Installation and Upgrade Guide

Upgrading the Software from within Shepherd’s Staff

If you already have Shepherd’s Staff installed, you can use the upgrade process, which is slightly different from the initial setup process. Software updates are available only from within your Shepherd’s Staff software. When upgrading to Shepherd's Staff 9.0 (2022), you must have at least Shepherd's Staff 8.7 (2020) installed first. The upgrade process requires that you have a current support plan and your database be registered. Before you start the installation process, if you're running at third-party antivirus such as McAfee or Norton, you will need to temporarily disable this software. Also, you'll want to be logged in to your Windows computer as an administrator. If you're unsure of this, reach out to your church's computer tech, or give our team a call at 1-800-346-6120.

Note:  If you are upgrading from a version older than 8.7, call our support line at 1-800-346-6120 and one of our technicians will be able to assist you. You can also submit a help request using the orange support button at the bottom right corner of this window.

Note: Concordia Publishing House will not provide a USB unless you request it. If you need to download the installation file for a new install or upgrade, you can request a download here.

1. Open Shepherd's Staff. At the login window, below the "Continue" and "Switch" buttons, you'll see a "Check for updates..." link. Click this link.
2. If there are updates for you to download, you will be asked to close Shepherd's Staff. Click Yes to close Shepherd's Staff.
3. The Shepherd's Staff Update utility will appear in the next window. Click Continue to start downloading the update.
4. Once the download is finished, the Shepherd's Staff update utility will disappear, and after a moment, the Shepherd's Staff Install wizard will appear. Click the "Install" button.
5. Click OK if any prompts appear.
6. Choose the "I accept the terms of the license agreement" at the License Agreement window, and click "Next"
7. Click OK on the message about disabling the antivirus if you have already done so.  If you have not, stop here and disable it, then click OK to continue.
8. Click "Next" through the prompts.
9. Once the installation finishes, choose the "Yes, I want to restart my computer now" option, and click "Finish". This will restart your computer.
10. After your computer finishes restarting, open Shepherd's Staff. You will see the Database Update window. Make sure each checkbox is checked, and click "Continue" to finish updating your database.
    

    

Installing Shepherd’s Staff with a USB Flash Drive

New users of Shepherd’s Staff® can request the installation files in the form of a USB flash drive. These contain the Shepherd’s Staff installer, which will guide you through the installation process.

Here is how to install Shepherd’s Staff using a USB flash drive:

1. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your computer. A window will appear asking what you want to do. Select "Open folder to view files".
2. Double-click the .exe file to start the install.
3. A message will appear asking to allow Shepherd’s Staff to make changes to your computer. Click "Yes".
4. The Installer will appear, listing any additional software that needs to be installed. In most cases, you will need to install the recommended software. Click "Install". This will cause a new window to appear showing the progress of the required software. (If the required software has previously been installed, you can skip this step.)
5. Click through the prompts and accept the license agreement when it comes up.
6. When you see the warning about temporarily disabling your anti-virus software, this needs to be done only if you are using a third-party anti-virus (if you are using only Windows Defender, you can skip to the next step.).  Click "OK" when the antivirus is disabled.
7. Continue clicking Next until the upgrade completes.
8. Click Finish and agree to restart your computer.
9. After your computer finishes restarting, open Shepherd's Staff. You will see the Database Update window. Make sure each checkbox is checked, and click "Continue" to finish updating your database.