Once the software has been installed, you first need to complete First Time Setup. This allows you to define many settings that shape how the overall software will work, such as your member database, how transactions are processed, and so on. Once you have logged into your Admin Control Panel, go to the Setup->First Time Setup menu to begin First Time Setup. The rest of this section explains all aspects of First Time Setup in detail.

2.2.1 Administrator Information

Three fields are contained within this section, which ask for the name and e-mail address of the main administrator, and a customer support e-mail address. The name and e-mail address for the administrator are only used for system messages, such as when modules and upgrades are installed, an error occurs during automated backups, and so on. An e-mail will be sent to the customer support e-mail address every time a member submits the Contact Support form within the Member Area.

2.2.2 General Settings

1.) Which date format would you like all dates displayed in?

This question allows you to specify the exact date format would you would like all dates displayed in. Every date displayed by the software will be displayed in the format you select here.

2.) Would you like every member to receive their own personal hit tracker? The software will log all traffic to their self replicating web site, which can later be viewed through the Member's Only Area.

If you select yes, the software will automatically track all traffic to every member's self replicating web site. Members can then view detailed statistics on all traffic to their web site through the Member Area. The only downfall to this feature is it requires additional disk space on your server, but not enough to cause a concern.

3.) When the software sends an e-mail message, would you like it to automatically wrap lines that are over 60 characters long? This helps ensure e-mail messages can be read in all e-mail clients.

It is recommended that you set this option to Yes, as it will ensure all members will be able to read e-mail messages sent from the software. The software will automatically word wrap all e-mail messages sent, to ensure people using e-mail clients that don't automatically word wrap e-mail messages will still be able to read them.

4.) Which currency sign would you like displayed in front of all amounts?

This is the currency sign that will be placed in front of all amounts displayed by the software.

5.) Please enter the home page of your self replicating web site(s)? Please note, this should only be the name of a web page, and not a full URL.

This is the home page of your member's self replicating web sites. If someone visits a member's self replicating web site without specifying a web page (eg. http://www.domain.com/members/jsmith/), the software will automatically display the web page specified here. Please note, this should only be the name of a web page, and not a URL.

6.) Enter the username of a default member for the software. When someone views a self replicating web site, for which the member doesn't exist, the software will display the web site using this members information. Leave this field blank if you do not want to assign a default member:

This should be the username of the first member you will create in your database, who will be the member representing the company itself (eg. admin, company, etc.). This will be the top member of your program.

7.) Would you like the software to automatically contact the Envex Developments server every 24 hours, to check for any newly released upgrades, and automatically install them?

If yes, the software will automatically contact the upgrade server every 24 hours and install any new upgrades that are available. It is recommended you set this option to yes.

2.2.3 Downline Structure

This section contains three fields allowing to you define the exact genealogy structure that all downlines will be placed in. You may choose between a Network (unlimited width) or Forced Matrix structure, and specify the number of levels deep and wide. If you do not wish to track downlines, leave this fields blank.

2.2.4 Newuser Form Settings

1.) When new members join, would you like the software to automatically force their username to lowercase?

It is beneficial to select yes for this setting, as it helps make member management easier. By having all usernames lowercase, when you need to lookup a member in the database, you know their username is all lowercase. This also prevents two members from having almost identical usernames such as jsmith and Jsmith.

2.) Would you like a random six character password generated for all new members?

This is only beneficial if you would like to ensure all members have a valid e-mail address. By having a random password generated for all new members, the only way for a new member to receive their password is through e-mail, helping ensure their e-mail address is valid.

3.) Would you like the software to place a cookie in visitor's browsers, to track which member's self replicating web site they originally visited? This way, if someone joins at a later date, the original member will get credit, regardless of what web site they joined from.

If yes, the software will automatically place a cookie in a visitor's web browser when they first visit a member's self replicating web site. If that visitor joins at any future date, their sponsor will be the first member's web site they visited, regardless of which member's web site they join under. This helps ensure that members receive credit for people who visit their self replicating web site first. This setting is personal preference.

2.2.5 Database Information

This section only contains one text field, asking how many fields you would like your member database to contain. If you are unsure, on a sheet of paper write down all information you would like to store on all members, and enter that number of fields here. Please note, by default the software stores the username and sponsor of each member in the database, and there's no need to include them in this number.

You must have a minimum of three fields in your member database, for the name, e-mail address and password of each member. On the next page you will be able to specify the name and type of each database field.

2.2.6 Transaction Settings

1.) After how many days would you like pending transactions to automatically expire?

This section is only applicable if you're using third party payment processors, such as PayPal, INTGold or 2CheckOut. When a member submits a payment, it is first adding to the database as pending, and they are redirected to the appropriate payment processor. If they don't physically send the payment immediately, they will have this number of days to do so before the software automatically declines the payment.

