There are multiple ways of updating your Genie. The method you use to update will depend on your current Genie version and the version to which you are updating. The following article gives you a general overview of each of these update processes.
All Genie updates are included with the cost of your Genie license fee. We do not charge you to update your Genie version, however, you may incur costs with your nominated IT provider should you wish to engage them to carry out an update for you.
Before you begin
It is imperative that the prerequisites listed below are completed before updating otherwise we may be unable to assist with technical issues should they possibly arise.
While Genie Support are unable to perform your update for you, we will be available to assist should you encounter any problems during the below processes.
Before running any sort of Genie update, you will need to ensure that your practice runs through the following prerequisites.
- All machines meet the Hardware Specifications and appropriate Operating System Requirements;
- As of v9.2.1 and above, Windows 7 and OSX 10.11 El Capitan and below are no longer supported. You must update your operating system to proceed with the update.
- If your server runs a Windows operating system, you must ensure it has been updated to a 64-bit version of the OS before updating as the update cannot be completed on a 32-bit Windows server.
- Perform a verify. In the Genie Server application, go to Help > Maintenance & Security Centre. Select Verify on the left, then click Verify the Records and the Indexes. If this produces 3 tick icons, you can proceed with the below steps. If any crosses are returned, do not proceed and contact Genie Support before continuing;
- Import any offsite logs;
- Perform a backup of your data;
- If you are performing a manual update, quit all instances of Genie Client as well as Genie Server, then download the appropriate Genie installer file from our Downloads article.
Depending on your current Genie version, you may not be able to directly update to the latest version of Genie. Based on the below table, please see our Downloads article to obtain the appropriate installer you require.
Your current Genie Version | What can you update to? | Upgrade Path |
Any version 7 e.g. 7.x.x |
*** | *** Update using the instructions in the Upgrading from Version 7 to Version 9 article *** |
8.0.1 - 8.5.5 | 8.7.2 | Requires a manual update using the 8.7.2 installer |
8.5.6 - 8.8.2 | 9.1.1 | Requires a manual update using the 9.1.1 installer |
8.8.3 - 9.2.3 | 9.4.7 | Requires a manual update using the 9.4.7 installer |
9.3.2 - 9.4.6 | 9.4.7 | Automated update via the Special Menu |
Example
If you are on Genie v8.5.5, you would need to firstly manually update to 8.7.2, then manually update to 9.1.1 after this. Once you are on 9.1.1, you can then perform a manual update to the latest Genie version using the appropriate Genie installer.
Type of Update | What this means | How to Update |
Minor | A minor update is one where only the last number of the Genie version is different. e.g. updating from 9.2.1 to 9.2.2 |
Either the Automated 'Special Menu' Update or the Manual Update methods below. |
Moderate | A moderate update is one where the middle number of the Genie version is different. e.g. updating from 9.1.1 to 9.2.1 |
Manual Update only. May cause a change in hardware requirements. |
Major | A major update is one that brings Genie up to the latest version from version 7. e.g. updating from 7.8.7 to 9.4.7 |
As this requires the Genie data file to undergo a significant update, you will need to read through our Upgrading from Version 7 to Version 9 article. This will cause a significant change in hardware requirements. |
Automated 'Special Menu' Update
An automated update can be performed through the Software Updates window, and can be done from any Genie Client on the network.
Once you have prepared for the update, it can be carried out by following these steps:
- On the client machine, navigate to Special > Software Updates.
- Tick the checkbox to the left of the Genie Updater download option.
- Click the Install 1 Item button.
- When prompted, click the Apply Update button.
After Apply Update is clicked, Genie will proceed with the update. As part of this process Genie will download the update and send it to the server. The Genie Server application will close automatically, allowing the update to run.
Once the update has completed, the Genie Server application will be launched again. When you can see that the Genie Server application has re-launched, users may log back in as normal through Genie Client.
If you are on Genie v9.3.2 - 9.3.8 and are a current MIMS Integrated subscriber, once the server restarts it will start downloading the latest MIMS Prescribing Data in accordance with the 2021 Active Ingredient Prescribing legislation that was packaged in our v9.3.9 update. You will still be able to connect clients while this updates, however, won't be able to prescribe until it has completed.
