Peachtree Software PEACHTREE COMPLETE ACCOUNTING 7.0 User Manual

Getting Started Guide
For Peachtree Complete® Accounting
RELEASE
7.0
Registration and Technical Support Information
product: 1-800-718-1592 To purchase a Peachtree Support plan: 1-800-247-3224 Internet web site
http://www.peachtree.com
Copyright
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Company names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written permission of Peachtree Software, Inc.
© 1992-1999 Peachtree Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA
Peachtree Complete Accounting Getting Started Guide Release 7
First Edition, May 1999 This document, the associated s oftware, and the ass ociated online documentatio n are
the property of Peachtree Software and are loaned to the user under the terms of the Limited Use License Agreement. Unauthorized copying or use of the software or any associated materials is contrary to the property rights of Peachtree Software and is a violation of state and federal law. This material must be returned to Peachtree Software upon demand.
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Peachtree, the Peachtree logo, and Peachtree Complete are registered trademarks of Peachtree Software, Inc. Peachtree Complete Plus, PeachLink, Peachtree Office (Accounting), and Peachtree 2000 are trademarks of Peachtree Software, Inc.
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Other product names mentioned in this manual may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companie s an d ar e he re by ac k now l ed g e d.
Portions of this program: © 1992-1999 Pervasive Software, Inc. © 1997-1999 Access Softek, Inc. © 1994-1999 Inner Media, Inc. © 1997-1999 WexTech, Inc. © 1990-1999 InstallShield Software, Inc.
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Tax Updates
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RECOMMENDED ENVIRONMENT
This Program has been designed to work optimally in the environment documented
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PEACHTREE and PEACHTREE SOFTWARE are registered trademarks of Peachtree
Software, Inc.
• Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introducing and Installing Peachtree Accounting
Introducing Peachtree Complete Accounting Release 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About This Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Contents of the Peachtree Accounting Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Contents of the Peachtree Accounting Compact Disc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Installing Peachtree Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Online Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Displaying the Peachtree Accounting Online Manuals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Installing Peachtree Accounting on a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Network Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installing on a Client/Server Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Installing on a Peer-to-Peer Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing on the Network Administrator’s Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing on a Workstation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
About Record and File Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Record Locks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exclusive File Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What’s Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Registering Peachtree Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Practicing with Sample Data and Tutorials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Exploring Sample Company Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Following Online and Written Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Creating a New Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Converting Existing Company Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Peachtree Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Before Contacting Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Uninstalling Peachtree Accounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Troubleshooting Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Frequently Asked Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
When I attempt to install Peachtree Accounting,
I received the error, “You must have full administrative rights
to your computer.” What’s wrong?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
What will happen to my existing Peachtree company
after I install the upgrade? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
What will happen to my custom reports, forms,
and financial statements?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
I tried opening Peachtree Accounting, and received
an error that read “Btrieve initialization failed due to invalid
transaction file. Please delete the Btrieve.trn file, exit Windows
and retry.” What happened? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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Getting Started Guide
I’m not using a network now, but I plan to in the future.
How should I install Peachtree Accounting?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
I get an error message during installation that says
it can’t read or copy a file. What should I do?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
I’m getting a message that says “Setup initialization error due to insufficient memory” or the message “Cannot find Status.dat”
and/or “Options.dat.” How can I correct it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Why am I getting a “Btrieve version 5.10 is too old” message
when I attempt to start Peachtree Accounting?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
I’m having problems using Peachtree Accounting
and my large system fonts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
I’m starting Peachtree on a workstation across the network, and I’m receiving the message “Cannot open F:\PEACHW\STATUS.DAT or OPTIONS.DAT.”
What do I need to do to correct it?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
I’m installing on a Novell Network version 3.12 or higher workstation, and am getting a “could not remove file” messa ge.
Why is Peachtree Accounting not installing on my network? . . . . . . . . .27
I’m running Peachtree Accounting on a network, and I frequently receive the message “The record in file ‘Customer.DAT’ is currently in use. Please try again when it is available.”
What can I do about this? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Chapter 2 Upgrading from Previous Versions
Installing the Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Using Existing Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Converting Existing Company Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Starting the Data Conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Troubleshooting the Conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Troubleshooting Data Conversion on a Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Conversion Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Features in Release 7 that May Impact Conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Year 2000 Compliant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
User/Password Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Use Audit Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Hide G/L Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Accounting Behind the Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Peachtree Accounting Color Schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Time and Expense Ticket Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
From Peachtree Complete Accounting Release 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
From Peachtree Accounting Release 3.5 (or lower). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
After the Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Upgrading Inventory from Peachtree Accounting Release 3.0 . . . . . . . .44
From Peachtree First Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Upgrading Inventory from First Accounting Release 1.0. . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Upgrading Payroll from First Accounting Release 1.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
ii
Converting Data from other Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Peachtree Complete Accounting for DOS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Quicken. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
QuickBooks and QuickBooks Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 3 Tutorials
Lesson Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Lesson I—Getting to Know Peachtree Accounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
How to Start Peachtree Accounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
The Startup Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Getting to Know Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Navigation Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
More Peachtree Accounting Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Getting Help with Peachtree Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Review of Lesson I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Quitting Peachtree Accounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Lesson II—Basic Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Setting Up Tutorial Global Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Backing up the Sample Company Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Restoring the Sample Company Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Entering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Editing a Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Displaying and Printing a Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Using Action Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Choosing a Peachtree Accounting Color Scheme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Review of Lesson II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Lesson III—General Ledger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Beginning the Lesson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Working with the Chart of Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Entering Budgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Posting Transactions to the General Ledger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
The General Ledger and General Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Starting Microsoft Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Starting Peachtree Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
What If There Is No Startup Screen? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Navigating in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
What If You Don’t See the Navigation Aids?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Using Peachtree Accounting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Using Data Lookup Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Entering a New Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Entering a To Do Action Item. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Entering an Event Action Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Using the Action Item Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Entering an Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Making a Prior Year Adjustment (Beginning Balance). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
General Journal Entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
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Getting Started Guide
