ACT! Questions and Answers
Ask ACT Professor

Most ACT! "tip" columns only  repeat what you can find in the manual.
Here you will find truly innovative solutions and work-arounds.

Keyword >Question
Answer
ACT-Outlook >I get the following error when I start Outlook, How can I get rid of it? I have opened ACT(contact manager)and it still appears. Error is: You must run ACT at least once before you can
use this feature.

Go in to Outlook, to Tools, Options, Other, Advanced Options, Add-In Manager, and disable ACT! Extensions

ACT 8 >I have copied an ACT! 8 database on to the server, but only one person can open it.  We specified that it should be shareable, but still, only one person can open it.

Try File, Save As, and make a copy of the database, then try to open the copy shared.  It may help to have your version of ACT! make the file.

ACTEmail 6 >I want to move my attachments from my C: drive to the server S: - how can I do that?

You can use the ACT! Add On called ACT! Attachment Freedom

ACTEmail 6 >My Act email folder now has thousands of files and is slowing down.  Any way to speed it up?

You can store your emails in folders arranged by date, for example D:\ACT6\Email\Attached\2006 (click for details)

Installation >I tried the Install Shield web site, and the installation goes farther.   But now get a different error.  Internal error 2755.3  My install files are on a network drive M:

Try putting it on drive C:

Installation >I'm trying to upgrade to version 8 for 2006 and get a message: Error -1607: Unable to Install InstallShield Scripting Run Time.

Here are some steps to fix it from InstallShield's web site.
http://consumer.installshield.com/kb.asp?id=Q108340

ACTivities >I need more room to type in the activity Regarding field.  Is there a way to widen it?

Yes you can widen the fields up to 254 characters.  Here's how  ACTRegarding Widening Service

ACTDial >Can I get ACT! to dial the phone automatically inversion 2005?

Yes, here are some instructions on using the ACT! dialer.

ACTEmail 6 >I can't exit ACT Email or ACT!

There are a few reasons this could be. The ABC/ABU files could be corrupted. Delete or Rename them and they will be reconstructed automatically by ACT!   Or see the following link.

Sharing > How to I get more users in to the database?  It gives me an error when the 2nd person tries to log in.

Just turn on Tools, Database Maintenance, Share Database

Layouts >I have one layout that shows all the fields, and one that shows just the most important.  But it is tedious to click on the scrolling list of layouts.  Is there a faster way?

You could remove all but the most important .CLY files from your Layout folder to make the list shorter. 
You can press F6 to switch quickly between your last two layouts.

ACT 7 to 6 >I like the Company table in ACT 7, but it is too slow. If I use your "Back to the Future" conversion back to 6, how can I view the companies?

You can make tool bar buttons to run macros which run queries to show the Groups or the Companies with a click of the mouse.

ACT 6 Phone >ACT puts a [1] in front of every phone number.  How can I get rid of it.

ACT! puts the Country Code in a contact record if it is different than the Country Code of the My Record.  Go to the My Record and click on the button with the three dots [...] to the right of the Phone field.  Select United States, then you will find all the [1]'s on the US records are suppressed.

ACT 7 >We'd like to put the activities in to an Excel file, but can't export them using the new version. We used to do that in 6.

We developed a special procedure to extract All the tables.  Just upload your database and we'll extract it to tables for you.  http://DataUpload.com.

ACT 7 > I am trying to move the database to another folder on our network, but it just won't move.  It keep saying "Cannot move MyContacts: There has been a sharing violation. The source or destination file may be in use."  But no one else is using it!   I even shut down their machines.

> The database needs to be detached.  Please see the page on the ACT7Dia utility at http://ACTConvert.com/FromSend#ACT! 7.0  The next time you open the database in the new location, it will automatically re-attach.

ACT 7 Install > I am trying to open an ACT! 2005 database and get this message:  "Your framework needs to be updated."

You need to update your ACT!  Just go to Help, then ACT! Update...
Just think of it saying "Your version needs to be updated."

Synchronizing >We are synchronizing daily, but have different total numbers of contacts.  Why is this?

