Hi,
A client of ours uses Sage 50 Accounts Professional - we use the VT suite of software.
Is there a way to view our client's Sage backup file without actually forking out for it?
Thank you for your help.
Thanks
Gurpreet
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Replies (19)
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Not that I know of
You could get them to send you a csv file of activity?
Be careful with Sage though as when standard reports are exported to excel they often are formatted in such a way that you cannot sort them due to some values being spread accross two merged cells etc, csv files are better.
Or get them to send you a PDF
Or get them to send you a PDF file of nominal activity so you can exctract info from there
Ask for both pdf and csv
Ask for pdf of TB at y/e date and nominal activity report both pdf and csv. Your biggest problem may be their lack of interest in getting the date right, so that around year end they use a date later than that, which would miss these two reports.
Why don't you just buy SAGE?
You just need a basic one, around £100. (OR, ask client to buy it for you)
Then just restore the back up, as far as I know the data should restore OK as all SAGE 50's are the same, it is just the licence that lets you use more of the functions the more you pay, but that should give you enough.
Of course if you had IRIS you could just ask for a csv of the nominal transactions and import them straight in!
If you are just going to use it to read the clients transactions I would even ask the client for their disk and codes!!
As the vast majority of SME's use SAGE you will find this an ongoing problem.
Failing any of the above, why not get remote access to your client so you can interrogate thier live SAGE?
Agree with Louise - PDF
One further thing go to their offices and get them to PDF or print out the following:
Trial balance
Aged debtors (detail and summary)
Aged creditors (detail and summary)
Nominal ledger (including b/fwd balances)
This is all I usually need to complete a sage job.
For me going over to the client's does 4 things:
1) keeps good communication with the client (proactive), especially if you are arranging the meeting with them and not the other way around.
2) You can go through the aged debtors/creditors at that meeting and effectively deal with those issues immediately. Usually you can go through the list within about 10 minutes and agree bad debt, disputed creditors and then ask for copy correspondance there and then. You can also go through bank and check it balances with any reconciliations, etc. If there is a book keeper they can attend and you have a 3 way conversation.
3) You can actually check that the back up/information you have been given or would have been given is the up to date one. I have had a couple of occasions where the back up I have been given is not the correct one.
4) You can do a year end run at this point.
I think ...
... I would check the size of the report before asking the client to print it!
We have clients where that would run in to reams of pages, literally.
A client using what is rightly or wrongly the industry standard in many small business would justifiably expect someone who want's to represent them to have the wherewithall to do so!
After all you wouldn't try and wire a plug with a spanner (I hope) - as a professional you should have the right tools for the job, especially if it is a bog standard one!
I agree witth old greying accountant
I have just updated my line 50 client manager for a staggering £700, last one I purchased was 2009 and I don't expect to purchase another copy for another 4 years. So it costs me £175 to have a 6 user and 25 company licence.
I also agree with the printing out of the nominal but why not print out TB, Aged debtors/creditors summary and go through these with the client before starting the accounts prep work?
Hosted Bureau
Another option could be a hosted bureau.
With good quality hosted bureaus it is possible to open a client's backup file in the version of Sage50 they work in. You could either just work on their data in Sage 50 or export the various reports etc. from Sage 50 as you need them. How frustrating would it be if you spotted a problem with their data and had to ask them to make the change and send another backup? And then you spotted another one... Them sending you exports for you to work on would only work if you were convinced the data is accurate.
The Online50 hosted bureau version includes all versions from Sage Line 50 v 8 to 2012 and all varieties - Accounts, Accounts Plus and Accounts Professional. In addition, you can have unlimited datasets - compared to 25, 50 or 100 company limits. Whatever they use you would be able to access their information.
The problem with getting a single copy and then hoping it will last for more than 1 year is that clients may signup who have a version which is different to yours and Sage 50 is not typically backwards compatible (forwards compatibility will upgrade the dataset and then the client would not be able to work on their Sage 50 software). Another difficulty is that it is not normally possible to load more than one Sage 50 version onto a single computer (there are ways but it is far more technical than most users can cope with)
Hope that helps.
Multiple Installations
Another difficulty is that it is not normally possible to load more than one Sage 50 version onto a single computer (there are ways but it is far more technical than most users can cope with)
It is not technical at all, it's actually very simple requiring nothing more than selecting a Custom Installation in to a different folder during the installation wizard. I've currently got versions 7 - 18 all installed on one PC and all that was needed was to change the installation folder...
