Log in with your Site Manager ID and password after clicking the User Management Login link located on the Checkpoint sign in page, or go to http://cpadmin.riag.com.
Web-based services operate in a "stateless" environment. Instead of being permanently connected to a database (as you are during a research session via a proprietary service), Checkpoint users continuously send requests to the Checkpoint server in Eagan, MN. A query or request could be a search or merely a request to view a document. Once a user receives the requested information from the server, the user is no longer connected to the server. Since there is no permanent connection during a research session, Checkpoint does not charge by connection time.
While a user may maintain an open connection to the ISP, the actual rate of transactions sent to Checkpoint will vary based on the number of queries submitted to the server.
Checkpoint is accessible via any Internet Service Provider (ISP) including America Online (AOL), Compuserve or the Microsoft Network (MSN), as long as the service is using Netscape Navigator 7.0 or higher, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or higher.
We have designed Checkpoint to operate as fast as possible, with strict server processing time requirements (the time needed to receive, process, and respond to a user query). However, actual speed and reliability performance depends on the level of service that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides. The better your ISP and connection, the faster Checkpoint will respond to your commands.
Remember, not all ISPs are configured to achieve the same performance standards. Some oversubscribe their services. Please review the reliability and support benchmarks that your ISP provides.
The Checkpoint Web Servers are located in Eagan, MN. Checkpoint has a complete backup system to provide 100% redundancy (backup) in the event our primary system experiences difficulties.
Checkpoint has been designed to support single user dial-up access over a 28.8kbps modem connection. However, while we have designed our system to incorporate minimal server processing time (the time to receive, process, and respond to a user query), overall performance may vary greatly depending on the Internet Service Provider (ISP) you use to establish your Internet connection.
Customers who are concerned about protecting their internal network should implement a network firewall. Network firewalls are the physical implementation of a company's security and network usage policies. Corporate security policies vary for each customer depending on the company's management objectives. Several ISPs provide firewall services.
Some of the most powerful, unique functions in Checkpoint require "personal" information to be stored on our server, such as your search history and saved searches. This "personal" information is stored on the server according to a User ID. It is not stored on a user's hard drive, so it doesn't take up valuable storage space. In order to ensure that other users cannot access a user's personal information and "customized" options, special security precautions are implemented in Checkpoint.
The data used to provide this unique functionality is stored and secured in an Oracle Relational Database Management System (Oracle RDMBS).
Checkpoint subscribers may use existing, or install new, network firewalls between their existing networks and Checkpoint. These network firewalls must be configured to allow Web network protocols to pass bi-directionally. If you have a proxy server in place, you should set No Proxies for:
- Checkpoint.riag.com: 80
- cpadmin.riag.com:80
A proxy server is a special type of firewall which acts on behalf of many individual users in screening network traffic into, and out of, a company's network. Typically, an Internet proxy server is used to gather all user requests, forward them out to the Internet, receive the responses, and in turn forward them to the originating requester. To the individual user, the proxy server is invisible, that is, all Internet requests and returned responses appear to be directly with the Internet server addressed via a specified URL. To the external world, a proxy server appears as a single network user submitting requests, and advertises only one network address on behalf of many local users.
A proxy server provides two distinct firewall services. First, it limits the Internet services to which users of a company's network may access. For example, a company's security policy may dictate that corporate network users are allowed e-mail and web access, while prohibiting file transfer capabilities. Second, the proxy server limits a company's network appearance to the outside world by masking internal address schemes, thereby minimizing hacker access to a company's internal resources.
A proxy server is often implemented to address an aspect of a company's network security policy and may consist either of a standalone server (hardware and software), or it may be implemented as part of a more extensive network firewall implementation.
Web browsers -- both Netscape and Internet Explorer -- allocate PC disk space, or cache, to store copies of the most recent Web pages accessed. The size of this cache is generally user definable (see "options" in Netscape), and measured in megabytes of disk space. The cache also has a timed retention period to ensure that data is not retained beyond its useful life.
When using Checkpoint, we recommend that you configure Netscape or Internet Explorer to compare objects stored in cache with the originals located on the Checkpoint server each time they are retrieved. This will insure that you always retrieve the most current copy of a document.
The objective of a "PC cache" is to reduce access retrieval time by copying data directly from a PC's local hard drive rather than waiting for response from a remote server. Caching is appropriate for situations in which: a) the same piece of data is repeatedly accessed over a short period of time, and b) there is no likelihood of the original data having been changed.
Yes, Checkpoint uses cookies for security purposes. Your computer must be able to accept cookies in order to use Checkpoint. You can configure Netscape so that it does not send you an alert every time a cookie is sent.
Requirements for Checkpoint are available in System Requirements.
Recommended minimum browser requirements for Checkpoint are a minimum of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x or FireFox 1.0 or Netscape Navigator 7.0. Internet Explorer 7.0 is supported.