When you delete a record, it is not automatically deleted on the others, even after synchronization.  On the other computers, select Lookup, Synchronized Records, then Deleted by Remote Users.  You will see the Records Deleted by Remote Users screen.  Show Contacts, for All Users.  (Check the list to see if any contacts should not be deleted and if so, Restore Deleted Record).  If they all can be, then Select All.  Then click the Lookup Selected button to create a lookup of all the records you would like to delete.  Then, select Contact, Delete Contact, then Delete Lookup.  It takes a lot of steps, but ACT! goes on the side of caution, and makes it a very conscious effort to delete contacts that might be important.   Suggestion: You can make a Macro to do this in one click.

Email > We have been trying to get the ACT! Email feature to work, and it is causing us a lot of stress in the nervous system.  The emails get stuck in the out box, and we would just like to export the email addresses by group and paste them in to the BCC field of Microsoft Outlook.

We have an Alternative Email Procedure and Report Template for that.   Please click to see the steps.

Macros
> For years I have used ACT! with satisfaction and I have just purchased ACT! 7 (2005). Our work is heavily dependant on the Macros in ACT! 6 and to our alarm we have found since receiving the program on Friday that although there is provision to put macro icons on the toolbar (se HELP - "Creating and deleting custom commands" Item 6) there is no procedure for creating a macro!!!!!   For my purposes ACT! 7 without macros is completely useless as most of our work is macro driven. We will either have to stay with ACT! 6 or move to a competitive product   UNLESS YOU HAVE AN ADD-ON WHICH WILL GIVE ACT! 7 the same MACRO ability as ACT! 6. Can you help us please?

 

Yes, you can use Aldo's Macro utility and other Macro programs, which allow you to create a floatable toolbar of macros. You can download a free trial at http://www.aldostools.com/macro.html
Groups >We would like to make all our Groups public.  Can you convert these for use?

Actually there is a command in ACT! for that.  Just go to the Groups view.  Then Edit, Replace.  Make Public/Private =Public from the Status tab.  Then under the Replace menu, select Apply.
Sync >We need to be able to work together with our office in Philadelphia.  Can you help?

Let's schedule a time for me to come in and clean up the mess.  In the mean time, you can read our tips on synchronization.

Tool Bar > I can't find my tool bar!

First make sure you have the tool bar active within the Tools, Toolbars choice. Then try the ACTDIAG.EXE utility which comes with ACT!, and use the menu Reset feature.

ACT! >We have to Ctrl+Alt+Del to get out of ACT!

This is a known problem with the FINIS.EXE in the ACT! folder.  You can read a Knowledge Base article on replacing it.

Templates >If one person is logged in, but wants to send a fax or an e-mail with the
>contact details of the Director, how do you change the
>template (which would automatically put in the name for the person who is logged in)?

The letter and email templates that come with ACT! are programmed to use the My Record to sign the correspodence. If it should always be signed by one person, such as the department chief, then you can enter that person's name in place of the [MyContact] code. Then it will print just like any text in the template. The templates can be changed with the Write, Edit Document Template..., and are usually .ADT files.
Templates >2) How can the new logo of our organization be input into the fax and letter templates?

While editing the FAX.ADT ACT Document Template, you can add a logo by copying it from the Paint program include with Windows, and pasting on to the template. It should be in the .BMP, .GIF, or .JPG format for best results.
Templates >4) Will the system automatically save a fax that was sent to a company? (e.g.
>our organization does a mail shot to 100 companies, it would be very cumbersome
>having to save the same fax with each company record)


Yes, when a fax cover sheet is printed for a group, ACT! prompts for a history entry, such as "Fax for upcoming conference." Plus the name of a special Fax template can be saved, for example Fax-Conference.ADT, in the history. But the fax itself does not need to be repeated in each contact record, just the reference to the template.
ACT Web >We would like to be able to access our ACT! database from the web. How can we do that?

There are two similar products to do that. You can find more information at
ACTWired.com  and ACTHelp.com/web

ACT Web >We have a DSL connection at our office.  Is that enough to host ACT for the Web?

