seaBILL Legal Software - Free Support

Free Online Support - Miscellaneous Issues

INDEX - Click on a topic to jump to that section

Miscellaneous Issues
M1 - Write off bill / Misc. credits or reversing entries	M2 - Client list search problems
M3 - Program looks strange/Doesn't fit on monitor	M4 - BSA dates out of order
M5 - Download trial program / Transfer to another computer	M6 - Attach file to email
M7 - BSA beginning balance doesn't match last month	M8 - User manuals
M9 - Unfinalize bills in BSA	M10 - Installing BSA at multiple locations
M11 - Biller code changes	M12 - Desk Top short cuts
M13 - Move program/data to new computer/New password	M14 - Lost/Broken CD
M15 - Recalculate fee entries	M16 - Delete, move or change multiple entries
M17 - No response to mouse or keyboard	M18 - Envelope printing
M19 - Local user contact information for references	M20 - Extend free demo time
M21 - Telephone support	M22 - Export data from BSA to Quicken/QuickBooks File
M23 - Restrict access to seaBILL programs	M24 - Retrieve from MDB file rather than built in back up ZIP file
M25 - Trust account activity doesn't print on bills	M26 - Slow response to email support question
M27 - Move demo data	M28 - Line Spacing
M29 - Reset computer's system date	M30 - Back up data to CD-R or other device/media
M31 - Window envelopes	M32 - LEDES billing format
M33 - Can't retrieve one matter or selected matters	M34 - Import old data from Timeslips or other programs
M35 - Merge data entered in different computers	M36 - Year end reports
M37 - Data file names	M38 - Temporarily retrieve selected data
M39 - Uninstallation unsuccessful	M40 - Disappearing Clients/Matters
M41 - Import Client Data from Excel Spreadsheet	M42 - Make a back up in BSA
M43 - Retrieve data from a back up in BSA	M44 - Uninstall a program
M45 - Serial number location	M46 - VPN or remote program access
M47 - Remove Legal Dictionary	M48 - Apply updates
M49 - Start Over in BSA	M50 - Consolidated Matters
M51 - Mac versions	M52 - What is an FAQ?
M53 - WHY floppy disks for back up?	M54 - Firm's logo on the bill
M55 - Web-based applications	M56 - Spell Check - Edit Custom Dictionary
M57 - Upgrade-latest version + network	M58 - Print Bills for specific time period
M59 - Paid Support	M60 - Program asking for password long after password entered
M61 - Desktop shortcut doesn't start program	M62 - Why can't I turn off the back up warning?
M63 - seaBILL programs on a netbook computer	M64 - Import from Outlook

Miscellaneous Issues

M1. Problem: How do I write off a bill, reverse an entry, etc. in BSA?

Solution: The 'Other Charges' category is specifically designed to accept negative and other miscellaneous entries. Thus, you can enter a negative amount for the amount due on a bill and reduce the balance to zero without showing the bill was paid with a Payment. If you want to reverse an entry that has not yet been finalized, then simply delete the current entry using Change/View Bills. If the entry has been finalized, then you'll need to enter a reversing entry. If the entry you want to reverse is a charge, then you can use Other Charges to make a credit (negative) entry to offset the charge. If the entry you want to reverse is a Payment (e.g., a bad check), then you'll probably use Other Charges to make a charge for the amount of the Payment..

M2. Problem: Every time I type something in the Search Box of the BSA Client List, the highlight jumps to the end of the list. What's wrong?

Solution: You probably have the client/matter list sorted by case or file numbers but you're typing the first part of a name. If you have the client list sorted by case or file numbers and you type a name, there will be no match so the highlight will jump to the end. The solution is to either search for a case/file number or have the client list sorted by name rather than number. To change the client list sort, select SETUP from HOME MENU and then select CLIENT LIST.

M3. Problem: BSA Pro (or Conflict Checker) looks as if it is squeezed into the window and doesn't quite fit. Objects are not centered and/or not completely visible. The serial number in the lower left corner is cut off. What's wrong?

Solution: The most likely reason is that your monitor resolution is set to a non-standard size. You should select a screen size with a "standard" aspect ratio (screen width divided by height) of 1.333. For example, 800 divided by 600 = 1.33 so it is a 'standard' aspect ratio.
To change your screen size, first, quit BSA Pro and then right-click on a clear spot on your Desktop and select 'Properties' and then select the 'Settings' tab (or you can select START | SETTINGS | CONTROL PANEL | DISPLAY and then select the SETTINGS tab) and change your screen size to:
640 by 480 pixels; or
800 by 600; or
1024 by 768; or
1152 x 864, etc.
Any size where the ratio is 4:3 should work fine. Then, select APPLY and approve of the changes as needed. Your display settings will change and, when you re-start BSA Pro, it will look normal. Note: BSA Pro works with screen sizes up to 1280 by 1024 but may not work not beyond that.
Another possibility is that you have docked some kind of 'toolbar' on your Desktop and it is taking up space on the display. In that case, try removing the toolbar or moving it elsewhere.
Note: seaBILL programs are not designed to run on multiple monitors. You may be able to get satisfactory results, but we don't support multiple monitors. seaBILL programs use a proprietary resizing algorithm that makes the program's objects look the same regardless of the monitor resolution. This is unlike most Windows programs where higher resolutions result in smaller and smaller objects that become hard to read and use. That's why seaBILL programs look the same whether your resolution is set to 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768, etc. while other programs get harder and harder to see and use. Since multiple monitors are very rare in business offices and are normally only used in image processing programs, we do not support that configuration although you may obtain satisfactory results depending on your exact situation..

M4. Problem: Some of my dates in BSA are showing up as 200 rather than 2000. And/or, I am trying to enter a payment and the program tells me I can't enter a payment date that is before the last finalized bill - but I am not. And/or, my entries are not showing up in correct chronological order. And/or, some entries are missing from my Activity (or other) Report. What's wrong?

