OpenAccounts
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Static FAQs:

What is the current release and patch level of OpenAccounts, and what's contained in each patch?

What versions of Progress does OpenAccounts require or support?

When is the next OpenAccounts User Group Conference?

Is OpenAccounts compatible with Microsoft Vista and Microsoft Office 2007?

Will OpenAccounts or eBIS have issues with the legislative changes for Daylight Savings Time (DST) instituted in 2007?

Dynamic FAQs (newest entries listed first):

When we sign into OA, some users are requested to put in a department code and others are not.   Should everyone be requested to put in a selection?

I can see a batch in the "Audit" stage but can not access it in the "Update" stage.   What's the problem?

What is the difference between running the Detailed Aged Creditors (or Debtors) Report by date (with an end of period date) and by period?   Why don’t these two reports agree?

I am trying to update or delete an openlink record and I get the message "Record in Use", but no one is modifying this record.   What can I do?

I have an unposted batch.   When I try to run the GL Update, I get the message "GL Document Imbalance – Skipping Document".   What should I do?

I closed my year end but now have discovered that an account was set up as the wrong account type.   How can I correct this?

I closed my year end but now have discovered that the retained earnings were closed out to the wrong accounts.   How can I correct this?

I have imported a bank statement in error and would like to delete it.   How can I do this?

We are unable to run period end, the message "not all daybooks have been run" is displayed.   What does this mean and what do we do?

Why am I getting an error 'tax code not found' when accruing tax posting an AP invoice?

Why is my OpenAccounts login taking so long?   Note: we have just updated our virus protection software.

We have to run the Daybook Flag Cleardown toolkit function when closing.   When will this problem be fixed?

I’m having trouble matching credits in AP transaction matching.  What should I do?

What is the "Original" button in General Ledger Inquiries?   It appears that certain entries are missing...

When I change a Windows report font, the change isn't permanent, or I get an error message saying "The PUT-KEY-VALUE failed (4454)."  What's the problem?

Can I install Progress version 9.1e with OpenAccounts?

Will my Executive Desktop Reporting templates still be compatible if I upgrade to a later patch?   Why does the location of the data on my EDR reports differ from sample reports provided by ACUMEN/OpenAccounts?

When using General Journal Imports to upload a spreadsheet that that has zero lines, I get an error message and the journal is marked held.   Is there any way to avoid this?

Credit Memos in the Accounts Receivable Aged Debtor's Report are not aging properly, and appear in the 'unallocated' column.   What can we do to fix this?

What should I do to fix these errors:   "You are using an older version of SmartLink, please contact your system administrator", or "The SmartLink AddIn file could not be found"?

Is there any way to speed up the GL Inquiries?

The system indicates that there is an "Unposted Batch".   However, there are no unposted batches showing on the system.   What now?

After applying Patch 9, why do users get an access error message (for example, "You do not have access to Program IF07 Import Format Maintenance")?

All of a sudden, some of our users aren't able to display the OpenAccounts help files.   What happened and what can we do to fix it?

What do I do if I get the message "Some GL Details Not Updated"?

I have a batch that the system says is "in use" by a user that is not logged on to the system.   How can I get it reset?

What do I do if my AP or AR sub ledger is out of balance with my general ledger?

My spooled reports are printing too many lines on a page and I'm wasting paper.   What can I do?

How does the transaction transfer function work?

How do I setup "use" taxes?

When entering a use tax, I pick a tax code, but the tax rate does not default and the screen will not allow entry of the goods amount.  Why?

A financial report that I created isn't correct or doesn't balance.   How can I diagnose and fix this?

How does OpenAccounts treat a payment of a future invoice?   For example, we have posted an invoice for period 1 of 2005, but then we cut a check in period 12 of 2004 to pay for the same invoice.

How do I void a check?

How can I correct an erroneous AP invoice?

A user's session terminated abnormally, and now the user cannot log back into OpenAccounts.   How can I force the user off the system?

Is there a way for OpenAccounts to logoff a user if they've been dormant for a period of time?

Is it possible to "reproduce" checks?   (For example, after picking the wrong check document.)

I can't find my Media Production File.

I can't find a report that I spooled.

What are my options for producing 1099's with OpenAccounts?

FAQ Answers:

The latest release of OpenAccounts is Version 6.   This new version was announced at the OA User Group Conference in November of 2006.   Version 6 is a major upgrade from v5, and also requires Progress OpenEdge 10.   Please contact the helpdesk if you would like additional information about this latest version.

The latest Patch level for Version 6 is Patch 2, which ACUMEN received in August of 2008.  

The latest Patch level for Version 5 is Patch 11, which ACUMEN received in January of 2007.  

The content of OpenAccounts patch releases, in both summary and detailed form, is available on our web page at www.ACUMENcorp.com/OApatch.   (A user-id and password is required to access this information.   Send us a Patch Password Request if you need this password.)  

Important note - August 1, 2008:   OpenAccounts Version 6 has been available for the last two years and Version 5 is now five years old.   In line with the standard OpenAccounts product lifecycle policy, this means that Version 5 is now classed as 'mature' and will remain so until June 2009.   Helpdesk support is still available for mature products.   However, OpenAccounts will not provide further development or bug fixing on Version 5, except in exceptionally critical situations.   From June 2009, Version 5 will be fully retired.

Watch this FAQ as additional information becomes available.

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The two major versions of OpenAccounts are v5 and v6.
The two major versions of Progress are v9 and v10 (known as OpenEdge 10).

OpenAccounts v5	Supports Progress v9
OpenAccounts v5, minimum Patch 9	Supports Progress OE10 (not recommended)
OpenAccounts v5, recommended Patch 11	Supports Progress OE10
OpenAccounts v6	Requires Progress OE10

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The last CedarOpenAccounts North America User Group Conference 2008 was held October 12-14, 2008 at the Marriot Resort McDowell Mountains in Scotsdale, AZ.   The OA website provided detailed information regarding the NAUG event venue, contacts, rate and booking information, as well as accessibility to the NAUG conference registration form.

www.coasolutions.com/naug/index.php

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Please review the following certification statements:

• Office07 certification for OpenAccountsV6.doc
• Vista certification for OpenAccountsV6.doc

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In order to reduce energy costs, the US government is changing the timeframe for daylight savings time.   Beginning in 2007, DST will begin three weeks earlier, and will extend one week later, than in previous years.   Microsoft has released information describing the impact on its operating systems, and patches will be required for some environments.   UNIX users should contact their operating system provider to determine if similar DST patches will be required for their systems.