DSL would be a bit slow, but WiredContact can even work with dial up.  You can host on the fastest available, OC192, with ACTWebHosting.com

Labels >I was am trying to run some address lables to do a mailing using our contacts in the database.
>What is the best way to do this.

First, do a Lookup for the records you would like to print to. For example, all records in Washington.
You can select Edit, Sort, by Zip
Then File, Print, select Labels and choose the format you have.

Customize >What is the best way to name my many User Defined Fields?

We have some suggestions here, to name then 01, 02, 03, 04...15  which allows you to add addition wording after the numbers, while still retaining their identity as user defined fields.

Screen >In the main ACT window there are scroll down arrows, etc. with information to select from. How can I edit that information?
With your cursor in the field, press F2.  You will be able to Add, Modify, and Delete popup information.  From Edit, Define Fields, you can select the Drop Down tab for more choices.

Does it get synched over ?
Drop Down lists do not synchronize, but you can use the Export and Import feature to avoid retyping them.
http://itdomino.act.com/act.nsf/docid/1997716132336

Sync >We have several sales representatives synchronizing from their laptops to a central ACT! machine, but the counts of the records for their groups do not match.  What is going on?

Here are some things to check.

ACT for
the Web
> Wired Contact keeps timing out. 

You can increase the log out time due to inactivity on wired contact.  For example, if the current log out time is 10 minutes, you can increase it to 20 minutes. Go the WiredContact Configuration Utility.  Select the "Site Information (Database)" tab, then "In Minutes... Automatic Database Logoff" to 20 minutes

ACT for
the Web
>How can we include Mobile phone in contact fields in ACT and wiredcontact.

You can add the tag <tr><td class=lbl><#LABEL Field=38> </td>
<td><#INPUT style="width=120" Field=38 format=phone></td></tr>
to the contact.html template.  Field 38 is the default Mobile Phone field.

ACT for
the Web
> We can't seem to access groups online using wiredcontact, while everyone else can

Make sure you have changed the settings (Tools-Internet Options-Temporary Internet files-Settings)  in your browser to Every Visit to the Page under Check for Newer Versions of Stored Pages.  Then in the WiredContact Configuration utility on the server click Reset Local Cache on the Site Information/Database tab.

ACT for
the Web
> How can we allow part time additional users to access the system

Have a general account that allows staff who do not have an individual accounts to log in and make updates.

ACT for
the Web
> Why can't an ACT 6 database saved as ACT 5 open in ACT 5?  Why do we not get the option to import both groups and contacts?

It sounds like you are in version 5 (2000), trying to import 6.  Start in verison 6.   Make sure to use the choice in ACT! 6.0 to File, Save Copy As..  Then you will see a prompt to save it in 5.0 format.

ACT for
the Web
> Although groups have been deleted from ACT, why do they still pop up in WiredContact in the groups field?

(I'll look at this Monday)

ACT for
the Web
> When you click on an specific group in wiredcontact, is there a way to display the subgroups list within that group?

Use theWiredContact Configuration utility on the server to Reset Local Cache on the Site Information/Database tab.  Make sure the users have their browsers set to Every Visit to Page as above.  Changes to drop downs will display in WiredContact after 6 hours, but can be forced with the Reset Local Cache Button.

ACT for
the Web
> How can we edit "notes" within groups' profile in wiredcontact?

This is not available currently, but has been added to our feature requests.

ACT for
the Web
> Are we able to send emails out to specific people who are within different groups?

This can be done in regular ACT!, but not in WiredContact

ACT for
the Web
> Is it possible to have an "email icon" on the left side of the wired contact menu bar in order to simplify the way to send mass emails?

In the current version of WiredContact, mass emails are not supported.  This feature will be made available within the next quarter (Qtr1 2003)

ACT for
the Web
>We're trying to remove 'city', 'state', and 'zip' from the lookup dropdown list on the lookup page.   We know how to add
fields to the lookup list but how can we remove these three.  it appears that they are defaulted but we would like to comment them out. We've looked at the lookup.jsp page but do not know where to look next.

(Will do Monday)

Install > If I want to install witha different serial number do I have to uninstall, then reinstall.

This can be done by updating the Windows Registry, but should be done by a Certified ACT Consultant ( ACTCA.org )

Install > Where should I install ACT!

