What are the system requirements for Ultimate AppendIT?

You must be using QuickBooks 2005 or later; Pro, Premier, or Enterprise; US versions. AppendIT is integrated with QuickBooks. The hardware and operating system requirements for QuickBooks exceed those for Ultimate AppendIT.

PLEASE NOTE: Installing and setting up ApendIT requires QuickBooks administrator permission.

Where is AppendIT? I don't see any AppendIT user interface or menu bar icon.

AppendIT is visible on the QuickBooks Company pull down menu. Look for the Ultimate Append selections.

There is no separate AppendIT user interface.  AppendIT is totally integrated with QuickBooks. 

What does AppendIT do?

     AppendIT automatically creates folders in a root Windows directory while QuickBooks is in normal use. You set up the root directories for each QuickBooks company database (.qbw). See below: How do I use the Settings Menu?

There is a root for customers and one for vendors. Some versions of AppendIT have additional root directoris for inventory, other names, and employees.

Root directories (root folders) can be anywhere on your network and you name them in a convenient way. Each root folder will contain the sub-folders that AppendIT creates. We use the term "TDF" for these folders (it used to stand for Tech Data Folder but now it is the name for folders created by AppendIT). 

     AppendIT does the grunt work of creating these TDF folders and naming them. You could do that yourself. But, if you have lots of customers, vendors, etc., it becomes a giant mess. The big advantage is that all your data is in Windows folders in its original form and anyone using Windows can access it, even if they don't use QuickBooks. 

     AppendIT builds the file structure for you to organize your records. Each TDF's name is the same as a QuickBooks entity (a list entry or transaction). The root directories are hierarchically structured like QuickBooks accounts. 

For Example: CUSTOMER ROOT
                    Customer:Job
                        Invoice
                          OR
                    VENDOR ROOT
                    Vendor
                        Bill

 I.e., the records linked to an invoice are kept in the TDF for that invoice. It has the same name/number as the invoice and is inside the folder for the customer account. The customer account folder name is the same as the QuickBooks Customer Name.

What does the user do?

    You drag and drop or save documents (or folders, image files, links, etc.) into the TDFs and that links them to QuickBooks. You find linked records using the AppendIT menu selections (Open TDF or Open Root) or by browsing with Windows Explorer. You can do this from your desktop or from the Open and Save dialogs of Windows programs.

     You can use desktop shortcuts to existing documents if you already have lots of documents that should be linked to QuickBooks. Leave the documents where they are and put desktop shortcut to each one in the appropriate AppendIT TDF. When you use the setting features (see below), AppendIT will create shortcut to each root for you and leave it on your Wonmdows desktop.

       You can use Windows directory services if you need access controls. 

Can I install Ultimate AppendIT when QuickBooks is running?

No. Shut down QuickBooks while installing AppendIT.

On the PC where you're doing the install, close the QuickBooks program first. Do this on each PC in a multi-user environment. Make sure that QuickBooks is in Single User mode when installing Ultimate AppendIT for the first time. That's when you'll need to grant Ultimate AppendIT access to your QuickBooks company file (.qbw).

How do I use the Settings Menu?

From the Company pull down, go to Ultimate AppendIT -> Settings. Use this dialog before any of AppendIT's other functions will work. Establish AppendIT settings the first time you start QuickBooks after installing AppendIT.

After the dialog appears click Browse to select each root folder. Each AppendIT root defines a directory where your linked records will be saved.

Browse to the location of your choice, use an existing folder for the root, or use the create folder function to make a new one. The root folders vary with the version of AppendIT. Simple AppendIT has two: vendor and customer. Advanced AppendIT has roots for customers, vendors, other names, employees, and inventory items. 

After all root folders have been designated for your AppendIT version, press Save. A Windows shortcut for each root will be placed on your desktop.

The default options for creating AppendIT link folders are pre-selected to Auto Create. Initially it is a good idea to leave the default settings and get a feel for how AppendIT does its behind the scenes work. You can adjust these settings anytime.

Using Auto Create: AppendIT creates link folders automatically whenever a NEW QuickBooks entity is created and saved. When you work with EXISTING QuickBooks entities and click on Company -> Ultimate AppendIT -> Open TDF, AppendIT will create a folder but prompt you first. Sometimes there is no need to link records for existing transactions or accounts.

AppendIT's rules for creating link folders can be tailored to your needs by following the instructions for Settings given in the User Guide.

Note: AppendIT will never delete or rename a link folder automatically or otherwise. If you delete a link folder, the files it contains will also be lost. If you change the name of a QuickBooks entity, then changing the name of the link folder for that entity may be desirable.

What are AppendIT's folder naming conventions? Can I control that?

First off, Ultimate AppendIT controls TDF (link) folder names. That's what makes it simple and easy to use: familiar QuickBooks names. The names you give for your data files and records are yours to choose. You may also keep user defined folders in AppendIT directories. Just avoid AppendIT name conflicts.

AppendIT folder names follow the names of their corresponding QuickBooks entity. They're organized like QuickBooks too.

For example, the link folders for Invoices, Sales Orders, Estimates, and Jobs are stored as subfolders of a customer's folder. Each subfolder name uses a prefix plus the QuickBooks transaction number. The prefixes are "SO_" for Sales orders, "ES_" for Estimates, "IN_" for Invoices, and "JO_" for Jobs. For example, the link folder corresponding to Invoice #13 will be named "IN_13". Sub-folders for vendors have similar naming rules.

More details are explained un the User Guide.

Can I use Ultimate AppendIT with more than one company file?

Yes. You need to grant Ultimate AppendIT access to each QuickBooks Company file (.qbw) you use. Use Edit --> Preferences --> Integrated Applications to do this.

AppendIT comes with the ability to access up to two QuickBooks® Company files (.qbw). For using more than two Company files contact KeWay.

How does Ultimate AppendIT work in QuickBooks Multi-user environment?

Ultimate AppendIT is ready to go for QuickBooks® Multi-user Mode. Just make sure that the integrated application permissions are established for the company file when QuickBooks® is restarted after AppendIT is installed. AppendIT does not restrict the number of users that can access one Company file.

In a multi-user QuickBooks® system where a common company file is shared, the AppendIT root directories may set up for each user individually or on a shared basis on a server. Once they are set up, use AppendIT's Setup browser to locate and link to them. Thus, it is possible for each user to have a separate set of AppendIT root directories for the same company file. In that situation all user's root directories will have the same naming conventions and folder organization.

Download AppendIT User Guide