Solution: When you enter dates in BSA, you must enter a valid year. If you enter an invalid year or leave the year blank, you may not get what you intended. So, you may see strange or old dates for prior entries that are preventing you from entering correct dates. Or, these strange entries may not be showing up in certain reports since they fall outside the date range. If your computer is set to display only 2 digits in the Year part of dates, you may not see the actual date. For example, if the strange date is 200 and your computer is set to display only 2 digits in the Year, you'll see 00 and probably assume that means 2000 even though the Year is actually 200. This date is so old, it will almost certainly fall outside the date range you use for reports. To check your date entries, be sure to first set your Windows date settings to show 4 digits in the year (START | SETTINGS | CONTROL PANEL | REGIONAL SETTINGS | DATE | SHORT DATE STYLE | APPLY | OK Note: You may need to re-boot for this change to take effect.) and use Change/View Bills in BSA to see/change the dates on your entries. If you've already finalized bills for matters that are giving you this problem, restore those matters from your last back up (made before the finalization) and correct the entries with the bad dates and re-finalize those matters. Then, re-enter the newer transactions as necessary.

M5. Problem: The computer I use to connect to the internet is not the same one I run BSA/CC on. How can I download a program from your FREE download site and use it on another computer?

Solution: Put the file on one or more floppy disks and transfer the file to the other computer. All the files on our FREE download site show their file size. If any file size exceeds 1.44 mb (the maximum size for a floppy disk), we also provide a version that can be downloaded and will expand into floppy-disk sized files which can then be copied onto floppy disks. Please see the Note at the top of our Download site for details. If a file is smaller that 1.44 mb, it will fit onto a floppy disk. In that case, you can download it directly to a floppy and load/run the program on another computer by using the floppy. Since Web Browsers vary considerably, we cannot tell you exactly how to download a file. Generally, you download a file by clicking on the file name on the web page and selecting an option such as 'Save File to Disk.' Then, you specify the file name such as C:\Temp\filename.zip or, for a floppy disk drive, A:\filename.zip. DO NOT CHANGE THE FILENAME WHEN YOU SAVE IT! If you save the file to a floppy (or you download a large file, expand it and copy the resulting files to more than one floppy), you can take the floppy to another computer and copy the contents to that computer's hard drive using Windows Explorer, for example. To use Explorer, place the floppy in the A: drive and select START | Programs |Windows Explorer. A double-paned window will appear showing the contents of your hard drive. Scroll the left pane up until you can see the A: drive and double click on the A: drive to reveal its contents in the right pane of Explorer. Right click on the filename you want to copy (place the cursor on the file name and depress the right mouse button once) and select the COPY option from the menu box that appears. Then, find the folder on the C: drive on the left pane of Explorer where BSA or CC is installed. If you selected the defaults during installation, BSA will either be in a folder called SEABILL\BSAPro or Program Files\BSAPro If you changed the default locations, the program will be in the folder you selected during installation. Double click on the folder containing BSA (or CC if appropriate) to reveal its contents. If BSA, for example, is in SEABILL\BSAPro, you would first double click on the SEABILL folder in the left pane of Explorer and then double click on the BSAPro folder in the left pane. This will reveal the program files for BSA in the right pane of Explorer. Then, place your cursor in a blank spot on the right pane of Explorer and right click. From the menu that appears, select PASTE and the file will be copied from the A: drive to your hard drive. You can then run the program by double clicking on it in the right pane of Explorer. For more information on how to use Windows, please consult your Windows documentation or the Windows HELP system. The Windows HELP system is available by selecting START |HELP. NOTE: You may wish to print this information so you can refer to it after you have left this page. Most browsers support printing, usually by selecting the FILE | PRINT option from the pull down menu in the upper left of the browser screen.

M6. Problem: I want to attach a file (such as a back up of my BSA database) to an email. How do I do that?

Solution: Nearly all web browsers and email software applications allow you to attach a file to an email. In Netscape Communicator, for example, when you are writing your email, you click the ATTACH button and click on the file you want to attach. In Internet Explorer, look for the picture of a paper clip and click on it. It will also let you locate and click on the file you want to attach to your email. After you select the file to attach, just write your email as usual and send it.
So, to attach a back up of your database to an email, you would first make a back up from within the program. This will create a file named BSABAKUP.ZIP wherever you direct the back up to be made. You then write an email and specify the BSABAKUP.ZIP file as the attachment.

M7. Problem: The program's beginning balance for some of this month's bills does not match the ending balance from last month's hard copy of the bills.

Solution: There are two ways this can happen: 1. You added, deleted or modified charges or payments and finalized AFTER you printed last month's bills; or 2. Your database is corrupt. If the program is acting normally, it is unlikely to be corrupt. It is much more likely that you entered a charge AFTER you printed drafts of the bills and then Finalized Without Printing or Printed and Finalized and, accidentally retained the drafts rather than the finalized copies. You can check the program's math by going to Change/View Bills and looking at the last Finalized billing detail for the matter in question. There, you can see all the bill detail and the bill summary screens to see how the program arrived at the balances. You can also print an Activity Report to see the detail. If the billing detail you see in the program does not match the hard copy of the bill, you must have added, deleted or modified charges AFTER you printed the bills. Since the charges appear in a FINALIZED bill, you must have finalized AFTER you added the charges. Since you can't finalize twice on the same day, you must have either printed only DRAFTS of your bills to get the hard copy or you printed and finalized your bills and then restored from a back up (thereby effectively unfinalizing), entered the new charges, finalized again and sent out the first bills. In sum, the balances in the program do match and all is correct. The problem is that you sent out a bill that was not correct. When you send out this month's bills you might want to include a special note that explains the discrepancy.

M8. Problem: How do I get a manual for the program?