Progress applications, such as OpenAccounts and eBIS, get the time and date from the operating system.   Therefore, there should be no specific changes required for these applications.   You must, of course, apply whatever patches are required for the operating systems supporting the databases, client systems, terminal services, app servers, and any IIS servers.

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Follow the procedure below carefully:

1. Go to Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify.   Determine what your adjustment period method is.   This parameter controls the method to be used in posting journals to the previous year on the General Ledger.   The options are:
   • 0 - Year End opens an Adjustment period (period 99), which must be closed by an Adjustment Period End (this is the default)
   • 1 - The Adjustment Period, 99, is opened at Year End but need not be closed by a period end
   • 2 - The previous year is always left open, allowing postings to any period in that year
2. If your adjustment period method is 1 or 2:
   1. Get all of the users off of the system.
   2. Go to oasystem, System, Current Period Maintenance.   Change the GL current period back to the last period of last year (presumably 12) and the year to last year.
   3. Post your adjusting Journal Entries, perform Audit and Update.
   4. Print all Daybooks for GL again.
   5. Run the period end update for that period, and all subsequent periods, until you get up to whatever the current GL period was prior to step 2.b.   That will ensure that the retained earnings and opening balances are correctly calculated and brought forward.
3. If your adjustment period method is 0:
   1. Get all of the users off of the system.
   2. IMPORTANT STEP:   Go to Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify to change your Adjustment Period Method from 0 to 1.
   3. Go to oasystem, System, Current Period Maintenance.   Change the GL current period back to the last period of last year (presumably 12) and the year to last year.
   4. Post your adjusting Journal Entries, perform Audit and Update.
   5. Print all Daybooks for GL again.
   6. Run the period end update for that period, and all subsequent periods, until you get up to whatever the current GL period was prior to changing it in Step 3.c.   That will ensure that the retained earnings and opening balances are correctly calculated and brought forward.
   7. IMPORTANT STEP:   Use Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify to reset your Adjustment Period Method back to 0.

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If a user is asked for a department, that means that they have security access to more than one.   If they are not asked, then they only have access to a single department.   Once they are logged in, the department that they are logged into is shown to the right of the OpenAccounts LIVE heading.

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There are several things you can check:

1. If you are not the user of the batch, then confirm that you have batch access privileges in Operator Parameter/Security.
2. The batch may be hung up in an "in use" stage.   Get the password for "Reset a batch record" from the helpdesk.   Run the toolkit routine and enter through the fields without making any changes.   Sometimes "touching" the batch in this manner will free it up.   If you are not familiar with this function, then ask the Helpdesk to walk you through it.
3. If you recently changed the "Force Batch Integrity" option to YES on the System Parameters screen, it is possible that this batch might have been in process and does not have an "entered" total on the batch header.   Go back into Document Entry and enter the batch total on the header.
4. If this is a Payment Batch, then special processing is required.   You will need to ask the helpdesk to assess this situation.   NOTE: If you print checks using third-party providers, please advise the Helpdesk of this fact; the following recommendations may not apply.   Otherwise, to get the total on the payment batch header you will need to take the following steps:
   1. Reset the batch back to the entered stage, using the Reset a Batch Record toolkit.   You will need a password from the helpdesk for this toolkit.
   2. Use Payment Proposal Maintenance and click on the Header button to enter the total at the header.
   3. Re-do Media Production (you can simply spool the file without printing).
   4. Use Check Reprint and reprint a single check, again simply spooling the file.   This will force numbering to manual.
   5. CAREFULLY, re-number the checks as they were initially numbered.
   6. Proceed through Audit and Update.

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The Detailed Aged Debtors Report (SL25) and the Detailed Aged Creditors Report (PL24) should be run BY PERIOD at the end of a financial period, or anytime afterward, to get a report of the outstanding customer or vendor balances in detail at the end of the period.   This report should agree with your Summary Aged Report and with the Ledger Control Inquiry and ultimately should be reconciled to your general ledger.

The Detailed Aged Report run by date is not necessarily intended to agree with the by period report.   There is a process parameter, "DOC" which controls the output of the report.

• If the DOC parameter is not set, then the Detailed Aged Report run by date will select transactions based on the update date of the transactions.   This report is intended to give you a view of the balances presented in the system as of a particular date.   Therefore, if you have a transaction dated October 31 and posted to period 10, but entered and updated in the system on November 1, then this transaction will not be included in the report.   This is because anyone looking at the system on October 31 would not have seen this transaction.
• If the DOC parameter is set, then the Detailed Aged Report run by date will select transactions based on the document date of the transaction.   Therefore, in the previous example, the transaction with a document date of October 31 posted on November 1st would be included in a report run as of the October 31 date.

The choice of whether to set the DOC parameter or not depends on your intended use of the report.

• If you want to use the report to confirm system balances as of a certain date (say to verify credit decisions based on information known at the time) then do not set the DOC parameter.
• If you want to use the report to pull a financial balance as of any date during the period, then set the DOC parameter.

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To correct this problem, use Interface Maintenance, highlight the record, and click on the "Header" button.   On the Interface Header Details screen, use the "Next" button to navigate to screen 3 of 3.   Make sure that the "Job ID" field is set to zero on this screen.   Finally, click the "Exit" button to exit this screen.   This action should free up the record.

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In certain versions of OpenAccounts, when a document has a different document currency from base currency, then a document imbalance can occur because of improper tax processing or small rounding differences.

The first step is to isolate the source of the imbalance.   You know the batch number from the GL Update report.   Enter the batch # in the GL Document Inquiry screen.   Be sure to click on Search On: Source.   Click into each Source Document and then click on the GL Codes button.   In the blue bar in the middle of the GL Details screen, the unposted document will read: "Unposted General Ledger Details for ...".   Copy these GL Details into an Excel worksheet, then click on the currency button and copy the details on this next screen into Excel.   Note the currency (from the blue bar in the middle of the screen).   Add up the GL detail amounts.   If the base currency details do not total to zero, then this is your problem document.   Write this document number down.

