TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
CHAPTER 1
Startup Screen, page 14
What if the startup screen does not appear? That means someone has turned off
this option. Follow these instructions to open the sample company if the startup
screen did not display.
1. At the Peachtree Accounting menu bar, click on File. The file menu drops
down.
2. Click on Open Company... and the "Open Company" window displays.
3. In the "Company Name" box, double click on Bellwether Garden Supply. The
menu bar for Bellwether Garden Supply displays. You are now in the sample
company.
Backups, page 16
Use one blank, formatted disk to make the first back up of Bellwether Garden
Supply data. PCA compresses the backup file, which makes the data smaller.
You should have at least two chapters of data backed up before reformatting a
disk used in an earlier chapter. For example, you may reformat the disk used to
back up Chapter 1 (disk 2 or 18) when you are ready to back up Chapter 3.
Refer to the chart on textbook page 2 for backup information.
When you back up, you are saving to the current point in Peachtree. Each time
you make a backup, you should type a different backup name (file name) to
distinguish between them. In this way, if you need to restore an earlier backup,
you have the data for that purpose.
When I try to back up, I get an error message
Try to back up to the default directory (hard drive) without making any changes.
For example, when backing up Bellwether, click on File/Back up. Then accept
everything on the "Save Backup for Bellwether Garden Supply as:" screen. Write
down the File name so you can identify it. Then go to Windows Explorer, and
copy/paste that backup file (identified by a .ptb extension) to a floppy in drive A.
Students can use the same Windows Explorer copy/paste technique to go from
Drive A to C when they return to the lab (instead of using Peachtree's Restore).
Another user in the database may be trying to do a backup at the same time
someone else is trying to back up. This can cause the .LCK files to get damaged.
Reboot then do a find for *.LCK and make the look in the area of the drive with
the data. Delete all of the .LCK files and they will recreate the next time
Peachtree is opened. Use the Windows method (Start/Shut Down) to turn your
computer system completely off; do not use Ctrl+Alt+Delete to restart.
Peachtree backup extensions, page 18
If your Peachtree backups do not have a .PTB extension, follow these steps:
1. Click on the button, then Programs. Select Windows Explorer.
2. From the "Exploring" menu bar, select View, then Folder Options. (Options
for Windows 95, then continue with step 4.)
3. Click on the "View" folder tab.
4. The box next to "Hide file extensions for known file types" must be
unchecked. If necessary, click on the box to uncheck it.
Click on . Your PCA files will now have file extensions.
CHAPTER 2
Vendor ID field, page 55
If the “Vendor ID” box is not completed, the Automatic Field Completion option is
not selected. Click on Options, then Global. Click on the "General" folder tab. In
the "Smart Data Entry" section, make sure that a check mark is placed next to
“Automatic field completion.” Click on when you are finished.
GL Account column, page 55
What if your "Purchases/Receive Inventory" window does not show an "A/P
Account" field or "GL Account" column? You should check your settings in the
Options/Global selection. Make sure that the boxes in the "Hide General Ledger
Accounts" section are unchecked. These steps were shown on textbook page
54.
Check Number field, page 68
On the "Payments" window, observe that the "Check Number" box is blank. The
check number is assigned when you print. You only enter a check number if you
are not going to print checks. In Chapter 2, you print checks on textbook pages
69 - 72.
Printing Checks, page 69
The steps for printing checks instruct you to select "AP Preprint 1 Stub" as the
form to print. If this form does not print, select another one. The form you select
is tied to the kind of printer you are using. Depending on your printer, you may
need to make a different selection.
CHAPTER 3
GL Account column, page 88
If the “GL Account” column is not displayed on the “Quotes” window, you need to
check your global settings. Refer to the steps on textbook page 54 to make sure
that the boxes in the “Hide General Ledger Accounts” section are unchecked
(see Options/Global).
Sales Quote, page 89
When a sales quote is posted, you are not updating any general ledger accounts.
That is handled through the Sales/Invoicing task, which you will work with after
you convert the quote and print the sales order.
