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FYI Practice Sync Desktop App

fyi_arrow_HC_icon.png User Permissions:

Admin Permissions Required

The FYI Practice Sync Desktop App is installed locally on your server/computer and is used to integrate your chosen practice management system with FYI. Once installed, an FYI admin can configure which data is synchronised.

This article provides information on how to install and connect the FYI Practice Sync desktop app.

For more information on each integration, refer to:

Note: The following instructions must be performed by an IT Administrator or an experienced Windows Server user.

FYI User Admin Access

During the installation of the FYI Practice Sync desktop app, you will be prompted to sign into FYI using the Microsoft 365 login process. This account must be an FYI Admin User. If a user who does not have FYI Admin permissions attempts to install the Practice Sync desktop app, an error message will display in Practice Activity. Refer to Practice Activity.

We recommend that you use an account with a generic name to represent your practice, rather than a specific person. This account could be shared with other functions where a generic account is also recommended, for example, Collaborate, and the OneDrive Admin User. By using a generic account, it means you won't have to modify any settings should a user leave your practice.

Refer to OneDrive Admin and Managing Users.

FYI Practice Sync Desktop App Download

Access to the FYI Practice Sync Desktop App installation file is from within FYI.

  1. In FYI, click the Automation menu option.

  2. Click the Apps tab.

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  3. Locate the Practice Sync app corresponding with your Practice Management software, and click the Settings cog icon, for example, Practice Sync MYOB AE/AO.

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  4. Click Download Sync App to download the install file.

    2821_Automation_Apps_MYOB_Download_Sync_App.gif

Installing the FYI Practice Sync Desktop App

  1. Right-click on the downloaded file and select Run as Admin. Follow the prompts to begin installing the FYI Practice Sync desktop app.

    Note: The app must be installed as an Administrator, otherwise the next time the app is updated, the service will not restart automatically. The FYI Practice Sync Desktop App service will need to be manually started.
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  2. During the installation, if any missing system components are detected you will be prompted to install them. Click OK to proceed.
    Note: Practice Sync requires the installation of .Net 6.0. For a list of supported operating systems refer to the Microsoft article .NET 6.0 Update and .NET 6 - Supported OS versions.

  3. A Setup Progress window will be shown during the installation of missing components.

  4. Click Yes if prompted to allow the FYI Practice Sync desktop app to make changes to your device.

  5. When the Microsoft login window is displayed, enter the login details of an FYI Admin Account.

  6. Click the Accept button to allow the requested permissions.

  7. Once complete the FYI Practice Sync desktop app will open.

Configure the FYI Practice Sync Desktop App

Step 1 - Settings

Select your Database Type depending on which Practice Management system you are connecting with FYI. 

 2637_Automation_Apps_Practice_Sync_MYOB_Desktop

Step 2 - Database

The Server Name and Database Name can be obtained from your IT Admin.

Note: The Database Name will be the name of your database from your Practice Management app, for example, the name of your MYOB database.

The Authentication Type can be set to either Windows Authentication (using the currently logged-in user's credentials) or SQL (to run as a service, regardless of which user is logged in). Click the tabs below for details on how to configure each Authentication Type.

Windows Authentication SQL Authentication

If using the Windows Authentication method, the FYI Practice Sync desktop app will run using the account of the user currently logged into the computer. The Username will be automatically selected, and you will just need to enter the user's password. This will provide authorisation to allow the FYI Practice Sync desktop app to run.

Additionally, you will need to update the Administrative Tools to enable the FYI Practice Sync desktop app to run as a service.

  1. In the FYI Practice Sync desktop app enter the current user's password.

  2. In Windows, click the Start menu icon.

  3. Type Control Panel and open the Control Panel app.

    2823_Windows_Control_Panel.gif

  4. If using Windows 11, select Windows Tools (for Windows 10 this will be Administrative Tools).
    Note: You may need to select View By - Small/Large icons to see the correct option.

  5. Double-click Local Security Policy to open the Local Security Policy app.

    2824_Windows_Local_Security_Policy.gif

  6. From the folder menu on the left, expand Local Policies and click on User Rights Assignment.
  7. The right-hand side will refresh. Double-click on Log on as a service.

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  8. In the Log on as a service Properties window click Add User or Group.

  9. In the field Enter the object names to select enter the Username as per the FYI Practice Sync desktop app, for example, My-Computer\Myname.

    2826_Windows_Select_Users_or_Groups.gif

  10. Click OK to add the user.

  11. Click OK to close the "Log on as a service Properties" window.

  12. Close the Local Security Policy and Control Panel.

  13. In the FYI Practice Sync desktop app click Test Connection to confirm the details are correct and the FYI Practice Sync desktop app can access the database of your Practice Management software.