If the difference (from zero) is within a few pennies then this is likely a rounding error.   This can be corrected in the base value field for any of the lines.   If the difference is larger, then divide each line of base currency by the source currency.   These should all compute to the same exchange rate.   If the calculation for the tax line, computes to a different rate, then it is likely that the tax line of the base currency is incorrectly stated.   Confirm that if the tax value had been properly converted, then the document would be in balance.   Write down what the correct value should be.

NOTE:  Read the entire section below first.   If you are unsure of the steps below, email the helpdesk and ask them to walk through the steps with you.

To make the correction, get the password for the Toolkit Routine: Modify GL (Posted/Unposted) for a Batch or Period.   Run the routine, entering the password, and on the next screen enter your company number and press Enter.   Then enter your batch number, leave the year and period blank, and leave the button checked for "Display Only".   Press Enter.   You can now cycle through the unposted documents and associated document GL Lines in the batch.   We recommend that you enter through the document details in "Display" mode first in order to familiarize yourself with the screens.   The first screen is likely the document header screen where you can verify the document number.   After pressing enter, you will cycle through the GL detailed lines screens.   You should see the base and source currency values from your Excel worksheet.   Make note of the particular GL detail line screen and value that you want to change.   We suggest that you take a screen shot of these before values.

Now rerun the toolkit, except check the button for "Update".   Carefully cycle through the screens again, this time making the correction to the base value amount for the GL detail line to bring you back in balance.   Do this step carefully!   Be sure to enter the amount with the proper sign.   Cycle though all of the lines until you get back to the first toolkit screen.   Then press escape to exit.

You should now be able to run the GL Update process.

NOTE:  If this problem occurs frequently, then you will need to upgrade to the latest patch of your version of OpenAccounts.   Contact the helpdesk for further instructions.

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There is no need to post a Journal Entry to correct this problem.   Simply follow the procedures below.   These procedures will work for both mis-coded balance sheet and/or P&L accounts.

1. Go to Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify.   Determine what your adjust period method is.   This parameter controls the method to be used in posting journals to the previous year on the General Ledger.   The options are:
   • 0 - The Year End opens an Adjustment period (period 99), which must be closed by an Adjustment Period End (this is the default)
   • 1 - The Adjustment Period, 99, is opened at Year End but need not be closed by a period end
   • 2 - The previous year is always left open, allowing postings to any period in that year
2. If your adjustment period method is 1 or 2:
   1. Get all of the users off of the system.
   2. Use Expense Code Maintenance to change the Account Type to the correct type, if you haven’t already done so.
   3. Go to oasystem, System, Current Period Maintenance.   Change the GL current period back to the last period of last year (presumably 12) and the year to last year.
   4. Re-run the GL Period End Update.
   5. This should close out the account balances and roll the period forward.
3. If your adjustment period method is 0:
   1. Get all of the users off of the system.
   2. Use Expense Code Maintenance to change the Account Type to the correct type, if you haven’t already done so.
   3. IMPORTANT STEP:   Go to Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify to change your Adjustment Period Method to 1 from 0.
   4. Go to oasystem, System, Current Period Maintenance.   Change the GL current period back to the last period of last year (presumably 12) and the year to last year.
   5. Re-run the GL Period End Update.
   6. This should close out the account balances and roll the period forward.
   7. Use Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify to reset your Adjustment Period Method back to 0.

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There is no need to post a Journal Entry to correct this problem.   Simply follow the procedures below.

1. First, you need to determine what account(s) the retained earnings should be posted to and how this is accomplished.
   • If you have a single retained earnings account, then this is set up in Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, "Retained Balance" Cost and Expense Code setting.   This is the default.   Check to see that it is correct.
   • If you want to close out retained earnings to several accounts, then this is determined by the "Retained Balance" Cost and Expense Code setting as set against EACH Cost Code in Cost Code Maintenance.   You can check these settings in Cost Code Maintenance or by running General Ledger, Maintenance Routines, Account File Print, Format C Detail, by Cost Code.   Note that any Cost Codes with blank "Retained Balance" settings will be closed out to the default cost and expense code held in Company Parameters.   Review these settings and make any necessary changes.
2. Then, to re-do the retained earnings postings, go to Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify.   Determine what your adjust period method is.   This parameter controls the method to be used in posting journals to the previous year on the General Ledger.   The options are:
   • 0 - The Year End opens an Adjustment period (period 99), which must be closed by an Adjustment Period End (this is the default)
   • 1 - The Adjustment Period, 99, is opened at Year End but need not be closed by a period end
   • 2 - The previous year is always left open, allowing postings to any period in that year
3. If your adjustment period method is 1 or 2:
   1. Get all of the users off of the system.
   2. Make sure your Retained Balance settings are now correct.
   3. Go to oasystem, System, Current Period Maintenance.   Change the GL current period back to the last period of last year (presumably 12) and the year to last year.
   4. Re-run the GL Period End Update.
   5. This should close out the account balances to the proper retained earning accounts and roll the period forward.
4. If your adjustment period method is 0:
   1. Get all of the users off of the system.
   2. Make sure your Retained Balance settings are now correct.
   3. IMPORTANT STEP:   Go to Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify to change your Adjustment Period Method to 1 from 0.
   4. Go to oasystem, System, Current Period Maintenance.   Change the GL current period back to the last period of last year (presumably 12) and the year to last year.
   5. Re-run the GL Period End Update.
   6. This should close out the account balances to the proper retained earning accounts and roll the period forward.
   7. Use Company, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters, Modify to reset your Adjustment Period Method back to 0.

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You can delete an erroneous bank statement via two toolkit routines IF you have not matched any bank statement items in that bank statement to cash book items.  

