Paths
In the Main Menu, click Setup, Data Paths.
The Edit Paths window identifies where Open Dental should store scanned or imported images and documents, export files, and store letter merge templates
Verify all paths are accurate before pointing other computers to the server.
A to Z Images Folder for storing images and documents: Select where scanned or imported images and documents are stored (A to Z Folder).
Option 1. Store images and documents on a local or network folder:
Option 2. Store Images in Database: This option is not used often. If selected, images will be stored in the database and it will become very large. There will be no A to Z folders.
Option 3. Dropbox. Store images off site on the cloud using Dropbox (www.dropbox.com). An internet connection is required.
Option 4: Store images on a server via SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP): Store images on an FTP site using SFTP. An internet connection is required. Enter the following details:
Export Path: The path to the folder where files exported from Open Dental are stored (e.g. Reports). It can be a local or network path. If the folder does not already exist, it will be created automatically when you export a report. The default folder is OpenDentalExports.
Letter Merge Path: The path to the folder where letter templates are stored for Letter Merge. It can be a local or network path. When entering a network path, make sure the folder is shared so all computers can access it. This folder must be created manually. The default folder name is OpenDentalLetters.
When clicking OK, if a valid path for the A to Z folders was not entered, the user will not be allowed to continue.
Problem: The Edit Paths window comes up repeatedly when you start Open Dental.
Solution: The path to the OpenDentImages (A to Z) folders is invalid. Enter a correct path that can be accessed by ALL computers ALL the time (e.g. a path that starts with \\SERVER\ or similar).
A path to a mapped network drive (e.g Z:\OpenDentImages\ is not recommended. Mapped drives must be set up on each computer and sometimes computers fail to properly remap the drive on startup. For example: