Posts Tagged ‘ Sage Updates ’

Sage 50 Accounts 2013 – Update 2

The second update for Sage 50 Accounts 2013 has been released. As for previous updates, if you run a multi-user system, once you have updated one machine you must then go ahead and update all machines which use the same data before you will be allowed to re-open Sage.

Before you update your Sage 50 software

You must close ALL Sage programs and Microsoft Excel before installing any updates: this includes ACT!

If you forget to close Excel and other Sage programs, you may get stuck in an update loop which will not allow you to open the program and also not allow you to update it. If this happens, please follow the instructions in my prior post, Sage 50 Accounts 2012 – Update 3 to access the Sage website www.sage.co.uk/accountsupdate, download the updates and install manually.

Installing the Update

If you follow the instructions and still are not able to successfully update, you should contact the Sage Cover Support lines, or we at Silicon Bullet can offer you remote support if you do not have Sage Cover.

Please see our other blog posts about Sage Updates.

Once you have installed the update, your program details in Help -> About should be 19.00.11.278.

2012
10/31
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage 50
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Sage 50 Accounts 2013 – more new features

Following on from my previous post, What’s New in Sage 50 Accounts 2013, where I gave a brief list of the new features in the software, and highlighted my two favourite features, Quick Tasks and Email settings, in this article I am going to expand on more of the new features which have made Sage 50 Accounts 2013 even easier to use and understand.

Company Configuration

Customise your Company

When I train a company new to using Sage Accounts, one of the first things I go through with them is the defaults that can be set up in the Settings menu, which make data input much easier in the long run.  This is something that self-taught Sage Accounts users who have bought the product without extra support or training often miss.

There is now a ‘customise your company’ option which can be run on first installing the software, or can be opened at any time from the Help Menu.   The facility has videos and instructions which take you through the many options available as well as ‘Setup Now’ options which take you straight to the relevant screens in the software.

Help Centre

Getting Help

When you buy Sage 50 you no longer get a manual – and to be honest – who reads the manual anyway?  Another part of the training I give is on using the Sage help system in order to remind yourself about tasks you have forgotten, or things you do infrequently, such as VAT returns and year end procedures.

You have always been able to use the F1 key to bring up help about the area you are currently in, and then search the help area for what you need, but now if you are on a machine connected to the internet, the F1 key will bring up a new Web Help screen, which has all the same great information held in the offline Help, but is now easier for Sage to keep right up to date.

These are just a couple more highlights of the new features in Sage 50 2013. If you want to find out about other changes, why not arrange a free demonstration of the new software – check out our Facebook page for informational videos which take you visually through the main new features.  Just call Alison or Paul on 01604 420 057.

2012
09/05
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage 50
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Sage 50 Accounts 2013 – Update 1

The first Update for Sage 50 Accounts 2013 has been released.  You need to install this update if your version number is 19.0.11.261 or 19.0.11.260.  To find out what version your software is then go to Help -> About where your version number is displayed in the Program Details section.Image

If you are prompted by Sage at start up to download and install the update then please make sure Excel and any other Sage programs are exited first as having them open in the background can cause the update to not install properly.  We would recommend not installing the update when first asked, but entering the software as usual and doing a backup before restarting your Sage to install the update.

You can also manually download and install the update from the Sage Accounts Updates website.

If you have a multi user version of Sage then you need to run the update on all the machines, or any machines on the older version number will not be able to access the data.

Sage 50 Accounts 2013 – Update 1 fixes the following issues:

  •  Products – When negative stock is enabled, the average cost price may be calculated incorrectly.
  •  Clear Audit Trail – A fix for the current Clear Audit Trail process in the software.

If you have already run a Clear Audit Trail before installing Update 1 then you should contact Sage or your local reseller immediately as your data may have errors.

After the update your software will be version number 19.00.11.0263

2012
08/31
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage 50
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What’s New in Sage 50 Accounts 2013

Sage 50 Accounts 2013 is for growing and established businesses who need to take more control of their finances with department and budget analysis.  The software helps you stay in control of your cash flow and VAT, and track key business information.

In brief, the new features in version 2013 are:

  • New – user interface and language
  • New – company configuration
  • New – Help Centre
  • New – Quick Tasks
  • Simplified month end, year end and VAT return tasks
  • Improved reporting

As Sage users ourselves, we have been using the product for a couple of weeks now, and I want to highlight a couple of features which have really improved my experience with the software.

Quick Tasks in Sage 50 Accounts 2013

Quick Tasks

Quick Tasks help you to speed up your common processes, and also guide you to the next step in some specific processes.  The feature I really like is that you can highlight a variety of products in the Sage product window and with a couple of clicks create a Sales Order, Quotation or Invoice, or a Purchase Invoice .

Other areas which have been streamlined are common processes when using Sales and Purchase Orders, and processing Cash Sales.

Email Settings

Sage New Email Defaults

One of the most common requests I am getting at the moment is to set up invoices and statements so users can email them to customers instead of printing and posting them – thus saving on paper and postage.  If a company has several different invoice designs, this used to involve editing each layout in turn to customise the email settings.  Sage 50 Accounts 2013 have added  Email Default settings into the Settings Menu – so you can set up your email defaults once for each type of layout then choose which layouts to apply these changes to – thus removing the need to change the settings in each individual layout.

Also each Customer and Supplier record can now have 3 separate email addresses associated with each account, enabling orders, invoices and statements to each be sent to a different email address.  This could be done with the Addresses and Contacts option before, but that was long winded and could really slow down the running of your reports.

These are just a couple of highlights: if you want to find out about other changes then why not arrange a free demonstration of the new software – check out our Facebook page for informational videos which take you visually through the main new features.  Just call Alison or Paul on 01604 420 057.

2012
08/24
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage 50
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Sage Accounts – End of Life

Sage have confirmed that from 30 April 2014 they will no longer support customers using Sage 50 V2009 or Sage Instant V15. This does not mean that you can’t continue to use this software, but it does mean that you will no longer be able to have Sage Cover, and you may not be able to directly upgrade to the latest version automatically.

If you use these versions and would prefer the security of working with a currently supported Sage product after the end of life date, Sage have a couple of special offers available until 30th June 2012.

Please call Alison on 01604 420057 for pricing and details.

Remember, Silicon Bullet can often offer additional discounts on upgrades, so it is always worth calling for a quote. We will always at least match Sage Direct Sales prices but can offer a local service and really get to know your business and help apply your needs to the software.

For more information on Sage’ s Software Lifecycle policy, please get in touch.


2012
06/25
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage 50
Sage Instant Accounts
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ACT! 2011 – Unable to cast object of type

Do you use ACT! Standard 2011 or ACT! Premium 2011, and have you ever experienced the error starting “Unable to cast object of type …” when you try to customise the columns view?

ACT Error Message

This error occurs if you have included tick boxes in your view, and it means that you probably do not have the latest patch/upgrade of ACT!  This error can be removed by returning the list view to default settings, but really your software should be updated to prevent the problem occurring.

Another side effect of having tick boxes in your view is you are also unable to export the data in the window to Microsoft Excel.

If you ‘check updates’ in the software, it may say your software is up to date.  However if your version number is 13.0 then you should still check the updates section of the Sage website as there are possible other updates which you need to apply manually.  You need to have a Sage website login to check the page.  If you email us your full version number, we can check for updates for you.

If you require assistance with this or any other problems with your ACT! software then do let us know.  For more ACT! tips, take a look at my previous posts tagged with ACT!

2012
03/08
CATEGORY
Sage ACT!
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Sage 50 Payroll for the tax year 2012/13

Today I took the new feature course for Sage 50 Payroll for the tax year 2012/13. Instead of calling it Sage 50 Payroll 2012 or Version 18 , they are changing the name to try to make it more obvious which tax year the software is for.  I will be sitting the exam as soon as it is released in early March.

I summarise the new features here: if you would like to know more or see a demonstration of Sage 50 Payroll then please do get in touch.

New Features for Sage 50 Payroll

  • Pre Installation Checklist – if there is any reason why Sage Payroll should not run on your machine, the checklist will highlight this for you. This might happen if you have run out of disk space or have insufficient processing speeds.
  • The user interface has been cleaned up and quite a few of the wizards and forms have been updated to make them easier to use.  Some screens were very busy, with lots of confusing options – these have now been cleaned up without reducing their functionality. The Multi Company tasks area has particularly improved.
  • The support homepage has been added in a similar way to Sage 50 Accounts 2012, which should really help with troubleshooting problems if they occur.
  • Sage 50 Payroll Standard now has import options that were previously only available if you had Sage 50 Payroll Professional. This opens up huge possibilities for improving data import from other sources.
  • The software is ready for the legislation updates that are in the pipeline for the next 3-4 years. Regarding the PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) scheme, which involves sending live data to the HMRC through the year, e-submissions options are being added.  Also the Workplace Pension Reforms which are being phased in over the next 4 years will require much administration with records being kept for employees opting  out and regular reviews, so extra check boxes and areas are being added to help you manage these changes.
  • Salary Sacrifice is being expanded to allow for other schemes apart from just the pension option.  For example, if you participate in the cycle to work scheme or childcare voucher schemes these can now be added and appear on payslips and managed through the new payroll.
  • Sage 50 Payroll and Sage 50 HR can now be synchronised automatically rather than relying on manual intervention from the user.  The old way of linking the two products will still be available but  additional options are now available too.
  • Accountants had requested certain reports to be available as standard rather than having to download them from Sage and install them manually – these have now been added, and in Sage 50 payroll Professional, P32 and P35 client/accountant authorisation reports are now available too.
  • When producing P60s you can now produce a test print so you can check your stationery all lines up correctly, or even send the P60 directly to email if your employees have agreed to this option (Check boxes in each employee record allow you to record the acceptance of email documentation, which was already in the previous versions).

