Setting Up Qtegra for ICP-MS on a New Windows 10 PC

Backing Up Qtegra on the Old Computer

Back up the entire Qtegra folder located in the following location: C:\ProgramData\Thermo on the old computer.

 

Capturing Qtegra Configurations

Note: If you are not able to open Configurator to access the configurations, it may be possible to retrieve the configurations using the steps in this knowledge article: No Access to Experiment Configurations when Reinstalling Qtegra

1. Open Configurator 
2. Navigate to Experiment Configurator 

3. Record the list of configurations
    Note: One easy way to do this is to take a screen capture as in Figure 1. It is helpful to expand the configurations before taking the screen capture so that the plugins     contained within each configuration can be noted.

  Figure 1: Experiment Configurations

4. Find the active configuration (evident by black checkmark in icon) as demonstrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Active Configuration

5. Right-click on iCAPQ plugin and select Edit settings as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Edit the plugin settings

6. Note the Settings for that particular plugin. One easy way to do this is to take a screen capture of the settings for each plugin like that seen in Figure 4.

Figure 4: iCAP Q plugin settings

7. If you have additional plugins in that configuration, they will appear as an additional tab as can be seen with the ASX-520 plugin in Figure 5.

  Figure 5: Plugin tab

Click on the additional plugin tab(s), if applicable to your configuration, and note their Setting(s) as demonstrated in Figure 6.
Note: Some plugins, such as ESI, will have multiple menus you will need to capture settings from.

Figure 6: ASX-520 plugin settings
Note: If you use multiple configurations in your day-to-day analysis, you will need to note the Settings of any additional plugins contained in those configurations as well.

New Instrument License Seat

When Qtegra is licensed on a PC, the processor name is referenced to the license. Therefore, another “Instrument seat” will need to be added to your license in order to install and license Qtegra on the new computer. Request a new Instrument license seat to be added by contacting Technical Support at: us.techsupport.analyze@thermofisher.com. In the email you will need to provide your Qtegra license key and also something to the effect that you are installing Qtegra on a new computer.

Setting Up the New Computer

Viewing File Extensions

By default the “Program Data” folder is hidden. Please do the following to make it viewable:
1) Click on File Explorer  in the Windows taskbar. If File Explorer is not present there, click on Search   and then type in “File Explorer”.

2) Click on the View tab

3) Check the Hidden items checkbox in the Show/hide section of the View ribbon

4) The ProgramData folder will now be visible when navigating to the C: drive

 

Create a System Restore Point

1) Click Search  and then type in “Create a restore point” in the search box

2) An entry entitled “Create a restore point” will appear. Click on this entry.

 

3) The System Properties popup window will appear. Click 
    Note: If System Protection is turned off, you will need to turn it on by clicking   and then selecting the radio button: Turn on system protection                   

 

4) Name the restore point and click 
    Choose a name that is relevant to the changes which will be made after the restore point has been created. For instance, since you are installing the Qtegra software, you     might want to choose a name which references the Qtegra software version you will install.

 

Installing Qtegra on the New Computer

Install Qtegra using the Qtegra ISDS Software for ICP-OES and ICP-MS Installation Guide

Installing Backed Up Files

Copy the files contained in the folders referenced in Table 1 for an iCAP Q instrument, Table 2 for an iCAP RQ instrument, and Table 3 for an iCAP TQ instrument from the backed up Qtegra location to the same folders on the new PC

Table 1: iCAP Q Directory Reference Table

 

Table 2: iCAP RQ Directory Reference Table

 

Table 3: iCAP TQ Directory Reference Table

 

Note: If you are using an ESI FAST system and have created a custom FAST method, you will also want to copy custom methods from the backed up location: Qtegra\_Application Data\ESI\Methods to C:\ProgramData\Thermo\Qtegra\_Application Data\ESI\Methods on the new computer.

Create Configurations

The configurations captured in the Capturing Qtegra Configurations section of this knowledge article are stored in the file “ExperimentConfigDatabase.qtexpcfg” and/or "ExperimentConfigDatabase.imexpcfg files which are located in the _Application Data directory.

Copy these file(s) from the backed-up location to C:\ProgramData\Thermo\Qtegra\_Application Data on the new PC which makes it simpler to update the configurations on the new PC as you don't have to manually input this information

Restore Plugin Settings

Input any changes to the default settings for the different plugins being used according to what was recorded in the Capturing Qtegra Configurations section of this document.
Note: If you are upgrading Qtegra from a version previous to Qtegra 2.7 SR2 (2.7.2425.154), please change the values for Nebulizer Flow and Nebulizer Purge Time in the Instrument plugin settings to those reflected in Figure 7. These changes were part of the automated plasma ignition and shutdown routines which have been modified since Qtegra 2.7 SR2 in order to improve robustness. However, these two settings will not be automatically updated in existing Configurations and therefore have to be manually updated. Please reference the Qtegra 2.7 SR2 release notes for more information about these changes implemented to improve robustness.

  Figure 7: Nebulizer Flow and Purge Time Startup Settings