restore backup to trial version Accounts Plus 2015

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Alex_6970822
Alex_6970822 Member Posts: 13 ✭
edited February 2017 in Reckon Accounts (Desktop)

I installed Accounts Plus 2015 Trial Version 6 weeks ago - all working fine, up to now.

The trial period runs for 3 months.

My understanding (confirmed by Customer Service) was that the Trial Version has identical functionality to the full production version.

Yesterday I tried to restore a backup file created by a client in Accounts Plus 2015 full production version to my Trial Version and received an error to say in effect that my version was release R1 and the backup file was created in release R2.

When I contacted Customer Service they said that I would need to purchase the full version R2 to restore the backup file. CS said that the only difference between R1 & R2 were the tax tables.

I don't need the current tax tables - I just need to run some reports to check the client's company file.

I can't understand why Reckon Accounts can't honour their agreement to allow a Trial Version still in the 3 month trial period, to simply allow a backup file created by release R2 to be restored to my Trial Version R1.

I have been a loyal customer of Reckon Elite Tax (and Elite Tax before Reckon take-over) for many years and have decided to raise this issue with the community - having failed to get any support from Customer Service apart from the "you must purchase response".  

Comments

  • Kevin Chamberlain
    Kevin Chamberlain Member Posts: 13 ✭
    edited October 2016
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    QUICKEN / Recon have built a significant customer base which is extremely dominant in the market place. There is nothing else on the Australian market that equals it's functionality for the domestic and small business arena. This has allowed Recon to become some what  pig headed and not always tell the truth. I have had contact with their Customer Service staff on a few occasions, their depth of knowledge on the software certainly is not great. They have developed a bit of a "If you don't like it, go elsewhere" approach to their support. Quite like TELECOM was before Optus came into the Australian market. I also have been using QUICKEN Personal Plus (and all the previous versions) for many years, and I have sent of numerous suggestions to improve the program. Never heard back, haven't seen any of my suggestions in the program, gave up, waste of effort.

    If a true competitor came to the market to challenge Recon Accounts Personal Plus, I would very seriously look at changing.

    Cheers
    Kevin
  • gazza73
    gazza73 Accredited Partner Posts: 803 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited February 2017
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    Alex.


    I fell the issue here is simply a technical one.  The way that the product works,  is there is an upgrade path that the product runs through, when a QBW file (the company data file)  needs to take into account the new features of a R2 tax table upgrade.  Whilst this may seem irrelevant for a user that is running accounting without any payroll needs. nonetheless, when a QBW file is upgraded to the next revision, (which is what happens from R1 to R2 each year),  then the content of the physical file, is no longer compatible to the older version of the program.

    The way the software has been running for years,  which is the way it is designed,  is that the product comes out as R1 so that people can get to use the features before year end, and then upgrade to R2 when their EOY payrolls are concluded.   The upgrade to R2, relies on the presence of R1, and that is important to note.

    So when it comes to letting out a TRIAL version, then it needs to be an R1 becuase that has the whole product to play with,.

    I feel in your case,  your adding another dimension, which is to play with yet another existing company file which is already running in a live R2 environment (ie:  the R2 QBW file is running in an environment where it has already been processed through an R1 to R2 upgrade),  which will only work in an R1 environment.

    If you want to trail the way that the product works,  but for somebody else's DATA,  one solution would be to fetch a backup from that customer when it was in R1 format in the first place,  so you can do some trial work.)

    If on the other hand you are trying to do commercial work for a file that is live and running on R2,  well, that would seem to be beyond the spirit of 'trialling'.

    But that's just my interpretation of the way you've posted the question, and I hope my outlining how the technology works, will assist you in understanding why the Support people's hands are rather tied on this point on this occasion.

    By all means, fill in the gaps that I may have missed, and we'll try a better explanation of options open to you.



    Cheers


    Gary Pope
    An Accredited Partner- Consultant  (VIC. Aust)
    http://www.alchester.com.au/reckon-accounts-clarified/
    "Working with Accountants/Bookkeepers PPs/APs, as an
          independent IT Professional     and retired FCPA Accountant"

  • Alex_6970822
    Alex_6970822 Member Posts: 13 ✭
    edited February 2017
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    Hi Gary

    Thanks for your detailed reply.

    I understand fully your explanation.

    However if I may add - your reply also comes across as one expected from "An Accredited Partner - Consultant" who would strongly support the Reckon Accounts "Way" of doing things.

    I spent many years in IT before I decided to take up bean-counting.

    There will always be those in business who believe that systems (e.g. Reckon Accounts Plus) dictate how business should run and those who believe that systems are there to accommodate business requirements.

    My business requirement was simply that I should be able to process my client's file in my Trial Version, because I was given to understand by Reckon Customer Support that the Trial Version had the full functionality of the production version. However the caveat Customer Support failed to mention was that this full functionality does not extend to processing a file created in R2, in a Trial Version.