Accounting Periods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Changing Accounting Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Review of Lesson III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Lesson IV—Accounts Payable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Beginning the Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Accounts Payable Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Maintain Vendors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Entering a Discount. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Entering a Purchase Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Printing Purchase Orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Purchases/Receive Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Printing Checks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Display the Vendor Ledger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Display or Hide General ledger Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Review of Lesson IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Lesson V—Accounts Receivable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Beginning the Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Accounts Receivable Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Quotes, Sales Orders, and Sales Invoices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Entering a Quote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Proceed with Entering the Quote. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Converting the Quote to a Sales Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Editing the Sales Order. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Entering the Sales Invoice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Printing Invoices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Understanding Backorders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Entering a Cash Receipt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Analyzing Customer Payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Using the Collection Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Review of Lesson V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Lesson VI—Payroll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Beginning the Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Payroll Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Default Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Maintain Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
Payroll Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Using the Payroll Register. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Print Paychecks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Analyzing Employee Earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Review of Lesson VI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Lesson VII—Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Beginning the Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Tracking Inventory Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Setting Up an Inventory Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Inventory and Purchases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Inventory and Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
iv
Inventory Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Maintaining Item Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Review of Lesson VII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Lesson VIII—Job Costing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Beginning the Lesson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Job Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Setting Up a Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Copying a Job ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Job Costing and Purchasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Job Cost and Payroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Job Costing and Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Job Cost Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Review of Lesson VIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Lesson IX—Company Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Beginning the Lesson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Memorized Transactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
User IDs and Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Audit Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Removing User/Password Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Review of Lesson IX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Lesson X—Time & Billing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Beginning the Lesson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Restoring the Sample Company Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Setting Up Tutorial Global Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Changing the System Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
The Time & Billing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Recording Time Tickets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Entering a Time Ticket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Using a Weekly Time Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Recording Expense Tickets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Entering Billable Expense Tickets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Entering a Non-Billable Expense Ticket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Entering a Reimbursable Expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Using Time and Expense Tickets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Pay Our Employee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Reimburse Our Employee for Out-of-Pocket Expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Record the Company Check Issued to the Outside Printer . . . . . . . . . 205
Bill Our Customer for the Work Completed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
What Happens Next?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Review of Lesson IX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
v
Table of Contents
Getting Started Guide
AppendixAConverting Quicken Data to Peachtree Accounting
Understanding the Conversion Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
Converting from Quicken 99. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
Exporting Quicken Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216
Preparing for the Quicken Export. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216
Reviewing Payee and Class Names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216
Reviewing Accounts and Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216
Printing Quicken Checks and Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217
Creating a Directory for the Exported Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217
Exporting Data from the Windows Version of Quicken. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218
Exporting Data from the MS-DOS version of Quicken. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219
Checking What You’ve Exported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
Create a New Company in Peachtree Accounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Setting Up a New Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Completing Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
Deleting Default Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
Make a Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223
Importing Quicken Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224
Stepping Through the Quicken Import Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224
Converting Quicken Accounts and Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225
Selecting Quicken Accounts to Convert (Part 1 of 6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
Selecting Quicken Categories to Convert (Part 2 of 6). . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
Converting Quicken Payee and Class Names. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230
Converting Quicken Payees to Peachtree Vendors (Part 3 of 6). . . . . .231
Converting Quicken Payees to Peachtree Customers (Part 4 of 6). . . .232
Converting Quicken Classes to Peachtree Jobs (Part 5 of 6) . . . . . . . . .233
Converting Quicken Payees to Peachtree Employees (Part 6 of 6). . . .234
Balancing Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
What to Do After Importing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
Setting Up Necessary Accounts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236
Setting Up Sales Tax Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Identify Unnumbered Payment Transactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
Posting Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Checking the Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Getting Acquainted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240
Troubleshooting the Quicken Conversion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
Frequently Asked Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241
AppendixBConverting QuickBooks Data to Peachtree Accounting
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Preparing for the QuickBooks Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Setting up QuickBooks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Back up our QuickBooks company data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248
Converting a QuickBooks Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Stepping Through the Conversion Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
vi
What QuickBooks Data Is Converted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Field Comparison Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Converting Address Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Converting Company Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Converting Chart of Accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Converting Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Converting Sales Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Converting Vendors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Converting Payroll Setup Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Assign W-2 Payroll Fields in Peachtree Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Assign Payroll Fields for EmployEE- and EmployER-Paid Ta xes . . . . 267
Set Up Local Taxes after Converting from QuickBooks. . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Converting Employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Converting Inventory Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Converting Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
After Converting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Understanding Balances after Converting from QuickBooks. . . . . . . . . . 277
Setting Up a Cash-Basis Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Troubleshooting the Conversion from QuickBooks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Common Errors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
“No Name” Displays as Company Name after the Conversion. . . . . . 280
Accounts Do Not Have Account Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Retained Earnings Account Not Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Accounts Not Found . . . 281
Company Already Exists and Cannot be Converted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Troubleshooting Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Comparing QuickBooks to Peachtree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Accounting Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Inventory Costing Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Company Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
vii
Table of Contents
Getting Started Guide
viii

