How to Automatically Synchronise Your ACT! Database

Note: The ACT! Scheduler is only available in the Premium versions of ACT! by Sage 2006, ACT! by Sage 2007 and ACT! by Sage 2008. The ACT! Scheduler is available in both the Standard and Premium versions of ACT! by Sage 2009.

Any Administrator or Manager user can create a regular schedule for synchronizing your ACT! database. The computer must be running at the scheduled time of synchronization, however, the ACT! program does not need to be open. Follow the steps below to use the ACT! Scheduler to automate your synchronization task.

1. Click the Tools menu, and then click ACT! Scheduler. The ACT! Scheduler - Create, Edit or Delete a Task panel appears:
   
   
   
2. Click Create a task from the Schedule Tasks box. The ACT! Scheduler - Select a Database dialog box appears:
   
   
   
3. Click the Browse button. An Open dialog box appears. Navigate (if necessary) to, and then Open the desired database (.PAD) file. The ACT! Scheduler - Select a Database dialog box reappears.
4. Enter the User name and (if necessary) the Password for this database, and then click Next. The ACT! Scheduler - Select a Task dialog box appears:
   
   
   
5. Click Database synchronization (remote database only) from the Task drop-down list, and then click Next. The ACT! Scheduler - Set a Schedule dialog box appears:
   
   
   
6. Enable an Occurs option of Hourly, Daily, Weekly or Monthly, and then enable the appropriate parameters corresponding to that option as follows:
   
   Note: Your computer must be running at the time that these tasks are scheduled for. However, the ACT! program does not need to be running.
   
   • Hourly - Between a starting hour and an ending hour that you specify.
   • Daily - Every weekday (M - F) or Every (number of) days that you specify, up to 31 days.
   • Weekly - Every (number of) Weeks on a weekday that you specify.
   • Monthly - Every Month or Every other month scheduled on a specific day of the month or the First, Second, Third, Fourth or Last specific day of the week.
     
7. When your synchronization schedule is specified, click Finish. The ACT! Scheduler - Create, Edit or Delete a Task panel reappears with your synchronization task(s) displayed.
   
   
   
8. Ensure that the ACT! Scheduler service is running. You can identify if the services is running by the state of the ACT! Scheduler icon in the system tray. If you see this icon the service is running. If you see this icon the service is NOT running. Use the following steps to start or stop the service:
   
   To Start the ACT! Scheduler Service:
   1. Launch ACT!.
   2. Click the Tools menu, and then click the ACT! Scheduler option. The ACT! Scheduler - Create, Edit or Delete a Task panel appears.
   3. Click the Start Service option from the Other Tasks section.
      
      
      
   4. Click Exit to close the ACT! Scheduler - Create, Edit or Delete a Task panel.
      

   To Stop the ACT! Scheduler Service:

   1. Launch ACT!.
   2. Click the Tools menu, and then click the ACT! Scheduler option. The ACT! Scheduler - Create, Edit or Delete a Task panel appears.
   3. Click the Stop Service option from the Other Tasks section.
      
      
      
   4. Click Exit to close the ACT! Scheduler - Create, Edit or Delete a Task panel.
      
9. Click Exit to return to the database or select your task, and then click Edit a task to change the task or click Delete a task to delete the task.