2.) When new members first join and pay a membership fee via credit card, how would you like the initial transaction processed?

This question is only applicable if you are using a real-time credit card processor such as AuthorizeNet, and allows you to specify how credit cards are processed when a new member first joins. Having the credit cards only authorized means you will have to manually approve all new credit card payments through the Trasnaction->Pending Deposits menu of the Admin Control Panel, but this also allows you to check for fraudulent transactions.

If a credit card is only authorized, the card will not be charged until you approve the payment through the Transaction->Pending Deposits menu. On the other hand, if you select to immediately charge the credit cards, they will be automatically charged without any manual work on your behalf.

3.) When recurring (eg. monthly) transactions are charged to a member's account, how would you like the credit card transaction processed?

Same as the above question, except this only applies to recurring credit card charges. For example, if you are charging a monthly membership fee, this is how all credit cards will be charged.

4.) Would you like to change the member status according to the status of any membership fees owed by the member? This means when a member first joins they will be Pending, and will not become an Active member until their membership fee has been approved. This will also ensure a new member is not added into the downlines until they have paid their membership fee.

It is recommend that you set this setting to yes, as it will ensure members to not receive access to the Member's Only Area, or be added into the downlines until they have paid their membership fee. It will also ensure that if a member's recurring fee is ever declined, their account will be automatically deactivated.

5.) When charging members, would you like the software to deduct the amount from the commissions owing to the member?

This setting is personal preference, and allows you to define whether or not would you like membership and product fees deducted from a member's commission owing or not. If yes, the software will deduct all membership fees from the member's commission balance, instead of charging them. If no, the software will always charge the member the full membership fee amount regardless of how much commission they are owed.

6.) Would you like to restrict the software so it only adds commission to Active members?

If yes, the software will never add commission to a member who does not have an active status. The downfall of this is, if a member is only temporarily deactivated for a few days, they will lose all commissions earned during those few days.

2.2.7 E-Mail Settings

This section only contains one question, asking you which method of sending e-mail you would like to use. It is highly recommend you select Sendmail as your method of sending e-mail. You should now be completed the first page, and can submit the form, which will bring you to the second page of First Time Setup.

The first section on the next page allows you to specify either the location to Sendmail or the SMTP server used to send e-mail. The software has already tried to determine this for you, but check to ensure it is correct. If you are unsure, please contact your server administrator for this information.

2.2.8 Member Database Fields

This section allows you to define your member database. The table contains one row for every database field you defined in the previous page, and allows you to specify the name of each database field. The field names can not contain spaces or special characters, but can contain underscores which will be shown as spaces when displayed throughout the software.

For each database field, you can also choose the field type. Using the select boxes provided, select the type of each database field, depending on the type of information being stored. If you select either Select List or Radio Buttons, you will be able to define the exact option available on the next page.

The table also contains four additional columns, each of which contains a checkbox. The first two columns allow you to specify which database fields members can view and edit through the Member's Area. When a member manages their account within the Member Area, they will only be able to view and edit information in the checked fields.

The last two columns allow you to specify which fields are required, and which fields a duplicate check should be performed on. When a new member joins, the software will ensure they specified something for all required fields, and if any are left blank, the software will give off an error message. For all checked duplicate fields, the software will ensure no two members have the same information in that field. This is useful if you never want to have two members with the same e-mail address.

The second page of First Time Setup should now be completed once you have defined all fields of your member database. Submit the form to continue on to the third page.

2.2.9 Database Information

This sections contains one table that asks which fields in your member database contain various information. This is to help the software determine exactly where in your database information is stored, so it can properly retrieve the information when needed. Go through each row in the table, and select the member database field that contains the specified information.

The only three fields you are required to select are the name, e-mail address and password. Other than those three fields, the rest can be left blank, as they are not required by the software. Any of the select lists that begin with Not Applicable, you're welcome to leave blank.

2.2.10 Member Database Option Fields

This section contains one table, and is only applicable if you chose either Select List or Radio Buttons on the previous page for any database fields. This table contains one row for each applicable database field, and allows you to select which type of options the member will be able to choose from.

There are three pre-defined sets of options that you can select from, if the database field is meant for the country, or state / province of your members. Otherwise, you can select Custom Options List, and on the next page a large text box will be displayed allowing you to define all options for the list. If the next page is displayed, you simply need to enter one value per line in the text boxes for each value the member may select. When displayed in the web browser, the member will only be able to select one of these options.

2.2.11 First Time Setup Complete!

The First Time Setup process should now be fully completed, and you should be at a screen saying the process was successful. There are still several other actions that need to be completed before your business is fully operational, which are explained throughout the rest of this chapter.