TopRank ReadMe

Version 5.7
September 2010
Palisade Corporation
All Rights Reserved

Contents
About This Product
Release Notes
System Requirements
Installation
Technical Support Information
Software Activation/License Transfer
Student Version Information

About This Product

TopRank 5.7 is an add-in to Microsoft Excel version 2000 or higher, which allows you to perfom
sophisticated sensitivity analyses directly in your spreadsheets. For a version history of the
TopRank application, please see the Version History.rtf file in the \Documentation\English
subdirectory of the main TopRank program directory.

Release Notes
Compatibility with Excel 2010 (32-bit and 64-bit editions)
TopRank 5.7 can be used with both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Microsoft Excel 2010.
Compatibility with Excel 2007
TopRank 5.7 is fully compatible with Excel 2007. However, we highly recommend you upgrade
Excel 2007 to the latest service releases available from Microsoft. The original release of Excel
2007 is significantly slower than its later service releases.
Code Page Settings
Non-English editions of Palisade products require the correct Windows code page. For example,
to use the Japanese version of TopRank, you must be on a computer with the active code page
set to Japanese. If you are running on Japanese windows, this will automatically be set by
default. However, if you are running Japanese TopRank on a non-Japanese machine, you will
need to change the default Windows setting, which can be found on the Advanced Tab of the
Regional and Language Options control panel.
Installing TopRank 5.7 as an upgrade to TopRank 5.x
If you install TopRank 5.7 as an upgrade to an already installed version of TopRank 5.x, you must
have a current software maintenance agreement with Palisade Corporation. If you do not have a
current maintenance agreement the upgrade will be registered as a 30-day trial version of the

software. Contact your Palisade sales representative to purchase or check the status of your
software maintenance. NOTE: To return to TopRank 5.x after having installed TopRank 5.7,
you will need to uninstall TopRank 5.7 and reinstall TopRank 5.x.
Installing Side-by-Side with TopRank 1.5:
TopRank 5.7 and TopRank 1.5 may be installed on the same computer. The two products,
however, cannot be running simultaneously on a single machine, even on two different copies of
Excel.
Model Compatibility between TopRank 5.7 and previous versions:
TopRank models created or edited with TopRank 5.x can be used with TopRank 1.5, and viceversa. If you use new TopRank 5.x functions in your TopRank models, they will not be readable in
TopRank 1.5.

System Requirements
Access Privileges:
To run this installer, you must have local administrative rights. After you install the program, no
special permissions are required to run the program.
Operating Systems:
TopRank 5.7 requires Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP, or later. TopRank 5.7 will not run under
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows NT 3.5.1, or Windows 3.1.
TopRank 5.7 will not run on the OS/2, Macintosh, or UNIX platforms.
Spreadsheets:
You must have an installed copy of Microsoft Excel 2000 or higher. TopRank will not run with
Microsoft Excel 97 or earlier. TopRank is not compatible with non-Microsoft spreadsheet
packages such as Lotus 1-2-3.
Help Files:
Palisade help files are in Microsoft HTML-Help format. Microsoft requires you to have Internet
Explorer 4.0 or later installed on your machine to view this file, although you are not required to
specify Internet Explorer as your default browser.
Online Manuals:
To view Palisade's online manuals, you must have version 4.0 or higher of Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed on your machine. Adobe Acrobat Reader is available without charge from
www.adobe.com.
System Applications:
TopRank 5.7 requires the installation of the following Microsoft system applications, which are
installed along with the TopRank application if not found on the installation system. They will be
seen in the add/remove programs following installation.
Windows Installer 3.1

Microsoft C++ 8.0 Runtimes

Installation
Directory Structure:
By default, this installer creates a main Palisade program directory located at Program
Files\Palisade (on 32-bit systems) or Program Files (x86)/Palisade (on 64-bit systems). The
product itself is installed as a subdirectory of the main Palisade program directory. This is similar
to how Excel is often installed into a subdirectory of a main Microsoft Office directory.
Installed Files:
The installer places several files into the main program directory. All of these files are needed for
the software to run properly. In addition, this directory includes example files and help files.
Several files which are shared among several Palisade products are copied into the Program
Files\Palisade\System directory. The installer also copies several Windows support files into your
Windows\System directory.
Registry Keys
Palisade products store system-wide settings in the registry in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Palisade. All user-specific settings are stored in the registry
in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. If you need a more complete description of registry usage, contact
Palisades technical support department.
Uninstallation:
To uninstall your product, double click the Add-Remove Programs icon in the control panel and
click the Remove button for the product from the list shown.