Invoice Number field, page 103
Observe that the "Invoice #" box is blank. The invoice number, similar to the
check number, is assigned when you print. You only enter an invoice number if
you are not going to print invoices. You print the sales invoice on textbook pages
107 - 110.
CHAPTER 4
Printing payroll checks, page 139
The form you select is tied to the kind of printer you are using. For example, if
you are using an HP DeskJet 520, the form that you should select is "PR MultiP
Cks 2 Stub." You may need to make a different selection depending on your
printer.
CHAPTER 6
Exercise 6-2 back up disk, page 198
Do not reformat the Exercise 6-2 back up disk. You will restore Exercise 6-2
data to complete the exercises in Chapters 17 and 18.
CHAPTER 7
Peachtree Fixed Assets, pages 201 - 207
Peachtree Fixed Assets is a subsidiary module to the main program, Peachtree
Complete Accounting 2002, Release 9.0. If data becomes corrupted in Peachtree
Fixed Assets, reinstall the main program. Steps for deleting Peachtree are on
textbook page 702. To install Peachtree, see textbook page 699. When you
install the main program, Peachtree Complete Accounting, the Peachtree Fixed
Assets module is also installed.
Peachtree Fixed Assets does not include an editing feature. If mistakes are made
when making Peachtree Fixed Assets entries, edit the General Journal adjusting
entries in the main program, Peachtree Complete Accounting. (More information
about Peachtree Fixed Assets is included in Chapter 10's Troubleshooting Tips
below.)
CHAPTER 9
Chart of Accounts, page 264
If you want your Chart of Accounts printout to show the entire account
description, click on the “Design” icon, then select . Move your mouse to
the blue arrows between columns. The cursor becomes a crossbar. Left click
on the crossbar and drag your mouse to the right. After you have adjusted the
“Account Description” column, click on the “Print” icon to print the chart of
accounts. When you click on the "Close" icon, a screen prompts that "The report
has been modified. Do you want to save it?," click on No.
Beginning Balance Equity account, page 268
After entering the chart of accounts beginning balances on pages 267 - 271,
Peachtree automatically sets up Account No. 39004, Beginning Balance Equity;
Account Type, Equity, doesn’t close. Beginning Balance Equity is a clearing
account that is not used in this text. You may want to delete it so that your chart
of accounts matches the one shown on page 265.
Setting Beginning Balances, page 268
Observe that the balance sheet on textbook page 267 is for October 1, 2002.
Beginning balances must be set for the preceding month–September 1
through 30, 2002. You select September 1 through 30, 2002, because
Peachtree posts on the last day of the month (September 30). When you select
September 1 through 30, 2002, as your chart of accounts beginning balance
period, your journals will start on October 1, 2002, and your reports will be dated
October 31, 2002. The September 30 ending balance is the October 1 beginning
balance.
In Chapter 10, you will print end-of-year financial statements. In order for your
end-of-year financial statements to show the correct current month and year-to-
date amounts, you must set your beginning balances for the preceding month.
Select September 1 through 30, 2002, as the period for setting beginning
balances. The beginning balance period cannot be changed later.
Using Windows Explorer to Copy/Paste, page 278
The instructions on textbook pages 273 - 277 show you how to use Peachtree’s
Back Up feature. You learned that when you back up the company file to drive
A, the information is compressed or made smaller. Peachtree’s Back Up feature
works with their Restore feature, which is shown on textbook page 278, 279 and
280. What if your instructor prefers that all of the company files be copied or
saved?
Peachtree sets a folder on the hard drive for each company. For example, the
folder for Barbara Wood Graphics is "C\Peachw\barwoogr." To copy the
contents of that folder to a floppy disk, follow steps 1 - 6. You need one blank,
formatted disk.
1. Go to Windows Explorer and open the folder for Barbara Wood Graphics:
C:\Peachw\barwoogr. (Your hard drive may show a different folder.
Peachtree uses the first three letters of the first and last name plus the first
two letters of the company name for subfolders.)
2. Observe that the "barwoogr" subfolder uses 1.26 MB (megabytes). This
means that the Barbara Wood subfolder uses 1,324,588 bytes on one blank,
formatted disk to copy the files from drive C to drive A.
