Support - Frequently Asked Questions

Which versions of Windows will the software run in?

It will run on all PC versions of Windows from Windows 98 onwards. It will not run in Windows 95 or NT 4.0. However, the older v3.xxx (developed with Microsoft Visual FoxPro 6, and later FoxPro 7) will run in all PC versions of Windows including 95 and NT 4.0. The older version can be downloaded from Previous Versions.

Just been looking at your accounts software, is it really free?

Yes, it really is free.  No restrictions, fully functioning.

On all printed and HTML documents (like invoices, statements, remittances advices, etc) at the bottom it prints a message saying 'Accounts software from www.adminsoftware.biz', also when you exit the software it always starts up your default web browser and goes to our web site.   Most people consider this a very small 'price' to pay for such a comprehensive free accounts system.

However, if you want to remove the advertising message on documents, and don't want the bother of the system going to our web site every time you exit the accounts system, you can purchase a Software Registration Key off our web site which will prevent these things happening. You can do this at any time, regardless of how long you've been using the program.

Does the software need an internet connection?

No, is the quick answer. ALL your data is stored on your computer or network. No data is stored on our website/server, and so no internet access is required in order for Adminsoft Accounts to run. The Freeware version will attempt to start up your default web browser when you exit the system. But this is for support and marketing purposes. It tells us how many people are using our software, and it displays a web page that displays adverts and keeps you up to date of developments here at Adminsoft. We recommend you allow it to connect to the internet, but it is not necessary. The software will run quite happily with no internet connection.

Note, the full product (ie. not Freeware) does not automatically access our web site on close down.

I wanted to download and try out AutoManager, but can only find Adminsoft Accounts?

Adminsoft Accounts incorporates AutoManager. If you download Adminsoft Accounts, when you install it you will have the option of selecting AutoManager (and Shop/Cafe Manager).

What is the User ID and Password?

When you first install the software a user is created automatically. The user ID is the word FIRST and there is no password.

For versions of the software before v3.106 the user ID and the password were both the word DEMO This was changed in later versions of the software, as the user ID was confusing users as to whether they were running the software in Demo mode.

However, from v3.149 onwards, the system does not ask for a user name and password when it starts up. In order to make it force users to login with a user name (and password if you set one up), you must go to the 'Maintain Users' option, and click on the 'Force users to login to the system' check box in the bottom left hand corner of the form.

Do I need to register the software?

On installation, the software asks for your name, company/organization name and address, and email address. These details are automatically passed over the internet to Adminsoft. Your email address will only be used by Adminsoft very occasionally. Note, if your computer is not connected to the internet at the time of installation, the installation process will continue, and the software will run.

Can I install Adminsoft Accounts onto a USB stick and use it on other computers?

Yes you can. Simply plug your USB memory stick into your computer, download Adminsoft Accounts, and during the installation process select your memory stick as the place to install the software. Unlike most other accounts packages, Adminsoft Accounts does not copy DLL files into your system folder, or require registration of files, or update your system registry in any way (unless using the internal email system). This means, once you have installed the software on your USB memory stick, you can unplug it from your computer, plug it into another computer, and it will run straight away (the file to start it is accounts.exe). No fuss, it couldn't be easier.

However, there is an exception. If you use the built in email facilities it will need to copy a dll file into your Windows system folder and register it. It will do this automatically (it will ask you first). If you keep using different computers, every time you use the email it will check, and if necessary install the dll. It may require you to enter a different SMTP server (Setup->Miscellaneous->Defaults and Variables). It doesn't make the system any less portable, but it does mean if you use the email facility it will leave a small 'footprint' on each host machine.

I have purchased a Software Registration Key, can I still upgrade to the latest version?

Yes you can. If you purchased a Software Registration Key, it will continue to work when ever you install the latest version of Adminsoft Accounts v3.xxx or v4.xxx.

Can I use Adminsoft Accounts over the internet?

