If you locked yourself out of the system you can set a temporary password. For security reasons, you must have access to the host machine and have Administrator rights. Log onto the HoudiniEsq host machine and perform the following VERBATIM.

1. Stop the HoudiniEsq Service. You can choose to do this from Windows Services or by using the HoudiniEsqMgr.exe located in the /Program Files/HoudiniEsq folder. If you are using OSX you can stop the service by using the HoudiniEsqStop.app located under /Applications/HoudiniEsq or simply kill the Java service under Activity Monitor.

2. Locate your HoudiniEsq User Profile file (hup file extension). The name of the file corresponds with your login name, the email you use to login. HUP files are located in the /Applications or Program Files/HoudiniEsq/webapps/houdini/esb/config/users folder, e.g. admin@esq.com.hup is the default for solo users.

3. Open the file with a text editor. If you are on windows you must first run the text editor as an Administrator by Right-clicking and selecting “Run as Administrator” then open the HUP file. Not doing so will prevent you from saving the HUP file after you edit it.
WARNING do not change the user name. You can not change a user name in this way. Doing so will lock you out of the system.

4. Find the section in the HUP file that contains the following line: PWD=”gibberish“. If you have previously logged into HoudiniEsq successfully and saved your password the text between the quotes is encrypted. In this example, we use the word gibberish between the quotes to represent this fact.

5. Change the value between the quotes to an easy to remember password and save the HUP file. This is only temporary.

6. Start the HoudiniEsq service and log in with the temporary password. If you get a weak password message that is expected, proceed.

7. After logging in successfully click your name in the upper left-hand corner of the app and change your password. The HUP file will be encrypted with your secure password.

NOTE: If you are using TextEdit for OSX, please make sure that Smart Quotes are disabled. You can change this in the Preferences menu under the File dropdown or set the format to plain text. The latter is the preferred method.

1. Mistyped email address resulting in a license not being received as expected.

2. Using a temporary email address. If you use an email such as graddy378@gmail.com or any temporary email service we will reject your request. No self-respecting business uses such an email so don’t use it with us.

3. Not providing your real information or entering bogus info. We understand the need for privacy. We have no interest in using or selling your contact info. We are agents for your organization and are committed to keeping all communication confidential and private. We do not share, sell, or rent our contact lists. Here is our Privacy Policy.

4. Not being an actual business. If your business, website, or email address appears to be new or can not be confirmed your request will be rejected. Standing up a temporary website, repurposing a domain name, etc.

5. Trying to mask or hide your identity in any fashion. Using tools to mask the host machine in any way, violation of the EULA, or our Terms of Service.

We do confirm all the info you provide to us before providing a license so please don’t waste our time and yours. We believe in transparency when forming a business relationship so start on good footing.

If you think this was in error you can log in again and reregister. If the registration screen is asking for a license click the number in the upper right-hand corner of the form to reveal the registration screen once again. You may send another request. We limit requests to just 3 so make your request count.

We reserve the right to deny a license request without cause or reason.

If you are getting a login window when you try to print, run a report or view a document you must provide your IRIS password. This is expected and a security feature. Documents and Reports contain some of the most sensitive information so an additional security step is required. The good news is your browser will save this information and only ask you once.

IRIS is your organization’s file cabinet or file vault key. During installation, you were asked to provide an iris password. If you forgot, you can view what this value is set to under Config-Administrator see the Private Iris Password entry. The default user is iris all lowercase. Use these values when asked.

IMPORTANT
The iris password is valid only after you have successfully logged in. Like any file cabinet. You must first enter the building to gain access to its contents.

This is most likely caused by HoudiniEsq’s default security constraint. The default constraint is as follows; Users can only see matters they are privy to. In order for a staff member to have access to a matter and its associated records, the user must be added to the matter as a Matter Member under the matter’s Parties tab.

The only exception to this rule are users who are members of either the Admin or Super-user groups. These users can see all matters in the system but only when using the application. Users can only access matters that they are physically granted access to when accessing data outside the application. Such is the case with plug-ins and add-ins.

If you find that the matter exists and you can see it when logged into HoudiniEsq but not when using a plug-in you need to be added as a Matter Member.

In most instances the issue is the URL being used and not using the correct login info.

If one of our plugins returns an error when trying to configure the plugin verify that the URL is correct. This value can be found in HoudiniEsq under Config-Adminstrator see Plugin URL entry e.g. http://localhost/houdini/esq

If you are getting a password error it is important to keep in mind that there are two sets of passwords in HoudiniEsq. You must provide your login info and in addition, you will be required to provide the IRIS password. Also known as your organization’s file cabinet or file vault key. During installation, you were asked to provide an iris password. If you forgot, you can view what this value is set to under Config-Adminstrator see the Private Iris Password entry.

IMPORTANT
The iris password is valid only after you have successfully logged in. Like any file cabinet. You must first enter the building to gain access to its contents.