3. Label the disk 1, Barbara Wood Graphics. Put the disk in drive A.
4. Right-click on the "barwoogr" folder. Then, left-click on "Copy."
5. On your "Folders" list, right-click on drive A: "3½ Floppy (A:)." Then, left-click
on "Paste."
6. The contents of the "barwoogr" folder from drive C copies to the floppy disk in
drive A. When you are finished, close Windows Explorer.
In this example, you used Windows Explorer to move all the contents of the
"barwoogr" subfolder from drive C to drive A.
Peachtree Company not listed, pages 278-279
What if Barbara Wood Graphics (or, other name Graphics) is not shown on the
"Open an Existing Company" list?
1. Click on "Browse" to open another existing company. The "Open Company"
window pops up.
2. If Barbara Wood Graphics (or, other name Graphics) is shown select it, and
then click on . Go to step 5 on this page.
3. If no Graphics company is shown, select Cancel. Then, select Close; Close
this window; File; Exit to exit Peachtree.
In order to use Peachtree's "Restore" feature, the company must be shown. If
the company is not listed, you have two choices:
a. Start Peachtree. Select "Set up a new company." At the "Welcome to
Peachtree Accounting New Company Setup!" screen, click on Next (see
steps 2 and 3 on pages 250 - 251). For "Company Information," type the
Company Name only. You do not need to enter the rest of the
information. Then, click on Next until you reach the screen with the Finish
button. Restore the appropriate back up file.
b. If you use Windows Explorer to copy/paste the "barwoogr" subfolder from
drive A to drive C, you can copy/paste this file from your floppy disk to
Peachtree's folder on your hard drive. These steps were shown in the
"Comment" box on textbook page 278. Start Peachtree. Select "Open an
existing company." Since this is the first time you are opening the
company, it will not be listed. Select Browse, the "Open Company"
window pops up; highlight "Barbara Wood Graphics" (or other name
Graphics), then click on . To make sure that your data is at the right
point, display the balance sheet and compare it to the one shown page
271. Then, go to page 283 and continue with the section "Recording
Entries in the Cash Receipts Journal and Cash Disbursements Journal."
Or, restore the Chapter 9 Begin.ptb file.
Two decimal places, page 282
If you changed the global setting for an automatic decimal point in Chapter 2 on
page 72, you do not have to do this again.
If you did not change the global setting for an automatic decimal point, follow
these steps to do so:
1. From the menu bar, click on Options, then Global.
2. In the “Decimal Entry” box, click on “Manual.” When “Manual” is selected, a
black circle is placed within a circle (radio button).
3. In the “Number of decimal places” box, make sure the number 2 is selected.
4. Click on .
When global options are selected, this feature is in effect for all companies.
Unit price displays incorrectly, page 285
When you enter 12000 does 120.00 display in the “Unit Price” field rather than
12,000.00? To change the global setting for an automatic decimal point, follow
these steps:
1. From the menu bar, click on Options, then Global.
2. In the “Decimal Entry” box, click on “Manual.” When “Manual” is selected, a
black circle is placed within a circle (radio button).
3. In the “Number of decimal places” box, make sure the number 2 is selected.
4. Click on .
When global options are selected, this feature is in effect for all companies.
Check Number field, page 288
PCA automatically completes the “Check Number” box once the first number is
typed. After you type another reference in the “Check Number” box (for
example, ATM), then you will have to type the appropriate check number.
Income Statement without zero balances, page 301
To print an Income Statement without zero balances, uncheck the "Show Zero
Amounts" box on the " Income Statement Options" window.
CHAPTER 10
Peachtree Fixed Assets, page 342
You can edit entries in Peachtree Complete Accounting 2002 but not in
Peachtree Fixed Assets. Once you post the entries made in Peachtree Fixed
Assets, they are recorded in Peachtree Complete 2002's general journal. The
only way to change journal entries is to use the editing feature in Peachtree
Complete 2002.
Since Peachtree Fixed Assets is a subsidiary module of the main program, you
must open the company in the main program before you start Peachtree Fixed
Assets. After opening the company in the main program, then starting Peachtree
Fixed Assets, the same company name should be highlighted before you use the
fixed assets module.
