Version 18.0 of the Cowles software will soon be released and will include many exciting enhancements and new features. However, when the CD arrives in the mail, the question often comes to mind: How will installation affect my customized phrases? A combination of existing features and an exciting new enhancement makes the process of managing your customized phrases even easier for you.

The Cowles installation program includes special logic to recognize any customizations that you have done, and is designed to bring those customized phrases into your new version of Cowles. Whether you are re-installing existing software or installing a new version, the overrides will not be overwritten.

If one of the phrases you have customized has been enhanced or changed by Cowles with the new upgrade, you will receive a message the first time you access your upgraded system. You will be prompted to view the file "changed.txt" located in your Cowles folder (the location where your Cowles programs are installed). This file will list all of the phrases that were NOT upgraded due to your phrase overrides.

If, after viewing the list, you would like to retrieve the upgraded Cowles phrase, simply locate and highlight the phrase in Cowles Customizer and click Remove Override. The new Cowles phrase will be installed onto your system. All customizations to that phrase will be lost.

With version 18.0, the software offers a new option to view the two different versions of the phrase side by side so you can easily compare your customized phrase with the Cowles system phrase. After selecting the appropriate phrase on the Phrase Selector window, click "View System Version" (which acts as a toggle with "Close System Version"). The screen will be split in half with your customized version on the left side and the Cowles system version on the right side.

At this point, changes may be made to your customized phrase using the various Customizer features, or you may copy and paste language and/or codes from the system version into the customized version. Alternatively, you may click "Revert to this wording" to remove the customized phrase, replacing it with the system version of the phrase.

You may also utilize the print option to obtain a hard copy of the phrase. The system will automatically print both the customized version and the system version.

Look for this new enhancement in version 18.0 of the Cowles software, due to ship soon! Call us today at (800) 366-1730, or email us at west.appsupport@thomson.com if you have any questions.