database is updated to the BarTender 11.4 schema, older BarTender clients will have read-only access to Librarian data. When using Librarian, it is highly recommended to first create a backup of the BarTender System Database before the update starts.
• BarTender 11.4 is only available as a 64-bit version and can only be installed on a 64-bit version of Windows.
  • Migrating 32-bit ODBC/OLEDB Database Connections to 64-bit
  • The BarTender .NET SDK is continuously improved and includes new APIs and functionality. BarTender 11.4 is available in 64-bit architecture and is compiled against a different .NET Framework version than most of the previous versions of BarTender. In general terms, you will need to set your project to the right target CPU and recompile. (BarTender .NET SDK and BarTender Version Compatibility).

Expand the section below that's applicable to the version you're updating from for further important details.

Making an Update Plan

As with any software update, we recommend that you create an update plan that covers your entire BarTender installation. A typical upgrade plan for BarTender 11.4 might look like this:

1. Backup BarTender documents (.btw).
2. Backup Data Files (such as database files, transactional data, etc).
3. Backup Integration designs (.btin).
4. Backup the BarTender System Database.
5. Backup other resources such as BarTender components (.btc), graphic files, VBScript functions, etc...
6. Document how each existing integration and BarTender document works. Verify other possible resources linked to BarTender and document/back them up.
7. Export your printer driver settings if you’re also planning to update/reinstall your Seagull printer drivers.
8. If using local security settings for your Active Directory user-based authentication, backup the security settings data file.
9. Create a test environment that closely replicates your production environment.
   • You can use Provisional Activation.
10. Complete comprehensive testing in the test environment.
11. Upgrade the live environment during a maintenance window or slowdown in production.

Decide How You Want to Install/Deploy Your BarTender 11.4 Update

Deciding how available you want your existing BarTender production environment to be is perhaps one of the most crucial decisions you will need to take during the update process. The following scenarios should help you with that decision:

I'm Setting Up a Totally New Environment for BarTender's 11.4 Licensing Server and BarTender Clients

Updating to BarTender 11.4 and Later

What You'll Need Before Updating

You'll need access to a few things before you can update BarTender:

• The latest BarTender installer. You can download this here.
• Your BarTender Product Key Code (PKC).
• An active Maintenance & Support agreement.
• Administrator access to the computer(s) that you will be updating.

Activating BarTender

During the BarTender installation, you will be prompted to activate Bartender. You can use your existing BarTender Product Key Code to activate. See Activating the BarTender Suite for further details.

Provisional Activation

When you're activating BarTender, you have the option to choose a Provisional Activation. Provisional Activation allows you to temporarily activate a BarTender 11.4 license on one computer while your older license remains active in production.

• Professional and Automation editions can provisionally activate for 30 days.
• Enterprise editions can provisionally activate for 180 days.

After this period, BarTender's provisional installation is automatically deactivated. Warning messages will be periodically displayed to inform you that BarTender is provisionally activated and will be deactivated after the specified period. If you deactivate your production BarTender Licensing Server before the provisional activation expires, your provisional BarTender Licensing Server will become your active license instead.

Provisional Activation is useful for two reasons:

• You can use Provisional Activation to test BarTender 11.4 while keeping your older version running in production.
• Since the 2016 BarTender client cannot communicate with the BarTender 11.4 Licensing Service, you can use Provisional Activation to keep concurrent versions running while you migrate all older BarTender installations to BarTender 11.4.

 You could retrieve a 30-day Trial PKC for BarTender 11.4 as an alternative to Provisional Activation,

Updating the BarTender System Database

Once you update BarTender, the new version will be unable to connect to and log into an older version of the BarTender System Database. You must also update the BarTender System Database to continue logging information and/or using Librarian.

The first time you launch BarTender following an update, you will be prompted to update the BarTender System Database. We strongly recommend backing up your current BarTender System Database before you update.

To create a System Database backup:

• Open Administration Console.
• Navigate to the System Database node.
• Click Administrative Tasks.
• Select Backup Database...
• Follow the prompts to choose a location and create your backup.

Generally, after you update to a new version of BarTender and the BarTender System Database, it is best to upgrade any other BarTender installations that are connected to that database.

System Database Backward Compatibility

If you are still running an older version of BarTender, it can connect to a new BarTender 11.4 version of the BarTender System Database to retrieve and log information. Note, though, that these older BarTender installations will only have read-only access to Librarian data. (This is a consideration only if you run multiple versions of BarTender connecting to the same remote BarTender System Database.)

Updating Print Portal

To update Print Portal (Web Print Server for some older BarTender versions), follow these steps:

1. Run the BarTender installer.
2. Read and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA).
3. Choose the Specify advanced installation options and click Next.
4. Choose the option BarTender with Print Portal and click Next.
5. If you have a previously installed version of Print Portal (or Web Print Server), or if you have created an IIS_WEBPRINT account on your own, you will be asked to enter your IIS_WEBPRINT password. Enter the password and click Next.

Changing Your IIS_WEBPRINT Password

If you forgot your IIS_WEBPRINT password or never changed it from the default, this is how to reset it:

1. In Windows 10, go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Manage User Accounts.
2. Click IIS_WEBPRINT and then Reset Password...

Document Backwards Compatibility

Documents created in an older version of BarTender can always be opened and used in a newer version. 

Documents saved in BarTender 11.4 are now backward-compatible with BarTender 2022, as long as the document does not utilize any new 11.4 features (such as Google Fonts). However, if you are using multiple versions of BarTender and sharing documents between these versions, you should consider saving all new documents to the oldest version available in your company.

To change the version format for a single BarTender document:

1. Open BarTender Designer and the document that you want to change.
2. Click the File menu and select Save As...
3. In the File Type drop-down menu, choose the version you would like to save to.

To automatically save all documents for an older version of BarTender:

1. Open BarTender Designer.
2. Click the Administer menu, then BarTender Document Setup...
3. Use the Default Type dropdown menu to select your desired version. Click OK.