Solution: The BSA and Conflict Checker manuals are available for free on the Utilities download page of this web site. The manuals for BSA and Conflict Checker are also on the program CD that was mailed to you. Look in the 'DOC' directory on the CD and you'll find the BSA and Conflict Checker manuals in RTF and PDF format. The RTF format (Rich Text Format) is supported by nearly all word processors such as Word or WordPerfect. Similarly, PDF files are very widely supported since the Adobe Acrobat reader is a free program. You can simply double click on the file name and your word processor will open the manual. You can then view/print it. NOTE: When you insert the CD, if you have Auto Run enabled on your computer, the main BSA/Conflict Checker installation program will begin automatically. If this happens, simply Cancel/Abort the installation and proceed to use Windows Explorer to explore the contents of the CD. For help using Windows Explorer, see the Windows Help system by selecting the START button from your desk top and then selecting Help and searching on Windows Explorer.

M9. Problem: I just finalized bills with the wrong cutoff date. How do I unfinalize the bills to fix it?

Solution: Unfinalization is not normally the best idea. Before you try to 'unfinalize' a bill, consider that it may not be necessary. If you made an error in a finalized bill, it is usually preferable to simply make a correcting entry in the current bill. Also, if the reason you want to unfinalize is simply because you want to enter a charge with a date before the last finalized date, you can just go ahead and enter it in the current bill. BSA Pro doesn't care (unless it's a Payment) so you can make charge entries with ANY date you want. Payments and other credits, however, can't be back-dated before the last finalization date since it would render interest calculations inaccurate. (Even if you have interest turned OFF, you can't do it since you might change your mind and turn interest ON.)
If, despite this, you want to unfinalize bills, the only way to unfinalize them is to restore from a back up. Before you can finalize bills, BSA warns you to be sure you have made a back up (in big red letters) for this very reason, i.e., so you can restore from the back up if you quickly discover a mistake. If you followed the warning and made a back up, you can restore from it and change the cut off date and refinalize. The longer you wait to unfinalize, the less desirable this method becomes since you will have to re-enter any entries for the bill(s) you're replacing with the back up data.
If you do not have a current back up, there is one other hope. Versions 4.3 and greater of the program automatically make a backup just before you finalize if there's enough room on the hard drive to do so. If you didn't make a back up before you finalized, look in the folder where you installed BSA Pro (the default is SeaBill\BSAPro or Program Files\BSAPro) and look for a file called zzzbsa1.zip. If it's there, check the date. If it has today's date (assuming you did this today), the program probably was able to make the back up. In that case, restore your data from that file and change the cut off date and re-finalize. (To do this, select Utilities | Backup / Retrieve | Retrieve | Replace All Data with backup File | Retrieve from a different directory or file name | Select a different back up file | Specify the zzzbsa1.zip file in the folder where BSA is installed | Continue Retrieval | OK.) Then, next time, be sure to make a back up before finalizing your bills!
If you didn't make a back up and the automatic file isn't helpful, another idea is to set up a new matter for each of the affected matters (with a slightly different matter description, for example) and enter the balance due on your last 'good' date as the beginning balance forward for each matter and then make your new entries and go forward. All the detail will still be in the old matters for reference at any time and the bills would look the same to the client and all the bill totals would be correct. Since these are new matters, you won't have the finalization problem with them.

M10. Problem: I want to make entries in BSA at my Home (or some other location) but BSA is installed at the office. Can I install another copy of BSA?

Solution: The license agreement for BSA allows only one installation of BSA. This is done not only to protect the software from piracy but also to prevent corruption of your database. BSA, like all billing programs, is a database application. If you attempt to merge data from two different copies of BSA, you may corrupt your databases. Further, if you make a back up of your main BSA database and take it home to make entries to a second copy of BSA and then restore the data from this second copy to the main copy of BSA, you will overwrite the existing main database and lose any information that may have been input after your back up was made.
For these reasons, we make a product called PORTABLE bsa that can be installed on a remote computer. PORTABLE bsa allows you to make entries on another computer and download them to a floppy and then 'Post' them to the main BSA Pro database without overwriting the data and without risking data corruption. You can download PORTABLE bsa from our web site and try it free for 35 days. PORTABLE bsa is a 'lite' version of BSA (smaller file size and fewer features than the full BSA Pro Program) and will fit on most laptops. Please try it before you buy it to be certain it meets your needs. You can read more about PORTABLE bsa by clicking HERE.

M11. Problem: I want to change a Biller Code but BSA won't let me make the change. How do I change the code?

Solution: If you change a Biller Code, the code will no longer be available for you to select in Biller Reports. So, although all the data will still be in the database for that biller, you won't be able to produce reports for that biller. Thus, we do not recommend changing biller codes and the program won't let you save the change. You can, however, delete the biller and add a new one with the information you want. Again, however, if you delete a biller code, it will not be available for Reports. So, rather than changing or deleting a biller code, we recommend you simply add a new code. That way, you'll be able to access the old code for Reports. If the new code causes you to exceed the biller limit, you can purchase an upgrade or, if you don't care about losing access to the data, simply delete the old code and enter the new one.

M12. Problem: How do I create a Desk Top Short Cut to BSA, Conflict Checker or Portable in Windows?

Solution: Sometimes, Windows will not create a Desk Top Short Cut to a program even if you ask it to do so during the installation. If this occurs, you can create one yourself quite simply. In all versions of Windows with a START button, right click on the START button and select EXPLORE. This will open Windows Explorer. Make sure when you start Explorer that you can see some of your desktop. Use Explorer to locate the folder where you installed BSA. The default folder is C:\seaBILL\BSAPro. Once you locate the folder, double click on it in the left side of Explorer to reveal the files in the right side. Then, locate the file named BSAPro.exe (with the bird's head icon). If you can't see the part after the period mark (the file extension), it's fine, just look for the bird's head. Then, place the mouse cursor over the bird's head and depress AND HOLD the right mouse button. While still holding the right mouse button down, drag the bird's head to the DeskTop and release the mouse button. A list will appear. Select CREATE SHORTCUT HERE. This will create a short cut to BSA Pro on your desk top. If you're trying to do this for Conflict Checker, look for the file called ConfChek.Exe and right click and drag it to your Desk Top. For Portable, drag the file PortaBSA.Exe. This works with any executable program - not just seaBILL products.

