I have changed my cheque specifications file but when I go to print cheques it continues to use the old spec. I tried changing slightly the sample spec Adagio came with to see if it happened with all specs and previewed using those specs, but the preview shows the spec before I made changes.

Also I tried to assign a cheque spec to the bank under edit/bank/specs but when I save it, exit and go in to check the default spec is blank.

Help, I don't know what has happened!

Thanks, Brenda

Dear Brenda2

I know of no issues in this respect.

It sounds like a program problem, although doing a data integrity check on your AP data would not hurt.

Have you tried going into the sample dataset itself and trying this procedure (rather than just using a sample specification in your data directory)? If you get the same results in sample data, then it could be a program file problem. In this case, I would suggest that you re-install Payables to restore any damaged files. You should rename the Payables program directory first (APWIN). It resides in the Softrak directory on the drive where Adagio was installed.

Please note that if Adagio is installed on a network server, you may require sufficient network rights to install software to this drive from your system - if you are not familiar with this type of procedure, please ask someone in your office who is responsible for software installation.

Hope this helps!

Take care,
Softrak Support

Thanks for your reply.

It does not seem to be a program problem as I have numerous companies on my computer and only one is having this problem. I reinstalled A/P to make sure and still the same problem. I had done a data integrity check before and it reported 2 errors. I did a backup and did a rebuild and now it shows no errors but still cheque spec problems. Where is it getting the cheque spec from that it is wanting to use when that cheque spec file is now totally different? It will only print using specs from a certain point in time - even if those specs have subsequently been changed. It is also unusual that it will not let me assign a cheque spec to a bank.

Thanks for any help, Brenda

Hello again, Brenda

Ok, so this seems to be a data-related issue then. Do you have a backup of the specification when it was working? You may need it. Here are some more suggestions:

1. Exit out of AP.
2. Using MS Explorer, go to this AP data directory and identify the specification files that are listed before (above) your specification. (You must use sort by filename to see this correctly. To do this, left-click on the Name ^ column header in Explorer so that Windows will sort alphabetically ascending.)
3. Multi-select these spec files and copy them to another directory for now. (Your active spec file should now be at the top of the list.)
4. Go back into Payables
5. Go to Edit - Banks & select the Bank that this spec is used for and go to the Specifications tab
6. Scroll down in the System Checks selection box and find your newly saved spec and select it. Click OK to save this choice.
7. Go back into this Bank and check to see if it has kept the specification. If it has, then proceed to the check print area to see how the actual check preview looks.

If this has been successful, then there could have been something wrong with one of the other specification files listed before your spec. Since Payables sorts through the spec files in order before it comes to the one you have selected to print, this could have prevented yours and the sample spec from working properly in this respect.

If the above procedures were not successful, then you can try something very simple...

1. Back in Payables, open the Designer
2. Open your spec file & go to File - Specification Options.
3. Give your file a new name in the Title field, and click OK to save the new name.
4. Save the specification (File - Save).
5. Try your preview now.

If it still does not work, then:
1. In Designer again, open the specification and use the 'File - Save as' option to give the specification a new file name (stay to 8 characters only this time - in case you had a longer file name and for some reason this was causing problems) - so the syntax should be "AP$aaaaa.xxx". (You MUST have the "AP$" - it is mandatory! "aaaaa" represents the 5 characters left for your filename, and "xxx" represents your data extension for this company.) ALSO - make sure you are saving this file in this company's dataset! (In case this was the problem all along!) All specification files must reside in the data directory for the company you are working in in AP!
4. Try previewing it in Designer - does it look ok? If so, the next test would be to go to AP and try the same steps with selecting this new spec in the Bank area, then trying to preview an actual check with this spec selected.

If you do not use the other spec files that you copied into another directory, then it will not be necessary to copy them back again if everything is working ok now.

Good luck! Please let us know which (if any) procedure worked for you!

Regards,
Softrak Support

Thanks for your reply.

Well I tried all your suggestions and nothing works. The Bank does not keep the bank spec default and the cheque preview and the Designer preview are not the same.

Thanks for your continued help, Brenda

Dear Brenda

I've run out of suggestions for this one! All the tricks that worked for suspiciously similar issues are used up now! This fact makes me think that there must be something in your data files (I am suspecting the Bank Files) that are causing this havoc with your specification.

Even though your DIC is clean, the fact that you did have 2 previously reported errors bothers me - depending on what files it was complaining about at the time, this could have been when this all started.

I would strongly suggest contacting your Dealer for more assistance on-site, as this particular dataset needs to get repaired before it can cause more damage.

If you do not have your own dealer, we can refer you to one in your area. To find out more information in this regard, please contact our Customer Service Department. You can email them directly at info@softrak.com or you can phone them: (604) 736-3741.

We also provide a Database Repair Service right here at Softrak. If you would like to speak to someone in this department, please either email datarepair@softrak.com or call the same number as above and ask for that department.

Good luck!
Sincerely,

Softrak Support