1. You will need to know your company #, cash book number, bank statement number (current and prior to loading the erroneous bank statement), last statement date (prior to loading the erroneous bank statement), and last statement balance (prior to loading the erroneous statement).
2. You will also need the passwords for two toolkit routines: "Company and Cashbook Last Statement Change" and "Maintain Bank Statement Records".
   Click Helpdesk to request the passwords for today.  
3. First, run the toolkit Maintain Bank Statement Records.  Enter the password.  Click OK.
4. Enter your Company #, press TAB.
   Enter the Cashbook #, press TAB.
   Enter the Statement # (of the erroneous statement), press ENTER.
5. On your first pass of this toolkit, press ENTER through all records for the statement without changing any data.   (The update radio button should be set to "No Change").  
   Confirm that none of the records for this bank statement number have been matched.
   IF A BANK STATEMENT ITEM HAS BEEN MATCHED, THEN DO NOT COMPLETE ANY MORE STEPS after exiting out of the routine.
   Note that you will cycle through all bank statement items plus a balance record.
6. If none of the items has been matched, then rerun the routine, and change the radio button to "Delete" for each item before pressing ENTER.
7. When completed, confirm that you deleted all of the items by rerunning this step:
   Enter your Company #, press TAB.
   Enter the Cashbook #, Press TAB.
   Enter the Statement # (of the erroneous statement), press ENTER.  
   No items should be displayed.
8. Next, run the toolkit Company and Cashbook Last Statement Change and enter the password.  Click OK.
9. On the next screen, enter your Company #, press TAB.
   Enter your Cashbook #, press ENTER.
   • Answer "yes" to the question "Do you wish to change the date?", press Enter.
     Enter the last statement date, press ENTER.
   • Answer "yes" to the question "Do you wish to change the last statement number?", press Enter.
     Enter the last statement number, press ENTER.
   • Answer "yes" to the question "Do you wish to update the statement balance?", press Enter.
     Enter the last statement balance, press ENTER.
10. Finally, confirm that your cashbook and bank statement are in balance by running, CB10, Cash Book Report.

The system has identified a transaction that has not been reported on a daybook for the period you are trying to close.   Re-run the daybook reports ensuring that the Report Only option is set to "No", then re-run period end.  

If above fails to resolve the issue, then you may need to run the Daybook Flag Cleardown toolkit:

1. Send an email to the Helpdesk requesting the password for that day.
2. Run the Daybook Flag Cleardown toolkit, using the provided password, as follows:
   1. Enter the company number, the ledger for the module you are attempting to close ("AR" or "AP", for example), the from/to year you are closing, and the from/to period you are closing.
   2. For the "Batch from" parameter, enter the module name followed by zeros to fill the field (e.g., "AR000000").   For "Batch to", enter the module name followed by nines to fill the field (e.g., "AR999999").
   3. Select Update and press ENTER to start the toolkit.
   4. When the program asks you to confirm that you are updating the daybooks, respond 'yes'.
      • If you get a message stating a certain number of batches and transactions were updated, then the toolkit was successful, and you should now retry the period end process.  
      • If the program returns immediately to the toolkit selection window, then it was NOT successful and no updates were applied.   Contact the Helpdesk for additional assistance.
3. If you have more than one ledger for a module, you should run this toolkit once for each ledger.

If you get this error (even though you just processed a different invoice with the same tax code, and that tax code appears in the lookup), then check the invoice date entered into OpenAccounts.   Is it prior to the effective date of the sales tax rate?   If so, that's the problem.

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We have seen this symptom before with various virus protection packages.   There's a good possibility that your workstation problems are caused by the virus software upgrade.

Check your virus software and see if it has a "Scan on Open" option, or something similarly named.   This option offers the ability to scan files in email, on the local computer, or even on networked systems.   If you have the last option enabled, it can cause serious performance problems with client-server systems when the program initially loads.   We have seen logins increase from a few seconds to ten minutes or more when this latter option is selected.   If your servers are independently protected (as they should be!), disable this option on your workstation and limit your scan to email and local disk operations.

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This has been resolved in Patch 10.   However, you may experience it for the first period end after the upgrade, relating to data entered before the upgrade.

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If you know that there is an outstanding credit, but it is not displayed in the vendor screen or can not be matched in transaction matching, try the following steps:

1. Check and see if there is an outstanding check run that includes this credit (or the associated invoices to be matched).   If so, then the documents can not be matched.   They must be processed in, or deleted from, the check run.
2. Use the Modify AP Transaction Details toolkit routine.   You will need the daily password from the helpdesk to run this function.   Enter the company, document id, and number of the credit.   Note whether there is a value in the payamount field.   If so, then this amount is probably "stuck" and can be **carefully** removed from the payamount field only using this screen.   Alternatively, you can run the Cleardown Payamount on AP/AR Transactions toolkit routine, provided that there are no outstanding payment runs.   This toolkit requires a password as well.
3. If you can select the credit but not the associated debits, then check
   1. to make sure that the debit is not in a payment run, and
   2. that the debit and credit have the same address code.

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If an "Original" button appears in General Ledger inquiries, then Transaction Matching has been enabled for your system.   The transaction matching functionality allows you to "clean up" data in your general ledger, by using the matching functionality.   Note that reversing entries are automatically matched.   With Transaction Matching enabled, matched entries are initially removed from view in your inquiry.   Click on the "Original" button to view all transactions.   WARNING: If you are using the cut and paste functionality from the inquiry browser, be sure to first click on "Original" to include all transactions, otherwise you will be out of balance with the net change in the account.   If you do not want this functionality, then click off Transaction Matching in Company Parameters, General Ledger parameters.

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The default font for Windows reports is stored in the "oaprgrss.ini" file.   To find which INI file your OA system is using, right-click on the OA icon from which you launch OpenAccounts, select Properties, and examine the Target field.   It will contain an entry similar to

"-ininame oaprgrss.ini".  

Use Windows Explorer to locate this INI file, right-click on it and display the Properties.   If the INI file is read-only, you cannot change the default printer values.   You must ask your system administrator remove the read-only protection on this file.

Also, note that if the INI file is on a network drive and shared by other users, then changes that you make can be subsequently overridden by other users.

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The most recent version of Progress 9 is 9.1e.   You may install this version of Progress as long as you have OpenAccounts Patch 9 or later.   Compatibility problems have been noted at lower patch levels.  

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When EDR reports are created, the various outputs are written to "named ranges" that are defined in the template being used for the report.   Examples of these named ranges include Data, CurrentPeriod, CurrentYear, Header1, Header2, etc.   From Patch to Patch, OpenAccounts may add additional named ranges to the output.   They may also change the physical location of the various "named ranges" on the "master" template provided with the Patch, to accommodate these new named ranges.

Because the named ranges are relative, your EDR templates should work just fine when you do a Patch upgrade.   However you may not have access to some data, because the newly created named ranges do not exist in your older templates.

And, as noted above, data in your reports may not appear in exactly the same cells, as other sample reports.

