TALLY TIPS

1. How to enter data Faster in Tally

Although working in Tally is quite easy but when work load increases then faster data entry is required. Faster data entry in Tally may lead to incorrect entry if done in usual way. There are some inbuilt features and shortcuts which can help any user to enter the data faster.
Activating these features and using the short cut key would minimize the time consumed in data entry and accurate data feeding. Here are the tricks.
Skip date : First thing is to activate skip date field during data entry in voucher configuration screen. While in any voucher type press F12 put first option of Skip date field in create mode (faster entry) to Yes. This would save you from the hassles of entering date in every voucher.
Use defaults : If entry is in same sales or purchase register where
VAT rate is same then you can put Common ledger A/c for item
Alocation to Yes and Use defaults for Bil alocation to Yes.
This would let you select minimum ledgers in a single entry.

Use Voucher types and Voucher classes : Diferent types of
vouchers can be made to enter payments and receipts. For example
bank payments and receipts can be entered in separate voucher types
like Bank payment and Bank receipt. Same way cash receipts and
payments can be using separate voucher types.
this would reduce the error chances during entry. This task can be
further simplified by making separate voucher classes for sales and
purchase related entries by making separate voucher classes for
different VAT rate. For example seperate voucher class in sales can be
made as sales VAT4 % and by defining ledgers commonly used in that
voucher.
This would make entries faster as ledgers would be selected
automatically what you have to do is just enter the figures.

Use short Cut Keys : While removing backlog or handling heavy work
load we face almost similar types of entry which has to be made
repetitively in different dates . Figures and accounts involved in these
types of vouchers are almost same only few things are diferent like
date. In this situation short cut keys can be of great help.
Use Alt+2 for duplicating any entry while you are in day book. If
salary of 12 months has to be entered then duplicate this entry 12
times and then after wards change the date one by one. Here just
change the date and use Ctrl+A to accept the entry.
In the same manner If we have common narration in voucher then it
can be entered by pressing Alt+R . It would rewrite the previous
narration.
If there is an entry missing then that can be entered by selecting the
entry after which you want to insert it. Now press Alt+I to insert that
entry on that particular place.

Faster data entry in Tally also depends on your knowledge of hot keys
in Tally and it also depends on time you spend on Tally


2. Geting Started with Tally

Most of users who are either using Tally for the first time or who are
using licensed version of Tally have faced common problems. They
often complaint that when we were using pirated version of Tally then
life was easy. After getting with newer version of Tally or registered
version of Tally it has become more dificult while life was supposed to
be easy after buying the Tally license. I would say that current Indian
mindset is to be blamed here. Giving money for just a software doesn't
fit into the consciences of Indian mindset. When ever we purchase
computer then software is supposed to be the part of free bees.
Problem gets worst when we face problem after giving the money for
software. Few tips while getting started with Tally can save us a lot of
problems.
Some prior preparation is needed before instaling Tally. Tally license is
activated and updated from Internet, so we need internet connection.
Although it is not used as frequently but if the machine which is
running Tally is having permanent internet connections then license
can be updated or reactivated swiftly other wise this can be a major
problem for Tally users. Mostly who are first time user of licensed
software. The reasons of Tally getting educational has been discussed
in my previous post on why Tally turns educational.

Second most common problem occurs when working on Tally suddenly
system shuts down due to power failure or any other reason. To avoid
this user must take proper and regular backup of Tally data. The user
must make it a habit to take backup on daily basis. The proper method
of taking Tally backup and how to recover the data has been explained
in my post on Recover your data in Tally.

Third and major problem come with versions and stat files of Tally.
Normaly when we buy Tally then release 1 comes with box. Most of
the users instal Tally from CD in the box and activate it. Real problem
comes when the features which were heard are not available or cannot
be used. The most widely used feature of VAT is not available in
release 1 of Tally 7.2 which comes with CD. Again latest stat version is
needed from latest VAT modifications and Service Tax modifications
etc. You can get latest Stat info in my post on stat release 46 . The
solution to this problem is to get latest release of Tally and stat. You
can get latest Tally 7.2 and Tally 8.1 .

Fourth problem which come is when user gets stuck with advanced
options of Tally which were not there in older versions and now no help
is in sight. At this juncture Tally help file can be of great help. Just
press help button on top right corner. This would work only when
Tallyref.chm file is present in your Tally directory. It should also be
updated for latest features. You can download the latest file from the
site and copy it in Tally directory for proper functioning.

3. Recover your data in Tally - Some Tips & Tricks
Data of Tally is very vital for every user or company. More serious the
user is more vital data becomes. In other words we can say more and
more dependence on Tally needs more and more care of its data.
Although Tally has provided many ways to protect you data but one
way or other due to some human error or system failure we loose our
data. Particularly in case of Tally it cripples our day today business.
We have to first see why data has got corrupted the ways to recover
depends on reason it got corrupted. Here are some tips and tricks
which can save you the day. First of al lets see diferent reasons which
can cause data corruption
Why data gets corrupted ?
The reason could be anyone of folowing :-

1. While working on Tally power goes of and UPS is unable to give
you backup. Next time you would open Tally the company in
which you were working would get corrupted.
2. The computer on which you re working is not operative and OS
is not working properly. Somebody formated it !!
3. You have taken so many backups by copying the Tally folder in
so many placed that you forgot which was to original one.
4. You have taken a backup and when you try to restore it your
data is washed out.