Also all the minimum requirements for Checkpoint are available in the System Requirements document.
You can use the "We value your feedback" link on the left Tools menu of the Checkpoint login page at http://checkpoint.riag.com.
You can print any document from the Table of Contents by clicking the print symbol next to the document name. You can select multiple documents to print by clicking the print symbol next to other documents.
To view Checkpoint On Demand Training related to printing multiple documents, click here. (Note: Macromedia Flash Player is required.)
The Newsstand options are available by clicking Options, then Newsstand on the left sidebar.
There are four sets of Newsstand options. Each set of options allows you to configure a different aspect of the Checkpoint Newsstand including view, display, and e-mail newsletters.
You cannot edit the Guides in Checkpoint because they are locked-down PDF documents. You must purchase e-Tools for editable versions of the documents.
e-Tools are installed from Checkpoint, but they are not accessed from there. They are installed to your PC, and you can access them from there.
The PPC button works only if you subscribe to the related PPC Deskbook on Checkpoint (1040, 1041, 1065, 1120, 1120S).
The RIA button works only if you subscribe to the related RIA Reference Guide for UltraTax CS on Checkpoint (1040, 1041, 1065, 1120/1120S, 706, 709, 5500, 990).
UltraTax CS users must manually install the icons for their Checkpoint products and services, including PPC Deskbooks, RIA Reference Guides for UltraTax CS, and/or Tax Alerts. From the UltraTax CS toolbar, click Setup and then User Preferences. Click the TTA Research tab. Select the check boxes for the Checkpoint titles to which you subscribe, and then click OK. Please note that if you check off Checkpoint title(e) to which you do not subscribe, you will receive a "do not subscribe" message when clicking on the icon.
This can be the result of your browser's cache not being clear. To clear your cache locally in Internet Explorer, go to Internet Options/Temporary Internet Files/Delete Files. A window appears concerning subscription content. Click OK. To clear your cache locally in Netscape, from the Edit menu, select Preferences, then Advanced, then Cache. Then click Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache.
The Keyword Search screen accommodates keyword searching and often yields results that are broad enough to require a certain amount of browsing. Citation Search, on the other hand, allows you to use pre-designed templates to search for a specific type of information by topic, industry, department, publication source, primary source material, agency documents, or other identifiers peculiar to the source you are searching. Citation Search results are often narrower than results retrieved from the Keyword Search screen because the parameters of the Citation Search are configured to retrieve documents that contain unique information.
Your decision to browse search results from a list or table of contents format will depend upon your personal preference.
The Source List shows search results in terms of the number of documents found for each source you searched. From the Source List, you can access the Document List, which contains links to all the documents within a particular source that matched your search terms. Both lists present detailed information concerning your search that is not visible on the Table of Contents. However, the Table of Contents format provides a better idea of the context in which your search results documents are located, letting you trace the source of a document in a way not available from the List screens. Both formats basically offer different views of the same information.
You may be using keywords that are either too broad or too narrow. Reframe the terms of your search. Stay away from commonly used words such as tax or deduction. Because they occur so frequently, they may not get you any closer to finding answers. Similarly, keywords that are too specific may fail to give you access to documents that may be of use to you. You may want to refine your search by using search connectors.
Consider also who wrote the materials you seek. Many sources containing official source material use legal language that makes keyword searching more challenging. You may, in this case, consider using Citation Search.
Checkpoint incorporates the Scheduled Search feature to enable you to receive the benefit of automatic updates of your most frequently executed searches.
In order to schedule a search to run, you must first save it. On the top toolbar, click History. Select the search you want to save from the Search History table by clicking Save. In the Naming Option section, either give the search a unique name, or select a prior search to replace the current search. Be aware that the latter option will overwrite the previously named search. In the Scheduling Option section, select the radio button beside a search frequency (for example, weekly or monthly) and choose a day of the week or month that you want the search to run.
You may also schedule a search run for a previously saved search. From the top toolbar of any screen, click My Folders. Choose a search to schedule and, in the Search Name column, click Schedule to access the Save Search screen. In Scheduling Options, select the search frequency, the day for the search to run, and the time.
After you have entered your scheduling information, it is important to click Save at the bottom of the Save Search screen. If you do not click Save, the search will not run. The results of a scheduled search are indicated in the Saved/Scheduling Information column of the My Folders screen.
To speed up your search, check the speed of your Internet connection, traffic on the web, and network if applicable, the speed of your modem if you are using a dial-up connection, and the settings and version of your browser. For further details on this issue, contact Technical Support.
Another way to speed up your search is to reduce the number of sources being searched.
The bookmark has become corrupted. Delete the current bookmark, type the URL, and then bookmark it again.