Introducing and Installing Peachtree Accounting

Introducing Peachtree Accounting
About This Guide 2 System Requirements 3 Contents of the Peachtree Accounting Package 4 Contents of the Peachtree Accounting
Compact Disc 4
Installing Peachtree Accounting
Installing Peachtree Accou n ti ng 5 Installing Online Documentation 7 Installing Peachtree Accounting on a Network 8
Network Considerations 8 Installing on a Client/Server Network 9 Installing on a Peer-to-Peer Network 11 About Record and File Locking 14
1
What’s Next?
Registering Peachtree Accounting 17 Practicing with Sample Data and Tutorials 18 Peachtree Technical Support 21 Uninstalling Peachtree Accounting 23 Troubleshooting Installation 24
Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
1
Getting Started Guide
• Introducing and Installing Peachtree Accounting •

Introducing Peachtree Complete Accounting Release 7

Welcome to Peachtree Complete Accounting—the award-winning accounting solution for small business success. Peachtree Complete Accounting contains all the powerful accounting features of Peachtree Accounting plus more complex accounting tools such as Job Costing, Fixed Assets and Time & Billing. Peachtree Complete is the advanced accounting solution for companies that want to better manage their time, books, and business.

About This Guide

This guide and the User’s Guide refer to Peachtree Complete Accounting as Peachtree Accounting.
Before you begin using Peachtree Accounting, be sure to read this guide for installation instructions, conversion instructions (if you have existing data), and other important issues. This guide includes the following information:
System requirements for installation
Instructions for installing Peachtree Accounting
Installation troubleshooting tips
Information about converting existing data
Instructions for setting up a new company
Hands-on tutorials that demonstrate common features of Peachtree
Accounting using sample data
Instructions for converting existing Quicken and QuickBooks data
2

