How to download or update the Sidebar for Best Practice, Medical Director (Pracsoft) or Zedmed
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If you need to install HotDoc on the practice server because you are new to HotDoc or you have just performed a server migration, please see How to Install HotDoc instead. |
The HotDoc Sidebar is a requirement on your computers if your practice uses Online Bookings, Forms, or Appointment Reminders.
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You may need to download the HotDoc Sidebar if:
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Installation steps
Please follow the steps below if your practice is using Best Practice, Medical Director or Zedmed as your practice management software:
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Log in to your workstation using an administrator account.
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Click this link to download the HotDoc Sidebar installer.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to complete the installation. You can leave all settings as they are unless your IT team has advised otherwise.
| You may see security prompts from Windows or your browser during this process. This is normal – please see: Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar? |
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When the installation is complete, a HotDoc icon should appear on the desktop and toolbar, and the Sidebar should open automatically:
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Enter your registered HotDoc user account email and password, then click Log In. You should see a green Connected signal, which means you're ready to use the Sidebar.
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From here, you may wish to learn more about how to use the HotDoc Sidebar: |
FAQs
Do I need administrator access to download or update the Sidebar?
+
Yes – you'll need to be logged in to the workstation with an administrator account before running the installer.
If you don't have administrator access, please contact your Practice Manager or IT team.
Do I need to uninstall the old version before updating?
+
No, you can run the installer over the existing version. The installer will update the Sidebar without requiring you to remove it first.
Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar?
+
Windows and some browsers will display security prompts during the download and installation process. These are standard Windows security checks – the HotDoc Sidebar is safe to install. Here's what to do if you see one:
Open File warning
If Open File cannot verify the publisher, select Run.
Browser download warning (Microsoft Edge)
If Edge flags the file as unrecognised, click the ... (more options) icon next to the download and select Keep.
Then, click Show more and select Keep anyway.
Windows SmartScreen warning
If you see a "Windows protected your PC" message, click More info, then select Run anyway to proceed with the installation.
User Account Control
If prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes to continue.
What if my practice uses a terminal server?
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If the Sidebar is installed on a terminal server, it can be enabled for all user profiles from within that environment. See How to disable or re-enable Sidebar users on a terminal server for more details.
I completed the steps but it's still not working
+
In this case, please contact HotDoc Support for further assistance, our team will be happy to help.
How to download or update the Sidebar for the HotDoc Calendar with Dental4Windows
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Log in to your workstation using an administrator account.
-
Click this link to download the HotDoc Sidebar installer.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to complete the installation. You can leave all settings as they are unless your IT team has advised otherwise.
| You may see security prompts from Windows or your browser during this process. This is normal – please see: Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar? |
-
When the installation is complete, a HotDoc icon should appear on the desktop and toolbar, and the Sidebar should open automatically:
- Enter your registered HotDoc user account email and password, then click Log In. You should see a green Connected signal, meaning you're ready to use the Sidebar!
|
From here, you may wish to learn more about how to use the HotDoc Sidebar: |
FAQs
Do I need administrator access to download or update the Sidebar?
+
Yes – you'll need to be logged in to the workstation with an administrator account before running the installer.
If you don't have administrator access, please contact your Practice Manager or IT team.
Do I need to uninstall the old version before updating?
+
No, you can run the installer over the existing version. The installer will update the Sidebar without requiring you to remove it first.
Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar?
+
Windows and some browsers will display security prompts during the download and installation process. These are standard Windows security checks – the HotDoc Sidebar is safe to install. Here's what to do if you see one:
Open File warning
If Open File cannot verify the publisher, select Run.
Browser download warning (Microsoft Edge)
If Edge flags the file as unrecognised, click the ... (more options) icon next to the download and select Keep.
Then, click Show more and select Keep anyway.
Windows SmartScreen warning
If you see a "Windows protected your PC" message, click More info, then select Run anyway to proceed with the installation.
User Account Control
If prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes to continue.
What if my practice uses a terminal server?
+
If the Sidebar is installed on a terminal server, it can be enabled for all user profiles from within that environment. See How to disable or re-enable Sidebar users on a terminal server for more details.
