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Common support questions

Before you launch our full support knowledge base, here are answers to the most common questions that we hear from our customers:

How do I download my software?
How do I find my serial number?
What is product activation?
Will my software run on Windows Vista?
Will my software run on a Mac?
What are the system requirements for my software?
Problems installing on Windows XP with Service Pack 3?
The "Business Plan Pro has encountered an error.." error resolution.
How do I find a sample plan that matches my business?
Why does my program say there's a problem with my Internet Connection?
How do I share my business plan with someone who doesn't have Business Plan Pro?
What options are available for printing my plan?
Is there someone I can talk to for technical support?

More questions? Launch the support knowledge base

How do I download my software?

The installer files for all supported versions of our products are available from the software downloads page. To download your software, you will need to enter the email address that you used to register the product and the product's serial number.

How do I find my serial number?

Serial numbers for all Palo Alto Software programs license you as the exclusive user of the program and they are your proof of ownership. Here are instructions to locate your serial depending on the version of software you currently own.

What is product activation?

The Activation Wizard in our software products is designed to verify the software license and prevent software piracy. Activation also prevents unsuspecting customers from installing counterfeit software that could be missing key features and resources. The activation process is simple and private; no personal information is exchanged during the process.

The Palo Alto Software end-user license agreement allows the registered user to install the product on a primary computer and also on a home or laptop computer for his or her use, provided that the two copies are not used simultaneously. While the activation process supports installing and activating the product on two machines, the usage of the product on the second computer is restricted to the user who licensed the software. Allowing others to use a second copy of the software is a violation of the license agreement.

If you have any questions or concerns about licensing and activation, please contact our customer care team at (800) 229-7526 or customerservice@paloalto.com.

Will my software run on Windows Vista?

Business Plan Pro 11.0, Business Plan Pro 11.0 UK Edition, and Business Plan Pro 2007 are officially certified for Windows Vista. (What does that mean?) Several additional products are compatible with Windows Vista, again according to Microsoft's official guidelines:

• Business Plan Pro 2007 Canadian Edition
• Business Plan Pro 2007 UK Edition
• Marketing Plan Pro 9.0
• Marketing Plan Pro 9.0 UK Edition

Earlier product versions may or may not run effectively in Windows Vista, since they were not designed or tested for use in that operating system.

Will my software run on a Mac?

No. Although Business Plan Pro began its life as a Macintosh product, we long ago switched to Windows and do not currently offer a Mac version of any of our products. Many of us are Mac users, though, and we share your frustration. Unfortunately, we have found that maintaining a separate Mac version has not been cost effective.

You can, of course, run our products and other Windows software on your Mac using Apple's Boot Camp technology or third-party virtualization tools like Parallels or VMWare Fusion. These tools make it possible to run Mac OSX and a Windows operating system side by side. You will need a copy of Windows, though.

We want to offer a better solution for Mac users. To that end, we are currently gathering information about features and requirements for a Mac-friendly business planning software. Would you be willing to participate in a survey that would automatically qualify you for a future Mac beta program? To start the survey, click here.

What are the system requirements for my software?

Each version of our software products has different system requirements as we make use of new technology. For the current product versions, see Business Plan Pro system requirements or Marketing Plan Pro system requirements.

How do I find a sample plan that matches my business?

Although you may not find a sample plan that exactly matches your business model, there are likely many plans in our library of more than 500 that are close or related. It is important to understand that we include sample plans as idea generators and examples, not as plans that you can actually print and turn in to a bank.

All sample plans included are real plans. You may use them as a starting point, but even if one exactly matches your type of business, it will still have different start-up costs, location, management team and market research information. Use the sample plan library as a source for inspiration when you write your plan. You may find, for example, the perfect source for writing your mission statement in a sample plan that is totally unrelated to your industry, location, and target market.

How do I share my business plan with someone who doesn't have Business Plan Pro?

Many of our customers are teams who are planning together. We make team licenses available at a discounted price so that you can effectively collaborate during the planning process and beyond.

To share your plan with someone without Business Plan Pro, you have several choices depending on your specific objectives and your audience:

For those with whom you want to share your plan to read and review but not modify and edit:

View Online - Use your free SecurePlan account to store your plan online and invite people there to read your plan. File > Send To > SecurePlan.com

Adobe Acrobat PDF Document - Export your plan as an Adobe Acrobat PDF. File > Export > Select Adobe Acrobat PDF Document

For those with whom you wish to share your plan in an editable format:

Export your plan as a Word document and share it with your recipients in a format that is open for editing. File > Export > Word (choose your recipient's version)

What options are available for printing my plan?

Whether you are just getting started or your plan is finished, you can print your entire plan or portions of your plan at any time. Think of your plan as a pool of content that you can use to create hundreds of different documents from.

For example, many times just a printed summary is needed that covers the big picture idea, while in other situations a detailed version with your entire financial forecast is what needs to be printed. A quick and easy way to print portions of your plan is to use the Reports feature. Click the Reports button at the top of your program to print sub-documents based on your plan such as a basic presentation, only your financial tables, or just the plan introduction.

Create a custom document: To pick and choose what you wish to include when you print, choose File > Print > Plan > "Print only selected items." This area allows you to select only the specific topics, tables, and charts that you wish to include. For more in printing, choose the Search option from your Help menu and look for topics related to printing your plan and reports.

Is there someone I can talk to for technical support?

Of course. We have a full-time customer care team based at our corporate headquarters in Oregon. They are available by phone, email, or live chat on weekdays from 8:00am to 4:30pm Pacific Time. Please contact our customer care team at (800) 229-7526 or customerservice@paloalto.com.

Have more questions?

To find answers to other support-related questions, as well as how-to instructions and more, launch the support knowledge base. Or contact us at (800) 229-7526 or support@paloalto.com.