Technical Support Information

Palisade is dedicated to providing quality technical support for our customers. If requesting
technical support via our website, fax, email, or post, please be sure to supply the following
information:
1. Your name, serial number, and a return email address, phone number, or fax number.
2. The Palisade product and version number you are using (e.g. TopRank 5.7).
3. The version of the Windows operating system you are using (e.g. Windows XP).
4. If relevant, the version of Office software you are using (e.g. Office 2003).
5. A description of the problem. Please be as specific as possible.
World Wide Web:
Palisades web site is www.palisade.com. The site contains a technical support knowledgebase
(a searchable database of technical support questions and answers) as well as information on
how to obtain the latest software upgrades and patches. The site also contains all the latest
product information, news, and software demos.
Email:
Palisade technical support can be reached at support@palisade.com For general sales
questions contact:
in the United States and Canada: sales@palisade.com
in South America and Latin America: ventas@palisade-lta.com
in Europe: sales@palisade-europe.com
in the Asia/Pacific region: sales@palisade.com.au

Fax:
Palisades fax number is (607)-277-8001 in the USA, +44 1895 425051 in Europe, and +61 2
9252 2820 in Australia.
Phone:
Palisade technical support can be reached via phone at (607)-277-8000, Monday through Friday
8:30am-5:00pm Eastern Time in the USA. In Europe, technical support is available at +44 1895
425050, Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm GMT. Asia-Pacific customers may call our
Australia office at +61 2 9252 5922 from 0900h to 1700h AEST.
Please note: telephone technical support is not available for student versions of Palisade
products.
Post:
Palisade technical support can be reached via mail at
Palisade Corporation
Department of Technical Support
798 Cascadilla Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
USA
Or
Palisade Europe UK Ltd.
31 The Green
West Drayton
Middlesex
UB7 7PN
United Kingdom
Or
Palisade Asia-Pacific Pty Limited
Department of Technical Support
Suite 404, Level 4
20 Lotus Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Software Activation/License Transfer

What is software activation?
Activation is a one-time license verification process that is required in order for your software to
run as a fully-licensed product. An Activation ID is on your printed/emailed invoice and may
resemble a dash-separated sequence like "01-5001257-8C2E53-AE4". The Activation ID is not
case sensitive. If you enter your Activation ID during installation or from the TopRank
Help/License Activation menu, the software will request the license from the Palisade license
servers service.palisade.com and service2.palisade.com, using HTTP protocol (TCP/IP port 80).
No personal user information is sent during the request, and the digitally signed license is

