Knowledge Base

Maintenance Release FAQ



What are Maintenance Releases?
Maintenance Releases are updates to your version of PowerChurch Plus that provide bug fixes and minor feature tweaks. Updated tax forms and other requirements are also distributed via Maintenance Release.

Why do we need Maintenance Releases?
Although our software is thoroughly tested before being released, sometimes issues are discovered once the software is published. Most problems are minor, such as typographical errors, but occasionally, the problems are more significant. Because of this, it is important to stay up-to-date by downloading and installing each Maintenance Release as it becomes available.

How do we know if we need to install the current Maintenance Release?
Whenever a new Maintenance Release is created for your version of PowerChurch Plus, that version is given a new "program date." The program date is listed under the Help/About PowerChurch Plus screen. If your program date is earlier than the current program date of the software shown at www.powerchurch.com/mr/, then you need to download and install the current Maintenance Release.

How much do Maintenance Releases cost?
There is no cost to download the Maintenance Release from our web site. If you don't have internet access or for other reasons cannot download the Maintenance Release, you can purchase a copy on CD for $18 (US) at www.powerchurch.com/catalog or by phone at (800) 486-1800.

The Maintenance Release CD actually contains the complete program, not just the corrections contained in the Maintenance Release download file. If you ever need to reinstall the software, just use the CD with the latest program date on it and then check our web site to see if you need to download the current Maintenance Release.

Do I have to be on a Technical Support plan to download the Maintenance Release?
No, you do not have to be on an active Technical Support plan.

What versions of PowerChurch Plus are Maintenance Releases available for?
Currently, Maintenance Releases for versions 7 and higher are available on our web site. The current version of PowerChurch Plus and one prior version are "under maintenance," meaning that new Maintenance Releases are developed from time to time. Older version Maintenance Releases are still available for download, but are a number of years out of date.

How do I get the Maintenance Release?
To download the current Maintenance Release for your version of PowerChurch Plus, just go to www.powerchurch.com/mr/. If you are logged in to a site account, you will see a download link, otherwise, there is a form asking for registration number (RN) and other information. Complete the form, then click on the download link and save the Maintenance Release file somewhere on your computer.

How long will it take to download the Maintenance Release?
How long it will take to download a Maintenance Release will depend on the size of the Maintenance Release and your Internet connection speed.

I have broadband internet at home. Can I download the Maintenance Release there and then take it to the church to install it?
Yes, you can download the Maintenance Release from any computer. Just use a flash drive or CD to move the file to the computer where you would like to install it.

How do I install the Maintenance Release?
When downloading the Maintenance Release installer, if you are prompted to run, open or save the file, choose the save option and then specify a location on your computer to save the file. Make sure to save the file somewhere that you will be able to find it after the download is complete, such as your Desktop. Once the download is complete, simply close any programs that are running, then run the Maintenance Release program you saved and follow the onscreen instructions.

The Maintenance Release is designed to update the PowerChurch Plus program files, so it has to be installed over the existing copy of the program. The installer will ask for the destination directory. This should be the PowerChurch Plus program directory.

If you are on a network, make sure to install it to the computer where the program is currently installed. You can find the location of your PowerChurch Plus program files by going to Help > About PowerChurch Plus. Click on the System Information tab. On a local installation, refer to the Program Directory field. On a networked installation of Versions 11 or higher, refer to the Server Directory field.

I'm on a network; do I need to install the Maintenance Release on each workstation?
No. In a networked environment, PowerChurch Plus is installed on one computer and then accessed across the network on each workstation. Since the program files are all on the computer that is acting as the server for PowerChurch Plus, once you install the Maintenance Release there, you're finished. You do not need to  install the Maintenance Release on each workstation.

Can installing a Maintenance Release harm my existing data?
The act of installing a Maintenance Release cannot harm your existing data, but there have been times when new problems were accidentally introduced in the program in trying to fix an existing issue. These cases are rare, but a problem mistakenly introduced with a Maintenance Release could potentially affect your existing data. Although it is not required to make a backup before installing a Maintenance Release, making regular backups is highly recommended, including before installing a Maintenance Release.