I completed the steps but it's still not working
+
In this case, please contact HotDoc Support for further assistance, our team will be happy to help.
How to download the Sidebar for HotDoc Calendar
- Log in to your workstation using an administrator account.
-
Click this link to download the HotDoc Sidebar installer.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to complete the installation. You can leave all settings as they are unless your IT team has advised otherwise.
| You may see security prompts from Windows or your browser during this process. This is normal – please see: Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar? |
-
When the installation is complete, a HotDoc icon should appear on the desktop and toolbar, and the Sidebar should open automatically:
-
Enter your registered HotDoc user account email and password, then click Log In. You should see a green Connected signal, meaning you're ready to use the Sidebar!
|
From here, you may wish to learn more about how to use the HotDoc Sidebar: |
FAQs
Do I need administrator access to download or update the Sidebar?
+
Yes – you'll need to be logged in to the workstation with an administrator account before running the installer.
If you don't have administrator access, please contact your Practice Manager or IT team.
Do I need to uninstall the old version before updating?
+
No, you can run the installer over the existing version. The installer will update the Sidebar without requiring you to remove it first.
Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar?
+
Windows and some browsers will display security prompts during the download and installation process. These are standard Windows security checks – the HotDoc Sidebar is safe to install. Here's what to do if you see one:
Open File warning
If Open File cannot verify the publisher, select Run.
Browser download warning (Microsoft Edge)
If Edge flags the file as unrecognised, click the ... (more options) icon next to the download and select Keep.
Then, click Show more and select Keep anyway.
Windows SmartScreen warning
If you see a "Windows protected your PC" message, click More info, then select Run anyway to proceed with the installation.
User Account Control
If prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes to continue.
What if my practice uses a terminal server?
+
If the Sidebar is installed on a terminal server, it can be enabled for all user profiles from within that environment. See How to disable or re-enable Sidebar users on a terminal server for more details.
I completed the steps but it's still not working
+
In this case, please contact HotDoc Support for further assistance, our team will be happy to help.
How to open the Sidebar for Genie
The HotDoc Sidebar is where you can manage patient bookings that are unable to be automatically confirmed by HotDoc.Before using the Sidebar, you must firstly set up your Genie Appointment Book and the HotDoc Dashboard by following the below guides: |
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From the HotDoc Dashboard, click the Open Sidebar link at the top right or click this link.
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When using the Sidebar for the first time, you'll need to log in using the same credentials used to access the HotDoc Dashboard:
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Once logged in, ensure to enable notifications on the web browser. You should receive a prompt at the top of the window as shown below:
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After clicking Enable Notifications, go through the steps shown in your web browser to allow notifications:
| To get started with how to process appointments in the HotDoc Sidebar, please see How to Process Appointments in the Sidebar, which explains all possible sidebar scenarios. |
How to download or update the Sidebar for Optomate practices
The HotDoc Sidebar is a requirement on your reception workstations if your practice uses Online Bookings or Appointment Reminders.
You may need to download the HotDoc Sidebar if:
- You are new to HotDoc and have just completed server installation.
- You have misplaced the HotDoc Sidebar on your current workstation.
- You have received a new workstation that requires installation.
|
If you need to install HotDoc on the practice server because you are new to HotDoc or you have just performed a server migration, please see How to Install HotDoc instead. |
If your practice is using HotDoc with Optomate, please follow these steps to download the HotDoc Sidebar:
-
Log in to your workstation using an administrator account.
-
Click this link to download the HotDoc Sidebar installer.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to complete the installation. You can leave all settings as they are unless your IT team has advised otherwise.
| You may see security prompts from Windows or your browser during this process. This is normal – please see: Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar? |
-
When the installation is complete, a HotDoc icon should appear on the desktop and toolbar, and the Sidebar should open automatically:
-
Enter your registered HotDoc user account email and password then click Log In. You should see a green Connected signal, meaning you're ready to use the Sidebar!
| To get started with how to process appointments in the HotDoc Sidebar, please see How to Process Appointments in the Sidebar which explains all possible sidebar scenarios. |
FAQs
Do I need administrator access to download or update the Sidebar?