  14. Click Save.

Step 3 - Proxy Settings

The FYI Practice Sync desktop app enables you to configure Proxy Settings to be defined if required by your server. This section is optional.

To configure the Proxy Settings:

  1. In the Proxy Settings section of the FYI Practice Sync desktop app click the Enabled checkbox to mark it as selected.

  2. Enter the details for the Host, Port, Username and Password.
    Note: If you're unsure of these details, please refer to your IT Administrator. 

  3. Click Test Connection to confirm the connection was successful

  4. Click Save to commit the settings

Step 4 - Completing the Installation Process

Once the connection has been saved, a window will be displayed requesting permission to make changes to the device. 

Click Yes. 

A log file will then appear temporarily displaying information being processed to the FYI Practice Sync desktop app. An icon will be created on the Task Bar, and a shortcut icon will be added to the desktop.

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Click on your Practice Management software below to return to the instructions to continue configuring your FYI synchronisation settings.

Using the FYI Practice Sync desktop app

Once the FYI Practice Sync desktop app has been installed, you can use the app to view the status of the connection, including the Service Status and the Login Status. 

If there are any problems, an alert symbol will be displayed at the top, with a Restart option beside it. Click Restart to restart the services, or Login to log back into FYI.

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To view Log Files or to flush the cache, Right-click on the FYI Practice Sync desktop app icon in the taskbar. A menu will be displayed.

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Click Show Log to open a Notepad file with a log file.

Click Flush Cache to clear the cache on the next synchronisation. This can be used when troubleshooting any unexpected performance.

The Settings option can be used to reopen the FYI Practice Sync desktop app configuration settings.

Where the communication to the Practice Sync has been lost, a Failure even will be added to Practice Activity. Refer to Practice Activity.

Logging in as a different user

The user account logged in with the Practice Sync Desktop App must be an active FYI Admin user account. If the user leaves the practice, you will need to log in as a different FYI Admin user to ensure the Practice Sync Desktop App continues to synchronise data.

To change the user account logged in using the FYI Practice Sync Desktop app:

  1. Open the FYI Practice Sync App on the server.

  2. Right-click on the icon in the System Tray, and click Settings.

  3. Click the Change button next to the logged-in user.

  4. You will be prompted to confirm you would like to proceed, click OK on the message.
    2855_Practice_Sync_Desktop_Change_User_Login.gif
  5. The Microsoft Sign In pop-up will be displayed, and you will be able to log in as a new user.
    Note: The new user account must be an FYI Admin User.

  6. Follow the instructions to log in.

Moving to a new server

If you need to move the Practice Sync Desktop App to a new server, you will need to do the following:

  1. Uninstall the Practice Sync Desktop app from the old server (this will stop the synchronisation of any data into FYI, and avoid conflicting with the installation on the new server).

  2. Install the Practice Sync Desktop app on the new server.

  3. The new server will begin synchronising all of the data. As it will start from the beginning it will take some time, however, any data that has already been synchronised will be skipped to prevent duplication.

Uninstalling FYI Practice Sync Desktop App

To remove the FYI Practice Sync Desktop app, or to log in as a different user, you will need to follow the instructions below.

This process is completed in two steps. You will need to first uninstall the Practice Sync app via the Windows Add/Remove Programs, before manually deleting two remaining folders from Windows.

Note: Before uninstalling, ensure you are logged in as the user who installed the FYI Practice Sync app.

Step 1 - Add/Remove Programs

  1. In Windows, click the Start menu icon.

  2. Type Control Panel and open the Control Panel app.

    2823_Windows_Control_Panel.gif
  3. Click Programs and Features.
    Note:     Depending on your view you may need to click on Programs > Programs and Features.
  4. Locate FYI Practice Sync in the list.

  5. Right-click and select Uninstall.

  6. If prompted to allow changes to the device, click Yes.
  7. The program will be uninstalled

Complete the remaining steps to manually remove the folders.

Step 2 - Manually remove folders

You will need to manually remove folders from two AppData folders.

Note: Ensure you are logged in as the user that installed the FYI Practice Sync app.

  1. Open a Windows Explorer window.

  2. In the address/folder bar type in %appdata% and press Enter.

    2838_Windows_AppData_Folder.gif
  3. The AppData\Roaming folder will open.

  4. Delete the FYI Practice Sync folder.

  5. Click the Up arrow to go one folder level up to the AppData folder.

    2839_Windows_AppData.gif

  6. Open the Local folder.

  7. Delete the FYISync folder.

You have now completed the uninstallation of the FYI Practice Sync Desktop App.

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