At a recent installation of 20 users, I had to do just that. So for those administrators who have yet to convert to ACT! 2000, here are the steps involved in going through a conversion from ACT! 3 or 4 to ACT! 2000. In this scenario, there were many customizations done to a shell database which needed to be replicated to each user.

If synchronization has already been setup then you should be able to sync out field definitions, but you still need these instructions should you add a new user.

These instructions also apply to users with remote databases. If you are all connected to a LAN then your job is much easier. Here are the instructions that will help you along.

1. Install ACT! 2000 from the CD-ROM.

2. Download the ACT! 2000 update from the ACT! Web site, http://www.act.com.

ACT!Tip: If you have custom ACT! 3 or ACT! 4 report templates or layouts, I recommend creating a batch file to install these. I created a simple batch file called Loadact.bat that copies any custom reports, templates and layouts to the proper directories.

You can also do modifications to the Write and Report menu choices in ACT! and then include the MODMENU.ACT file in your batch. This must be copied to your ACT! folder, which is usually found in the c:\program files\symantec\act folder.

Customize Settings

If you want to customize other menu choices or settings, I recommend you use ACTDIAG. To open ACTDIAG, click Start, Run, and type ACTDIAG. Then select Options, Backup ACT! Registry. The Backup ACT! Registry dialog box is shown in Figure 11.

This allows you to save any settings or preferences you wish to distribute to the users.

You can then save the file ACTREG.REG. You can install that in your batch file by running REGEDIT ACTREG.REG. This can be very helpful if you decide that you don’t want users to perform certain operations or access certain menu choices.

In this scenario, I created a new database called Aadmin.dbf. This is a one record file that has all the drop downs and field definitions to be used.

If you are synchronizing, or thinking about synchronizing at any point in the future, then you should follow these steps as well. You need to create a new shell for each user.

This is what you do:

1. Open the Aadmin.dbf database.

2. Select File, Save Copy As and select Create Empty Copy. The Save Copy As dialog box is shown in Figure 12.

Warning: DO NOT attempt to COPY or RENAME the shell. This is guaranteed to mess up synchronization.

3. Name the new database. I recommend using the first initial and last name of the user.

4. ACT! then asks you to enter the My Record information. It’s OK to use the ACT! Admin’s My Record information.

Once you’ve created the new database shell, do the following:

1. Copy that shell to the users machine.

2. Open the user’s current database in ACT! 2000 and let it convert the old data.

3. Export the user’s My Record to the new shell, through File, Data Exchange Export and select current record.

Then close the user’s current database and open the new shell as ACT Admin.

1. Select File, Administration, Define Users and click Add Users.

2. Type the First and Last name of the user and change the security level to Administrator.

3. Click OK and go to Assign Now. When the My record dialog box comes up choose Select and pick that users name.

4. Close the database and open it, this time log on as that user with no password.

5. Go to File, Data Exchange, Import and select the users old database and import all the contacts and group.

This completes the loading of ACT! 2000 with the new structure and converts the old users database to ACT! 2000. Follow these steps and I’m sure you’ll have as much fun doing this as I did.