We recommend that you create templates for new reports, using the updated "master" template, which can be found in the oalive50/templates directory.

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If you use the General Journal Imports (Program NL48 and PC48) programs to upload journals from a spreadsheet, and your spreadsheet includes zero values, then you will receive an error report that notes the zero value lines.   In addition, your journal will be marked as held, and it will be necessary to "touch" the journal in Journal Entry in order to remove the held flag.

This issue was noted in Patch 9.   A hot fix is available to eliminate this requirement (and it will be incorporated in Patch 10, as well).   If you are on Patch 9 and are interested in this hot fix, please contact the Helpdesk.

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This behavior can be controlled with a process parameter:

1. Go to System Utilities.
2. Click Menus and Programs, Properties, and choose the Programs tab.
3. Find the Aged Debtors Report:   Click Locate, type "SL15" and click OK.
4. Click Properties and choose the Additional tab.
5. Jot down the existing contents of the Process Parameters, for backup.
6. Enter one of the following parameters in the Process Parameter text box:
   • UC1 - changes the control of the Unallocated column (for formats A & C) to show Unallocated cash only.
   • UC2 - the default, includes all unallocated credits in the unallocated column (credits that are not matched to an invoice).
   • UC0 - shows no unallocated column.

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The EDR feature of OpenAccounts requires a custom Excel add-in file (smartlink.XLA) in the Excel library directory on your OpenAccounts client system.   The file may be at a downlevel version or missing entirely.

Copy the latest version of smartlink.xla from the OpenAccounts server to your client Excel directory.   Typically the latest version can be found in one of the following locations on your OpenAccounts server:

• \openacc\oalive50\Addins\smartlink.xla
• \openacc\oalive50\oapro91\Addins\smartlink.xla

The Excel directory on your client system is typically "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\Library".   However, you should do a search on your system to find the current version and copy the newer version to there.

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Some clients reported a performance slowdown in GL Inquiries after Patch 9 was applied.   We suggest you apply a process parameter to two programs, to slightly modify how they are performed.   This process parameter "BAL" causes the inquiry to read the balance records rather than the valid combination records, which in some instances will improve performance.   (Note: Parameters are documented in the "V50 Parameters Guide" document, which is in your "/openacc/oalive50/document/technical/Parameters" directory.)

Apply this Process Parameter to the two programs NL21 and MW03, as follows:  

1. Go to System Utilities.
2. Click Menus and Programs, Properties, and choose the Programs tab.
3. Click Locate, type "NL21" and click OK.
4. Click Properties and choose the Additional tab.
5. Jot down the existing contents of the Process Parameters, for backup.
6. In the Process Parameters box, type "BAL" and click OK.   (If you have multiple parameters, they must be comma-separated.)
7. Repeat the above steps for program "MW03".

Note:  This technique does not apply if Valid Combinations is set to "NO" in BS06, Company Parameters, General Ledger Parameters.   However, most of our clients have this flag set to "YES" since it provides an additional level of control to the OpenAccounts accounting structure.

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Let's clarify what the system thinks is still unposted:  

1. Go to GL, Period End Procedures, Batch Control.
2. Click the “Unposted” button in the lower left of the screen.   If a batch is listed here, that means that the GL Details are unposted, but the AP or AR details have been posted.   To correct this, go to the General Ledger folder, Period End Procedures, and run the procedure GL Update.   Enter the batch number in the 'to' and 'from' fields and click "Ok" to run the procedure.   You should get a report with the message "X document(s) successfully updated."   If the error still persists, the report will give details of the error.   In that case, contact the Helpdesk for additional support, and attach the report for reference purposes.
3. If the batch is not found in the steps above, click the Query button (it looks like a folder with binoculars over it) near the upper left corner of the window.
4. Enter the year 0000 and period 00, select "Unposted", and click OK.   This will show any unposted batches for any year, any period.   If an unposted batch is listed here that you can not see in Document Audit or Update, check the following:
   • First, you may not have permission to view other people's batches.   Have your System Administrator check your security settings in BS09: Operator Parameters/Security.   If Batch Access Privileges is set to NO, then entered batches that are not your own will NOT be displayed in Document Entry.   You must either change your security settings to allow access to the batch or ask the user who owns the batch to update it.
   • Secondly, the batch may still be "in use" by someone else.   If no one else is actually processing the batch, then it may have gotten hung up when someone improperly closed OpenAccounts.   You can use the toolkit Reset a Batch Record to release the record by simply entering the company and batch # in the screen to call up the batch, then pressing enter to save the batch without any other changes.   You will need to get the password from the Helpdesk to run this function.

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This is a security issue that must be resolved within System Utilities, which is where OpenAccounts menu, program, and user definitions are maintained.   A menu is "locked" if an 'x' preceeds the menu name and the padlock symbol is locked.   If a menu function is locked, then users will see this message if they try to access the function.  

Note that a menu function (such as the Import Format Maintenance) can appear multiple times in the menu structure, under different modules.   In Patch 9, if any occurence of a menu is "locked", then it is considered to be locked everywhere.  

To unlock a function, follow these steps:

1. Open System Utilities.
2. Select the "Keys" tab, and double-click "Menu - Menus and Programs".
3. Choose the applicable menu, such as "oamenu-a".
4. Scroll down through the entire menu, looking for locked entries with an 'x' and a locked padlock image.
5. If the entry is for the function you wish to unlock, then remove the 'x' by clicking on the padlock to open it.
6. Continue looking through the rest of this menu and unlock each reference to the function.
7. Click "Ok" to rebuild the menus.
8. Test access to the desired function.
9. If access is still denied, there are other entries (possibly on other menu structures) that are still locked.

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A recent Microsoft Windows security update may have disabled network-based help files.  

One of the critical updates released as part of Microsoft's June security update rollout disables accessing HTML help files from anywhere but the "Local Computer" security zone.   (See this technical security bulletin for more information.)   The *.chm file is opened in the help viewer, but while the index/contents lists are visible on the left side, selecting an item results in a blank page being displayed in the main viewing area on the right.

A knowledgebase article referenced in the above security bulletin gives instructions on how to modify the security zones that HTML Help files can be accessed from, along with instructions for adding this change into group policy.  

