0. Quick Start Guide
IMPORTANT: Store Manager is a Windows application (not pxp extension) and should be installed on your computer.
To begin your work with Store Manager you have to order a License. According to our policy we allow you to manage as many stores as you wish on one license, but you will need a separate license for each computer:
If you have downloaded the product, Store Manager Setup Wizard will guide you through software installation steps, which are the following:
- accepting License Agreement
- selecting Destination Location (where should Store Manager be installed)
- choosing which components should be installed (all, compact or custom)
- selecting Start Menu folder (where to place program shortcuts)
- performing additional tasks (optional)
The Wizard will inform you about successful installation. You're all set to enjoy the advantages of Zen Cart Store Manager
After successful installation, Store Manager needs to be registered. So when the application is launched for the first time, you need to enter your registration information: license key, your first and last name ( as it appears in your license account).
Program should ask you if you want to download the latest version if it is available, since the check for upgrade is made on start-up.
Information: What is primary license, additional license and trial license?
In order to start working with a specific store you need to setup store connection first. It can be done in Preferences Window, which appears automatically on the first start-up and can be accessed later through Settings -> Preferences.
Store Manager requires direct MySQL database connection. Most of the hosting companies allow direct connections to MySQL database. However, in most cases you have to go to your control panel and add your home/office computer IP address or domain name to Access List. Access list is a list of IP addresses allowed to access MySQL port 3306 from outside. This option can be found under MySQL settings.
Feel free to ask your hosting support to assist you in enabling direct MySQL access, they must help you since it is common task.
If for some reasons direct connection via port 3306 is not allowed, there is another way - secure SSH connection. Actually SSH is a kind of tunnel between two computers - your computer and your server. Other connections can be established via SSH tunnel. Look here for more details about SSH. You can use SSH for MySQL as well as for FTP connections. See "Preferences" window, "SSH" page. The only info you need is SSH user name, password and remote port number - basically the same as for typical MySQL connection.
Note: SSH settings do not override MySQL settings. To connect to your database using SSH you must specify all required MySQL parameters as well as SSH. Also Preferences menu includes Notification settings, which you might want to change.
Internet Settings section consists of Proxy settings (with Use Proxy option) and SMTP settings (with Perform Authentication option). Table Remapping section allows you to tune Store Manager to work with renamed tables if there are any.
If neither direct MySQL nor SSH connections are available, PHP MySQL bridge may be used.
Also if you use free demo version and you just want to run software to see how it works, please use embedded configuration with default database.