We recommend keeping the installation to simple folders.   See article on Simple ACT! Setup

Icons >How can I have two or three ACT! icons, to launch particular databases from my desktop?

Create 3 icons linking to the DBF file themselves. Right click on them to check the Properties. 
Target: N:\ACT\DATABASE\MyData.dbf  (or the name of your desired database)
Start In: C:\ACT  (or wherever your ACT.EXE is)
Include the .DBF in the Target to be sure the icon opens up the right file.

Reporting >How can I print Notes for each contact wtih ACT!

Please see ACT Notes

Database >What database is used with ACT?

ACT! comes with its own database engine, a strong variation of the popular dBase structure, called CodeBase.  With Access or SQL you can access the data in the ACT! database, for reporting or even editing.  But the data can only reside in the ACT! format in order for the ACT! menus and commands to work with the data.  ACT! value added resellers providing custom work, and ACT AddOns, can provide additional methods to work with the data.

Licenses >How many licenses do we need?

ACT! is licensed based on the number of simultaneous users.  If only 5 people are expected to use the application at any given time, only 5 licenses need to be bought. 

If you are also using WiredContact, you are supposed to have an ACT! and a WiredContact license for each user.

Installation >What Internet Explorer versions are needed?

When you try to install ACT on a machine running an internet explorer version earlier than 5.0 the first thing that pops up is a window telling you that you need to upgrade your IE version to 5.5. You will not be able to install ACT until you have upgraded your IE version. You can, although not "officially recommended" by ACT!, change the registry settings to make ACT! "think"that 5.50 is installed.

Wired
Contact
> Can WiredContact can work with version 5.0?

Yes, it can work with 5 or 6.
Importing >When importing a DBF file, created with Excel, a few of the rightmost characters get truncated. Why?

For the Excel export into DBF format, Excel makes a determination of the fixed width based on the width of the column. Prior to exporting to DBF format, widen each spreadsheet column width an extra 1/4 inch will make sure no characters get truncated.  Then, when you import the DBF into ACT, you will see all the data.  Just make sure the field in ACT is wide enough, with Edit, Define Fields

Customize >I would like to change the color of the background of the View Bar.  How?

>We see the color changer for the other components in Edit Preferences, Colors and Fonts. But not for the View bar.

(working on it)

Setup >ACT! 6.0 does not seem to work with Internet Explorer version 5.0

Internet Explorer 5.5 is currently supported by ICC.    But some organizations may not want to upgrade at this time.
You can change the Windows Registry settings to make ACT! 6.0 "think" that 5.5 is installed.

Export >How can I export ACT! fields to an Excel spreadsheet?

Select File, Data Exchange, Export...

Email >I  receive no responses from return receipt requested from those with Yahoo or Hotmail accounts.  Why?

The return receipt option must be supported by the e-mail client for you to receive them.   See: http://itdomino.act.com/act.nsf/docid/2002711112245
(Waiting for word from Yahoo and Hotmail tech support)

Printing >ACT! crashes when I print a calendar.  My printer is a 8150 HP printer.  What's the problem?

This is most likely a printer driver problem.  Try the steps at http://itdomino.act.com/act.nsf/docid/1998414124356 and http://itdomino.act.com/act.nsf/docid/199851910208
(A consultant may have to stop by for this one)

Sales >What is the price for ACT! for other countries?

The prices are equivalent, and can be bought in Euros.  Some countries, such as Canada, and Latin America benefit from slightly lower prices.

Sales >How much is the new version of ACT!?  Is it more?

Generally the prices for new versions remain the same.  You can check the prices at http://ACTforSale.com

Printing >How can I print only a few labels, and not waste the rest of the stickers on the sheet?

When you select File, Print, Labels, then select your label such as Avery 5161, and OK, you will see a dialog.  Here you select how many contacts, Current, Current Lookup, or All.  Select the "Position" tab, then "Start prining on" and the Row or Column.   You can make the labels start on Row 4 Column 2, for example.  Click for details.

Windows >What issues are there with installing ACT! to work with Office 2002/XP?