Is there a list showing all the fixes in each Maintenance Release?
There is not an exhaustive list available, but some of the bigger problems that were corrected in each Maintenance Release are posted to our online user forum. You can access this information by going to www.powerchurch.com/forum/ and then clicking on "Maintenance Releases." This list is also sent by e-mail to anyone that is signed up to get notification when new Maintenance Releases are available.

I put in my church information to get the Maintenance Release, but it was denied. Why?
There are several things that could cause your request to be denied, but two common issues are problems with the spelling of the church name or a difference in the address. If your request is denied because of a problem with the church name, the first thing to do is to simply try again, but enter the church name without any punctuation. If the church name contains the word "Saint" and you entered it that way, try the abbreviation "St" instead, to see if that might be the issue.

If your request is denied because of an issue with the address and you entered the church's mailing address, simply try again with the church's physical address. If your request is repeatedly denied, just contact us with all the information you are entering and the reason for the denial as listed in the message provided to your submission.

Can we sign up to be notified when new Maintenance Releases are made available?
Yes. When you enter the church information to request a Maintenance Release, check the option at the bottom of the form labeled "Receive e-mail notifications..." and enter your e-mail address.

How do I unsubscribe from the Maintenance Release notification list?
At the bottom of each Maintenance Release announcement there is an unsubscribe link. Just click on that link to remove your e-mail address from the list. You can also visit www.powerchurch.com/emails to change subscription preferences.

I signed up to be notified automatically when new Maintenance Releases are available, but I have a new e-mail address, what do I do?
If you have registered a site account, log in and click the My Account link at the top right of the site. There, you will be able to change your e-mail address, passwords, e-mail subscriptions, etc.

If you do not have a site account, either register one, or simply unsubscribe your old e-mail address using the link above and then go to www.powerchurch.com/mr/, enter the church information along with the new e-mail address, check the "Receive e-mail notifications" option and then click Submit. You do not have to actually download the Maintenance Release; just submit the information for verification.

I signed up to be notified when Maintenance Releases are available and I know a new Maintenance Release was recently made available, but I didn't get the notification. Why not?
If you signed up for e-mail notifications but you are not receiving them, it is possible that the message was viewed by your e-mail provider or software as spam and rejected, so the first thing to do is add mailings@powerchurch.com (or the entire powerchurch.com domain) to your safe senders list so that our messages are not blocked.

Can we download the Maintenance Release for a prior version of PowerChurch Plus that the church purchased?
Yes. You can download the Maintenance Release for any prior version of PowerChurch Plus that your church purchased.

I tried to install the Maintenance release, but I got an error indicating "could not initialize installation." The message also indicated something about the file size expected and the size returned and the numbers were different.
Basically, this message indicates that your download attempt was unsuccessful and that the Maintenance Release file is not complete. We test the Maintenance Release before making it available, so if you have problems downloading the file, the first thing to try is simply delete the incomplete file that was downloaded, restart the computer, clear your web browser cache and then try to download the file again. If you continue having problems, you can purchase a copy of the Maintenance Release on CD for $18 (US) at www.powerchurch.com/catalog or by phone at (800) 486-1800.

What do I do if we missed the previous Maintenance Release?
Regardless of your current program date, you can download and install the Maintenance Release at any time. Each Maintenance Release contains all the corrections made since the initial release of that version, so you can install the latest Maintenance Release regardless of your current program date or whether any prior Maintenance Releases have been installed.

How often are Maintenance Releases made available?
When a version is new, there are more frequent Maintenance Releases. But after a few months, most of the issues are discovered and corrected and there will generally only be new Maintenance Releases every few months. Nearing the end of a version's development life, its time under maintenance, new Maintenance Releases are rarely needed and released.


Created: 08/29/2005
Last updated: 11/14/2022