Yes you can, but.... The software has been developed in Microsoft Visual FoxPro v9 to work single user on a Windows PC or multi-user across a LAN (Local Area Network). It can not run directly off a web server, with users using a browser as the client. As you would with applications developed in HTML, PHP, Java, etc. To run Adminsoft Accounts over the internet you have to set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network). VPN software is available from several vendors, some offer the software for free. VPN allows you to connect several computers together across the internet as if they were connected as a LAN. Due to bandwidth limitations, it does run slower than a real LAN. So the best approach is to nominate one computer as the server and place the data on that machine, then put a copy of the program (accounts.exe) on each workstation. So when ever the user accesses the system they are not downloading the program itself every time. When putting a copy of the program on a workstation, install it as usual, then delete ALL sub-folders ("ledgers" and "system". When you run the program it will then ask you where the data is located, allowing you to specify the server on your VPN.

I want to use two computers that are not networked, can I copy the accounts data from one to the other?

Yes you can. The data for each company/organization you have set up in the system is held in seperate folders. The name of the folder is the same as the company/organization code. For example, if you set up a company called Smith Inc. and give it a company code of SMITH, assuming you installed Adminsoft Accounts into the default folder, the data for this company will be held in "c:\program files\Adminsoft Accounts\ledgers\smith" (note, in some older installations the path will be "c:\Adminsoft Accounts\ledgers\smith") The "smith" folder will itself contain three other folders: "data", "docs", and "reports". Pretty self explanatory. "data" contains all the actual accounts data, "docs" contains any letters/faxes created, and "reports" contains any reports that you have told the system to save.

If you are running the system on two computers and want to work on one and then copy the data to the other, you can copy the entire "Adminsoft Accounts" folder (along with all it's sub-folders), or you can just company the specific company/organization folder. However, if just copying a specific folder you must first create that company/organization in Adminsoft Accounts on the destination computer, using the same company code, of course. Otherwise it will not know the company exists, and will not list it when you start up the accounts system.

If running the software on two or more unconnected PC's, we would recommend you run it off a USB memory stick. The problem is, it's very easy to work on one PC and then realize you haven't restored the data to it first, and now you have two copies of data that are 'out of sync'. It the whole thing is on a USB memory stick, it can't happen. Don't forget, even if the software is running off a USB memory stick you still need to back it up, just in case the memory stick should ever fail.

The system says I am not authorized to access this company/organization?

After you first install the software we strongly recommend you select a password for the default user created by the system, or setup your own user ID and password. The default user is created with 'supervisor' status, which basically provides access to all parts of the system. When creating a new user ID, if you do not give the user ID 'supervisor' status, you must click on 'Add Company' and set up a security profile for any company/organization you wish the user to have access to. If not, you get the above message when ever the user tries to access a company/organization for which they have no security profile setup.

I get a 'cursor could not be updated' message when I try to run the program?

If you are running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 the security built into these operating systems is the problem. It means the system will not allow Adminsoft Accounts to update any of it's files. So when you start the program up, it gets stuck! This usually only happens when the software is installed into 'C:\Program Files\Adminsoft Accounts'. Which is the default location for Windows XP (and earlier versions of Windows). To solve this problem, you need to install the software into the root folder (ie. C:\). This is actually the default location for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users. You can simply copy the folder 'Adminsoft Accounts' to C:\ (so the program will live in 'C:\Adminsoft Accounts'), or you can download and re-install the software. However, if you select the later, you will have to delete the folder 'C:\Program Files\Adminsoft Accounts' first. Otherwise the install will see it, and think it is just doing an update.

Is there a sample Chart of Accounts, or will I need to create my own?

When you install Adminsoft Accounts, it will create a basic Chart of Accounts for you. Of course, each business/organization is different, and each country has different accounting requirements, so you may wish to change and expand the existing Chart of Accounts.

I created an account, but I can't see it in the P and L or Balance Sheet?

Each account in the General Ledger (Nominal Ledger) needs to have a Report Group code in order for it to appear in the P and L or Balance Sheet reports. The Report Group code tells the system where you want the account to appear in the reports. If you have created a new account, and it isn't appearing on either on the reports, then you have probably not given it a Report Group code. There are a few Report Group codes set up on installation. Sufficient to produce basic reports. If you have specific requirements, you can add or delete these codes, to produce Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet reports in just about any format you need.