System Requirements

To install Peachtree Accounting, you need the following hardware and software:
100% IBM PC compatible computer with a 486 processor (or higher)
12 MB (megabytes) of RAM (random access memory); 16 MB or higher is recommended
Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4
Hard disk with the following free space requirements:
Introducing Peachtree Complete Accoun ting Re leas e 7
System Requirements
Installation Component Diskette
Peachtree Complete Accounting 42 MB 44 MB* Peachtree Fixed Assets 2 MB 2 MB* Peachtree Online Tutorial 7 MB 42 MB Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.02 and
online manuals
Install
N/A 15 MB
Compact Disc Install
Note: The recommended Peachtree Accounting memory requirements are in addition to the me mory required by y our syst em software and memory used when entering company data.
*Peachtree Fixed Assets is automatically included if you choose the Standard setup option while installing Peachtree Complete Accounting from the Peachtree Complete Accounting compact disc.
MPC compatible CD-ROM drive (if you intend to use the compact disc version of Peachtree Accounting and multimedia features)
VGA or SVGA monitor that can display a minimum of 256 colors; SVGA monitor is recommended if using the compact disc version
Do not use large fonts—Peachtree will not display properly.
8-bit or 16-bit SoundBlaster compatible sound card (if using multimedia sound enhancements included on the compact disc)
Printers supported by Micros oft Windows 95 or Windows NT 4
Mouse or compatible pointing device
3
Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
1
Getting Started Guide

Contents of the Peachtree Accounting Package

The Peachtree Accounting software package includes the following items:
Peachtree Complete Accounting Release 7 Compact Disc
For a complete description of the Peachtree compact disc contents, see the following section.
Note: Diskettes are included in some upgrade versions of Peachtree Accounting, if request ed. If you purchased a new product, only the compact disc version is included. A Floppy Disk Order Form is included if you require this type of media.
Peachtree Complete Accounting Getting Started Guide
Peachtree Complete Accounting User’s Guide
Peachtree Fixed Assets User’s Guide
PeachLink 2.0 Compact Disc and PeachLink User’s Guide
For a complete description of the PeachLink compact disc contents, refer to the PeachLink User’s Guide.
Peachtree Products and Services Brochure (including information about Technical Support options, Peachtree Tax Service, Peachtree Training services, and additional products)
Peachtree Business Checks & Forms Catalog

Contents of the Peachtree Accounting Compact Disc

The Peachtree Accounting compact disc includes the following items:
Peachtree Complete Accounting Release 7
This package includes the Peachtree Complete Accounting setup program, the Peachtree Complete Accounting program, Peachtree Fixed Assets program, Peachtree Accounting Help, standard Peachtree Accounting forms, online tutorial, and sample company data.
Online versions of the Peachtree Accounting manuals
Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.02
This program allows you to open electronic documents in Portable Document Format (PDF). You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed before viewing the online versions of the Peachtree Accounting manuals.
4
Contents of the Peachtree Accounting Compact Disc

Installing Peachtree Accounting

The following instructions explain how to perform a standard (or upgrade) installation of Peachtree Accounting. If you are using a network, refer to
Installing Peachtree Accounting on a Network” on page 8.
1 Turn on your computer and start Windows.
Peachtree Accounting setup requires Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.
2 Exi t all pr ogram s a nd di sable virus -pr otec tion a nd scr ee n sav er pr ogra ms on
your computer.
This frees up memory and avoids interfer ence with the Peachtree Accounting setup process.
3 Insert the Peachtree Accounting compact disc in your CD-ROM drive; or,
insert Peachtree Diskette #1 in the diskette drive.
If you are installing from compact disc, the Welcome menu appears. Click Install Peachtree Accounting, and continue with the next step.
If you are installing from diskettes or the Welcome menu does not automatically appear onscreen, do the following: Select Start, then Run. Type A:SETUP and select OK. (Substitute the appropriate drive letter for your diskette or CD-ROM drive.)
4 Follow the onscreen instructions until the Peachtree Accounting Setup
window appears. Review the installation instructions and select Nex t.
Installing Peachtree Accounting
5 Read the Licensing Agreement, and select Yes if you accept the terms.
The Select Setup T ype window offers up to four setup choices dependin g on if you are a new or previous user.
6 Click an installation option button, and follow the instructions displayed,
clicking Next to conti nue.
Standard: Installs everything you need to begin running Peachtree Accounting. You cannot change the location where the program will be installed if you select this option.
Upgrade: This option upgrades you from a previous version of Peachtree Accounting, maintaining your existing setup settings.
•Custom: You can set a different path for the program or data files using this option, or choose which components of Peachtree Accounting you want to install.
•Network: This option allows you to install program and data files in a network environment.
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Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
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Getting Started Guide
7 In the Select Peachtree Accounting Program Folder window, change the
name of the Peachtree Complete Accounting program folder, if necessary. Click Next to begin installing.
If you are installing from diskette, follow the prompts and insert additional diskettes as needed.
8 A final window displays , indicating the successful completion of
installation.
Read: Select this to view the Peachtree Accounting Release Notes file.
Begin: Select this option to launch Peachtree Accounting.
•Return: Select this option to return to Windows.
After installing Peachtree Accounting, you can optionally install the online manuals. For more information, see
page 7.
When finished with the setup process, you can set up a new Peachtree Accounting company, explore sample company data, or convert existing company data from a previous version of Peachtree Accounting. For more information on what to do after installing Peachtree Accounting, see
Next?” on page 17.
Installing Online Documentation” on
What’s
6
Contents of the Peachtree Accounting Compact Disc

