How To Import a Multi-User Database and Retain the Record Manager in ACT!

Note: Images in your version of ACT! may differ slightly from the ones used in this Answer.



Caution: It is strongly recommended that you have a current back up of each database involved in this procedure before continuing. It is strongly recommended that you create a current back up of your ACT! e-mail database. Please see the following documents for assistance:

1. Creating the Empty Copy and exporting the user records
2. Creating the users in the Empty Copy
3. Delete the Temporary User
4. Importing/Exporting the contacts from the source database while retaining the Record Manager

1. From the source database, click the File menu, and then click Save Copy As. The Save Copy As dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   
2. Enter a Database Name, ensure that the Share this database with other users and the Create an empty copy of this database options are enabled.
3. Click the Browse button and browse to the shared folder. and then click OK. Another Save Copy As dialog box appears:
   
   
   
   
4. Click into the Choose Contact field, and enter Temp for the temporary user. Do NOT enter a password for this user.
5. Click OK. When the Empty Copy has been successfully created, the following ACT! message appears.
   
   
   
   
6. Click OK to return to the source database.
   Note: When an Empty Copy is created, it is not attached to the SQL Server and must be opened independently before you can export the user records to it.
7. Click the File menu, and then click Open Database. An Open dialog box appears.
8. Open the empty copy by logging in as the temporary user (Temp) established in step 3 above. The following ACT! message appears.
   
   
   
   
9. Click OK to verify the database. A Working progress indicator appears as the database is attached. When the process is complete, the following ACT! message appears.
   
   
   
   
10. Click OK. The Empty Copy database opens.
11. Once the Empty Copy has been fully opened, click the File menu, and then click Open Database again to return to the source database.
12. From the source database, click the Lookup menu, point to Advanced, and then click Users. The Contact List View appears with all users listed.
    • If you wish to export all users, skip ahead to step 13.
    • If you wish to export selected users; click the Enable Tag Mode option, and then click each user that you wish to be a Record Manager in the destination database. Once all desired users are selected, click the Lookup Selected button. A lookup is created of these user records.
13. Click the File menu, and then click Export. The Export Wizard - Welcome to the Export Wizard dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
14. Enable (if desired) the Check to hide in the future option, and then click Next. The Export Wizard - Specify Destination dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
15. Ensure that the What type of file do you want to export to? field displays ACT! Database 9.x, ACT! Database 8.x, ACT! Database 7.x.
16. Click the Browse button at the Filename and location field. An Open dialog box appears.
17. Browse to (if necessary), and Open the Empty Copy of your database. The Export Wizard - Specify Destination dialog box reappears with the Filename and location field now populated with the file path to the destination database.
18. Enter the User Name as Temp for the Empty Copy, and then click Next. The Export Wizard - Specify record type(s) dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
19. Ensure that Contact records is enabled in the What kind of records would you like to export? section and that Current lookup is enabled in the Which records do you want to export? section, and then click Next. The Export Wizard - Contact Map dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
    Note: The left (Map this Field) column of the contact map displays the fields in the source database while the right (To this Field) column displays the fields in the destination database. When exporting to an Empty Copy of the source database, the fields in the left column will match the fields in the right column.
    
    
20. Click Next. The Export Wizard - Specify Merge Options dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
21. There is no need to modify Contact Merge Options when exporting to an Empty Copy with only a single temporary contact/user. Click Next. The Completing Export Wizard dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
22. If the displayed export options are not correct, click Back to correct the settings, otherwise click Finish. An Exporting Data... progress indicator appears. You can then return to the destination database and create users from the records that were exported.

1. Open the destination database (If prompted to login, you must login with the temporary contact/user name from step 3 above), click the Tools menu, and then click Manage Users. The Manage Users - Select a User dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
2. Click the Create New User option. The Create New User dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
3. Ensure that the Create User from Contact - Create a new User from an existing Contact option is enabled, and then click Next. The Choose Contact dialog box appears with the first contact/user selected.
   
   
   
   
4. Click Next. The Enter User Information dialog box appears with this name displayed in both the Contact Name and User Name fields.
   
   
   
   
5. Enter and confirm a password (if desired) for this user, change the Security Role to either Manager or Administrator, and then click Next. The Specify Access dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
6. Ensure that the Logon Access is set to Active - Pending log on: and disable options for handheld sync and/or accounting link tasks as appropriate and then click Finish. (it is not appropriate to add users to teams at this time) The Select a User dialog box re-appears with the new user information displayed.
   
   
   
   
7. Repeat steps 2 - 6 for each user. When all users have been created as Active Managers or Administrators, close the Select a User dialog box.
8. Restart your computer.
   
   Important Note: In order for the Notes, History and Activity information to be associated with the correct Record Manager; you must now log in to the destination database as one of the new users and delete the temporary user. This step will delete all note, history and activity information from the records in the destination database. When you import the records from the source database, these tabs will be repopulated with the appropriate Record Manager associations.
   

• If your copy of ACT! is licensed for a Single-User, login across the network to the database from a uniquely licensed copy of ACT! (so that this unique license will be added to the shared database), and then proceed to step 1 below:
  
  -otherwise-
  
  
• Click the File menu, and then click Open Database. Open the destination database again, and this time login as one of the Administrator users created in the procedure above, and then follow the steps below:

1. Click the Tools menu, and then click Manage Users. The Manage Users - Select a User dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the temporary user, and then click the Delete User option. The Delete User dialog box appears. This is needed in order for the Notes, History and Activity information to be associated with the correct Record Manager. This step will delete all note, history and activity information from the records in the destination database. When you import the records from the source database, these fields will be repopulated with the appropriate Record Manager associations.
   
   
   
   
3. Ensure that the Delete records belonging to this user option is enabled, and then click OK. The following ACT! dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
4. Click Yes to confirm the deletion. The Retain as Contact? dialog box appears.
   Note: It does not really matter whether you retain this user as a contact or not, provided you intend for this contact to remain in the database and you ensure that Contact Merge Options are set to Merge for contacts that match.
   
   
   
   
5. Click No. (or Yes - see the note above) The temporary user is deleted. Close the Select a User dialog box. The Notes, History, Activities and Opportunities tabs will be blank and you are ready to Import the records from the source database.

IV - Exporting/Importing the Contacts from the Source Database while Retaining the Record Manager:

If you wish to transfer all records from the source database, click the File menu, click Import, and then follow the prompts in the Import Wizard.

As you proceed through the Import (or Export) Wizard, it is VITAL that you examine the Contact Merge Options dialog box. The If source records match destination records section must be configured to Merge for all options.



Configure the Group Merge Options for If source records match destination records section as follows:



Group records: Replace with source group
Notes: Replace with source
History: Replace with source


Configure the Company Merge Options for If source records match destination records section as follows:



Company records: Replace with source
Notes: Replace with source
History: Replace with source


For detailed information regarding Importing from another ACT! database, refer to the following Knowledge Base document:

Importing to a New Database:
This process will be described in three parts:

1. Creating the destination database and exporting the user records
2. Creating the users in the destination database
3. Delete the Temporary User
4. Exporting/Importing the contacts from the source database while retaining the record manager

1. When logged into the source database as an Administrator, click the File menu, and then click New Database. The New Database dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
2. Enter a Database name, ensure the Share this database with other users option is enabled and enter a user name as temp, for the temporary user. Do NOT enter a password.
3. Click OK. A progress indicator appears as the new database is created. The New database will open with this single temporary user displayed.
4. Click the File menu, click Open database and re-open the source database. Login as a database administrator.
5. Click the Lookup menu, point to Advanced, and then click Users. The Contact List View appears with all users listed.
   • If you wish to export all users, skip ahead to step 6.
   • If you wish to export selected users; click the Enable Tag Mode option, and then click each user that you wish to include as a Record Manager in the destination database. Once all desired users are selected, click the Lookup Selected button. A lookup is created of these user records.
     
     
6. Click the File menu, and then click Export. The Export Wizard - Welcome to the Export Wizard dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
7. Enable (if desired) the Check to hide in the future option, and then click Next. The Export Wizard - Specify Destination dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
8. Ensure that the What type of file do you want to export to? field displays ACT! 13.x Database, ACT! Database 12.x, ACT! Database 11.x, ACT! Database 10.x, ACT! 9.x Database, ACT! Database 8.x, ACT! Database 7.x in the file type field.
9. Click the Browse button at the Filename and location field. An Open dialog box appears.
10. Browse to (if necessary), and Open the database that you wish to export your data to. The Export Wizard - Specify Destination dialog box reappears with the Filename and location field now populated with the file path to the destination database.
11. Enter the User Name as Temp, and then click Next. The Export Wizard - Specify record type(s) dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
12. Ensure that Contact records is enable in the What kind of records would you like to export? section and that Current lookup is enabled in the Which records do you want to export? section, and then click Next. The Export Wizard - Contact Map dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
    Note: The left (Map this Field) column of the contact map displays the fields in the source database while the right (To this Field) column displays the fields in the destination database. When exporting to a new database from an unmodified database, you can expect the fields in the left column to match the fields in the right column. However, it is strongly recommended that you scroll through the entire list to ensure that the data in all fields of the source database are being directed to the correct field in the destination database. If you find a field in the left column that does not match the entry in the right column or if you wish to change the location of data in the destination database, you can click into the right column and change the destination field from the drop-down.
    
    Note: you can only map a field to one other field, selecting the field again in this list will blank or remove the first selection.
    
    
13. When you are sure that all fields are mapped correctly, click Next. The Export Wizard - Specify Merge Options dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
14. There is no need to modify Contact Merge Options when exporting to a new database with only a single temporary contact/user. Click Next. The Completing Export Wizard dialog box appears.
    
    
    
    
15. If the displayed Export options are not correct, click <Back to correct the settings, otherwise click Finish. An Exporting Data... progress indicator appears. When the export is complete, the next step is to open the destination database and create users from the records that were exported.
    

1. Open the destination database (you must login with the temporary user name, Temp), click the Tools menu, and then click Manage Users. The Manage Users - Select a User dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
2. Click the Create New User option. The Create New User dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
3. Ensure that the Create User from Contact - Create a new User from an existing Contact option is enabled, and then click Next. The Choose Contact dialog box appears with the first contact/user selected.
   
   
   
   
4. Click Next. The Enter User Information dialog box appears with this name displayed in both the Contact Name and User Name fields.
   
   
   
   
5. Enter and confirm a password (if desired) for this user, change the Security Role to either Manager or Administrator, and then click Next. The Specify Access dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
6. Ensure that the Logon Access is set to Active - Pending log on: and disable options for handheld sync and/or accounting link tasks as appropriate and then click Finish. (it is not appropriate to add users to teams at this time) The Select a User dialog box re-appears with the new user information displayed.
   
   
   
   
7. Repeat steps 2 - 6 for each user. When all users have been created as Active Managers or Administrators, close the Select a User dialog box.
8. Restart your computer.
   
   Important Note: In order for the Notes, History and Activity information to be associated with the correct Record Manager; you must now log in to the destination database as one of the new users and delete the temporary user. This step will delete all note, history and activity information from the records in the destination database. When you import the records from the source database, these tabs will be repopulated with the appropriate Record Manager associations.
   

• If your copy of ACT! is licensed for a Single-User, login across the network to the database from a uniquely licensed copy of ACT! (so that this unique license will be added to the shared database), and then proceed to step 1 below:
  
  -otherwise-
  
  
• Click the File menu, and then click Open Database. Open the destination database again, and this time login as one of the Administrator users created in the procedure above, and then follow the steps below:

1. Click the Tools menu, and then click Manage Users. The Manage Users - Select a User dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the temporary user, and then click the Delete User option. The Delete User dialog box appears. This is needed in order for the Notes, History and Activity information to be associated with the correct Record Manager. This step will delete all note, history and activity information from the records in the destination database. When you import the records from the source database, these fields will be repopulated with the appropriate Record Manager
   
   
   
   
3. Ensure that the Delete records belonging to this user option is enabled, and then click OK. The following ACT! dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
4. Click Yes to confirm the deletion. The Retain as Contact? dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
5. Click No. The temporary user is deleted. Close the Select a User dialog box. The Notes, History, Activities and Opportunities tabs will be blank and you are ready to Import the records from the source database.

IV - Exporting/Importing the Contacts from the Source Database while Retaining the Record Manager:

If you wish to transfer all records from the source database, click the File menu, click Import, and then follow the prompts in the Import Wizard.

As you proceed through the Import (or Export) Wizard, it is VITAL that you examine the Contact Merge Options dialog box. The If source records match destination records section must be configured to Merge for all options.



Configure the Group Merge Options for If source records match destination records section as follows:



Group records: Replace with source group
Notes: Replace with source
History: Replace with source


Configure the Company Merge Options for If source records match destination records section as follows:



Company records: Replace with source
Notes: Replace with source
History: Replace with source



For detailed information regarding Importing from another ACT! database, refer to the following Knowledge Base document: