Question: How do I copy my customized layouts, templates, reports, and/or queries from one of my Act! databases to another Act! database?
Product Details:
Product Family: Act!
Product: Act! Pro, Act! Premium, Act! Premium (access via web)
Version: 2005 and later
Answer:
Note: Prior to following these steps, it is recommended that you create backups of both the database you are copying your customized items from, as well as any databases you are copying the customized items to. For information on backing up your database, refer to the following knowledgebase article:
How to back up and restore an Act! database
Layouts, mail merge templates, reports, and queries are all supplemental files located in the supplemental files folder. In order to copy these to another database, they must be copied manually by navigating to the supplemental files folder through Windows Explorer and copying them then pasting them in the appropriate folder within the supplemental files folder of the desired database. For more information about supplemental files, or information on how to locate the supplemental files folder, refer to the following knowledgebase article:
What are supplemental files in Act! versions 2005 and later?
To copy your customized items from one database to another, follow the steps below:
Once pasted, the files will be available for use in the other database.
Important note for users with custom fields:
Layouts, mail merge templates, reports, envelopes, labels, and queries all contain links to fields that exist in the database in which these items were originally created. If you have custom fields in the originating database that are used in the custom items that do not exist in the database where you will be copying your customized items, data will not populate into them properly. It will be necessary to create fields in the database that match exactly to the ones in the database from where the custom items were copied, or you will need to edit the custom items to remove the field references for the fields that do not exist. For information, refer to the following knowledgebase articles:
How to create and manage database fields in Act!
Designing Layouts in Act!
How to Create a Document Template in ACT!
How to run and manage reports in Act!
How to Edit an Existing Advanced Query
Product Details:
Product Family: Act!
Product: Act! Pro, Act! Premium, Act! Premium (access via web)
Version: 2005 and later
Answer:
Note: Prior to following these steps, it is recommended that you create backups of both the database you are copying your customized items from, as well as any databases you are copying the customized items to. For information on backing up your database, refer to the following knowledgebase article:
How to back up and restore an Act! database
Layouts, mail merge templates, reports, and queries are all supplemental files located in the supplemental files folder. In order to copy these to another database, they must be copied manually by navigating to the supplemental files folder through Windows Explorer and copying them then pasting them in the appropriate folder within the supplemental files folder of the desired database. For more information about supplemental files, or information on how to locate the supplemental files folder, refer to the following knowledgebase article:
What are supplemental files in Act! versions 2005 and later?
To copy your customized items from one database to another, follow the steps below:
- Open Windows Explorer, navigate to and open the supplemental files folder for the database you want to copy the customized items from
- Within the supplemental files folder, open the folder that corresponds to the type of item you wish to copy
Note: If you are trying to copy envelopes or labels, they are stored in the Reports folder
- Select the file you wish to copy, or if you wish to copy multiple files, while holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard, click each individual file you want to copy to select multiple files at one time
- On your keyboard, press Ctrl+C to copy the files
- Navigate to and open the supplemental files folder for the database you want to copy the customized items into
- Within the supplemental files folder, open the folder that corresponds to the same folder that you were in on step 2
- On your keyboard, press Ctrl+P to paste the files
Once pasted, the files will be available for use in the other database.
Important note for users with custom fields:
Layouts, mail merge templates, reports, envelopes, labels, and queries all contain links to fields that exist in the database in which these items were originally created. If you have custom fields in the originating database that are used in the custom items that do not exist in the database where you will be copying your customized items, data will not populate into them properly. It will be necessary to create fields in the database that match exactly to the ones in the database from where the custom items were copied, or you will need to edit the custom items to remove the field references for the fields that do not exist. For information, refer to the following knowledgebase articles:
How to create and manage database fields in Act!
Designing Layouts in Act!
How to Create a Document Template in ACT!
How to run and manage reports in Act!
How to Edit an Existing Advanced Query