Installing Onlin e Doc umentation

Electronic versions of the Peachtree Accounting manuals are included on the Peachtree Accounting compact disc. To display or use these documents, you must have Adobe Acrobat 3 (or higher) installed on your computer.
Use the following procedure to install Adobe Acrobat Reader and Peachtree Accounting online manuals.
1 If proceeding after installing Peachtree Accounting from the compact disc,
select Install Online Documentation from the Welcome menu.
— OR —
1 If you completed the Peachtree installation earlier and now want to load
the online manuals, do the following:
Exit all programs and disable virus-protection and screen saver programs on your computer.
Insert the Peachtree Accounting compact disc in your CD-ROM drive.
A Welcome menu displays. Select Install Online Documentation, and continue with the next step.
If the Peachtree Welcome menu does not display, select R un from the Start menu. Type D:\DOC\SETUP and select OK. Substitute the appropriate drive letter for your CD-ROM drive.
2 Follow the prompts to install the online manuals and Adobe Acrobat
Reader (if necessary).
Installing Online Documentation

Displaying the Peachtree Accounting Online Manuals

1 From the Start menu, select Programs, and then point to the Peachtree
Accounting folder (or the name of th e prog ram folder you cho se during the Online Documentation setup).
2 Select the manual you want to read.
Getting Started Guide: the online version of the Peachtree Complete
Accounting User’s Guide (PCWGS.PDF)
Use r’s Guide: the online version of the Peachtree Complete
Accounting User’s Guide (PCWUG.PDF)
Fixed Assets User’s Guide: the online version of the Peachtree Fixed
Assets User’s Guide (PCWFAUG.P DF )
For complete information on using Adobe Acrobat Reader, refer to the Online Guides installed with the Acrobat Reader program.
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Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
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Getting Started Guide

Installing Peachtree Accounting on a Network

A network connects all types of computers and computer-related devices, such as hard drives, printers and CD-ROM drives. Computers that share devices with other computers are called servers.
Peachtree Accounting comes network-ready and multiuser; it is ready to install on a network for use at your company. Peachtree Accounting will run on two basic types of networks: peer-to-peer, such as Windows 95 Networking, and client/server, such as Novell 4.x or above. Before you install on your network, you must know whether you have a peer-to-peer network or a client/server network.
Peer to Peer
This is a network that allows each connected computer to act as a server and/ or a workstation. Each computer can share its hard drive, printers, or other devices with all other computers in the network. This makes each computer
on the network equal to the other computers, or a “peer.” However, when you are sharing data (such as accounting information), you want to designate one computer as the primary server for the data. In other words, you don’t want the data on everyone’s computer, only the primary server (such as the administrator’s co mputer).
Examples of peer-to-peer networks are Artisoft’s LANtastic or Windows 95 Networking.
Client/Server
This is a network with a traditional server acting as a central unit (the primary server) with several workstations connecting to it. The server is where you store the data that will be shared by the workstations.