+
Yes – you'll need to be logged in to the workstation with an administrator account before running the installer.
If you don't have administrator access, please contact your Practice Manager or IT team.
Do I need to uninstall the old version before updating?
+
No, you can run the installer over the existing version. The installer will update the Sidebar without requiring you to remove it first.
Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar?
+
Windows and some browsers will display security prompts during the download and installation process. These are standard Windows security checks – the HotDoc Sidebar is safe to install. Here's what to do if you see one:
Open File warning
If Open File cannot verify the publisher, select Run.
Browser download warning (Microsoft Edge)
If Edge flags the file as unrecognised, click the ... (more options) icon next to the download and select Keep.
Then, click Show more and select Keep anyway.
Windows SmartScreen warning
If you see a "Windows protected your PC" message, click More info, then select Run anyway to proceed with the installation.
User Account Control
If prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes to continue.
What if my practice uses a terminal server?
+
If the Sidebar is installed on a terminal server, it can be enabled for all user profiles from within that environment. See How to disable or re-enable Sidebar users on a terminal server for more details.
I completed the steps but it's still not working
+
In this case, please contact HotDoc Support for further assistance, our team will be happy to help.
How to download or update the Sidebar for Cliniko, coreplus and Nookal practices
The HotDoc Sidebar is where you manage patient bookings that are unable to be automatically confirmed by HotDoc. Before you begin, you must configure your practice management software to HotDoc using the instructions in the article below:
- How to Configure Cliniko for HotDoc
- How to configure coreplus for HotDoc
- How to configure Nookal for HotDoc
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Please note: You will need to log into your workstation with an administrator account to download the Sidebar. If you are using Windows, please install the Sidebar. If you are using Mac, please use the web version. |
Installed version of the Sidebar
-
Log in to your workstation using an administrator account.
-
Click this link to download the HotDoc Sidebar installer.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to complete the installation. You can leave all settings as they are unless your IT team has advised otherwise.
| You may see security prompts from Windows or your browser during this process. This is normal – please see: Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar? |
- When the installation is complete, a HotDoc icon should appear on the desktop and toolbar, and the Sidebar should open automatically:
| To get started with how to process appointments in the HotDoc Sidebar, please see How to Process Appointments in the Sidebar, which explains all possible sidebar scenarios. |
Web version of the Sidebar
You can open the web version of the Sidebar to use in a browser, however, for an optimal experience, we encourage you to download the installed version using the instructions above. To use the web version:
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From the HotDoc Dashboard, click the Open Sidebar link on the bottom left-hand side of the navigation bar
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This will open the Sidebar in a web browser where you can log in with your HotDoc user account email and password:
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Once logged in, you should receive a notification to enable notifications on the web browser. Select Enable notifications, and go through the steps in your browser to allow notifications for the site:
FAQs
Do I need administrator access to download or update the installed version of the Sidebar?
+
Yes – if you're using the installed version, you'll need to be logged in to the workstation with an administrator account before running the installer.
If you don't have administrator access, please contact your Practice Manager or IT team.
If I'm using the installed Sidebar, do I need to uninstall the old version before updating?
+
No, you can run the installer over the existing version. The installer will update the Sidebar without requiring you to remove it first.
Why am I seeing a security warning when downloading or installing the Sidebar?
+
Windows and some browsers will display security prompts during the download and installation process. These are standard Windows security checks – the HotDoc Sidebar is safe to install. Here's what to do if you see one:
Open File warning
If Open File cannot verify the publisher, select Run.
Browser download warning (Microsoft Edge)
If Edge flags the file as unrecognised, click the ... (more options) icon next to the download and select Keep.
Then, click Show more and select Keep anyway.
Windows SmartScreen warning
If you see a "Windows protected your PC" message, click More info, then select Run anyway to proceed with the installation.
User Account Control
If prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device, select Yes to continue.
What if my practice uses a terminal server?
+
If the Sidebar is installed on a terminal server, it can be enabled for all user profiles from within that environment. See How to disable or re-enable Sidebar users on a terminal server for more details.
I completed the steps but it's still not working
+
In this case, please contact HotDoc Support for further assistance, our team will be happy to help.