M13. Problem: I got a new computer (or my old one crashed). How do I reinstall the program and restore my old data?

Solution:
NEW! Video help now available for this topic.
Read the instructions below and then CLICK HERE to go to the "Tips" page and watch the video.

To reinstall BSA Pro or Conflict Checker:
1. Make a back up to a floppy disk of all your data in your current copy of BSA/CC using the built in Back Up features. (This may not be possible if your computer has crashed so you'll have to rely on a back up you made BEFORE the crash.)
2. Uninstall the old program (if it still exists) and then install the program from the CD we sent. Start the program and copy down the NEW SERIAL NUMBER from the first screen of the program. We send a CD with every order whether you downloaded the program from the web or not. If you can't find the CD, you can order the latest version of the program at a discount. Click here for more.
3. Obtain a new password by logging in to the seaBILL Members Only area and entering the NEW serial number from the newly installed program.
4. Start the program and enter the new password and Retrieve your old data in the new copy of the program using the built in Retrieve features in the program. IN BSA, BE SURE TO SELECT THE OPTION TO REPLACE ALL DATA (do NOT perform a selected retrieval) AND IN ALL PROGRAMS DO NOT SIMPLY MOVE THE DATABASE FILE FROM THE OLD PROGRAM INTO THE NEW ONE SINCE THIS WILL CAUSE ERRORS. USE THE BUILT IN RETRIEVE FEATURE IN THE PROGRAM TO RESTORE ALL YOUR DATA.
If all you have is the 'raw' database file (BSA.MDB or CCDB.MDB) rather than a back up file, specify that file name (rather than the compressed, back up 'ZIP' file name) when you restore your data.
5. After you have confirmed the transfer was successful, delete the old copy of the program in order to comply with the licensing requirements and to prevent potential confusion and data corruption from running two copies of the program.

To reinstall PORTABLE bsa, simply follow steps 2 and 3 above (since you don't need to make a back up of your old PORTABLE data).

Here is a recap of the steps to reinstall a seaBILL program, get a new password and retrieve your old data:
1) Install the program from the CD.
2) Get a replacement password.
3) Start the newly installed program on your new computer and enter the new password.
4) Retrieve your old data from a backup from within the program. You must retrieve your old data from within the program in accordance with the instructions above. If you don't, you'll invalidate the password.

Also please note that you should NOT enter any new data before retrieval. You must first retrieve your old data and THEN you can start entering new data.

M14. Problem: I lost (or broke) my CD. How do I get a new one?

Solution: If you're a registered user who purchased within the last 90 days, we'll send you a new CD with the latest version of the program at a minimal charge to cover our costs. If it's been longer than that, you'll need to order the latest version of the program to get a new CD since the CDs we stock only have the latest version of the program. It's not practical to keep a supply of old CDs for every version of the program ever released for more than a decade and your firm's license is for a certain version of the program. The program is constantly being upgraded to add new features and for compatibility with various, new versions of, and changes to, Windows. These upgrades are not free.
It might help to think of it this way. Imagine you bought Microsoft's Word 2000 word processing program on CD in early 2002. Three years later, in 2005, you get a new computer and want to install Word 2000 on it. In the meantime, Microsoft has released Word 2002 and Word 2004. But, you're satisfied using Word 2000 so you plan to install it on your new computer.
Sadly, you can't find your CD. You email Microsoft and tell them you lost the CD you bought several years ago and to send you a new CD at no charge as a replacement. Do you think Microsoft will send you a free CD with the latest version of Word 2004 on it? They won't. Do you think Microsoft keeps a warehouse full of tens of thousands of CDs with EVERY version of every program they've ever written waiting in storage in case some customer from the past wants a free replacement CD? They don't. And, it's not reasonable to expect that.
Copyright law allows you to make a back up copy of software you purchase for this very reason. If you lose or break a CD, sadly, if you don't have a back up copy, you'll have to replace it if you want to use it. And, when you replace it, you'll need to buy the latest version of it - if it exists. As you can see, it's a very good idea to take care of your software assets if you care about them.
We send a CD with EVERY ORDER whether you downloaded the program or not. We also notify you in writing to take care of it and not to lose or break it. We do this for this exact reason: So you'll have it if you want to reinstall the program some day.
Depending on when you originally ordered a license for the program, you may be entitled to a courtesy discount on the latest version of the program. Click here for more information.
If you made a copy of the CD, then you can, obviously, use that. Again, copyright law and the license agreement permit making a back up copy of the CD for this reason. Even if you did not make a copy of the CD, if you retained the set up file ('bsasetup.exe' for BSA Pro or 'ccsetup.exe' for Conflict Checker), you can simply reinstall from that file. You can search your computer for this file.
If you're using BSA or BSA98 (versions 3.x) and have lost your original installation floppy disks, you'll have to upgrade to BSA Pro (version 4.x) by visiting the Secure seaBILL Store on this web site. Again, we do not stock old versions of our programs.

M15. Problem: How do I recalculate a Fee entry based on my new billing rate AFTER I've already entered it in BSA?

Solution: You can have BSA recalculate the Amount for any Fee entry based on the current rate by 'tabbing through' the entry in question in Change/View Bills.
Select Change/View Bills from Home Menu and then select the matter in question. Then, select the Fee entry you want to recalculate at the current billing rate for this Biller Code/Matter.
The 'Zoom' screen will appear. Press the Tab key to 'tab through' the fields and BSA will automatically recalculate the Amount after you tab through the Hours field. Tab through the Amount field so that the SAVE button has the focus and press ENTER. The new Amount will be saved.
If you need to change the next Fee entry, simply press the Down arrow key to highlight the next entry and press ENTER and tab through again and so on.

M16. Problem: How do I change the date (or time, description, amount or biller) on several entries I've already entered in BSA? Or, how do I move entries from one matter to another?