Network Considerations

Peachtree Accounting can be operated on any network software that s upports Microsoft Windows and NetBios. However, there are certain considerations:
Your data must reside on a network drive (eit her on the server or t he
administrator’s machine for a peer-to-peer network).
If you install the program files on each workstation, it enhances performance. Make sure you have full access (administrative rights) to the drive you are installing Peachtree Accounting.
When you receive an upgrade to Peachtree Accounting, you must install the update the same way as you in st alled the original program.
Real-time posting is recommended for better performance and fewer conflicts.
8
Installing Pea chtree Accounting on a Network

Installing on a Client/Server Network

Use the following instructions to install Peachtree Accounting on a client/ server network, such as Novell 4.x or above. Use the same instructions to install Peachtree Accounting on each workstation, specifying the server as the location for data files and the local hard drive as the location for program files.
Installing the Peachtree Accounting program files to each workstation’s local hard drive (for example, C:\PEACHW) improves performance and speed.
Before beginning this procedure, it is assumed that you have a shared network drive established and that workstations are mapped to this network drive.
Note
1 Exi t all pr ogram s a nd di sable virus -pr otec tion a nd scr ee n sav er pr ogra ms on
your computer.
2 Insert the Peachtree Accounting compact disc in your CD-ROM drive; or,
insert Peachtree Diskette #1 in the diskette drive.
If you are installing from CD-R OM and the Welcome menu displays,
click Install Peachtree Accounting and continue with the next step. If you are installing from diskettes or the Welcome menu does not
display onscreen, do the following: Select Start, then Run. Type A:SETUP and select OK. (Substitute the appropriate drive letter for y our diskette or CD-ROM drive.)
3 Follow the onscreen instructions until the Peachtree Accounting Setup
window displays. Review the installation instructions and select Next.
Installing on a Client/Server Network
4 Read the Licensing Agreement and select Yes if you accept the terms.
The Select Setup T ype window offers up to four setup choices dependin g on if you are a new or previous user.
5 Select the Network setup type.
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Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
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Getting Started Guide
6 The Select Location window displays. Enter a program and data path, then
click Next.
The default location or path for the program files is the directory PEACHW on drive C. We recommend leaving this path as the default to increase speed and performance. If the workstation you are installing does not have a hard drive, you will need to change this location to the network drive. Select Browse next to the Program Path field to change the path for the files. If you know the name of the path, you ma y type the path into the field.
Make sure the Data Path is set to the proper network dri v e (f or e xample, F:\PEACHW). Do not set the data path to a network root directory (for example, F:\). Change the location of the data files by selecting Browse next to the Data Path field.
7 A window displays for you to select which Peachtree Accounting
components you want to install. Choose the components to install and click Next to continue.
8 In the Select Peachtree Accounting Program Folder window, change the
name of the Peachtree Accounting program folder, if necessary. Click Next to begin installing.
If you are installing from diskette, follow the prompts and insert additional diskettes as needed.
10
9 A window displays, indicating the successful completion of installation. If
any of your system files were modif ied during installation, you will see different options.
Read: Select this to view the Peachtree Accounting Release Notes file.
Begin: Select this option to launch Peachtree Accounting.
•Return: Select this option to return to Windows.
When installation is complete, see
page 14.
About Record and File Locking” on
Installing Pea chtree Accounting on a Network