You may have entered the wrong User Name and/or User Password. Re-enter your name and password in the appropriate fields and click Login. If your subscription has expired, you will have to renew it before you can gain access to Checkpoint. If, after logging in, the opening page still fails to appear, the problem could be at our end. The site may be down or under construction. Please call Technical Support at 1-800-431-9025, prompt 4 if, after a few attempts, the opening page does not render.
You are most likely using AOL as your browser. This error will not occur if you switch to Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
While logged on to Checkpoint, go to the Options screen and click the Personal/Password link. Click the Change Password button and follow the instructions in the Change Password dialog.
To view Checkpoint On Demand Training for passwords, click here. (Note: Macromedia Flash Player is required.)
Your Checkpoint password must:
- be at least 7 characters long with a maximum of 20 characters.
- include at least one alphabetic and one numeric character.
- not contain spaces.
Passwords are not case sensitive. An example of a valid password is: 123abc456.
If you have any issues creating a password, please contact RIA Technical Support at 1-800-431-9025, prompt 4.
Only a site manager can change a user ID. Log in to the User Management System. Click List Users, and choose the user by clicking the number to the left of the user ID. Then click Edit to modify the user ID. You must click Update to confirm the changes.
This message usually indicates that your ID is already in use at another workstation. You may have closed an earlier browser session without logging out. A given user ID can only accommodate one user at a time.
You could also receive this message if you are not accepting cookies on your computer.
Click this email link and complete the e-mail support request form. A response will be sent to your e-mail address.
RIA is continually upgrading its Checkpoint software in an effort to provide you with the simplest yet most comprehensive research tool. Though upgraded features may seem foreign to you at first, we are sure that once you get a chance to test them out, you will become comfortable with them and appreciate their versatility. Your ability to use these new features should in no way be impaired by any modifications since you are already familiar with their basic functionality. If you need assistance, you can access Checkpoint Help from the Top Toolbar.
Special characters are allowed.
No, spaces are not allowed.
Your Checkpoint password must:
- Be at least 7 characters; with a maximum of 20.
- Contain at least one alphabetic and one numeric character must be present.
- Can not contain spaces.
Example of a strong password: newyork1234
No, passwords are not case sensitive.
In light of today's increasing hacker sophistication, it is no longer sufficient to rely solely on firewalls and other data center tools to keep applications secure. These password requirements offer an extra aspect of security.
Yes, A site manager can request a change to a client password via CUAS change Password screen. They do not need to contact support to perform change, but support is always available to assist.
It should work as it does today. You either save your new password on the new password screen or cancel.
There are no Active products assigned to that ID. The Site Manager for the account needs to log into Checkpoint User Administration and assign an Active Order to that ID.
If you use Internet Explorer 5.x, you must ensure that your network accepts JavaScript through the firewall. Otherwise, the top toolbar and navigation buttons may not appear.
It is recommended that you used Intenet Explorer 6.x or higher.
Tax Dictionary is a separate product that you can purchase as an add-on to your application. Contact your RIA sales representative for more information, or call 1-800-950-1216.
This problem can only be fixed by adjusting the resolution of your monitor. Use the Windows Settings feature. The optimal setting is 800 x 600.
RIA is continually upgrading its Checkpoint software in an effort to provide you with the simplest yet most comprehensive research tool. Though upgraded features may seem foreign to you at first, we are sure that once you get a chance to test them out, you will become comfortable with them and appreciate their versatility. Your ability to use these new features should in no way be impaired by any modifications since you are already familiar with their basic functionality. If you need assistance, you can access Checkpoint Help from the Top Toolbar.
Make sure that the Practice Area drop-down menu on the Research tab is set to Federal.
After you have executed a search that you want to save, click Save or Schedule Search under Search Tools on the left sidebar of the Document List or Source List screens. This will take you to the Save or Schedule Search screen where you can save the search in a personal folder. To retrieve a previously saved search, click the My Folders link on the top toolbar. Locate the search in the Search Name column and click the
icon.
For further information, see Saving a Search.
Documents remain in your folders indefinitely, unless you delete them.
Log in with your Site Manager ID and password after clicking the User Management Login link located on the Checkpoint sign in page, or go to http://cpadmin.riag.com.
Go to the login page and click the Forgot your Password/User Name? link. Type your e-mail address in the User Name field. (Make sure you have the correct e-mail address.) Click the Get Password button. Your password will be sent to your e-mail address.
Note: A site administrator can change a user’s password but cannot view it. Ensure that your site administrator has your correct e-mail address in CUAS. If the e-mail address that you enter is different from the e-mail address that was previously entered for you in CUAS, your password will be sent directly to the original e-mail address instead of to the e-mail address you just entered.
From the Main Menu of the Checkpoint User Administration System, click List Users. From the list of users that appears, select the number next to a User Name to open the User screen for that user. From the set of commands below the user profile information, select Assign To Products to display a list of all of your subscribed products. In the Assigned Status column, select the check box next to the product that you want the user to have access to. Then click the Update button. The page refreshes, and the user will be assigned to that product.