Microsoft Outlook has additional features, such as the ability to check web based email.  See: Outlook 2002 in Action
After upgrading to Outlook XP (2002), ACT! should be uninstalled then reinstalled to recognize the new drivers and macros. 
If you have installed the Microsoft Outlook Security Update or are using Outlook XP (2002). Now when you open an e-mail message in ACT! a window displays stating that a third party application is attempting to view the e-mail. This is to thwart viruses that propogate themselves through Outlook.  If you get a message for each message opened, Update to the newest build (5.0.4.495 or higher) of ACT!  Some find this message annoying, but with XP you can now turn this protection off with Tools, Option, Security tab.

 

WP >We receive a network access error message when trying to use any word processing template.

It would be a rights issue to where the word processing templates are. 
You can find the folder through the Start, Search/Find option for ACT.DOT
(The folders would be something like DRIVE:\ACT\WPMacros\Word\9)
Ask your system administrator change the rights to this folder to make it Read/Write

Sync >What do we do when the ACT! sync e-mail does not come through?

When the email with the synchronization attachment does nto come through, we should check from your laptop back to the source. If you are receiving other email, then your Outlook or your connection is not the problem. Check on the ACT Admin server to see if the main database is in use. Check to see if the Outbox is full. If so, issue a manual send from ACT Admin.

Crash >What do we do when the network goes down?

If the network goes down, the ACT! file's indexes may have become corrupted. It would be best to select File, Administraiton, Database Maintenance, Compress and Reindex.

Crash >What do we do when we lose electricity, or the computer gets turned off ?

If the computer goes down, the ACT! file's indexes may have become corrupted. It would be best to select File, Administraiton, Database Maintenance, Compress and Reindex.

Sync >What do we do if there is an error prompt saying the synchronization file is not going through because the user is not set correctly?

This is usually due to the email system not being set up correctly. Check with File, Synchronization, Setup. Select the user, then click on the Receive tab. Check to make sure Microsoft Outlook is selected. If this does not fix it, call ACTHelp.com

Access > What if reps cannot access their data from their laptop?

This seems to be a Remote Access Server problem, and may have to do with the firewall. This is being checked into.

Network > I need a map of where all the databases sit (path, drive, etc.) for each user of the main database

See: Map Info

Edit >Can I put a "hard carriage return" (ie a line end, then go to the start of the next line) in a field. If not, why not. In all other programs, Ctrl + Enter works. But it doesn't seem to in ACT. What gives?

ACT! does not support this because of its dBase file structure.  Only in the Notes can you use Ctrl+Enter
WP >On my work computer, ACT refuses to recognize that Word 2000 is installed. On my home machine it does recognize it. What gives?

Now you have a good reason to work at home.   But if you would like it to work at work, try uninstalling and re-installing ACT!  When ACT! is installed it sets up registry settings for the word processor.  Probably at the time you installed ACT! you had a previous version of Microsoft Word.

Email >How can I set up ACT email to not look at the network folders?

 

Network >How can I set up access rights for ACT users under Windows 2000 in order to use the screen files and templates?

Here is an article on setting up ACT! rights and permissions to help guide you.  Your network administrator can assist with the specific locations.

Groups

>I can't see the groups, but others can.  Is there any way to make those groups so they apply to all users?

In ACT! you can find the switch from Private to Public on the Groups view, then Status tab.

WP >Why does my MS Word processor not work anymore since I installed Microsoft Office XP?

..you need to add a patch that is put out by ACT! on their website: http://support.act.com/act_support/act2000/updates
It is easily downloaded and immediately you will be able to use MS Word as your word processor of choice.
Edit >How can I populate an entire database field for every contact?
>I want to make all contacts in a database one type of ID Status.
>Can I do it all at once?

You can use the Edit, Replace feature. Select Edit, Replace from the top pull down menu. Then you will see a screen that looks like an empty contact record. Put in the value you would like. When you select Replace, Apply, you will prompted for an OK to change all records in the Current Lookup. Consider this carefully, as it will fill in the field with the value all in one step.

Layout >Now my machine is giving me only the Contact Layout 2000 choice. How do I get the rest into the menu?