Solution: Be sure you have the latest version of BSA Pro and you can use the Batch feature in Change/View Bills to move or change multiple entries at once.
Select Change/View Bills from Home Menu and then select the matter in question. Then, select the Batch check box near the bottom right of the screen. Select the entries you want to change/move and then select Options.
A screen will appear that will let you Delete, Move or Change the entries you've selected.

M17. Problem: The program doesn't seem to respond to my Mouse or Keyboard AFTER I've switched away to another program and then back to it.

Solution: The operating system (Windows) can 'lose track' of which screen is on top in BSA or Conflict Checker if you have more than one window open in the program when you switch between programs.
After you come back to BSA or CC, the operating system puts the main screen up for you and 'hides' the smaller, current screen you were looking at. Since the smaller screen is demanding attention before you can close it and since you can't see it, it seems as if the program is not responding.
If you suspect this has happened, just press Alt + Tab on your keyboard and cycle through the open windows until you see the one you had open when you left. Then, you can continue normally.

M18. Problem: I can't get envelopes to print properly.

Solution: Envelope printing can be tricky simply because there are so many printers on the market. If you're having trouble, the best way to start is to simply print a Client Address on a normal sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper. This way, you can try various settings in BSA and on your printer to get it to show up where you want. Once you see how your printer acts, you can usually find a setting on it and in BSA that will get the address in the right spot.
Also, it might be easier to simply print mailing labels. In that regard, CLICK HERE to see the Tip on creating mailing labels using your word processor and the data in BSA Pro.

M19. Problem: I want to talk to someone from my local area about your programs. Can I get a list of users from my state?

Solution: We don't give out the names of users of our programs unless they have explicitly authorized us to do so. It would be a violation of someone's privacy for us to reveal any details of their practice. Although we have tens of thousands of email addresses for law firms available to us, we do not use this information to send unsolicited email and we NEVER share our information with any other entity - NEVER!
There is a sampling of unsolicited testimonials from users on the BSA Pro page of this web site. You can see the name, city and state of the people who wrote these unsolicited testimonials. This means you can probably contact them if you want. That's as much information as we will ever give out. (This also means you don't have to worry about us contacting you or giving out your information if you contact us or purchase from us.)
Since we make free working versions of all our programs available to anyone at any time, there is very little need to speak with other users. To see if one of our programs is right for you, simply download it and try it. The programs work, FOR REAL, for 35 days; virtually all features are enabled INCLUDING NETWORKING, so you don't have to guess if it will work for you. (The only difference between a demo copy of our program and an 'enabled' one is the ability to import information into the database - this is done for security reasons.) This is far better than taking our word or someone else's opinion as final.
You should never assume that software will work just because someone told you it will. Computer systems are nearly as unique as snowflakes - no two are alike. So, you should always get a demo copy of the software and try it before you buy it. That's what we offer and that's what every software company should offer. (If you're considering dealing with a company that doesn't offer that, you might want to ask yourself why they don't...)
We used to offer a money back guarantee with no questions asked. We stopped doing that after we learned how many people in the legal profession were willing to request a refund and then continue using the program. This became such a problem that we finally stopped making the offer and instead now offer free, functional demo programs. The demos work for real for 35 days with all optional features enabled - so it's like getting a 35 day money back guarantee except better since there is nothing to buy in the first place. (The only difference between a demo copy of our program and an 'enabled' one is the ability to import information into the database - this is done for security reasons.)
If you're interested in a program, download it, install it and try it and see if you like it. If not, just delete it or quit using it. If you have questions that are not answered in the help system or here, send us an email and we'll try to help.
If you like the program, buy it and we'll give you a password so you can keep using it. Once we issue a password, however, we will not issue a refund because we cannot stop you from using it even though you have not paid for it. Software is not like a widget that you can return. So, PLEASE, try the software fully before you buy it and get a password. You have 35 days to try it. If you don't get a chance to test it within those 35 days, COMPLETELY UNINSTALL THE PROGRAM and re-install a new copy of the program and you'll get a new 35 days.
Since we post every legitimate technical support question we have ever been asked right here, there are no 'secrets' or 'tricks' about the software to learn from users. While it's always nice to talk to someone else, on balance, the current user's important right to privacy far outweighs the small benefit a potential user would gain from contacting current users. So, we have never given out names of users without their permission. And, since we value our customers' time and privacy, we don't contact them to ask if we can give out their names and contact information.
We are happy to post your positive comments for the benefit of others and we welcome them. If you want to tell others how great our programs are, please send us an email with your comments and indicate your willingness to share this with others. We'll post your comments with your name, city and state so others can learn. But, other than that, we won't give out any information.

M20. Problem: I didn't get a chance to test the program before the free use time expired. Can I extend the time?

Solution: Yes, for BSA Pro and Conflict Checker. If you don't have real data in the program, just uninstall the program, download the latest version (if you don't already have it) and re-install the program. You'll get a new 35 days.
If you have real data in the program, make a back up BEFORE you uninstall / delete the folder. If your free trial time has expired and you can't start the program, then make a copy of the BSA.MDB or CCDB.MDB file in the program folder and save it so you can restore from it later.
After you have a back up, uninstall the program. Then, re-install the program and complete your testing WITH HYPOTHETICAL data you don't mind losing. Once you purchase the program, we'll give you a password that will allow you to RESTORE the old, real data. The old, real data will REPLACE the hypothetical data you entered when you were completing your testing.
Or, you can install the program on a different computer and get a new 35 days to complete your testing. Use hypothetical data if the 2nd copy is just to complete your testing. When you're done testing, order the program and GIVE US THE SERIAL NUMBER FROM THE COPY YOU WANT TO USE FOR REAL. The password will only work for the serial number you give us. Delete the other copy to avoid confusion.
Notice that you can't 'merge' data from two different copies of the program so don't enter 'real' data in two different copies.
Also, please note that, for technical reasons, PORTABLE bsa cannot be reinstalled to get additional time.

M21. Problem: Why don't you offer telephone support? I want to talk to a live human!