If you would prefer to carry out the update on the server machine itself, you may carry out the above steps through Genie Single User (Genie Solo) on the server, instead of Genie Client. To do this, close the Genie Server application (File > Quit) and launch Genie Single User, then proceed with steps 1 - 4 as above.
Please Note: When downloading the update, if the Just Download It button is clicked instead of Apply Update, the Genie updater file will be downloaded to the computer for later use. This updater can be used to update the server manually, as per the Manual Update section below.
Finally, if any users in the practice use offsite logging, make sure that Genie Single User on their offsite laptop(s) is updated accordingly. See Updating for Offsite Logging below for more information.
A manual update is carried out by downloading a specific installer or updater file, and running this on the server computer.
You must ensure that the Genie Server application has been closed or the Server as a Service has been stopped before performing a manual update.
To perform an update of this type, you will need to first download the appropriate updater. There are three ways to get the file you need:
- If you simply need the latest version of the Genie software, navigate to the Downloads page of the Genie website and download the appropriate installer for your server platform (i.e. Windows or Mac). Take note of your Genie version before downloading, as older versions may be incompatible with the listed updater.
- If you attempt an update via the Special Menu as per the previous instructions, the Software Updates window may direct you to a separate Genie webpage. This means that your older version of Genie requires a manual update; the updater can be downloaded from the page that opens.
- If you are currently using an older version, Genie may require a specific upgrade path to get to the latest version. In this case, refer to the Update Pathways section above for which process you will need to follow. Please see our Downloads article for the links to the appropriate installer files you will need.
- If you still aren’t sure whether your intended update requires a specific upgrade path, feel free to contact our Support team and we will be happy to assist you.
Once you have the appropriate updater or installer file, ensure that the file is accessible from the server computer, either by downloading the file onto that computer, or by saving it in a shared location on the network that the server can access. Then, carry out the update by following these steps:
- Close the Genie Server application (File > Quit or Genie Server > Quit Genie Server) or stop the service.
- Double-click the downloaded updater file.
- Follow the prompts in the updater to proceed with the update. If you have been provided with an installer, rather than an updater, you will be prompted to select the components to install; select the Update currently installed application(s) option.
- Allow the updater to run to completion.
- Open Genie Single User (Genie Solo) via the lamp icon with the black cord.
- Log in as normal and click Update, if/when you are prompted.
- Close Genie Single User (File > Quit or Genie > Quit Genie).
- Re-launch the Genie Server application.
Once the Genie Server application is running again, the update is complete. If you have been provided instructions to perform a further update to get to the latest version, proceed with those to continue. Otherwise, users may now log back in via Genie Client as normal.
If you utilise any Medicare Online functionality in Genie v9.3.5 or below, a user will need to complete an Online Patient Verification upon logging in to connect your practice to Medicare Web Services. Follow this guide for more information.
If any users in the practice use offsite logging, make sure that Genie Single User on their offsite laptop(s) is updated accordingly, per the section below.
To continue using offsite logging following an update, the Genie Single User (Genie Solo) application on any offsite laptops must also be updated.
If the laptop is the same platform as the server computer (i.e. both computers are Windows, or both are Mac), connect the laptop to the network and log into Genie Single User. Genie will detect that the Genie version on the laptop is different to the Genie version on the network, and the user will receive the following prompt:
Click the Update button to update Genie Single User.
If the laptop is a different platform to the server computer (i.e. one is Windows, and the other is Mac), then you will need to update Genie Single User separately. How you update Genie Single User in this situation will depend on how you updated Genie on your network.
- If you performed the update through Special > Software Updates, you can update Genie Single User on the laptop in the same way. See the 'Special Menu' Update section for more information.
- If you were required to perform a manual update using a downloaded updater file, you will need to update Genie Single User on the laptop in the same way, by downloading the updater file appropriate for the laptop’s platform. See the Manual Update section above for more information.