transferred from the Palisade server to your machine. After activation, your software will be
licensed and no further user action will be required.
What if my software is not activated?
If you do not activate your license, your software will run as a trial version with time and/or
number of uses limitations. The software must be activated to run as a fully-licensed product.
How long can I use the product before I have to activate it?
Software that is not activated may be run for fifteen days. All of the product's features are present,
but the License Activation dialog will appear each time the program is launched to remind you to
activate and to indicate the time remaining. If the 15-day trial period expires, the software will
require activation in order to run.
How do I view the License Activation dialog?
The License Activation dialog is viewed through the start menu Palisade DecisionTools/Palisade
License manager shortcut (or within the softwares menu command e.g. TopRank /Help/License
Activation). This dialog allows you to view the status, activate, and deactivate your license.
Activated software shows a status of "Activated" and trial version software shows a status of "Not
Activated" If the software is not activated, the remaining time that the software is allowed to run is
displayed.
How do I activate my software?
If you do not have an Activation ID you may obtain one by clicking the Purchase button in the
License Activation dialog. An online purchase will be immediately given an Activation ID and an
optional link to download the installer should reinstallation become necessary. For a complete
listing of Palisade products, visit http://www.palisade.com/products.asp. To purchase by phone call
(800) 432-7475 or (607) 277-8000.
Activation if you have Internet Access
In the Palisade License Activation dialog box, type or paste the Activation ID and click "Automatic
Activation". A success message should appear after a few seconds and the License Activation
dialog box will reflect the software's activated status. Make sure you enter the Activation ID
exactly as given -- including any dashes. The Activation ID is not case sensitive.
What if Automatic Activation fails?
If you attempt to use Automatic Activation and receive a message that it has failed, the failure
may be due to a number of reasons. Check to make sure that you have entered the Activation ID
correctly, including all symbols, but without any leading or trailing blanks. Check to make sure that
the license is not currently active on another computer. If you have a firewall there may be a
failure when attempting to create a direct Internet connection between your computer and
Palisade's license server. Please use the interactive web page located at:
https://activations.palisade.com/useractivation/
If you are still encountering problems, please send an email to
support@palisade.com
Please include your Activation ID, a description of the problem and a screen shot of the License
Activation dialog.
I have Internet Access but I am still unable to Activate/Deactivate automatically.
Your firewall must be set to allow TCP access to the licensing server. For single user (non
network) installations, your firewall must permit http://service.palisade.com and
http://service2.palisade.com.
Automatic Activation was successful, but my product still won't run
If you were successful activating your license, but your product still appears to be a trial version

when you launch it, there may be a mismatch between your license and the product you have
installed. For example, if your Activation ID is for TopRank 5.7 Professional, it will not work with
TopRank 5.7 Industrial, The DecisionTools Suite 5.7 Professional, or any other product/version
combination. If you have the wrong product installed, simply uninstall it and install the product
which corresponds to your Activation ID. There is no need to deactivate or reactivate your license,
since it will remain on your computer during the process of changing the installed product.
How do I transfer my software license to another computer?
If you need to move your software license from one computer to another (for example, if an old
computer is being replaced with a new one), the license must first be deactivated on the old
computer and then activated on the new computer.
1. On the old computer, start the Palisade License Manager from its start menu shortcut ,
and click "Automatic Deactivation". Wait for the success message. The license has now been
removed from the old computer and returned to Palisade's license server.
2. On the new computer, install the Palisade software. In the installer welcome screen,
enter the Activation ID to activate the software during installation.
If you do not enter the Activation ID during installation on the new computer, the software is
installed as a trial, and you may later activate the software from the Palisade License Manager:
Click the Palisade DecisionTools/Palisade License Manager start menu shortcut
Type or paste your Activation ID
Click "Automatic Activation".
The license is now transferred to the new computer.
If either machine does not have Internet access then you will need to use the "Manual
Deactivation" and "Manual Activation" buttons. Follow the instructions in the dialogs for
generating and sending XML files to Palisade.
Please keep in mind that Palisade requires at least 90 days between each license transfer of a
standalone license. If your situation is such that frequent license transfers are needed, please
contact Palisade's Sales Team for information on Concurrent Network licensing. Transferring a
single user license does not permit the simultaneous use of the Palisade software on two
machines.

Student Version Information

If you are using the student version of TopRank, please read this section.
Student License Agreement
The student version of TopRank is for academic use only. Any non-academic use of the student
version of TopRank is strictly forbidden and represents a violation of the terms of the student
license agreement.
Limitations of the Student Version (for Student Versions Included in Textbooks Only)
TopRank student version models are limited to 4 worksheets, each with 300 rows by 100 columns
in a single Excel workbook. In addition, you must have at most 100 TopRank input functions in
your model. Any model that exceeds these limitations can not be simulated.
Watermarks on Graphs

All graphs created with the student version of TopRank are watermarked with the text TopRank
Student Version, For Academic Use Only. It is considered a violation of your license agreement
to attempt to remove or alter this watermark.
Expiration
The student version of TopRank will expire after a fixed period of time. Student versions obtained
directly from Palisade Corporation typically expire after one year. Student versions bundled with
textbooks typically expire after two years.