Installing on a Peer-to-Peer Network

You must first install the software on the computer where data files will be located. This is probably the network administrator’s computer (the primary server). Then install Peachtree Accounting on each workstation, specifying the
network administrator’s computer as the location for data files, and a local drive (usually C:) for the program files.
Before beginning this procedure, it is assumed that you have at least one shared drive established (possibly on an administrators computer) and that
Note
workstations are mapped to this drive.
Installing on the Network Administrator’s Machine
Follow these steps to install Peachtree Accounting on the network
administrator’s computer, or the primary server, before installing on any workstations. The network administrator’s computer is where the data files will be located.
1 Exi t all pr ogram s a nd di sable virus -pr otec tion a nd scr ee n sav er pr ogra ms on
your computer.
Installing on a Peer-to-Peer Network
2 Insert the Peachtree Accounting compact disc in your CD-ROM drive; or,
insert Peachtree Diskette #1 in the diskette drive.
If you are installing from CD-ROM and the Welcome menu displays,
click Install Peachtree Accounting and continue with the next step. If you are installing from diskettes or the Welcome menu does not
display onscreen, do the following: Select Start, then Run. Type A:SETUP and select OK. (Substitute the appropriate drive letter for y our diskette or CD-ROM drive.)
3 Follow the onscreen instructions until the Peachtree Accounting Setup
window displays. Review the installation instructions and select Next.
4 Read the Licensing Agreement and select Yes if you accept the terms.
The Select Setup T ype window offers up to four setup choices dependin g on if you are a new or previous user.
5 Select the Network setup type.
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Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
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Getting Started Guide
6 The Select Location window displays. Enter a program and data path, then
click Next.
Install the program and data files to the same path—the network administrator’s (or primary server’s) hard drive. The default location or path for the program and data files is the directory PEACHW on drive C.
7 A window displays for you to select which Peachtree Accounting
components you want to install. Choose the components to install and click Next to continue.
8 In the Select Peachtree Accounting Program Folder window, change the
name of the Peachtree Accounting program folder, if necessary. Click Next to begin installing.
If you are installing from diskette, follow the prompts and insert additional diskettes as needed.
9 A window displays, indicating the successful completion of installation. If
any of your system files were modif ied during installation, you will see different options.
Read: Select this to view the Peachtree Accounting Release Notes file.
Begin: Select this option to launch Peachtree Accounting.
12
•Return: Select this option to return to Windows.
10 Next, continue with the following section, “Installing on a Workstation.”
Installing on a Workstation
First, install Peachtree Accounting on the network administrator ’s computer. Then, follow these steps to install Peachtree Accounting on each workstation. Make sure you know the drive and directory of the data files located on the network administrator’s computer before you begin installation.
1 Exi t all pr ogram s a nd di sable virus -pr otec tion a nd scr ee n sav er pr ogra ms on
your computer.
2 Insert the Peachtree Accounting compact disc in your CD-ROM drive; or,
insert Peachtree Diskette #1 in the diskette drive.
If you are installing from CD-R OM and the Welcome menu displays,
click Install Peachtree Accounting and continue with the next step. If you are installing from diskettes or the Welcome menu does not
display onscreen, do the following: Select Start, then Run. Type A:SETUP and select OK. (Substitute the appropriate drive letter for y our diskette or CD-ROM drive.)
Installing Pea chtree Accounting on a Network
Installing on a Peer-to-Peer Network
3 Follow the onscreen instructions until the Peachtree Accounting Setup
window displays. Review the installation instructions and select Next.
4 Read the Licensing Agreement and select Yes if you accept the terms.
The Select Setup T ype window offers up to four setup choices dependin g on if you are a new or previous user.
5 Select the Network setup type. 6 The Select Location window displays. Enter a program and data path, then
click Next.
The default location or path for the program files is the directory PEACHW on drive C. We recommend installing the program files to the local hard drive to increase speed performance. If the workstation does not have a hard drive, change the location of the program files to the network. To change the location of the program path, select Browse next to the Program Path field.
Make sure the Data Path is set to the proper network dri v e (for e x ample, F:\PEACHW). Do not set the data path to a network root directory (for example, F:\). Change the location of the data files by selecting Browse next to the Data Path field.
7 A window displays for you to select which Peachtree Accounting
components you want to install. Choose the components to install and click Next to continue.
8 In the Select Peachtree Accounting Program Folder window, change the
name of the Peachtree Accounting program folder, if necessary. Click Next to begin installing.
If you are installing from diskette, follow the prompts and insert additional diskettes as needed.
9 A window displays, indicating the successful completion of installation. If
any of your system files were modif ied during installation, you will see different options.
Read: Select this to view the Peachtree Accounting Release Notes file.
Begin: Select this option to launch Peachtree Accounting.
•Return: Select this option to return to Windows.
10 Repeat these instructions for each workstation.
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Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
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Getting Started Guide

