Not Complicated eDiscovery – Help

Getting Started

When NoCom Discovery first opens, four large workflow buttons appear across the top of the dashboard. These buttons represent the primary steps in a typical eDiscovery project and are designed to guide a first-time user through the process in order. Create/Open Case is used to create a new .eddb case database or open an existing case. Add Evidence allows the user to select a folder of documents and index its file information into the open case. Review Evidence opens the rapid-review window, where documents can be viewed, coded, summarized, tagged, bookmarked, and marked for relevance or privilege. Produce/Export creates a controlled production of selected documents using the chosen review filters, naming convention, and Standard or Relativity export format.

A first-time user will normally proceed from left to right: create or open a case, add the evidence, review and classify the documents, and then export the appropriate documents when the review is complete. Some buttons remain unavailable until the required earlier step has been completed. For example, evidence cannot be added until a case is open, and Review Evidence and Produce/Export are unavailable until the case contains indexed documents. A status line beneath the buttons displays the active case name, the number of indexed files, review progress, and the number of AI summaries that have been created.

Creating Your First Case Database

Select Create Database to begin a new NoCom Discovery case. Enter a descriptive case name and, if applicable, a case or matter number. You may also add a short case description. Enter the name and initials of the initial administrator, who will be able to manage reviewers, tag groups, application options, and productions. A reviewer PIN is optional but recommended when multiple people will use the same computer or case database. If database encryption is available, you may also choose to encrypt the case and assign a password.

When prompted, select a secure location for the new .eddb case database. NoCom Discovery will suggest a filename based on the case name and number, such as Smith_Matter_2026-015.eddb. The database stores the indexed file information, hashes, review decisions, notes, summaries, tags, reviewer activity, and export history; the original evidence files remain in their existing location. Keep the .eddb file and original evidence in secure, backed-up locations. If encryption is enabled, store the password safely—an encrypted case cannot be opened without it.

THE DATABASE SHOULD NOT BE STORED IN THE SAME FOLDER AS THE EVIDENCE!

Where to Save the Case Database

Save the .eddb case database outside the folder containing the evidence being indexed. If the database is placed inside the evidence folder, NoCom Discovery may attempt to index the database itself. Because the database changes as files are indexed and reviewed, its size, timestamps, and hash values would continue changing and could create errors or misleading results. Instead, create a common case folder with separate subfolders for the database, original evidence, exports, and reports.

A recommended folder structure is:

Smith_Matter_2026-015/
├── Database/
│   └── Smith_Matter_2026-015.eddb
├── Evidence/
│   ├── Custodian_01/
│   └── Custodian_02/
├── Exports/
└── Reports/

With this arrangement, select only the appropriate folder under Evidence when adding documents. Save the .eddb file in the adjacent Database folder, and direct productions to the Exports folder. This keeps the original evidence separate from files created by NoCom Discovery and makes the case easier to back up, transfer, and audit.

The active database should preferably be stored on a secure local or organization-managed drive. Avoid opening an .eddb directly from OneDrive, Dropbox, a removable drive, or an unreliable network share, because synchronization interruptions or simultaneous access can damage a SQLite database. If the case must be transferred to another reviewer, close NoCom Discovery first, copy the .eddb and evidence folders together, and preserve the same folder arrangement whenever possible. Maintain a separate backup of the case database and do not modify the original evidence files.

Adding Evidence

After creating or opening a case, select Add Evidence and choose the folder containing the documents you want to review. NoCom Discovery will scan the selected folder and its subfolders, then add file information—including names, paths, sizes, timestamps, owners, file types, MD5 hashes, and SHA-256 hashes—to the case database. The original files are not moved or changed. Keep the evidence folder available in its original location so NoCom Discovery can display and export the documents during review.

Reviewing Evidence

Select Review Evidence to open the rapid-review window and begin examining the documents currently displayed in the file list. The review window opens on the selected document and follows the file list’s current sorting and filtering order. Use Previous and Next, or press Alt+Left and Alt+Right, to move between documents. You can also right-click any document in the main file list and select Open in Review Viewer to begin with that specific file. The document viewer includes Formatted, Text, and Hex tabs. Formatted view displays supported Office files, PDFs, and images; Text view shows extracted readable text; and Hex view allows examination of the file’s underlying binary content. Zoom and scrolling controls are available for supported previews, and Open Original launches the document in its associated application when a separate program is needed. Exercise caution when opening original files because some documents may contain macros, links, scripts, or other active content.

