Basically, the Essential Forms program can be installed in two different ways on a network:

A. Installed locally on each station using the latest Judicial Council Update, then copy one of the local data folders (C:\Users\Public\Pubilc Documents\CEB\Essential Forms Data) with the local counties, netpack and legal solutions imported data up to a shared data folder location. Point each station to the data folder on the server by clicking, Configure>Data Directory in Essential Forms. You could then delete the extra local data folder that gets installed locally on each machine under C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\CEB\Essential Forms Data

* The UNC path is preferable to a mapped drive path for the data path.

-OR-

B. Create a folder on the server direct the program install to that folder. Then, under File Explorer copy the “Essential Forms Data” folder from C:Users/Public/Public Documents/CEB/Essential Forms Data to the shared location on the server. Draw shortcuts on each workstation from the Essential Forms program folder the “efwin32.exe”, launch and point those stations to the Essential Forms Data folder on the server.

*Note: If the shortcut is shared from the server, the UNC path is preferable to a mapped drive path for the program and data path.

*Either method works, the second one is a bit more tidy. Just depends on the server and the load it can handle. In the local install if the data folder does get updated all the stations will get prompted for forms/software updates to match the version on the network, so you don’t have to go around and update each station every 6 months. They would need full permissions on the local c:drive to update software components though, not with forms updates.