This is because the default folder for Layout files only has the CLY file for this. Go to Edit preferences, then to the Default locations.
Select File Type: Layout
Make sure the Location is set to where your CLY files are, such as C:\ACT\Layout

Layout >How do I get the tool palette to come up when editing Layouts?

In the Tools, Design Layouts mode, select View, then Show Tool Palette
Network >"Our ACT! database is on a shared network drive.
When more than one user accesses the database, performance is very slow."

"You are trying to access an ACT! database over a network. The first user can
log on to the database and performance is unaffected. But, for each additional
user who logs on to that database, the performance on the network  continues to slow.
The network server is NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6 or 6a,
   and/or the workstations are NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6 or 6a."
   "While opening a database, you receive an error message or ACT! 2000 stops
   responding."

   "ACT! frequently stops responding. Compress and reindex improves performance
   for a while, but then the problem recurs. You may also experience fatal
   errors, or invalid page faults when entering notes, history, or activities."
   "You share your database(s) on a Windows NT server, and you continually have
   to reindex your databases because the indexes are being corrupted."
   "You are experiencing problems with your ACT! database, and suspect it may be damaged."

For companies that use ACT! on a Microsoft network, there is a known issue concerning
corruption of index files and databases, and subsequent slow-down and non-response
after several instances of use. This applies to ACT! versions 3.0, 4.0 and ACT! 2000.

Recommended Technical Solutions from ACT!:

If it is the index files that have been damaged (and not the database), you
should first attempt to repair the database by removing and rebuilding
the index files.

   [Note: to determine if the database file is damaged, if the database is on
   the network, move it to your local hard drive and test it. If it functions
   correctly on your local hard drive, the database is not likely to be damaged.
   Restart the computer in Safe Mode and test the database. If the problem does not
occur in Safe Mode, the database is not likely to be damaged. How you do this
depends on which operating system you are using]

   If you are using a Microsoft network and the Virtual Redirector file
   (VREDIR.VXD) is version 4.00.1111 through 4.00.1115, then the file needs to
be updated with the correct version. (Applications other than ACT! can also be
affected by this file.) This only pertains to computers running Windows 95;
do not update this file on computers running Windows 98 or Windows NT.

   All Windows 95 computers on the network that are running ACT! must be checked;
this is not necessarily restricted to machines running Windows 95b or Windows 95c.
General system configuration settings should also be checked.

   Back up and restore regularly.

The following sites contain more technical details on resolving the above
problems:

   ACT! Site:
http://itdomino.saleslogix.com/act.nsf/docid/1998110314235401

   Microsoft Site:
  
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q249/7/99.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0


Conclusion:

Not all ACT! users report the above as problems they have encountered with their
software, but I would suggest that those who have selected ACT! software aware of 
these potential problems and provide the above solutions to the technical staff
for their reference.
Edit >What’s the easiest way to duplicate a contact record? It takes a lot of time to enter a person’s name & address into the database.

Select Contact, Duplicate Contact, and from the Duplicate Contact box you can duplicate the name and address information by selecting Primary Fields, or duplicate all the data by selecting All Fields.

Edit >I have found a tremendous amount of value in recording events of the day that may be referred to in the future. Do you have any suggestions on doing this?

You can use ACT!’s Notepad (F9) or Record History (Ctrl+H) features to do this.

Every time you speak with someone on the phone, complete a to-do, or have a meeting, press Ctrl+H to open the Record History box and write down a summary of what you did or what you talked about.

At the end of the day run the Notes/History report. Select Reports, Notes/History, click on the Activities/Notes/History tab, click on the Custom Date button select the date and click OK.

You’ve now a complete list of everything you did during the day

Lookup

>How do I create a lookup of contacts based on the activities that I have scheduled with them?

Follow these steps:

  1. Choose the View Menu, and click Task List. The Task List view appears.
  2. Choose the View Menu, and click Filter Task List. The Filter Activities dialog box appears.
  3. Set the filters to display the activities you want to view. You can filter on date, type, priority and more to get just the activities you want to see.
  4. Then right-click in the window, and on the shortcut menu click Create Lookup. ACT! creates a lookup based on the contacts listed in the Task List view and returns to the Contacts view.
Edit

>How do I clear several activities at the same time?