While reviewing a document, use the coding buttons to assign its Review Status, Relevance, and Privilege. You may also record whether the document is Helpful or Harmful, apply administrator-created tags, add a summary or detailed reviewer notes, and mark the document as bookmarked or a favorite. Coding selections made in the rapid-review window are saved immediately. If automatic review is enabled under Options, an Unreviewed document will be marked Reviewed after it remains open for the configured number of seconds; existing review coding is not overwritten. AI-generated summaries may also be added when AI Assistance is configured, but every generated summary should be checked by a reviewer before it is relied upon.

Use the search box, review filters, file-type selector, bookmarked or favorite filters, and right-click column filters to narrow the document list before opening the review window. For example, you can display only Relevant and Not Privileged documents, only PDFs, or documents with a particular filename or review status. Because the rapid-review window follows the visible sorted and filtered list, these tools can be used to create a focused review set. Review decisions, notes, tags, reviewer identity, and review timestamps are stored in the .eddb case database, while the original evidence files remain unchanged in their indexed locations.

After evidence is added, the user will be prompted to add “AI Summaries”; if this option is enabled the user can click “OK” and the documents will be reviewed by your choice of AI agents. You must subscribe to your own AI service – AI service is not included in the fees for this program.

Configuring the AI Agent

Open Options → AI Assistance and select Disabled, Local Agent, or Cloud Agent. For a Local Agent, enter the Ollama service address—typically http://127.0.0.1:11434 for the same computer or an approved 192.168.x.x address for another computer on the local network—and enter the installed model name. For a Cloud Agent, enter the supported cloud endpoint, model name, and API key. Select Test AI Connection to confirm that the service and model are available, then save the settings. Cloud processing should be enabled only after confirming authorization to transmit document text to the selected provider.

Generating AI Summaries

NoCom Discovery can use artificial intelligence to create a proposed summary of the readable text extracted from a document. AI Assistance is disabled by default and can be configured under Options → AI Assistance. The available modes are Disabled, Local Agent, and Cloud Agent. Disabled mode prevents the application from sending document text to any AI service. Local Agent mode connects to an Ollama-compatible service running on the same computer or on an approved 192.168.x.x private-network address. This allows document text to remain within the user’s local environment, although the organization is still responsible for securing the computer, network, AI model, and any logs created by the local service. Cloud Agent mode connects to the configured cloud AI provider and requires an API key. Because Cloud Agent mode transmits extracted document text outside the local environment, it should be used only after confirming client authorization, confidentiality obligations, protective-order requirements, and the organization’s data-handling policies.

Before generating summaries, select Test AI Connection to confirm that the configured AI service is reachable and that the selected model is available. Users may choose from four summary lengths: Less than 10 words for a very short description; Brief — Maximum 25 words for a compact overview; Concise — No More Than One Paragraph for a more informative review summary; and Full Summary for a longer description of the document’s principal content. Short summaries are useful for quickly identifying documents in a large review, while concise or full summaries may be more appropriate when additional context is needed.

A summary may be generated for the currently selected document from the Review section, or the user may select Update AI Summaries to process multiple documents in a completed case. Batch generation provides options to skip documents that already contain a summary, exclude files below a selected minimum size, and exclude specified file types that are unlikely to contain useful text. A progress window displays the current document, completed count, errors, and cancellation status. Documents for which readable text cannot be extracted may receive no summary or may be reported as an error, depending on the file type and available extraction support.

AI-generated summaries are proposed review aids and must be checked by a human reviewer for accuracy, completeness, confidentiality, and context. The AI may omit important information, misunderstand a document, or produce an incorrect description. Generating a summary does not change the document’s Review Status, Relevance, Privilege, Helpful/Harmful coding, tags, bookmarks, favorites, or production eligibility. Those decisions remain the responsibility of the reviewer.

Exporting and Producing Documents

Select Produce/Export when you are ready to copy selected documents from the case into a production folder. Begin by entering an export name and selecting a destination. Use the Review Status, Relevance, Privilege, Bookmark, and Favorite filters to identify the documents to be exported. Documents must match every populated filter category, while multiple selections within one category are treated as alternatives. For example, selecting Reviewed, Relevant, and Not Privileged will export only documents that meet all three conditions. You can also establish a naming convention by adding a common prefix, retaining or removing the original filename, and appending a sequential number with a chosen starting value and number of padded digits.