Solution: Simply put: It's too expensive. Even Google, one of the largest tech companies in the world, does not offer telephone support. Our programs are extremely easy to use. The programs can be tried for free for 35 days before purchase. They have excellent built in Help systems and this web site offers free answers to every legitimate support question we've been asked for more than 10 years. We also offer free email support for 30 days after purchase. Finally, if you come up with a question that isn't already answered in one of the free resources, we'll answer it at no charge and post it here for everyone's benefit. This means support with seaBILL should never cost you a dime.
All of this allows most users to quickly learn and easily use seaBILL programs. By far, most of the thousands of users of our programs world-wide never need help. That is exactly what we planned when we wrote the software and that is what allows us to charge as little as we do for the programs.
The cost of having qualified computer technicians available 24/7 to answer the telephone and competently respond to any computer question is extremely high. As a result, other billing software companies either charge up to $5 per minute ($300 per hour) for telephone support (Timeslips, at last check) or they charge $70,000+ up front for the program (Legal Software Systems) and offer free support.
After more than a decade of experience with our programs, we have found that nearly all questions can be answered for free at any time by simply using the program, using the Help system, reading the manual, referring to the free web support pages or using email. Email questions submitted on the Support Form are routed to the appropriate technician for response so the question gets answered by someone who knows what he/she is talking about. If you use the seaBILL Support Form, the questions are often answered in minutes! This allows our technicians to spend most of their valuable time working on making our products better for you.
Also, in the case of networking problems and other system configuration issues, it is not wise to attempt to handle such system setup issues over the phone rather than on-site. And, our role is not that of an IT/network technician who sets up and maintains the hardware and software in your firm's office. We provide software and are happy to answer specific questions about the software we make but we cannot tell you how to set up your firm's computer equipment.
By making the software extremely easy to use and providing these free resources to our users, we get very few support inquiries and have been able to keep the cost of our programs the same it was the day they were first introduced over 10 years ago! When you realize that thousands of users from all over the world have been using our programs daily for over a decade and that we continually update this web site with all their questions, you can see that it's unlikely you will have a question that hasn't already been "asked and answered." However, if you do come up with an issue that hasn't been addressed in the free resources, we're happy to answer at no charge (even if your free support period is over) and post the answer here for everyone's benefit.
seaBILL, unlike other software companies, does not try to make a profit on technical support. We do not 'hide the ball' on any support issue. We want you to have a trouble-free experience with our programs. That's why we make this web site support page free and available 7 days a week; you don't even have to register or log in to use it. We post every legitimate question we receive about our products and we constantly update this page with the latest information. All of this is done to keep the total cost of operating our software as low as possible.
If you feel you need telephone access to a computer technician for your computer questions, then you should purchase one of the competing products mentioned above. But, be warned, telephone support is not free and the other products are not nearly as easy to use as seaBILL products. We know because we've tried them! Also, please keep in mind the typical telephone 'support' call is not simply a quick, toll-free call to a friendly, seasoned computer pro who will promptly answer your questions in plain English. How many times have you been greeted by a recording that reminds you how important your call is and then informs you that 'all representatives are currently helping others and your call will be answered in the order it was received?' After holding for several minutes, you are then greeted by a non-English speaking person who asks you to repeat all the information you painstakingly keyed into the telephone pad 20 minutes ago and who ultimately transfers you to yet another person so you can start the process all over again. In most cases, email support from seaBILL is far superior to the typical telephone support experience today.
Finally, for those who want to deal with a LIVE human, please be assured, we in the support center are very much alive!

M22. Problem: I get errors when I try to import data from BSA-created files into Quicken/QuickBooks. What am I doing wrong?

Solution: BSA will export whatever FINALIZED data to a QIF/IIF file you tell it to. Quicken/QuickBooks, however, has certain requirements for importing successfully that you must meet or the import into Quicken/QuickBooks will fail. Sadly, Intuit has stopped supporting their OWN file formats in some of the newer versions of their programs so you should consider this before proceeding. You'll have to contact Intuit with questions about why they have stopped supporting their own file systems. You should also carefully read the Help system in BSA about exporting to Quicken/QuickBooks. As always, the BSA Pro Help system is very thorough and helpful. Also consult the Quicken/QuickBooks Help system if you haven't already.
The exact data you need to export to Quicken/QuickBooks depends on how you have set up Quicken/QuickBooks. We do not sell or support Quicken/QuickBooks so, again, you should consult their help system/web site for more on that.
However, the easiest approach is to create a hypothetical client in Quicken/QuickBooks and in BSA and try entering 1 hypothetical FINALIZED entry in BSA for this client/matter. Only FINALIZED entries are eligible for export and this is covered in the BSA Pro Help system. Then, export the hypothetical data to a Quicken ("QIF") or QuickBooks ("IIF") file and try to import it into the same hypothetical client you've set up in Quicken/QuickBooks.
Once you get this to work, you'll see how it goes and can play with the hypothetical data as you get more comfortable with it. Eventually, you can delete the hypothetical client and apply the process to the real clients/matters.
As always, be sure to have good back ups before you start experimenting. That way, if anything goes wrong, you can restore your old data.
Keep in mind that you can control the account names into which BSA Pro will place the data. In the QuickBooks link for example, you can control where Accounts Receivable or Payments are placed by selecting the 'Custom' option and specifying the account you want.
Here's a step-by-step example of exporting payments in a date range from BSA Pro to a QuickBooks ("IIF") file. We'll assume we only want finalized payments in the date range of June, 2007 (6-1-2007 through 6-30-2007). Again, only FINALIZED PAYMENTS are eligible for export. Otherwise, you could export an unfinalized entry from BSA Pro into Quicken or QuickBooks and then change the entry in BSA Pro without changing it in Quicken or QuickBooks. This would cause the data to be out of sync.
1) In BSA Pro, select 'Utilities' from Home Menu and then select 'QuickBooks Files'.
2) Select the 'Payments' tab.
3) Select 'Date Range' under 'Which Finalized Payments?' and enter the dates. In this case, From: 6-1-2007 To: 6-30-2007
4) Select 'Continue' and a box 'Export/Import File - Specify name and location of IIF file' appears so you can name the IIF file that is about to be created. Be sure to remember the location of the file you are about to create since you'll need to use it in QuickBooks to import the data. In this case, we'll call the file 'BSAJun07.IIF' so enter that name in the box 'File name' and select 'OK.'
5) A message appears telling you how many payments were sent and the name and location of the file you just created and reminding you to import the data into QuickBooks. If no payments were sent, it means there were no FINALIZED payments in the date range you selected.
You can use Windows Explorer to locate the file you just created ('BSAJun07.IIF') and open it with Windows Notepad. You'll see the data in ASCII text that can be imported into QuickBooks.
Consult the QuickBooks help system for further help on importing data into QB from an IIF file.