Is the Freeware version in US Dollars or UK Pounds?

The currency used depends on the country you selected during installation. For example, if you select USA it will operate in US Dollars, if you select India it will operate in Indian Rupees, and so on. So where ever you are, it will use your local currency, provided your country is listed, only countries where English is the first language or prominent second language appear in our list. In the unlikely event your country is not listed, please notify us and accept our apologies.

Adminsoft Accounts is multi-currency. You can set up additional currencies and use as many of them as you like in the same set of ledgers, even in the same account! Beware exchange rate problems however. Most countries have a floating exchange rate, so you will need to update the exchange rate in Adminsoft Accounts frequently. In the time between raising a sales invoice and collecting the payment (perhaps several days or weeks later), the value of the currency may well have changed. Adminsoft Accounts converts a currency into the base currency of the ledger at the time the transaction is entered, using the exchange rate you have setup for that currency. As payments are made or received, regular adjustments to the account will be required. So operating in a multi-currency accounting environment is not without problems.

If you do a great deal of trade using a currency other than your local currency, and have a bank account in that currency, you may want to consider setting up a set of ledgers that use that currency as their base currency.

How can I change the base currency?

The base currency is dependant on the country you have selected for your company/organization during installation. For example, if you selected USA, then the base currency will be US Dollars. If you need to change the base currency, you will need to change the company/organization country. When you start up the system, click on your company/organization (you may only have the one set up), then click on the 'Company Details' button.  This will display the information about your company/organization, including your 'Region', which in this context is the country.  Change this to the appropriate country for the base currency you require, and click on OK.   Note, any existing transactions will continue to use the currency that was in use at the time the transaction was entered onto the system. It is not recommended you change the base currency of a set of ledgers once you have started entering transactions because existing transactions in the Nominal Ledger (General Ledger) are always considered to be in the base currency, if that currency changes, the value of the transactions will be incorrect.

Does the system accommodate more than one bank account?

Yes, you can set up as many bank accounts as you wish. When you create a new account, just answer 'Y' to the prompt 'Cash Book A/c'. It treats cash accounts and bank accounts in exactly the same way. If you click on the 'Cash Book' option it will list all your cash accounts and bank accounts. If the new cash/bank account is to be used for sales or purchases you will need to set up a Sales and/or Purchase Payment code for it, or change the account code used by an existing Sales and/or Purchase Payment code. You can do this in Setup->Miscellaneous->Payment Types. The Payment Code is used when receiving or making payments from/to customers and suppliers. This is a safe and flexible way of implementing customer and supplier payments. It means users can only use accounts you have set up for the purpose.

Does the software handle VAT/Sales Tax Cash Accounting?

The system can indeed be set up for the VAT Cash Accounting scheme. Click on 'Setup' on the top menu bar, from drop down menu select 'General Ledger' (or it may say 'Nominal Ledger'), then Defaults and Variables.  On the left hand side of the form, there are two options for setting the 'VAT accounting scheme', one for customers and one for suppliers.  Set these to 'Cash Accounting'. In some countries, both have to be set to either 'Standard' or 'Cash Accounting', and in some countries it is acceptable to the tax authorities to run one ledger as 'Standard' and one using 'Cash Accounting'. When using cash accounting, when you run a VAT/Sales Tax period end report, only VAT/Sales Tax on invoices paid will be reported.  You should be aware however, that if an invoice is part paid, the whole VAT/Sales Tax amount will be reported.  This is a limitation of the software, in that a transaction can only appear on a VAT/Sales Tax report once. If you know in advance that an invoice is to be part paid, you may want to consider creating two invoices, one for the amount to be paid, and one that will remaining outstanding.

Sales invoices have a space for P/O Ref. but where do you enter it?

