| Where do VISTA and Windows 7 store Account Ability's database? |
VISTA does not allow applications to write directly to the Program Files folder, which is the default location. Instead, VISTA writes the database to a Virtual Store. The Virtual Store for Account Ability's database is located in
C:\Users\USERNAME\Appdata\Local\Virtualstore\Program Files\Account Ability\Tax Form Preparation\YYYY\YYYYDATA
If you cannot browse to this folder,
a) Select 'Organize' from your COMPUTER icon
b) From 'Organize', select 'Folder and Search Options'
c) Click on the 'View' tab
d) Select 'Show hidden files and folders'
e) Click 'Okay' to save your changes
f) Now try browsing to the folder again.
FYI: The Virtual Store is a feature of User Account Control, the centerpiece of Vista’s enhanced security. Applications that try to write to protected system locations, including Program Files, Windows, and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the registry, are prevented from doing so. Instead, a compatibility feature kicks in, and these applications write to a location in your home directory. Registry entries are written to a special area in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. The application mostly won’t know the difference, though there are limitations and you can get strange results. For example, if an application deletes a file from the virtual store when a file of the same name exists in the real location, the delete appears to succeed but the file still exists. Virtualization also fails (by design) if the application is run under another user account, or using Run As Administrator. The files written to the first user’s virtual store are invisible to these other users.
NOTE: You can avoid writing to the Virtual Store folder by running Account Ability as an Administrator. To do this, open the 'Properties' for the Account Ability shortcut and select 'Run as an Administrator' on the 'Compatibility' tab. |
 |
| Can I install Account Ability on one server, but keep the database on another? |
The following instructions for locating and moving the current year (YYYY) database to a new server (\\NEWSERVER) should be followed by a network administrator. These instructions are only valid for reporting years later than 2005 (e.g. YYYY > 2005).
(a) Ensure that Account Ability is not active on any workstation
(b) Locate the YYYY database - The YYYY database resides within a folder named YYYYDATA. By default, this database resides within Account Ability's installation folder. Using Window's Explorer, browse to the installation folder and locate YYYYDATA
(c) Copy the database - Click once on the YYYYDATA folder and select Copy from the Edit menu
(d) Move the database - Browse to the desired location on \\NEWSERVER and select Paste from the Edit menu
(e) Grant all users administrative rights to \\NEWSERVER\YYYYDATA
(f) Start Account Ability
(g) From the 'Module' menu, select 'Re-allocate'
(h) From the sub-menu, select 'Account Ability's YYYY Database'
(i) Browse to the folder \\NEWSERVER\YYYYDATA
(j) Open the \\NEWSERVER\YYYYDATA folder and double-click the AAYYYY database
(k) Exit and restart Account Ability.
Account Ability will now look to \\NEWSERVER\YYYYDATA for its database. To ensure this, select 'About Account Ability's YYYY Database' from the 'Help' menu. |
|
| I entered many 1099-MISC recipients into Account Ability. Those same recipients also need to receive a 1099-INT. Is there an easy way to do this? |
First, export the 1099-MISC forms using the 'Export...' selection on the 'File' menu of form 1099-MISC.
Next, using the file created above as the 'Source' file, map the exported information to form 1099-INT using the 'Import Mapping Utility' (see the 'Module' menu).
The resultant file can be imported into form 1099-INT from the 'File -> Import -> ASCII Text File' selection of form 1099-INT. |
|
| I typed over 300 1099s into the wrong client. How can I move these to the correct client without retyping them? |
(a) Open the correct client's 1099s
(b) Select 'Import -> Another Client's Returns' from the 'File' menu
(c) Select the wrong client from the list of clients
(d) Click OK to transfer the 1099s.
After all 1099s have been imported, you can delete the 1099s from the wrong client by selecting 'Kill This File' from the 'Tools' menu of the wrong client's 1099s. |
|
| How do I move Account Ability to a new computer? |
|
You will find a detailed description of the procedure in the 'Tips Knowledgebase' |
|
| Is it possible to change a client id? |
|
Yes. You will find a detailed description of the procedure in the 'Tips Knowledgebase' |
|
| I have 8 clients with W2 information that needs to be consolidated and transmitted as one company to the SSA. What would be the best way to accomplish this? |
a) Create a new client (the one to contain the other 8 client's W2s)
b) Open the new client's W2 form
c) From the W2 'File' menu, select 'Import -> Another Client's Returns'
d) Select the first client whose W2s are to be consolidated
e) Repeat steps (c) and (d) until all returns have been consolidated.
When done, the new client contains the other 8 client's W2s. |
|