Peachtree Fixed Assets is a subsidiary module to the main program, Peachtree
Complete Accounting 2002, Release 9.0. If data becomes corrupted in Peachtree
Fixed Assets, reinstall the main program. Steps for deleting Peachtree are on
textbook page 702. To install Peachtree, see textbook page 699. When you
install the main program, Peachtree Complete Accounting, the Peachtree Fixed
Assets module is also installed.
Peachtree Fixed Assets does not work properly. For example, sample
companies fixed assets are showing up in a company that you set up from
scratch.
This could happen if you restore the sample company backup into another
company. To identify where the company data is stored, go to Help, File
Statistics. At the top of the window, it will say "Data File Statistics for XXXXXXX"
where the X's are the name of the folder that contains that company data. The
fixed assets files begin with FA and are in that company folder if the sample
company FA files somehow got mixed. What they can do is rename those files so
they have an .old extension and then reopen Peachtree and then open Fixed
Assets and it will start them out new.
Here are the steps to rename files beginning with FA.
1. Exit Peachtree Fixed Assets and Peachtree Complete Accounting.
2. If you are working with Barbara Wood Graphics, use Windows Explorer to go
to this program path and subdirectory – C:\peachw\barwoogr\Faasset.dat.
(You can also find the company subdirectory by clicking on Help/File
Statistics.)
3. Rename Faasset.dat to Faasset.dat.old
4. Rename all the files starting with "FA" similarly (for example, add an .old
extension).
5. Restart Peachtree Complete 8.0, minimize it; then start Peachtree Fixed
Assets, and the fixed asset (FA) files will start out new.
If steps 1-5 do not solve the fixed assets problem, delete Peachtree (see
textbook p. 702), and then reinstall it.
Closing the Fiscal Year, page 350
When I start the Year-End Closing process, Peachtree says that not all journals
are posted. You may be using "Batch" posting instead of "Real-time" posting.
From the menu bar, select Maintain/Company Information. The "Posting Method"
field should show "Real-time." If necessary, select "Real-time" instead of "Batch."
If this is not the case, you may have selected the "Memorize" button instead of
"Save" to post from one of the Tasks windows. On each Task window, there is a
"Save" button with a down-arrow next to it. If you accidentally selected the down-
arrow, then clicked on "Memorize," your transaction was not posted.
Follow these steps to see if you have any memorized transactions: Go to
Maintain, Memorized Transactions. Then follow this example: 1) select
"Payments" from the memorized transactions drop-down list. 2) Look in the
"Transaction ID" field. If anything is listed, select it. 3) On the "Maintain
Memorized Payments" window, there is a "Select" button. Click on the "Select"
button to insert into a Tasks window. Then, by clicking on "Save" from the tasks
window, the transaction can be posted. 4) Go back to Maintain, Memorized
Transactions and check each option.
CHAPTER 11
Unique company name, page 386
If you use a unique name for the Company Name, the name of your sales and
service company will appear on all printouts.
GL Account column, Purchases/Receive Inventory or Payments windows,
pages 408 and 413
If the “A/P Account” lookup box and “GL Account” column are not shown, you
should check your global settings. To do that, click on Options, Global. The
boxes in the “Hide General Ledger Accounts” section must be unchecked. (See
textbook pages 53 and 54, Changing Global Settings for "Accounting Behind the
Screens.”) This will also affect the "GL Account" column for accounts receivable
(Chapter 12), and payroll, (Chapter 13).
Cash account balance, page 413
The “Payments” window were also shown in Chapter 9 on textbook pages 287
and 288. Your "Payments" window will show a cash account balance in the
"Balance" box (see textbook page 414. Instructions for using the “Payments”
window are shown in Chapter 9 on textbook pages 287 and 288.
Check forms, page 414
Step 3 on textbook page 415 instructs you to select "AP Preprint 1 Stub" as the
form to print. If this form does not print, select another one. The form you select
is tied to the kind of printer you are using. Depending on your printer, you may
need to make a different selection.