John
Multiple Installations
Another difficulty is that it is not normally possible to load more than one Sage 50 version onto a single computer (there are ways but it is far more technical than most users can cope with)It is not technical at all, it's actually very simple requiring nothing more than selecting a Custom Installation in to a different folder during the installation wizard. I've currently got versions 7 - 18 all installed on one PC and all that was needed was to change the installation folder...
John
We work with a number of Top 20 Accounting firms who tried to put different versions of Sage in different problems and had significant issues. All Sage installations share a single configuration file and .dll files are often overwritten in the installation process which can create conflicts. Sage said having more than one version on a machine was not possible originally (although more recently they have relaxed this position) and it would be interesting to know if they would support issues with the software if this were the case. I don't know either way.
Virtual PCs is a common way to get around this problem - this is what I was referring to when I said it was more technical than most users can cope with.
Multiple Installations
We work with a number of Top 20 Accounting firms who tried to put different versions of Sage in different problems and had significant issues
I worked for Sage for 9 years and have been a Sage Developer for the last 7.
I've always had numerous versions of Sage installed at the same time and I've NEVER had a problem with compatibility across the versions. I come in and out of them all the time working on client data and testing on different versions for development purposes without issues.
John
@johndon68
We work with a number of Top 20 Accounting firms who tried to put different versions of Sage in different problems and had significant issuesI worked for Sage for 9 years and have been a Sage Developer for the last 7.
I've always had numerous versions of Sage installed at the same time and I've NEVER had a problem with compatibility across the versions. I come in and out of them all the time working on client data and testing on different versions for development purposes without issues.
John
... interesting because we've ALWAYS had compatibility problems, so much so that we have now changed software... thank goodness!
A quick update - I phoned Sage and they said I would have to buy the full whack just to view my client's backup? Sounds different to the advice above.
My client uses Sage 50 Accounts Professional 2011.
Thanks
Gurpreet
Sage 50/Instant
A quick update - I phoned Sage and they said I would have to buy the full whack just to view my client's backup? Sounds different to the advice above.My client uses Sage 50 Accounts Professional 2011.
You could just buy Instant v2011 as you can restore a backup from Sage 50 v2011 in to that with no problems - obviously you'd not be able see any Sage 50 specific data but the financials etc will all be there.
John
View client's backup
A quick update - I phoned Sage and they said I would have to buy the full whack just to view my client's backup? Sounds different to the advice above.
My client uses Sage 50 Accounts Professional 2011.
Hi Gurpreet,
I am guessing you were hoping that there would be a free piece of software like Adobe Reader which would allow you to just view the data created in the full version. Unfortunately that option does not exist.
To see the file you have 3 options.
1) Export to a .csv file and work with it like that
2) Buy the software and load it onto your machine - Note: you have to purchase the version of Sage 50 your client works in (and hope no other clients join you who work in a different version).
3) Rent a good quality hosted Sage 50 bureau.
Incidentally, it is possible to rent the software from Online50 for just one month (but unfortunately there is a setup fee). Still not free, but if you simply need it as a once off this may be worth considering.
If you would like to chat through the options please feel free to contact me. Sorry not to have an answer closer to what you were hoping for.
Regards,
Russell Dickens
0207 536 7736
Multiple Installations
John you are clearly highly knowledgable on Sage 50 and I can't help wondering if this may at least be a contributing factor in your ability to get it working so smoothly. A number of top 20 firms with professional IT people and IT budgets could not get multiple installations to work. Obviously it is not appropriate to broadcast people's details on a forum such as this, but if you would like to contact me offline, I am sure they would be happy to talk about this experience.
Johndon68 we are likely to need a Sage developer early in 2012 - please pm me if you would be interested.
I have ...
... version 10 - 18 inclusive installed separately.
There was an issue with 13 that buggered everything up but SAGE fixed that within 24 hours.
They have just repaired some data for me, free under my support contract, within 24 hours, even though the free service may take up to 5 working days.
I am not a fan of the software as it is too inflexible, but, have to say no compatability issues ever other than the single instance above and service on the priority support line is excellent. That said prefer it to Quickbooks but think IRIS open books will be my preferred solution in the very near future.
Access SageBackup file?
Anyone know if i can access the company.000 file on a sage backup without using sage?
Thanks Jim