From the Main Menu of the Checkpoint User Administration System, click List Users. Verify that the User Name exists (and does not include any extra spaces or characters). Then check the Status column on List Users to see if the status is Active (TX, UA). If the status is Inactive, the user is not assigned to an active subscription. (See the FAQ: How do I assign an order to a user?)
The site administrator assigned to your account, pre-determined by you and/or your sales representative, will log into the Checkpoint User Administration System using their same login for Checkpoint and follow the instructions from there.
From the main menu of the Checkpoint User Administration System, click View My Account. Then click List Users to display all of the users for that account. On the left side of this menu, click the number next to the User ID for the user whose information you want to edit. From the list of commands at the bottom of the screen, click EDIT. Make your changes and then click the UPDATE button.
Note: If you change the actual user ID, the password will also become the same as the changed user ID.
From the main menu of the Checkpoint User Administration System, click ADD GROUP. Name your group on the screen that appears. Then click the Continue button, and the new group will be created. You can go back to View My Account to access a list of commands for this group.
From the Main Menu of the Checkpoint User Administration System, click List Users. From the list of users that appears, select the number next to a User Name to open the User screen for that user. From the set of commands below the user profile information, select Reset User. A confirmation screen appears. Click the Continue button to confirm that the user’s ID has been reset.
Note: Resetting a user ID unassigns that ID from all orders and completely restores it to a brand new state for which the ID and password are the same, all options are at default, and no history or stored documents exist.
RIA's policy is to allow the number of users assigned to a product to be as high as the User License limit, plus one Site Manager ID. For example, if you have a 10-user license product assigned to 10 users, plus one Site Manager, then 11 IDs will be Currently Assigned.
All users are Active when they are assigned to an active subscription. If a user ID is not assigned to an active subscription or the subscription has expired or has been cancelled, then the user’s status is Inactive.
Examples of product category abbreviations are:
UA = User Administration (self)
TX = Tax (any current Checkpoint product)
Note: Ignore the following product category abbreviations: HR, CP, MAIL, TXFL, and PPC.
Select Edit Users from the command line at the bottom of the Account Screen. Type the name of each person next to a designated User ID. (The Full Name field is pre-set with the User ID.) Simply overwrite this data. Then select Update Users to save your entries.
From the Main Menu of the Checkpoint User Administration System, click List Orders. From the list of products that appears, select the number next to a product to see which users have been assigned to that product. From the set of commands below the user profile information, select Assign Users to display a list of all users in the account. Select the check box next to every user that you want to have access to this product. Then click the Update button.
RIA's CPE powered by MicroMash
The Site Manager letter contains the URL to access CPE powered by MicroMash.
- Click on the URL (http://checkpoint.riag.com) provided and it will prompt you to enter your Checkpoint User ID and password.
- From within Checkpoint, select the CPE tab.
- Click the MicroMash Login link on the left sidebar.
- Click the Let's Get Started! button on the Welcome to MicroMash screen.
This is a problem with the version of Java that Internet Explorer is trying to use. To resolve the issue do the following:
- Go to Tools/Internet Options.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Uncheck anything that has to do with Java (Sun).
- Click the Apply button.
- Close the Internet Options Window.
- Click the Back button and the page will reload with a security warning on top. Please answer yes to all security warnings, etc. They pertain only to our program and will not harm the system.
Please note, If the above does not work then you may not have Microsoft Virtual Machine installed. You may download and install it by clicking on the following link: ftp://m-mash.com/msjavx86.exe.
These applets allow you to run the course in your browser. You must click YES to these security warnings or the course will not operate correctly. You will be prompted to install and run these applets every time you open the course.
Be sure you do not have an active pop-up blocker that is preventing a second window from opening. If you have a second search bar that comes up automatically with Internet Explorer, it may have a pop-up blocker associated with it.
You may need to remove the search bar by going to:
- Start | Settings | Control Panel.
- Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
- Highlight the search bar and click Change/Remove.
This message is displayed when your browser security settings are set to high and they restrict the site from working correctly. To fix this issue, follow the steps below.
From Internet Explorer:
- Open Internet Explorer then select Tools and Internet Options.
- Click the Security tab and then click the Default Level button.
- Click OK and sign in again.
In order to get your username and password you must call Technical Support at 1-800-431-9025 Option 4.
All MicroMash on-line and download CPE courses have a Print option at the top of the course window. This feature allows the user to print the content of the course by chapter. It does not print test or study questions as these are interactive and require user input.
All MicroMash courses have a 90 day warranty and the software is licensed for use for a period of one year. All on-line courses expire in one year from date of purchase. Downloaded courses do not expire and are often used as research tools for extended periods of time past one year.
How do I access Checkpoint Administration?