Note: Applying this Microsoft correction is very technical, involves modifying the Windows System Registry, and if done improperly, could jeopardize the operation of your system.   This fix is best handled by your system administration resource.

An easier circumvention is to copy the help folder from the server (usually openacc\oalive50\help) to the local PC under the openacc\oalive50 folder.

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Go to the General Ledger folder, Period End Procedures, and run the procedure GL Update.   Enter the batch number that got the error in the 'to' and 'from' fields and click "Ok" to run the procedure.   You should get a report with the message "X document(s) successfully updated."   If this works and you had reported the error to the helpdesk, then please send an email confirming that your error has been resolved.

If the error still persists, the report will give details of the error.   In that case, email the Helpdesk for additional support, and attach the report for reference purposes.

We will likely have you run a toolkit routine to provide further details via screen shots.   You will need to know the batch number containing the unposted document, which can be found on the update report.   You will also need a password from the helpdesk.   If so requested, do the following:

1. Go to oasystem, Toolkit Routines, highlight the function Modify GL Posted/Unposted for a batch or period, click RUN.
2. Enter the password provided by the helpdesk, click OK.
3. Enter your company number, press Enter.
4. Click Posted = no.
5. Enter the Batch Number, leave Year and Period blank, leave the default at "Display Only".   Press Enter.
6. A screen title Unposted G/L Transactions will be displayed.   Capture a screen shot of this screen.   Press Enter.
7. Carefully capture screen shots for any additional screens that appear.

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E-mail the Helpdesk for the daily password for "Reset Batch Record" in the Toolkit Routines.   You will need to enter your company number and batch number and press Enter.   Simply "touching" the record in this manner should release the user from the batch.

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There are three totals that should be in balance at the end of period:

1. The balance in the general ledger "Control Account(s)" for your subsidiary ledger.   Typically this is a single account and is set up in BS07 Ledger Maintenance.   However, if you have multiple control accounts, for example if AR and AP are kept by location, then this range of control accounts is specified in NL26 Reconciliation Controls.
2. The Closing Balance of the Ledger Memo Controls.   This balance can be determined by running BS20 Ledger Control Inquiry.
3. The total of your open AR or AP invoices at period end.   This total is determined by running an aging for the period (Summary Aged Debtors or Creditors Report).

In addition, as part of general ledger month end processing, the balance in the general ledger "control account" is checked against the "Closing Balance" of the Ledger Memo Controls.   If these do not equal then an error message is displayed and printed.

You can bypass this check and proceed to close the month, by clicking Validation Report = no.   However you should determine the source of the error.

Typically, the general ledger is out of balance for one of five reasons:

1. A change has been made to your opening balances after you closed the previous period.   Be sure to first confirm that the opening balance in Ledger Memo Controls agrees with the opening balance of your general ledger control accounts.   Then agree this total with a newly run Summary Aged Debtors/Creditors report run as of the previous period.   If these do not agree then you must work backwards until you find a period where your opening balances do agree.   Then you can look and correct items noted in below in that period and work your way forward.
2. There are unposted general ledger transactions for the period.   On the Batch Control Inquiry (BS10) screen in Period End Processing for the module you are closing, check for unposted batches on the first screen by querying (binoculars/folder icon) the display for 'UNPOSTED' only.   The results of this query would be any batch that had never been updated (or had never attempted to post).   If you find any batches that are unposted for your period, then you must determine if they should be updated or cancelled and proceed accordingly.   You must also click on the 'UNPOSTED' button in Batch Control to determine if any batches attempted to post but were unable to post for some reason.   If there are batches that have attempted to post (that is, they are displayed when you click on the UNPOSTED button), then refer to the FAQ What do I do if I get the message "Some GL Details Not Updated"? to resolve the batch(es) that are unposted.   This involves running GL Update (NL18) from the General Ledger Period End Processing menu.   If the batches still do not post, contact the Help Desk (helpdesk@acumencorp.com) for further assistance.   If they do post, and your sub-ledger still does not balance with the General Ledger, continue with the information in this FAQ.   In most cases, posting unposted batches will resolve the discrepancy.
3. A non sub ledger transaction, for example a miscellaneous journal entry, has been posted to the GL Control Account.   You can check for these by getting a listing of the transaction detail for the period† and checking for such transactions.   You can prevent such postings to your control accounts by setting the "ledger type" in Expense Code Maintenance.
4. A sub ledger transaction has been posted "against itself" (i.e. both the debit and credit has hit the control account).   This is a data entry error.   You can check for this occurrence by getting a listing of detailed transactions into Excel† and sorting by document id and number and looking for duplicates.   We usually do this by inserting a new column (say column A) and using a formula.   For example, in cell A2 put the following formula and copy it down through the subsequent rows:
             =IF(B2 = B1,"XXX","")
   This will display XXXs for any duplicates.
   † Note: the easiest way to get this listing is to do a cut and paste from a transaction level inquiry.   However, if you have a large volume of detail (say more than 1000 transactions) then you might want to create an ad-hoc query, or parse a detailed transaction report into Excel.
5. A subledger transaction has been posted against another Control Account within the same module.   For example, if you have two payables ledgers, say AP and MP, and you issue an AP payable against a vendor who belongs to the AP ledger, but code the GL Details against the MP control account (i.e., a debit to this account), then the MP ledger will be out of balance.   Note that the restriction on "ledger type" in expense code maintenance will not prevent this.   This type of error is much more difficult to diagnose, since the document used may be valid for postings to the account.   If you have more than one control account, then you may want to expand your test in item (4) above to include transactions from all possible control accounts.   Then sort the file to look for a duplicate entry the debits and credits two control accounts.

Similarly, if an error is found for reason (5) above, you can make a general journal entry to debit/credit the control account that is out of balance to bring it in balance, where your offsetting entry should go to a suspense account, write off account, or some non-control GL account.   Alternatively, you may wish to enter a reversing entry within the module itself which exactly reverses the original transaction.   Then these two transactions can be matched against each other.   In either case, because two control accounts are involved, be sure to insure that you have the transaction posting properly. Remember to temporarily remove the restriction on postings to the GL control account.

Finally, if you simply need to adjust your Ledger Memo Controls, then there is a toolkit to do this.   You will need to get a password from the support desk.

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When you select the Printer Icon from the spooler, you will get the opportunity to select your printer.   You can change the font size to 8, and your reports will print properly.