About Record and File Locking

If you install Peachtree Accounting to run on a network, sharing data with more than one person, you could have more than one person entering invoices, payments, orders, etc. for the same company at the same time. Peachtree Accounting uses Record and File locking to ensure that data is properly protected and updated. A record is one group of information,
composed of related fields. For example, the fields in one customer’s window—Name, Address, Phone, etc.—go together to form that customer’s record. Likewise, all customer records go together to form the customer file.
14
If two people were making changes to the same customer, without record and file locking, two things could happen:
The information could get jumbled, combining each person’s changes.
Person #1, wo rking on the same customer information as Person #2, saves his changes first. Person #2 finishes their changes and saves the
record a few minutes later. Person #2’s changes will be the only changes saved, since Person #2 was the last person to save the record.
To eliminate either possibility from occurring, Peachtree Accounting uses “locks” to prevent a particular record or file from being accessed by more than one person at a time. In the example above, when the second perso n attempts to change the customer record the first person is using, Peachtree Accounting will wait for the first person to finish, then allow the second user to begin. In special cases when Peachtree cannot wait, it will display the following message:
“That record in file ‘Customer.DAT’ is currently in use. Please try again when it is available.”
Peachtree Accounting uses two different types of locks: Record Locks, and Exclusive File Locks.
Installing Pea chtree Accounting on a Network
About Record and File Locking
Record Locks
A record lock prevents more than one user from working on the same data record, such as customer information, at the same time. This ensures that record information does not become jumbled, and changes are processed correctly.
For instance, when you select Maintain Customers/Prospects and choose a
Customer ID, Peachtree Accounting “locks” that record. Other users who attempt to access the same customer record will first experience a waiting period to allow the first user to finish. Once Peachtree completes the first user’s task, Peachtree will begin the second task. In special cases, you may receive a message indicating that the record is currently locked. Once the first user has saved changes and closed the record, Peachtree Accounting removes the lock, allowing other users to access the record. Other users will still be able to perform functions such as entering invoices and printing reports, but no one else will be able to update the customer in formation until the first user has finished and closed the record.
For example, if you are using real-time posting and changing a customer record, and a second user is simultaneously posting a receipt for the same customer, the second user’s posting will experience a waiting period while Peachtree saves your customer changes. Then, Peachtree will post the second user’s receipt.
Exclusive File Locks
An exclusive file lock prevents more than one user from accessing the same file at the same time. During critical processes , an exclusive f ile lock is placed on all of your company’s files. These processes include
Backing up
Restoring
Changing the period
Closing the payroll (calendar) year
Closing the fiscal year
Posting (From Tasks menu, System, Post)
only in Batch mode
Unposting (From Tasks menu, System, Post)
only in Batch mode
Maintaining user IDs and passwords
Purging data
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Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
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Getting Started Guide
When you attempt to perform any of these processes, if another user has the company open, even if only at the main screen, the following message displays:
“You are attempting to access an area that another user is also using, or you are atte mptin g to pe rform a proc es s th at re quires single-user access. Please try again when no other users are attempting the same operation or accessing Peachtree Accounting.”
Once no one else is using Peachtree Accounting, try the process again.
16

What’s Next?

Now that you have successfully installed Peachtree Accounting, you’re ready to get started using the program. One of the best ways to get familiar with Peachtree Accounting is to open the program and look around.
If you need assistance starting the program or navigating within Peachtree Accounting, refer to the “Basics” chapter of th e User’s Guide.

Registering Peachtree Accounting

Register your copy of Peachtree Accounting as soon as possible after installing the program. Registration is very important because it ensures you of timely program updates and upgrade offers, exciting new product information, payroll tax service information, technical support options, and a variety of other benefits.
You can only use the software a limited number of times before you must register. Also, if you are operating on a network, you must purchase and
Note
register a licensed copy of Peachtree Accounting for each workstation. For more information on multius er licensing, open Peachtree Accounting Help
and search for “multiuser” in the online index.
What’s Next?
Registering Peachtree Accounting
1 Start Peachtree Accounting. If your product is not registered, a window
appears asking you to register.
If Peachtree Accounting is already running, select Peachtree Registration from the Help menu.
2 In the initial Register Peachtree Accounting window, select Register Now. 3 Enter your Peachtree Accounting Serial Number.
Your serial number is located on the inside cover of this manual, the
Getting Started Guide.
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Introducing and Installi ng Peach tree Accou nt ing
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Getting Started Guide
4 Enter the Registration Unlock Code.
To obtain an unlock code, do one of the following:
Call Peachtree Software toll free at 1-800-718-1592. International
customers can call 612-906-3201. Please have your serial number, company address, and telephone number available before speaking with a Peachtree Customer Service representative. The Cu stomer Service representative will then gi ve you an unlock code.
Visit Peachtree Software’s Internet web site at
http://www.peachtree.com/register/
you will be given an unlock code.
5 When finished entering your registration information, click OK to start
using Peachtree Accounting.
If you select the R egister Later butt on, you c an use Peachtree Accounting a limited number of times before you need to register. A message will show the remaining number of uses before con tin uing. If you have no remaining uses left and choose not to register, Peachtree A cc ounting will shut down. If you start Peachtree Accounting again, you will be prompted to register again.
. After answering a few questions,
Write down your serial number and registration unlock code and keep them in a safe place in case you ever need to reinstall the product.
Note

Practicing with Sample Data and Tutorials

Before you begin setting up your company in Peachtree Accounting, it is highly recommended that you explore the sample company data installed with Peachtree Accounting. You can practice adding records or transactions without using your own data.
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