Check No. 2030 amount, page 416
If your check does not show the same amount, go back to the “Payments”
window and click on the “Abc Open” icon. Select January 23, Jason Smith.
Make the necessary corrections. When you reprint Check No. 2030, “Duplicate”
will be shown on the printout.
Balance field, page 420
What if your "Balance" field does not show an amount?" Close the "Payments"
window without saving. Then, from the menu bar, go to Options/Global. A
checkmark should be placed next to "Recalculate cash balance automatically in
Receipts, Payments, and Payroll Entry." If necessary, click on the appropriate
box, then OK.
Cash Disbursements Journal report, page 426
Observe that the “Line Description” on the Cash Disbursements Journal shows
the account name (e.g. Account No. 70000, Maintenance Expense) for the
amount debited. The person to whom the check was written (e.g. Jason Smith)
is shown for the amount credited.
CHAPTER 13
Payroll Entry window, page 512
Observe that the “Employee/Employer Fields” table on the “Payroll Entry” window
does not include amounts. Peachtree Complete Accounting does not include
automatic calculation of payroll taxes. For purposes of this exercise, the
amounts that you need to type are shown in the textbook on the
“Employee/Employer fields” table illustrated. If you were completing a real
paycheck, you would consult Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide, for the
appropriate payroll tax amounts. Or, sign up for Peachtree's payroll tax service.
Information about this fee-based serviced is available at
http://www.peachtree.com/html/tax_pca.cfm.
Payroll tax tables, page 512
Since Peachtree Complete Accounting does not include payroll tax tables, a
series of warning screens will pop up. After reading the information on each
screen, click on . The payroll tax amounts that you will enter for each
employee are shown in the textbook.
Printing paychecks, page 515
Since you are printing on plain paper, the form you select is tied to the kind of
printer you are using. For example, if you are using an HP DeskJet 680C, the
form that you should select is “OCR - PR Preprint 2 Stub.” Depending on the
printer, you may need to make a different selection on the "Print Forms: Payroll
Checks" screen.
CHAPTER 15
Use Bellwether Garden Supply data, page 599
In Chapter 15, you can use beginning Bellwether data or any subsequent
Bellwether backup. To install Bellwether’s starting data, exit Peachtree and any
other open program. Use the PCA 2002 CD that came with the book and select
"Custom" install. Uncheck all the boxes except "Sample Company Data." Exit
installation and remove the PCA 2002 CD. Restart the sample company. See
Appendix A, Installing Starting Data for the Sample Companies, textbook pages
701 and 702, for detailed steps.
Printed Invoices show "Duplicate," page 599
The printed invoices show “Duplicate” because these invoices have already been
printed. Hint: Refer to the steps on textbook pages 598 - 599 if invoices 10309
through 10311 did not print.
CHAPTER 17
Bellwether Garden Supply data, page 640
If you no longer have your back up disk from Exercise 6-2, use starting data for
Bellwether Garden Supply. If you use Bellwether’s starting data, your screen
illustrations will differ from those shown in this chapter. If necessary, refer to
Appendix A, Installing Starting Data for the Sample Company, textbook pages
701 and 702.
Microsoft Office version, page 640
Microsoft Office 2000 is used for the illustrations in this chapter. If you are using
Microsoft Office 97, you may notice some differences with the screen displays
shown in Chapter 17.
CHAPTER 18
Hard-drive location of Peachtree, page 652
If you do not know where Peachtree is installed on your hard drive, go to your
desktop. Right-click on PCA's icon, then left-click on Properties. If necessary,
select the "Shortcut" tab. The "Target" box shows where Peachtree is installed;
for example, C:\Peachw. The subdirectory identified as \peachw.exe is the
executable file for the program.
Excel version, page 654
The version of Excel used in this chapter is Microsoft Excel 2000. If you do not
have Excel 2000, you may use Excel 95 or higher. You may need to modify the
directions slightly to accommodate the version of Excel that you are using.
Bellwether Garden Supply data, page 656
The illustrations in Chapter 18 represent Bellwether’s data from Exercise 6-2. If
you are using different data from the sample company, your screen illustrations
will differ.