Solutions
Solutions to these problems needs common sense rather than Tally
expertise. Lets understand some feature and working of Tally. Tally
provides a backup and restore utility which colects al files of Tally
company into one file named tbk500.001. This way of Tally backup is
easier to restore as this one file can be kept save and easily can be
restored instead of al files in that folder. If any of the file gets missing
or gets corrupted Tally data wouldn't work.
In first case when data gets corrupted while working on Tally and we
are unable to open the company then data can simply rewriten. Come
to Company selection menu. Press "Ctrl + Alt + R". Now select the
company for re writing. 90% chance is that you problem would be get
solved.

In second case when OS system is not working then to recover data
you need computer skils and some common sense solutions can get
you out of this problem
If windows is not loading then you can try to boot the system in DOS
mode. Copy al Tally folders and data folders into D drive. If DOS mode
is also not working then take out the HDD and connect it with other
computer with os system and try to open it. If the disk is ok and
without bad sectors then you would be able to open the Tally folder. If
stil it not working then before formatting give it a try with some
recovery software or ask your computer hardware expert to recover
data folders from drive.

The third case happens when people are running so many versions of
Tally and al versions work on diferent directories. More over they take
backup by copying folders of data directory instead of taking backup
from Tally itself. In that case you too can get confused which one is
latest and which folder is needed to be restored. In this case just
remember the No. of your company in Tally. For example if your
company No. is 006 then go to search utility of windows and enter 006
in search box and begin search. You would see the list of folders. Now
in see the locations of each folder and see the date of last modified or
accessed. Choose the latest one and copy that folder in Tally's current
data directory. You would probably find the right one. One more
method can be that you look for folder which has largest amount of
data. Just go to each folder right click on the name and select
properties. Here you would find the total file size of that folder. The
biggest folder would be the current folder.

The fourth case happens you have created somany companies and
when you restore the data that current company is not in your older
data. This can also happen when data backup you have taken is
already corrupted. In this case there is no solutions except you find
some other backup which you have taken fortunately and which is
good as wel. To do some once again you can use search utility and
look out for files names as tbk500.001 or what you can do is just
type tbk*.*. It would get you al the files on your computer.

Some healthy tips can also save you the day.

• Take backup on regular basis make it a habit to take backup
when ever you have done enough work. The frequency of
backup always depends on how much work you do one daily
basis or how much work you can aford to do again!
• Take backup on the basis of name of days or name of month. If
data is high then the backup destination can be like this
d:\Tallybackup\Monday or d:\Tallybackup\Tuesday and so on. In
this way you would get seven backups and al backups cannot be
corrupted. If data volume is low then backup can be taken as
d:\Tallybackup\June if you can aford to do one months task in a
single streach.
• Try to make minimum companies. It would save you lots of
hassles.
• There should be only one Tally version and one Tally folder. Too
many versions and folders multiplies your work. If you are two
versions then try to sum up work in latest version as soon as
possible.
• There must be proper power backup while working on Tally. In
network environment is a must on al nodes where Tally is
working.


4. Why Tally Turns Educational ? - Some Solutions
It is a common problem seen in Tally that it turns educational just after
some time. Ever since Tally has been converted from 6.3 hardlock to
softlock this problem is there. As the new process of licensing has
come up it has brought new problems with it. Lets take an insight of
the problem.

Why Tally Turns Educational ?
To find the answer to this question we have to first understand the
process of licensing. In hardlock version Tally use to find its licensing
file in the hardlock itself which was there at printer port. In softlock
version these files are downloaded and stored in your computer
somewhere. Now when we get our Tally activated folowing process
happens

• Tally checks internet connectivity
• Tally generates a files which consists of information regarding
your computer hardware and configuration.
• Tally uploads this file to Tally server on internet and stores this
file against your serial no.
• In response it gives one more file which is stored in your
computer somewhere. This file is your license file.
• Every time you run Tally it checks for license file info with your
computer hardware and configuration.
• If it matches then your Tally starts in licensing mode.

Most of the times what goes wrong is change in your computer
configuration after the license file has been downloaded. Earlier for
security purpose Tally made it mandatory to update file after every 30
days in Tally 6.3 version and early 7.2 releases. But now keeping view
the practical problems associated with it you can download the license
file and use it for as long as you want.
Most common change which can cause problem can be

• Disabling or change of your LAN/Ethernet card.
• Change in configuration after instaling new software or drivers.
• Change in windows configuration like computer name user name
etc.

The Solutions
To prevent Tally from being educational you can do folowing:-

• You can make a system restore point while instaling Tally. But
before restoring the same point you should remember that you
data can be lost in this process so take an external backup of
your data on CD etc.
• You can go in back dates by changing system date and see if
Tally is working or not (Some times it works !!).
• You can insure that your system name, lan cards etc. Doesn't
change.
• If you know that a trouble is coming ahead e.g. you may need to
upgrade system or format the system then best solutions is that
you first surrender the Tally before formatting.
• If you are in deep trouble an and cannot connect internet the
surrender the Tally in offline mode and keep that file in a pen
drive or CD along with your data backup.
• If you are in much deeper trouble and finds out in the morning
that you computer doesn't start windows and last option is to
format it again, then try to start windows in DOS mode and
recover that data files by copying whole Tally folder in to another
drive. Then you can write mail to support@Tallysolutions.com
stating your Sr.No and contact person name to reset your
licensing info. Wait for the response and then activate the Tally.