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Converting
From DOS to Windows®
for the Reporting to the MAX
If you are currently using ACTPlus, StoreWare, or FUND
Accounting for DOS, you can easily upgrade to Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions® for Windows® ,
and take advantage of the power and usability that Windows based programs offer. All
Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions for Windows products (Accounting, Point of Sale, Fund Accounting,
and Payroll) feature a Windows conversion utility that automatically converts your
existing DOS data files. In other words, you can upgrade to the Windows environment, while
maintaining your company’s essential financial information.
Although the Windows product provides a complete, automatic
update path from DOS and emulates the DOS product in many ways, expect a learning curve to
be involved in the transition. Aside from certain issues that may arise during the
conversion process itself, you also need to expect that it will take some time and
practice to become familiar with the menu navigation and transaction entry procedures in
Windows. However, most new users will find it easier to learn the Windows program as the
interface is more intuitive than DOS.
The following questions and answers address some of the
primary concerns of DOS users about converting from DOS to Windows.
Q
Q Why should I upgrade to Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions for Windows?
A Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions
for Windows offers many advantages over the DOS package while maintaining the majority of
the features you’ve become accustomed to in DOS. Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions
for Windows offers many advantages over the DOS package while maintaining the majority of
the features you’ve become accustomed to in DOS.
Here are just a few of the advantages you’ll
experience when you upgrade:
- Open Database Compliance (ODBC)
- Graphical User Interface for quick, intuitive learning curve
- Powerful report writing capabilities using the add-on report
writer
- Enhanced multi-user and multi-batch processing
- User-specific and function-specific security
- Multitasking capabilities with multiple screens open at the
same time
- Dynamic sales entry screen for quickly capturing vital
transaction information
- Data Exchange module to import and export data easily
The most important reason to upgrade is that DOS is
becoming an obsolete platform. We can no longer accurately predict how long we will
continue to support DOS. Converting now will give you adequate time to run your
books side by side as you advance through the short learning curve.
Of course upgrading to the latest version of Cougar
Mountain saves you money on future upgrades and guarantees continued support for years to
come. Isn’t it time your accounting program took full advantage of your high
performance operating system and PC?
Q What are the system requirements for operating the software?
What are the system requirements for operating the software?
A In order to operate
Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions for Windows, you need the following equipment and software:
- Pentium® or faster computer
- Hard disk with at least 60 Mb of free disk space
- 32 Mb RAM or greater
- VGA or SVGA monitor
- Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions for Windows
- Windows 95, 98, or NT
Q What steps need to be taken prior to converting my data files?
What steps need to be taken prior to converting my data files?
A The conversion utility
only works with the latest versions of ACTPlus, StoreWare, and FUND Accounting for DOS.
Therefore, if you are currently using an older version of the DOS product, you must
upgrade to the latest version prior to conversion.
You must also post or clear all transaction batches, pack
your DOS data files, and back them up before you convert. If any errors or problems
occur while packing your files, you need to address them before proceeding with the
conversion.
Finally, the conversion utility places large amounts of
data in memory while converting. Make sure you have available at least twice the disk
space your current CMS directory uses (or the directory where you store your data files)
before starting the conversion.
Note
If you are currently using Multi-Location
Inventory with ACTPlus Accounting or StoreWare, and wish to convert to Point of Sale or
Accounting for Windows, you must perform a few additional steps prior to conversion.
First, transfer all of your Inventory stock items to one location. After transferring the
quantities, delete the extra stock item locations. Finally, reindex and pack your data
files. You are then ready to start the conversion.
Q How
long will the conversion take?
A The Windows product
provides a complete, automatic update path from DOS without data loss or re-entry;
however, it is not the same as upgrading to a newer version of our DOS product. In a DOS
to Windows upgrade, it takes considerably longer to convert the data, because in a DOS to
DOS upgrade only files and fields that have been changed to add a new feature must be
converted. This normally consists of a few fields in less than 5% of the files. In a DOS
to Windows upgrade on the other hand, every field in every file has to be converted.
Therefore, depending on your file sizes, it can take a long
period of time to complete a conversion. We recommend you use a single-user machine to
convert your data files. Using a 486/66, it took one hour to convert 130,000 open accounts
payable records. The same conversion over a network took four hours.
Back up your data filesBack up your data files, close all other
applications and allow plenty of time for the conversion. Because files are shared, it is
possible to generate errors if more than one person tries to convert the same files.
Q Are there any precautionary steps I can take to ensure a smooth
conversion?
Are there any precautionary steps I can take to ensure a smooth
conversion?
A In order to ease the
transition from DOS to Windows, first copy your DOS files to a different drive or
directory. This allows the Windows product to convert the copied data while the system
continues to function on the original DOS installation. When the conversion is complete,
you must then redo everything in the Windows product that has been done in DOS since the
data was copied. Finally, allow the systems to run parallel for at least two days while
various reports are compared to verify that the systems are synched.
Remember, all files should be packed and any errors found
resolved before the conversion can begin. You may wish to purge as much history as
possible before converting, and then convert only the last year or so to Windows. Consider
keeping the DOS product loaded after the conversion to look up history older than a year.
Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions for Windows is packed with
features that put you in control of your business’ financial future. Call today and
enjoy the power and flexibility you have become accustomed to with Reporting to the MAX including Point of Sale and Non-profit Versions, all in an easy to use Windows environment. |