NoCom Discovery provides four export formats. Standard — Internal Use creates a folder-based production that includes the native documents, technical metadata, reviewer notes, summaries, review coding, reviewer identity, Helpful/Harmful selections, bookmarks, favorites, and custom tags. Standard — Opposing Counsel creates the same general document production while omitting internal notes, summaries, review decisions, reviewer information, tags, internal database identifiers, and absolute workstation paths. For additional protection, opposing-counsel exports automatically select only documents marked Not Privileged. If the privilege filter is manually changed to permit Unclassified, Potentially Privileged, or Privileged material, NoCom Discovery displays a warning and requires confirmation before proceeding.

Relativity — Internal Use creates a Relativity-oriented native production containing a NATIVES folder, extracted document text in a TEXT folder, a UTF-8 Concordance .dat load file in a LOADFILES folder, and a CSV verification manifest. The internal Relativity load file includes document metadata, review coding, notes, summaries, reviewer information, Helpful/Harmful selections, and each custom tag group as a separate field. Relativity — Opposing Counsel creates the same Relativity package but excludes all internal review work product, reviewer information, database identifiers, and absolute paths. The opposing-counsel load file retains the document’s substantive metadata, including filename, relative path, file type, MIME type, size, owner, attributes, MD5, SHA-256, evidence source, and stored UTC timestamps.

During every export, NoCom Discovery copies the original document, verifies the exported copy against its stored SHA-256 value, and restores the Created, Modified, and Accessed timestamps after hashing. The production manifest records whether timestamp preservation was successfully verified for each file. The .eddb database also retains a permanent internal record of the export, including the selected criteria, destination, exported files, verification results, errors, date and time, and reviewer responsible for the production. Always review the final production folder and manifest before delivering documents to another party.

Matrix of fields produced for each option:

Files created

Exported itemStandard InternalStandard OpposingRelativity InternalRelativity Opposing
Native document copies✓✓✓✓
Original folder structure✓✓——
NATIVES folder——✓✓
Extracted-text .txt files——✓✓
Relativity Concordance .dat——✓✓
Production_Manifest.csv✓✓✓✓
Database export/audit log✓ Internal✓ Internal✓ Internal✓ Internal
Restored filesystem timestamps✓✓✓✓
SHA-256 copy verification✓✓✓✓

The audit log stays inside the .eddb; it is not placed in the opposing-counsel production folder.

CSV production-manifest fields

Every option creates Production_Manifest.csv.

Manifest fieldStandard InternalStandard OpposingRelativity InternalRelativity Opposing
Control NumberBlankBlank✓✓
Original File Name✓✓✓✓
Exported File Name✓✓✓✓
Original Relative Path✓✓✓✓
Exported Relative Path✓✓✓✓
File Type/Extension✓✓✓✓
MIME Type✓✓✓✓
File Size✓✓✓✓
Created UTC✓✓✓✓
Modified UTC✓✓✓✓
Accessed UTC✓✓✓✓
Owner✓✓✓✓
File Attributes✓✓✓✓
Indexed UTC✓✓✓✓
Evidence Source label✓✓✓✓
MD5✓✓✓✓
Original SHA-256✓✓✓✓
Exported SHA-256✓✓✓✓
Export Status✓✓✓✓
Timestamp Preservation result✓✓✓✓
Export ErrorFull detailsGeneric messageFull detailsGeneric message
EDDB File ID✓—✓—
Evidence Source ID✓—✓—
Original absolute Source Path✓—✓—
Exported absolute Path✓—✓—
Indexing Error✓—✓—
Review Status✓—✓—
Relevance✓—✓—
Privilege✓—✓—
Summary, including AI summary✓—✓—
Reviewer Notes✓—✓—
Bookmarked✓—✓—
Favorite✓—✓—

“Generic message” means opposing counsel sees only something such as “Export failed; see internal case audit log,” preventing an error message from exposing an internal workstation path.

Relativity .dat fields

These appear only in the two Relativity options.

Relativity fieldInternalOpposing Counsel
Control Number✓✓
Original File Name✓✓
Native File path✓✓
Extracted Text path✓✓
File Type✓✓
MIME Type✓✓
File Size✓✓
Created UTC✓✓
Modified UTC✓✓
Accessed UTC✓✓
Owner✓✓
Attributes✓✓
MD5✓✓
SHA-256✓✓
Indexed UTC✓✓
Evidence Source label✓✓
Original Relative Path✓✓
EDDB File ID✓—
Evidence Source ID✓—
Original absolute Full Path✓—
Indexing Error✓—
Review Status✓—
Relevance✓—
Privilege✓—
Summary✓—
Notes✓—
Bookmarked✓—
Favorite✓—