You can only enter a P/O Ref. for a sales invoice if the system is running in 'Full Details' mode. The accounts system has two modes of operation. When it starts up, by default, it runs in 'Basic Details' mode. This shows the main options a user may require, and the basic details within each accounts and invoice input form. This will actually suite many users who do not require a complicated accounts system. However, the software can be switched to run in 'Full Details' mode. In this mode ALL available options will be shown, and the main forms will contain a great deal more information. To put the system into 'Full Details' mode, simply click 'Show Full Details' on the toolbar. If you have closed the toolbar, you can re-open it by clicking on the 'Help' drop down menu, and then on "Startup Toolbar". When you create an invoice in 'Full Details' mode you'll notice there are three 'tabs' across across the form: "Test - Quantity & Prices", "Details", and "Costs". Click on "Details" and you'll see lots of input fields where you can enter a whole load of stuff, including P/O Ref. Just ignore any of the other input fields you're not interested in.

The software says 'Too many users' and won't let me in?

This could be due to too many users trying to access the system at once. If you are using a single user version (note when running as Freeware it is always single user on versions prior to v3.149, after that it is multiuser) it thinks you or someone else is already in the system. It could be you already have the software running, check your Windows task bar and make sure. If not, it could be the program abnormally terminated when it was last run, perhaps due to a computer crash, or not exiting the software prior to shutting down the computer. To get around the problem, follow this simple procedure: When you start up the software and login, and it says 'too many users', do a single left click on the user in the list (there may only be one user listed) and then click on the 'Log Out' button at the bottom.   The user should vanish.  If you click on 'OK' it should allow you back in to the system.

Uninstalling the software:

When installed Adminsoft Accounts takes up less than 20mb on your hard disk. Which is virtually no space at all in these days of multi gigabyte hard disk drives! So we haven't spent any time creating an automatic uninstall, it has to be done manually, but it is quite straightforward. You can remove it by deleting the folder "c:\program files\Adminsoft Accounts" (assuming you installed it into the default folder, also some older versions of the software installed it in "c:\Adminsoft Accounts) and by deleting the icon on your desktop.   In Windows Vista or older versions, to remove the option from your Start menu you have to single right click on the 'Start' button on the task bar, click on 'Open', you should be able to see the Adminsoft Accounts icon appear in the window, just delete that.  In Windows 7, you have to right click on the option in the Start menu, this will produce a small menu of options, click 'Remove from this list'. And that's it!

Well, more or less. There is a small complication if you have used the built in email facility. Unlike most other applications, with Adminsoft Accounts there are no DLL files to unregister and no data keys to be removed from the registry. It's a very clean install. But the email facility uses a third party product from Chilkat Software. An excellent product, but it does require registration of the file ChilkatMail2.dll To remove this registration, start up the 'Command Prompt' (Windows Start menu -> Accessories) and type in regsvr32 c:\Program Files\Adminsoft Accounts\ChilKatMail2.dll -u (if Adminsoft Accounts was installed in a different location, you will have to change the path accordingly) and press the Enter key on your keyboard. This will unregister the file. In some older versions of Adminsoft Accounts, the file got copied to your Windows system folder before being registered. In this case you would need to type in: regsvr32 \windows\system32\ChilKatMail2.dll -u and press Enter. You will also need to delete the file from your system32 folder. By the way, to exit the Command Prompt, just type the word 'exit' and press Enter.

Will the software run on Apple Mac or Linux?

Adminsoft Accounts will not run directly on the Apple Mac. But I understand emulation software exists to make the Mac operating system look like Microsoft Windows in order to run Windows software. Some of our users report that Adminsoft Accounts will run using this emulation software under OSX, but we have never tested it.

The software will run under Linux or Solaris under WINE, with compatibility set to WIN98. However, you will first have to install the software on a Windows PC and then copy it over. This is because the .exe file downloaded from our web site is actually a cab file, which requires the Windows iexpress utility to unpack. The other 'issue' is that when you exit the accounts system, when running as Freeware it tries to fire up your default browser to show our web page, but under Linux this fails. Not really a problem.

Can I import data from my old accounts system?

Maybe. If your old accounts system can output it's data in some form of ASCII file (as text or CSV say), then Adminsoft Accounts can probably load it up. The import function in Adminsoft Accounts is very flexible, and allows you to define each field in the input file, and test it prior to actually importing.

When I enter a Credit Note it increases the account balance?