Follow these steps:

  1. Choose the View menu, and click Task List.
  2. Select the first activity that you want to clear, and then do one of the following:
    • If all the activities you want to clear are contiguous in the list, hold down the Shift key and select the last activity you want to clear. All activities in between the two you selected are also selected.
    • If the activities you want to clear are not contiguous, hold down the Ctrl key and select each additional activity you want to clear.
  3. After selecting the activities to be cleared, Right-click one of the selected activities, and choose Clear Multiple Activities from the shortcut menu.
Calendar >Once I'm in the Schedule Activity dialog, how can I navigate the calendars using only keystrokes?

Answer: In the Schedule Activity dialog box, you can do the following (this only works consistently if you do not use the keys on the number pad):
  • With the cursor in the Date field

    Keystroke What it does to the date
    = Adds one day
    - Subtracts one day
    + Adds one month
    _ Subtracts one month

 

  • With the Mini-Calendar visible in the Date field:

    Keystroke What it does to the date
    Page Up Subtracts one month
    Page Down Adds one month
    Shift+Page Up Subtracts one year
    Shift+Page Down Adds one year
  • With the cursor in the Time field:

    Keystroke What it does to the time
    = Adds one hour
    - Subtracts one hour
    + Adds one minute
    _ Subtracts one minute
  • In any field with a drop-down, Alt+Down Arrow opens the drop-down for that field. Once open, you can navigate the drop-down with the cursor keys.

    Keystroke What it does
    Alt+Down arrow Opens the drop-down

 

NOTE: Many of these same keystrokes will also work in date fields in the contact record.

Edit

>How can I simultaneously reschedule several activities? I want to move all of them to the same day.

Answer: First locate the activities you want to reschedule, then move them to the new date:

  1. Choose View, and click Task List, then choose Edit, and click Filter.
  2. Use the Filter Activities dialog to distill the activities you want to reschedule. (If you are unable to reduce your list of activities using the Filter Activities dialog, proceed to the next step.)
  3. Using the gray selection buttons on the left side of the Task List window, highlight the first activity in the list, then Shift+Click on the last one to select all the activities. You also can select individual activities in the list by Ctrl+Clicking their selection buttons.
  4. Once all the desired activities have been selected, press F4 on the keyboard to bring up the Mini-Calendar. Scroll to the month to which you would like to reschedule the activities.
  5. Position your mouse pointer over the selection button of one of the highlighted activities. Press the left mouse button and drag onto the Mini-Calendar until the outline surrounds the desired reschedule date. Release the mouse button. All selected activities are rescheduled to the desired day.
Calendar

>How do I schedule company holidays so they show on the calendar?
>I do not want my name to appear alongside the activity (for example, "Chris Huffman - New Year's Day").

Answer: Create a new user, with login and standard access rights:

  1. Choose File, point to Administration, and click Define Users.
  2. At the Define Users dialog, click Add User.
  3. In the User Name field, type Holiday.
  4. Select Standard Security Level and make sure that Enable Logon is checked. Click OK.
  5. At the Assign My Records dialog box, click Assign.
  6. At the Enter My Record Information dialog box, type Holiday in the Name field, then click OK.
  7. At the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
  8. At the Assign My Records dialog box, click Done.

To schedule holidays, log in to the database with the user name Holiday. Schedule your holidays as timeless to-dos, but bear in mind that some holidays do not always fall on the nominal date, but on a federal Monday (which is why scheduling them as recurring activities might not work properly). Consider using an unusual color, to make it easy to see and engender excitement in the workplace. When you are finished, close the database, reopen it, and log in with your normal user name. Now, when you look at your calendar, your holiday will display as "Holiday - Christmas Day." On the monthly calendar, holidays will display in the grid; on the weekly and daily calendars, they will display on the right side of the screen, as do all timeless activities.

Fields >How do I add a field to my database and layout.

Solution: Adding fields to your database is a two part process. First you have to add the field to your database, and then you have to add the field to your layout to make it visible.