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OpenAccounts provides a transaction transfer feature for both Accounts Receivable (SL31) and Accounts Payable (PL25).   This feature allows you to "move" an open invoice from one customer (or vendor) to another, without having to create offsetting credit and debit memos.   You will need to know the customer/vendor account #s to move from and to, as well as the document ID and document number of the invoice to be moved.

Note that a process parameter "CD" can be set on functions SL31 or PL25.   If set, then the header description on the invoice that is transferred is changed to "Transfer from Account# on mm/dd/yy" when a transfer is made.

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US companies are required to pay state taxing authorities sales or use tax on non-inventory purchases (i.e. purchases that are not for re-sales such as furniture and fixtures or office supplies).   When these purchases are made from vendors that have tax filing requirements for the state that the company is located in (i.e. vendors in the same state or required to collect taxes in the state), then sales tax is charged on the AP invoice as a matter of course.

When goods are purchased from an out of state vendor, then that vendor has no obligation to collect tax.   However, the purchasing company is required to set aside and file a "use" tax to their home state, as well as any other taxing authorities that have jurisdiction in their physical location.

OpenAccounts Use Tax Setup

1. BS06-> Company Parameters -> Tax Processing Parameters
   Multiple Taxes = yes
   Accrue Use Tax = yes
2. BS03 - Document Maintenance - Entry Rules Tax = yes
   Set this for yes on those AP documents (A/P Invoice) where tax may need to be accrued.
   The tax accrual question will only be asked when this is set to yes.
3. BS23 - Tax Results Maintenance
   Set up a use tax result for use tax (Example: USE- Use Tax)
4. BS22 - Tax Body Maintenance
   Set up a code for the State Use Tax (Example: VAUT = Virginia)
5. BS04 - Tax Rates Maintenance Set Up a tax rate for the state taxing authority (Example VAUT - Virginia Use Tax)
   • Select Goods
   • Select Input
   • Select Restrict Usage Yes
   • Set up a cost/expense code where the "expense" side of the GL entry will be posted.   Note that OpenAccounts forces the posting to this account, the user does not have the choice at data entry.   Many companies, however, post the use tax back to the same expense code as the goods that were purchased (e.g. office supplies).   It may be necessary to set up a suspense account here and "clear out" that suspense account at month end.
   • Select the appropriate Tax Body and Tax Result
   • In the Tax Accruals fields enter the Cost/Expense Code (normally a liability account) where Use Tax Accruals will be held until paid.
6. Supplier Maintenance - set accrue use tax to yes for those suppliers that you will likely need to accrue for.   Note that these are only those suppliers that are out-of-state, and providing you with non-inventoried goods.
7. Set up the AP Invoice Documents with Tax = yes.

Use Tax Processing Logic

Process AP invoices as normal.   Do NOT enter an amount in the tax amount field of the header screen of AP document entry.   If a supplier is encountered that has the use tax flag set to yes, after the GL coding screen, then the user will be prompted if use tax is required on the invoice.   If yes, then the user will be presented with the tax input screen and allowed to enter a tax code (e.g. VAUT) and a goods amount.   The tax total will be automatically calculated.

Upon update, two additional lines, for each tax code entered, will be added to the GL posting:

A debit, for the calculated tax, will be made to the tax "expense" account, taken from the input tax fields of Tax Rate Maintenance.

An offsetting credit will be made to the tax accrual account, recorded in the Tax Accrual fields.

At tax period end, the Tax Compliance Report, NL42 can be run, to report on the tax liability due the taxing authority.   The "Input Tax" Portion of this report, summarizes use tax, by Taxing Bodies.   Presumably this report will reconcile back to the liability recorded in the Tax Accrual account(s).

The user can then pay the tax on a normal invoice, debiting the accrual account.

Notes:

The goods total for tax processing does not necessarily equal the total of the invoice.

Use Tax Processing does not add to the invoice value.

Alternate Methods

The user may not elect to implement use tax using this methodology, but may simply decide to record the necessary debits and credits on the invoice distribution screen when a use tax situation is encountered.   This method has the advantage of allowing the user to code the expense side of the tax entry to any expense account.

There are advantages to using the Tax Tables as outlined above, however.   In particular:

1. Users are notified when a potential use tax vendor is encountered;
2. Tax calculation and entry and made automatically
3. The tax is recorded in a separate drill down screen
4. Tax Reporting is available.

The Tax Table method is particularly recommended in high-volume shops where clerical staff does data entry.   Such staff can simply accept the defaults provided.   Later, the company controller can use the tax reports and inquiry screens to determine if all tax accruals are proper and what the appropriate distribution should be.

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The date of your invoice is probably earlier than the earliest date set for a tax rate for the entered tax code.

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When users are running financial reports that they have created on a system, frequently someone adds a GL account and fails to account for it in the financial reporting functions.   It may be a new asset account, for instance, and when the Balance Sheet is printed, it doesn't balance because that account is new and is not on the report in Management Reporting for some reason.

There is an easy way to determine if there are missing GL accounts on a report.   Under Reporting, access Row Format Maintenance, click on the printer icon, select the report you are querying, and then change the report format to B for the Exceptions Report (you can right click on the report format box to see the selections).   The exceptions report shows all accounts that are duplicated or are not used on the report(s).

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The check is posted for period 12, therefore the transaction will debit Accounts Payable and credit Cash.   Your AP Summary and Detailed Reports will show the check as an "open" item, reducing your outstanding AP balance on the report.   Thus your General Ledger and AP sub-ledger will be in balance.

The invoice will post to period 1, 2005, and will debit expense and credit Accounts Payable.   The check and the invoice will now be matched.

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To VOID a check in OpenAccounts, a "void" document must be entered into the system.   A special document type must have been set up in Document Maintenance (transaction type = AP Cash, Payment Method = R for refund) to process the refund.   Typically, this void check/refund document is set to manual numbering so that the void check/refund document can be set to the same number as the original check.