This is probably because you have entered a positive value as the 'Quantity'. Each accounts system seems to have it's own way of dealing with credit notes! In Adminsoft Accounts, you should enter a negative value for 'Quantity' and a positive value for the price each. The theory being, if you're raising a credit note, it's because you are receiving something back, hence a negative value for 'Quantity'. But whether you're selling something or receiving it back, the actual value of that item will always be positive. If you enter a positive value for a 'Quantity', it will warn you, but will not stop you from doing it.

I can't send an email from within Adminsoft Accounts?

There could be one of several reasons. First thing is to make sure you have setup the email correctly. Adminsoft Accounts needs to know your email SMTP host address, any login name & password, and a port number (if any port other than the usual port 25 is used). To do this select 'Setup' from the top menu bar, then select 'Miscellaneous' and then 'Defaults and Variables'. Also check the user login details, as it is possible to set up SMTP details for a particular user that will then override the main SMTP setup. If the setup information is OK, it might be a problem relating to the email software. Adminsoft Accounts uses some third party software in order to send email. Check to see if the file chilkatmail2.dll exists in your c:\windows\system32 folder. If it does not, copy it from C:\Program Files\Adminsoft Accounts (or it may be C:\Adminsoft Accounts). If the file won't copy due to user access restrictions, then leave it where it is. The file then needs to be registered:

In all Windows versions earlier than Vista, do the following:

Bring up a Command Prompt (this is often lurking in the Windows Start Menu -> All Programs -> Accessories). It's usually better to single right click on the option, and select 'Run as Administrator'. Then type in the following:

regsvr32  c:\windows\system32\chilkatmail2.dll

regsvr32  c:\program files\adminsoft accounts\chilkatmail2.dll

then press the Enter key on your keyboard.  Hopefully you will get a message saying the file has been registered successfully.  Type in 'exit' and press Enter to exit the command prompt.

If you're running the operating system in 32 bit mode, in Notepad enter the text:

regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\chilkatmail2.dll

If you're running the operating system in 64 bit mode, in Notepad enter the text:

c:\windows\syswow64\regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\chilkatmail2.dll

and press the Enter key to move the cursor to the next line.  You need to be able to run this file from your desktop (only once, then it can be deleted).  There are two ways of doing this. Save the file directly to your desktop, call it reg.bat  the other way is to save it somewhere else, perhaps in the root folder (ie. C:\), again call it reg.bat   If you saved it to your desktop, you'll be able to see the icon.  If you saved it somewhere else, you'll need to do a right click on your desktop, then select 'New' and then 'Shortcut' and locate your file reg.bat

Sometimes, this will not work. Although Windows allows you to copy the chilkatmail2.dll into the system32 folder, it will not always allow you to register it. We've had this problem when running 64 bit Vista or 7. You will need to copy the file somewhere else, or simply register it where it is, in the c:\Adminsoft Accounts folder. So the command you need to type into the Notepad text file (see above) would be:

regsvr32 c:\Adminsoft Accounts\chilkatmail2.dll

Which ever way you created the text file, once you can see the icon on your desktop, right click on it, and then select 'Run as administrator'.    This should, hopefully, register the file properly without error messages.

Registering the DLL file requires the regsvr32 program. This program is not present in Windows 95 release 1, or any version of Windows NT 4.0 prior to release 5.

How do I use a bar code scanner?

The software only really uses bar codes if it's running AutoManager (this option is selectable on installation).  This is a software extension designed specifically for parts and workshop operations in the autotrade. It will only run AutoManager for a period of time, unless you purchase a Software Registration Key for it.  When running the 'parts counter' option, you can scan a bar code and the item is automatically located and it's details brought up on screen ready for sale.

This does require some setting up, of course. As each item you sell that has a bar code, needs that code entering on the item details. You have to select each item, and then either type in the bar code manually, or scan it in. Please note, at this time Adminsoft Accounts does not have the facility for printing bar codes.

There are two ways of connecting a bar code scanner.  One is via USB and the other is via the keyboard connector.   Adminsoft uses the type that connects via the keyboard connector.  It can only use a scanner attached via USB, if it comes with keyboard emulation software (ie. it pretends the incoming data is from the keyboard).

If the information you require is not here, send an email to support@adminsoftware.biz