Each month in this Journal, our technical support staff addresses issues of interest to many CSI subscribers in a question-and-answer format. This month, they present questions about Unfair Advantage(UA), focusing primarily on premium services.

Notice:
  The views and information expressed in this document reflect the opinions and experience of the author Robert C. Pelletier.  Neither CSI nor the author undertake or intend to provide tax advice or trading advice in any market or endorse any outside individual or firm.  All recommendations are provided for their informational value only.  Readers should consult competent financial advisors or outside counsel before making any software purchase or investment decision.  CSI does not stand behind or endorse the products of any outside firms.

Copyright (c) 1998 Commodity Systems Inc. (CSI).  All rights are reserved.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Questions and Answers
 

Q.
   It seems as though Unfair Advantage is in a continual state of change. How can I be sure I have the current version?

A.
   Please review our Product Upgrades page often on the http://www.csidata.com web site.  Not only does this page offer easy access to new files, but it also provides useful descriptions of new revisions, corrections and common problems. For example, the current version covers grid labeling improvements, and new roll-forward criteria.

   We regret that some versions of UA have caused unforeseen problems with data retrieval or management.  Fortunately, the web site gives us a quick and easy way to deliver upgrades and enhancements. New releases can be expected once every two or three weeks or more; However, beta (experimental) releases should be avoided unless you are willing to accept imperfections.

Q.
   I installed an Unfair Advantage upgrade from the web site and lost all the work I had done customizing my portfolio. Is there a way to restore my portfolio information in the new version?

A.
   Anyone who has customized a portfolio or made changes to the UA factsheets, will probably want to restore copies of the portfolio listing and factsheet files after installing an upgrade. Doing so will eliminate the need to re-enter your list of files and charts and, perhaps more importantly, specifications for the custom computed contracts you wish to view.  Restoring your portfolio listing requires that you made a backup copy of your UA directory before downloading or installing the new version. See your UA on-line manual or the 7/98 CSI Technical Journal for instructions on creating a backup copy in the \oldua directory. 

   To restore your UA portfolio after an upgrade, copy the file: oldua\archives\portfile.adm into the ua\archives folder. To restore your commodity factsheet listing, do the same for oldua\archives\cdbfacts.adm.

Q.
   I was away from my computer for a few months and allowed my UA program to expire. How can I restore function to the software?

A.
   As explained in our licensing agreement, UA subscribers must update their database at least once every two month to avoid termination of service.  Allowing the database to get more than two months out-of-date necessitates receiving a new CD from CSI.  The current charge for this CD is $10, which includes domestic postage. Please contact marketing or tech support to order a new CD.  (Prices are subject to change.)

Q.
   I upgraded to a new version of Unfair Advantage and was unable to chart my data afterward.  What should I do?

A.
   After upgrading, a successful data download is necessary to gain total access to market history. Simply re-collect your latest daily update or wait until your normal evening update to unlock your database.

Q.
   To save time, I downloaded a daily update while retrieving a database file from your website.  It seemed to work OK, but afterward, UA crashed.  Did the simultaneous retrieval cause the problem?

A.
   You guessed it! Data requests are not interrupted by CDB updating, but errors can result if they are done together. For the time being, we recommend against the practice. If your daily update file was damaged, it likely did not distribute and you have probably re-collected it already.  You should also check any CDB files you retrieved during a simultaneous retrieval session to make sure they were not damaged.  If so, you'll need to download them again.