Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most common questions about Parish Record Keeper — its costs, compatibility, system requirements, privacy, and how to get support.

1. What does Parish Record Keeper cost?

You are invited to make a donation of your choice to Lumimba Parish (Zambia), where this application was developed. Lumimba Parish is situated in one of the poorest rural areas of Zambia, where the Church supports numerous projects in education and health. Instructions on how to donate are clearly provided within the application itself.

You are welcome to test the application thoroughly before deciding whether to make a donation.

2. Is Parish Record Keeper compatible with any operating system?

No. Parish Record Keeper runs on Windows only. Both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows environments are supported.

3. Parish Record Keeper depends on Microsoft Access. What does that mean?

Microsoft Access must be installed on your computer for the application to run. This can be either the full version included in Microsoft Office (versions 2016 and later), or the free Microsoft Access Runtime, which can be downloaded from the Microsoft website. Support for earlier versions of Access is planned for future releases.

4. Can Parish Record Keeper be installed on Apple computers if Microsoft Office is installed?

No. Microsoft Access is not available for macOS, as its architecture relies on Windows-specific components.

5. Is there any way to run this application on an Apple computer?

There are two possible approaches, though neither has been tested by the developer. Try them at your own risk.

Virtualisation

This is generally considered the most reliable method. Virtualisation software lets you run a full version of Windows as an application inside macOS, without rebooting your Mac.

• Parallels Desktop — Highly optimised for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4). Includes a "Coherence Mode" that lets you run Access alongside your regular Mac applications.
• VMware Fusion — Offers a free version for personal use and supports Windows on Apple Silicon.
• UTM — A free, open-source option based on QEMU. Requires more technical setup, but costs nothing.

Cloud-Based & Remote Options

These approaches let you access a Windows environment over the internet, without any local installation.

• Windows 365 (Cloud PC) — Microsoft provides a virtual Windows machine in the cloud, accessible via a web browser or the Windows App.
• Remote Desktop — Use the free Microsoft Remote Desktop application to connect to an existing Windows PC or server.

Practical Tips

• Memory: Allocate at least 8 GB of RAM to the virtual machine for smooth VBA performance.
• File sharing: Keep your .accdb files in a Mac folder; virtual machines can map these directly.
• Access Runtime: Use the free Access Runtime — since you only need to run databases rather than design them, the full version of Access is not required.

6. Does the application collect any user data?

No. The application does not collect or store any of your data. Every two weeks it connects to the Parish Record Keeper website solely to check for available updates; no system information or personal data is transmitted or recorded in the process. No data streams of any kind are produced or harvested.

7. Can I contact the developer for support?

Yes — though please bear in mind that support is offered on a best-efforts basis, not as an obligation. The developer is genuinely interested in feedback and wants to improve the product, but works full-time in a demanding pastoral ministry in a rural parish. Support can only be given in his free time, whenever that becomes available.

You can reach the developer at developer@parishrecordkeeper.com. Patience is appreciated.