In order to enter a void check document, take the following steps:

1. Determine the document type and document number (check number) of the check to be voided.   If you are using the Cash and Bank module, determine the Cash Book number that the check was written on.
2. Determine the refund document type that will be used to enter the void check.   If you are using the Cash and Bank module, confirm that this document type is linked to the same Cash Book number as the original check.
3. Go to Payment Processing - Manual Selection and create a batch for the refund document type.   Note that the description that you enter here will also be used as the description on the refund document.  
4. On the next screen titled "Batch Header Details", click the CASH button.   If the refund document type is set for manual numbering then a small window titled New Document Number will appear.   Enter the check number as the new document number.   Click OK.
5. On the screen titled "Manual Payments," enter the supplier number and supplier reference.   The entry in the reference field will be used as the reference for the refund document.   Click the Cancellation button.
6. A smaller window titled "Original Document Selection" appears.   Enter the document type of the original check and the original document number.   Press Enter.
7. The system will display the amount of the check and the original check date.   Leave Reinstatement Transactions = yes and click the OK button.   Please note that if you clicked OK in the previous step, then this screen will flash by quickly and go on to the next step.
8. A new window, Payment Amount appears.   Click Update to continue.
9. The system will record the cancellation to the audit stage and be ready for another entry.   If manual numbering is used then the "New Document" window is displayed again.   Simply hit Cancel.   Then on the "Batch Header Details" screen hit Exit.

You are now ready to run the Payments Audit function (PL32) and then the Payments Update function (PL10).

As a result of the update, the system will match the refund document with the original check document and create a debit to cash and credit to accounts payable.   In addition, the system will "reinstate" the AP invoice transactions originally paid on the check that was VOIDED.   These transactions are then available for selection on the next automatic or manual check run.

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There are three possibilities:

1. If only the invoice terms (due date, discount, separate payment requirements) are wrong, then you can use Transaction Maintenance to change these fields.
2. If the invoice details are correct, but have been posted to the wrong Vendor, then you can use Transaction Transfer to move the payable from one vendor to another.
3. If the invoice has been entered in error, such as a duplicate invoice, then you must enter, audit, and update a Payables credit document (credit note or AP Journal) against the same vendor.   Be sure to enter the GL coding that corrects (reverses) the original GL coding.   Once the document has been audited and updated, then use Transaction Matching to "clear off" the credit document and the original invoice.

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User ids will be released automatically when the database is shutdown and restarted, which is typically done every evening.   If your need is urgent, then your technical personnel can "release" the user with the following steps:

1. Login at the OpenAccounts server.
2. Press the "Start" button, select "Progress", select "Proenv".   This will open a DOS command window with the Progress environment setup.
3. Type "prompt $p$q" so the command prompt displays the current directory.
4. Switch to the disk drive and directory that contains the OpenAccounts databases.   For example:
   d:
   cd \opendb\oalive50\oa_data
5. To ensure that you're in the proper directory, type "dir *.db" and you should see all of your OpenAccounts databases listed: openacc, openstrt, openarch, and any custom databases.
6. Perform the following steps for each of the databases, substituting the actual database name from the previous step.   You will probably not have to do this for the "openarch" database.
   1. Type "proshut openacc".
   2. Select "1 - Disconnect a user".
   3. Find the user in the displayed list.   If the user is not shown, then exit out and continue with the next database.
   4. Type the user number to free the desired user from this database.
   5. Exit back to the command prompt and repeat the entire process for the next database.
7. Once you have cleared the user from all databases, the user should be able to log in normally.

Note that the above procedure must be modified slightly for OpenAccounts V6:

• Step #2: The menu selections to launch PROENV would be different:
       "Start" button, select "OpenEdge", select "Proenv".
• Step #4: The database directory would be different, for example:
       cd \opendb\oalive60\oa_data

If a user is idle on a menu screen for a certain amount of time, OpenAccounts v5 can automatically log the user off.   This can be useful to ensure that the system is available to those who really need it.   OA will log the user off only if the user is on a menu; it will not log anyone off if they are within a program or updating data.

OpenAccounts v5 allows you to set a time limit for all users.   Here's the procedure to set this global time limit:

1. Select the OA System menu
2. Click the "System" icon
3. Double-click "System Parameter Maintenance"
4. Set the "Menu Timer Delay (Mins)" parameter as desired
5. Click OK to save and exit

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As long as you have not "posted" the check batch, it is very easy to rectify this situation.

1. Determine the batch # of the check run.
2. Run the toolkit routine (RUN BS99) - Reset a Batch Record
   You will have to request the password from the Helpdesk.
3. On the screen after entering the password, enter the company number and the batch number.
   The status of that batch will be displayed.
   • If you are working with a check document (APCash, Payment Method C in Document Maintenance), it is no problem to change the Numbering or Media Printed back to No.
   • If you just set the numbering back, then you can go back in and redo the numbering for this batch (if, for example, you numbered the checks incorrectly).
   • If you sent numbering and media back to no, then you can go back and reproduce the media.   (You might want to do this if the wrong check format is entered in Document Maintenance and you need to reproduce the media).
   • Also if you set numbering and media back to no, then the batch can be DELETED using Payment Proposal Maintenance.   You might want to do this if you selected the wrong document type to begin with.   In that case, you delete the batch and then rerun the check selection routine.

One solution is obviously to reproduce it using the process decribed in the reproduce check FAQ.  

1. First, though, you should make sure that the file actually doesn't exist.
2. Go into Stationary Listing (Click the printer button from a menu) and select Remittance and click the select button.
3. Next, click the query icon (binoculars with folder) and change the Printed Requests button to "Include".
4. Often this will reveal the "missing" file.

1. Click the printer button at the top right of the OpenAccounts toolbar.   (Note: You should be sitting in a menu, NOT in a program.)
2. Highlight "Listing" and click Select.
3. A listing of spooled files will be displayed.
4. If you have already printed your spooled report, then you will need to "include" printed files in this listing, by clicking the Query button (the folder with binoculars) and checking to Include Printed Requests.
5. Note that you can also use the Query button to narrow down what spooled files are displayed, for example, by selecting reports for your user initials or selecting a specific OpenAccounts module.

For greatest flexibility, OpenAccounts provides an export file of the required 1099 data.   These files can then serve as input to many of the 1099 print programs.   This allows the client to choose whatever mechanism is most appropriate to print and submit the 1099 information.   ACUMEN Corporation has partnered with Convey Compliance Systems, Inc., authors of the leading edge 1099 printing product 1099Convey Desktop Software for Windows.  

Detailed information on how to use their product in conjunction with OpenAccounts version 5.0, including four mapping files, is provided at OpenAccounts and 1099's

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