Backing up your data is a security issue and should be taken seriously. Losing client data is no different than having it stolen. You put your client’s data at risk. That being said there is no need to back up the entire HoudiniEsq application since you can always download a new copy free of charge. To backup your HoudiniEsq data — point your backup software to the following location.

/Program Files or Applications/HoudiniEsq/webapps/houdini/esb
This is the data folder and contains all of your data including your configuration, templates, reports, and documents.

You should have your backup software perform a routine backup at least once a day preferably between 1 AM and 3 AM when your computer is idle and no one is on the system. The faster backups are performed the better.

Moving your data to a new host machine involves a few steps. When you move any HoudiniEsq database it becomes inactive. You will be required to relicense the database. The steps below include re-licensing your database. For the best results please follow the instructions below verbatim.

IMPORTANT Do not proceed without a recent backup of your data. This is the best practice.

REQUIREMENTS To move your HoudiniEsq database to a new host machine you must have administrator rights to both the current and target host computers.

INSTRUCTIONS

on the HOST machine

1. Log into your current HoudiniEsq instance and navigate to Config-Administrator. Click the Delete-Renew icon to request a new license. Select a Standard License and click submit. Do not fill out the registration, log out by clicking your browser’s refresh icon. The purpose of this step is to deactivate the database so it can be moved to a new host machine. This is the only way to move a HoudiniEsq database.

Not performing the above step will prevent your database from being licensed on the new host computer. Please follow the remaining directions verbatim for a painless move.

2. Stop the HoudiniEsq service on the current host machine. On windows, this is performed under Services. On OSX run the HoudiniEsqStop.app. Please be sure to close the app window before trying to start the service once again.

3. Zip up the esb folder on the current host machine. /Program Files or Applications/HoudiniEsq/webapps/houdini/esb
The esb folder is your data folder and contains all of your data including your configuration, templates, reports, and documents. Do not include anything else in the zip.

on the TARGET machine

4. On the target machine download the latest HoudiniEsq installer and run the installer. When the install completes and a login screen is displayed in the browser on the target machine stop, do not log in. Bookmark the URL. We will return to it momentarily.

5. Stop the HoudiniEsq service on the target machine as you did in step 2 above. On windows, this is performed under Services. On OSX run the HoudiniEsqStop.app. Please be sure to close this utility app window before trying to start the service once again.

6. On the target machine rename the esb folder to esb_bak. Rename to /Program Files or Applications/HoudiniEsq/webapps/houdini/esb_bak.

7. Drop the zip file created in step 3 above into the following location and unzip it on the target machine to replace the esb folder with your data from the current host machine. Unzip the file in this location /Program Files or Applications/HoudiniEsq/webapps/houdini/

8. Start the HoudiniEsq service on the target machine. On windows, this is performed under Services. On OSX run the HoudiniEsqStart.app. Please be sure to close any HoudiniEsq utility app windows before trying to start the service once again.

9. Using the bookmark you created in step 4 above launch the HoudiniEsq login window with your browser.

10. Log in to the new target machine using the password you used on the old host machine. If your login is successful you will be presented with the registration form. Fill it out and click submit. You will receive a new license for the new host machine via the email provided. If you are presented with a paste license screen click the number in the upper right-hand corner of the window to toggle between the paste license and registration screens.

Yes. HoudiniEsq is 100% web-based so access across a wide variety of devices and platforms is supported. Remote access is a choice you make as an organization. You can choose to allow your staff to work on-the-go with an iPad or phone from home, a courtroom, or the beach. Your very own private Cloud.

You can access HoudiniEsq over a local network, a wide-area network, and the Internet. However, security is paramount. 

Requirements
Secure remote and private cloud access will require a static IP address which you can obtain from your Internet Service Provider. Think of an IP address as a phone number to a computer on the Internet. A nonstatic IP address changes from time-to-time. You will also need a Domain Name and a 256Bit SSL Certificate. Think of a Domain name as the speed dial name of the phone number you want to call. It is easier to remember a name such as mylawfirm.com. The SSL Certificate is required to secure the connection from a man in the middle attack (encrypts your data between browser and server). All of the above is the best practice.

Too much of a hassle? 
You can forgo all the hassles and sign-up for a HoudiniEsq Cloud account and start today. With a Cloud account, we manage everything for you including tiers of backups, security, hardware, and all software updates and you always have secure 24/7 access from just about anywhere in the world.

Yes. In fact, you can switch from On-premise to the Cloud as well. The product is identical regardless of how it is deployed so no learning curve to move. If you decide to make a change it is as easy as zipping up your data and dropping it into the new deployment.

No. This is not the best practice. The host machine HoudiniEsq is installed onto should only be used to secure your data nothing more. If you don’t have enough space to store your data on the device’s primary drive then the host machine is obviously being used for another purpose other than securely hosting your data.

Installing onto an external or network drive poses a potential security risk. The host machine should have limited access to your network, Internet, staff, and generally the outside world. Most security issues arise from unnecessary complexity. Keep things simple and maintainable.