It looks like Sage have reacted to requests from users in bringing in the new features, and they are also thinking ahead to try to help us through the complex new legislation changes being brought in by the HMRC.  I hope you have found this summary of new features useful.

2012
02/28
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage Payroll
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Sage Instant Accounts 2012

Sage Instant Accounts 2012

What is Sage Instant Accounts?

Sage Instant Accounts is the UK’s most recommended accounts software. It’s simple to use with the right training, and designed to help you manage your money, including VAT, end of year accounts and invoicing and management reports, as quickly and easily as possible.

What’s new in Sage Instant Accounts 2012?

The latest version of Sage Instant Accounts is even more straightforward and easy to use, so businesses can spend more time focusing on their core business.

Here are some of the new features, and their benefits:

NEW - Lock Date

You can set a ‘lock date’, which means you’ll be warned or prevented from posting into periods where the month end has been run and accounts produced, so you are more likely to get your accounts right first time and will experience fewer date errors.

NEW - Quick Search

With the new quick search option, you have the ability to explore large data sets quickly as an alternative to building queries using the current approach. This means that you’ll save precious time and be more efficient when running simple searches from within a ledger.  This has proved very popular in Sage 50 2012 since its release last August.

NEW - Quick Print

The new quick print option means you can set default layouts and printers for your invoices, quotations, sales orders and purchase orders. This way, you’ll know they’re always using the correct layouts, and you’re freed up to use your time productively on other business matters.

EASY to upgrade

Making the move to Sage Instant Accounts 2012 is simple. You can seamlessly transfer all of your settings, favourite links and report layouts, making the whole process straightforward and ensuring you can start from where you left off.

…

NOTE:  You cannot install a separate copy of Sage Instant Accounts 2012 on the same PC as Sage 50 Accounts 2012. This is because Sage 50 Accounts 2012 and Sage Instant Accounts 2012 are created from the same code and, therefore, share the same version number.

For hints and tips on using Sage software, take a look at previous posts on the Silicon Bullet blog.  For new software or upgrade prices, email alison.mead@siliconbullet.com.

2012
02/06
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage Instant Accounts
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Sage 50 Accounts 2012 – Service Pack 1

Another Sage 50 Accounts Update is currently being rolled out.  As for previous updates, if you run a multi-user system, once you have updated one machine you must then go ahead and update all machines which use the same data before you will be allowed to re-open Sage.

Before you update your Sage 50 software

Sage Update 18.1.0.12

You must close ALL Sage programs and Microsoft Excel before installing any updates: this includes ACT!

If you forget to close Excel and other Sage programs, you may get stuck in an update loop which will not allow you to open the program and also not allow you to update it.  If this happens, please follow the instructions in my prior post Sage 50 Accounts 2012 – Update 3 to access the Sage website www.sage.co.uk/accountsupdate, download the updates and install manually.

Installing the Sage 50 Service Pack

The Service Pack includes Update 1, Update 2, Update 3 and the final Update 4 all in one pack, but if you have previously installed Updates 1 to 3, the routine will recognise this and just install Update 4.

You should be left with version 18.1.0.12: the latest correct version of Sage.

Problems doing the Sage 50 upgrade?

If you follow the instructions and still are not able to successfully update, you should contact the Sage Cover Support lines, or we at Silicon Bullet can offer you remote support if you do not have Sage Cover.

Please see our other blog posts about Sage Updates.

Sage Update Succesful

2012
01/23
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage 50
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Sage 50 Accounts 2012 – Update 3

Sage released a 3rd update to the 2012 Sage 50 software on Thursday 17th November.  You may have not been prompted to do this update yet, as Sage checks for updates automatically just once per week.  Hopefully you have been prompted to update, followed the instructions on screen and updated successfully.

But what do you do if the update is not successful?

If you are using a multi-user system and one user has chosen to install the update, then all the other users will not be able to use Sage again until they, too, click on the update.   When the update screen comes up it warns you to close Microsoft Excel before running the update. If you have Excel running in the background then the update will fail.  You should be able to just close the Excel spreadsheet and re-run the Sage update, at which point it should run fine.

On some occasions however the automatic update option can get a bit mixed up, and leave you in a vicious circle, not allowing you into Sage but not allowing the update.  Fear not – there is another alternative.

Sage have a website where you can download all the updates manually – just browse to www.sage.co.uk/accountsupdate and fill in your software and version number in the

The Sage Accounts Updates Page

boxes shown.  You can then look up your version number in the left hand column, and download and install the appropriate update – in this case Update 3.

Downloading and installing the update manually like this fixes the problem with the automatic update loop.

If you still have problems with updating, and don’t have Sage Cover, then give me a call on 01604 420 057 and I will help you get the update installed successfully.

To see other Blogs with helpful hints and tips for Sage Software users then just click on this link 

2011
11/23
CATEGORY
Sage
Sage 50
1 comment
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