Adding the field to your database

NOTE: Be aware that adding too many fields to your database can decrease its performance, especially when many of them are indexed fields. Of course, the relative performance depends on your system's configuration.

To add a field to your database, follow these steps:
  1. Open the database in which you want to add the field.
  2. Choose the Edit menu, and click Define Fields. The Define Fields dialog box appears.
  3. Click New Field. This will create a new field with the name of New Field.
  4. Delete the text in the Field Name box. Type the name you want to give the new field.
  5. From the Type list, select the desired field type.
  6. Set any other desired options for this field.
  7. Repeat the above steps for each additional field you want to add.
  8. Click OK when you have finished. ACT! will add the fields to the database.

 

Adding a field to your layout:
To make the new field visible in the Contacts view, you need to add it to a layout by following these steps:

  1. Choose the Tools menu, and click Design Layouts. The layout designer will open.
  2. Choose the File menu, and click Save As. Click in the File Name field, type a unique name for your layout, and click Save.
    CAUTION: The reason for immediately giving the file a new name is to prevent you from accidentally changing the existing layout. If that is your intent, you can skip this step.
  3. From the tool palette, click the Field tool.
    NOTE: If the tool palette is not showing, choose the View menu, and click Show Tool Palette.
  4. Place the crosshair pointer where you want the upper-left corner of your field to start.
  5. Drag to the right and down until it reaches the desired size, and release the mouse button. The Fields dialog box will appear.
  6. Select the field you created in the previous section and click Add. Repeat for any other fields you want to add to the layout.
  7. Click Close to close the Fields dialog.
  8. Rearrange the fields on the layout until you are satisfied with their placement.
  9. Click Close on your toolbar when you have finished adding fields to the layout.\
  10. Click Yes when asked if you want to save changes.
Layout >How do I add my company logo to my layout?
  1. Choose the Tools menu, and click Design Layouts. The layout designer will open.
  2. Choose the File menu, and click Save As. Click in the File Name field, type a unique name for your layout, and click Save.
    CAUTION: The reason for immediately giving the file a new name is to prevent you from accidentally changing the existing layout. If that is your intent, you can skip this step.
  3. Get your company logo on the clipboard by going to your favorite graphics program (e.g. Microsoft Paint), opening the logo file and selecting Edit, Copy (or Ctrl + C) to copy this image to your clipboard.
  4. Switch back to your ACT! program which is in Layout Design mode.
  5. Select Edit, Paste (or Ctrl + V) to paste the logo into your ACT! layout.
  6. Then by clicking on the graphic you are able to move it, resize it, and adjust it to exactly the size and position you desire on the layout. If it is obscuring your view of other ACT! fields and data, right click on the logo and select the command “Move to Back”. This will put the logo at the very back of the virtual stack of fields and data and everything will appear on top of it.
Email

>How do I perform a mail merge to a group but have the mail merge use email?

Solution:
Once your template has been created, make sure that all contacts in the group that you are going to merge to have a valid email address. If any do not, some or all of the mail merge may fail.

To perform a mail merge to a group, follow these steps:

  1. Click the large Groups button on the bottom toolbar. If no group is currently selected, it will display . A list will appear displaying the groups in the open database.
  2. Click the desired group to select it. The counter on the main toolbar will change to show the number of contacts in the group. This group is now the current lookup.
  3. Choose the Write menu, and click Mail Merge. The Mail Merge dialog box appears.
  4. In the Template group box, select the template that you want to use, Do not double-click it.
  5. Under "Send output to," click E-mail.
  6. Click Current Lookup.
  7. Enter a subject, and check desired options.
  8. Click OK to begin the mail merge. Do not stop the merge once it has begun.

NOTE:
In some cases, if the group that is being merged to is too large (several hundred or more), the mail merge could fail due to lack of system resources. This number will vary considerably, and is most likely to occur on older systems. If you experience this problem, exit all other programs that are running and try again. In some cases, you may need to send to smaller groups.

Convert >I'm using goldmine and would like to convert to ACT.  How can I move my data over?

Check out http://ACTConvert.com for our service which will do a complete conversion for you.

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