    Have I really gone beyond the "spirit" of trialling - my Trial Version does not expire until Oct 2015 - I expected to be able to use it to full/unconditional functionality.

    Out of frustration - I decided to purchase the full version last night - but remain pretty disappointed with the lack of support from Reckon.

    Regards

    Alex  

  • gazza73
    gazza73 Accredited Partner Posts: 803 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited December 2016
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    Alex

    I have no problem with your full reply.  I feel that the opportunity to 'trial' something that needed R2 is the point that needed flushing out here, and I hope that the forum article leads to a consideration that perhaps some people who are bonafide 'trial' testers of a product  need to do so with R2 as you've explained.  So I am happy to reinforce your argument. 

    For the record,  I'm a partner of MYOB, and a developer of opposition accounting software for Practising Accountants, and also a software developer of Project Management software that is non-competitive to either,  so I have some feel for the software ramifications of a all this.

    I just think that the point you have raised, needs to be clarified in terms of what some people may expect as a trial, versus others who have a need to deal with levels of the software that may not have been thought out.  The latter, I think is your point of relevance,  and despite my 20 years interest in Reckon,  if that is to be considered a reasonable market of trial people, then I agree with your observations.   The counter position, is that perhaps the vendor on this occasion has provided a trial facility to permit people to see the features and facilities of their product, without the necessary step of allowing for say a payroll R2 most-up-to-date scenario to be the trial that in fact is needed.   

    I'm always looking for that realistic half-way point, but by all means express an interest in taking it further.

    Gary
  • John G
    John G Reckon Staff Posts: 1,570 Reckon Staff
    edited February 2017
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    Hi Alex,

    Thanks for reaching out to the Reckon Community.

    Why not take a 30-day trial of Reckon Accounts Hosted?  
    https://www.reckon.com/en-au/business/accounts-hosted

    You'll be able to open your client's file, but it will be at the Enterprise level (2 levels higher than the Plus version), so you won't be able to make changes and give it back to your client.  

    It will give you a chance to view the full functionality of Reckon Accounts and see how it works online.

    Hope this helps.


    regards,
    John
  • gazza73
    gazza73 Accredited Partner Posts: 803 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited December 2016
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    John

    I think the other point worth gettiung an official explanation of,   is the matter of being able to TRIAL  a version of 'software'  that is uat the R2 level, not just the base R1 level.   Is that in fact possible?  And if not,  then is my explanation above close to the mark?

    Gary
  • ARC BookKeeping
    ARC BookKeeping Member Posts: 168 ✭
    edited August 2015
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    John 
    That was my thought too, why not do a trial version of hosted, as Alex was only wanting to get a few reports of his client file.
    Alex could also be come an accredited partner and get access to all that he needs.

    But I think the point is why is the trial version not the R2? 
    Is R2 just a patch or is R2 a full copy of the product with tax updates?
    Surely if some one wants the trial version surely they would want the latest updates especially if the a downloaded the trial after the tax updates come into effect.

    my two cents
    Angie
  • gazza73
    gazza73 Accredited Partner Posts: 803 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited December 2016
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    you two cents is right on the money, Angie!   R2  is the go.

    Gary
  • Alex_6970822
    Alex_6970822 Member Posts: 13 ✭
    edited August 2015
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    Thanks to all for your comments - I did not expect so much interest.

    If I could summarise with the following comments...

    My situation was probably fairly unique in that I had been undecided for a few months about renewing my Reckon licence, mainly because I am considering moving from semi to full retirement.

    I had prepared the particular client's financials without using Reckon Accounts and then sent the end of year journals to the client to update their system.

    The client then sent me a back-up file on USB stick asking me to enter the journals instead. As my licence had expired - I checked with Reckon if I could purchase the software on a 3 month or 6 month basis or pay full amount and get a pro-rata refund. After some discussions/exchange of emails Reckon suggested I could always take the trial version for 3 months.

    I installed the trial version, updated the client's file with the end of year journals and returned the USB stick. The client then found that their version (2014) was incompatible with my 2015 Trial Version so updated to the 2015 production version R2.

    When I then got the USB stick again for the BAS Apr-Jun 2015 - I could not run the reports I needed to do some checking re GST free purchases, because I had the Trial Version R1 trying to restore the client's back-up file created in R2.

    Again after back/forth with Reckon Support trying to resolve - I decided to bite the bullet and just purchase the software for another 12 months.

    I would tend to agree that the Trial Version should be the full R2 production version if Reckon want to insist that it has full production functionality - if they are concerned about the "spirit of trialling" perhaps they could consider a shorter trial period. 

  • gazza73
    gazza73 Accredited Partner Posts: 803 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited December 2016
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    Alex....  There was sure a lot more to the story - sorry to learn all that prior pain.  All sorted, and perhaps the message of R2 in trial copy is reinforced by your experience.   Thanks so much for taking the time to report back what the outcome was.   Hope retirement is less tedious!

    Cheers


    Gary
    (nearly there myself!)

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