M23. Problem: Can I restrict access to the seaBILL Folder on my computer so a password is required to access parts of the program or to run the program?

Solution: Yes. The latest version of BSA Pro has a feature that allows you to restrict access to various parts of the program. You can order the latest version at a special price discount if you're a registered user in compliance with the license agreement. Please select Upgrade Info for more details.
Please note: If you restrict access with this feature, you must remember the password or you will be unable to change it or access restricted areas of the program. If you lose the password, use the Support Form to contact the support department for help. For a fee, our technicians will attempt to recover the lost password.
If you don't want to upgrade, there is a product called 'Folder Guard' which restricts access to the program as a whole. We have no relation with the makers of this product. Here is a link to their web site: Winability

M24. Problem: I don't have a back up made in BSA (or Conflict Checker) but I DO have the BSA.MDB (or CCDB.MDB) database file. How do I retrieve the data from within the program using the MDB file rather than a back up made in the program?

Solution: Use the normal, built-in Retrieval feature in the program and manually specify the file name (BSA.MDB or CCDB.mdb) by typing it in. Once that file name is specified, the program will use it to retrieve your old data.
Do NOT simply copy the MDB file into the seaBILL folder since this will invalidate your password. The old data must be restored from within the program.

M25. Problem: I can't get Trust Account activity to print on the bills. What should I check?

Solution: The most likely cause is that someone has disabled the printing of the Trust Account Activity. To check it, Select 'Set Up' from Home Menu and then select 'Bill Printing' and look to see if someone has checked the box to 'Don't Print' Trust Account Activity. Notice that IF YOU CHECK THE BOX YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU DO NOT WANT IT TO PRINT. So make sure the box is NOT checked.
If the box is clear then it's possible you don't have any trust account activity in the date range for the cut off date of your bills. It's also possible your printer is not working properly. That can be checked by referring to question B1 .

M26. Problem: I sent a support email 2 days ago and haven't heard back. What's taking so long?

Solution: First, please note that if you don't use the seaBILL Support Form, we may not receive your email. The amount of spam we receive is overwhelming so we've been forced to filter out emails that don't originate from our Support Form.
Once we receive a Support Form email, your email address is automatically validated for 2 days so you don't have to use the Form for 2 days after that. That's why we will sometimes get your email even if you don't use the form.
So, if you didn't use the Support Form, we probably didn't get your email and that's why you haven't heard back. Also, it's amazing how many times we receive email and Support Form inquiries that have an INVALID return email address. If you haven't entered a valid email address in the Support Form or if the email address in your email program is wrong, we can't respond. If you suspect this may be the case, try sending yourself an email and see what it looks like. If you receive it, check the return address that shows and try sending yourself an email message by hitting the 'Reply' button in your email program. If you can't send yourself an email, we can't either.
Next, sometimes emails just disappear. No one seems to know where they go but, from time to time, we just don't receive them. If you sent a Support Form inquiry more than 2 days ago and haven't heard back you need to send another inquiry.
Our normal response time is measured in MINUTES. Sometimes we take a couple of hours to respond. Very rarely we will take up to 24 hours to respond if we are having extremely heavy server loads or there is a technical problem on our end.
But, we almost never require more than 48 hours to respond. So, if you haven't heard in 2 days, the chances are VERY GOOD that we simply did not receive your email. So, please try again.
It's not helpful to assume we're ignoring you and therefore type your message in all caps with 28 exclamation points at the end of each sentence. It's sufficient to simply use the Support Form to restate the problem and indicate this is your 2nd inquiry in X days without a response.
It is helpful to include your FAX number in your email or in the comments section of your Support Form inquiry. That way, if your email address is not working, we can FAX a reply to you. Again, please make sure the FAX number you show is valid. As with invalid email addresses, it's surprising how many people give us FAX numbers that don't work.
The bottom line is this: If we receive your email we'll respond very promptly. We believe we have the best support response turn around time in the industry - by far. If you've had much experience with other online software companies, you know what we mean.

M27. Problem: I tried the free trial version on a test computer and liked it. I want to buy the program and install it on a different computer for permanent use. How do I move the data from the test computer to the permanent computer?

Solution: Install the free trial program on the computer you plan to use the program on permanently and purchase the program giving us the serial number from the copy of the program on the PERMANENT COMPUTER. We'll email you a password that will enable the PERMANENT copy of the program.
Next, make a back up FROM WITHIN THE TEST COPY OF THE PROGRAM USING THE BUILT IN 'ALL DATA' BACK UP FEATURE. Then, retrieve the data from the back up in the PERMANENT copy of the program AGAIN USING THE BUILT IN ALL DATA RETRIEVAL FEATURE.
If you just copy the database file (bsa.mdb or ccdb.mdb) to the permanent computer, you'll violate the password scheme and be unable to start the program on the permanent copy.
If the time on the test copy of the program has expired, you can't start the test copy in order to make a back up from within the program. In that case, make a copy of the bsa.mdb (or ccdb.mdb for Conflict Checker) file in the OLD program and CLICK HERE to learn how to retrieve your data from the database file (bsa.mdb or ccdb.mdb) without violating the password scheme.

M28. Problem: How do I control the line spacing on a bill in BSA Pro?

Solution: From Home Menu, select Set Up and then Bill Printing. From this screen, you can control the line spacing BETWEEN ENTRIES. This is useful in making the bills easier to read. Spacing of the overall page is generally set at 1 in BSA Pro. You can control the letter head spacing by creating a custom bill format with a custom letter head. The same is true for bill memos. See the built in Help system for help with either of these features. But, the spacing of the entries in the bill detail section of a bill (Fee, Expenses, etc.) is fixed at 1 in BSA Pro.
If your printer is adding additional space to the overall page layout, you should check to see if the printer has been set up this way or perhaps a word processing program has gotten control of the default settings for the printer. BSA Pro does not control this aspect of your printer and will not use anything other than single spacing for the body of a bill.

M29. Problem: The date on the first screen of BSA Pro is wrong. How do I reset the date?

Solution: The date shown when you start BSA Pro is taken from your computer's main system date setting. It is not controlled by BSA and cannot be reset from BSA. The date shown in BSA merely reflects whatever date you have set for your computer.
To reset your computer's system date, consult the Help system for your version of Windows. Generally, you select the START button in the lower left of your screen and then select 'Settings' and then 'Control Panel'. Then, select 'Regional Settings' and select the tab to control the date.
We recommend you set the 'Short Date Format' to show 4 digit years so you can tell if you've entered a bad date. If you select a Short Date setting that only shows 2 digits for the year, you will be unable to see if you erroneously enter '1905' rather than '2005', for example. If you can't see the first 2 digits, you will find it VERY difficult to solve the problem if you have entries with such dates.

M30. Problem: How do I back up to (or retrieve from) a CD-R or some other peripheral device besides a floppy disk?

Solution: BSA Pro, Conflict Checker and PORTABLE bsa will write/read a back up or data file to/from ANY device your computer recognizes and has access to. This means you can back up to or retrieve from a hard drive, a floppy disk, a Zip drive, a tape drive, a flash drive, a CD, a DVD and so on. seaBILL programs can access ANY device your computer can. To access such a device from within a seaBILL program, select the option in the program to write or read the back up (or data file for PORTABLE) to something other than the a: or b: floppy drives. That is exactly why the additional option is in the programs.
Once you select the option to read/write from something other than the floppy disk drive, the program will ask you to specify the file name and you can then name the back up file whatever you want and have it saved on any media in any device your computer recognizes. Again, if the device you want to use appears in Windows Explorer, BSA, Conflict Checker and PORTABLE bsa will write to it.
If you're trying to write a back up file to a CD, for example, you'll need a CD writer (burner), a burnable CD and the CD will have to be formatted to accept data (as opposed to nothing, music, some proprietary format or something else). Formatting a CD-R to accept data files is handled by the software that came with your CD burner and is not the function of seaBILL products. Once the CD has been formatted and Windows can 'see' it, BSA, Conflict Checker or PORTABLE can all write to it. Unlike floppies, CDs don't normally come from the store pre-formatted. (This is because they can be used for more than just storing computer files created under Windows.) This means you must first FORMAT the CD for data storage before your computer will recognize it. Try it. Take a new CD from the container and put it in the CD drive in your computer. The computer may do nothing. Then, try to read the contents of the CD using Windows Explorer. You may not get anything. CDs are not normally formatted for data files created in Windows. Once the CD is formatted for data, Windows Explorer will 'see' it and you can then use it to store data such as a back up in BSA Pro. Windows XP and later can format the CD on the fly in most cases. So, again, if your computer recognizes there's a blank CD-R or CD-RW in the CD ROM drive, all seaBILL programs can write to it.
seaBILL programs will write to or read from ANY device your computer recognizes. You can make a back up of your data to a CD-R, Zip drive, Tape drive, USB mass storage device, optical drive, another hard drive, a network drive and so on as long as your computer recognizes it as a drive and you have access to it. You can even make a back up to a file on your hard drive and then attach that file to an email. But, remember, having only one or two back up media is not a good idea since your data will be lost if anything happens to the media. CD's break and are easily scratched. That's why we recommend a box 20-25 floppy disks.

M31. Problem: How do I use windowed envelopes with BSA Pro?

Solution: The Default bill format in BSA Pro is set up for a 'standard' windowed envelope for the the client name and address. Specifically, the client address starts at 2.4 inches DOWN from the top edge of the printed page and 0.8 inches IN from the left edge of the page. Your results may be slightly different depending on your printer's abilities.
These settings allow the name and address to appear in the window of a 'standard' windowed envelope if the paper is folder properly. You can easily adjust minor differences up or down by simply folding the paper differently and the window is usually large enough to handle minor differences left or right. The return address on most bills is the letterhead and it is not standard to show the letter head as the return address. You can, however, create a Custom bill format to show your return address in an envelope that has two windows: one for the addressee and one for the sender's return address. You do this by creating a Custom letter head as part of a custom bill format. With Custom letter heads, you can move the letter head information up, down, left and right and, by experimenting, you can get it to show in the window for a return address. If you're using a windowed envelope that doesn't fit these parameters, you might consider buying different envelopes.

M32. Problem: I'd like to create bills in one of the various LEDES formats Can I do this in BSA Pro?

Solution: No. This feature has not been requested often enough to warrant changing the program to add it. BSA Pro is currently being completely rewritten and support for the LEDES 1998B format has been included in the new version, called BSA Plus. BSA Plus is in Alpha testing now and expected to be available to the public in 2008 along with a new version of PORTABLE bsa which is called Port-a-Bill. In addition to the new programs, there will also be a module to convert current users' data so they can upgrade to the new version without losing or re-entering data. When these new programs become available, we'll post a special notice on this web site with details.

M33. Problem: I can't retrieve a matter from an old back up. What is wrong?

Solution: Selective retrieval of matters is only prohibited by the program when the back up was made on a different computer or in a different major version of the program. So, if the back up was made on the same computer in BSA Pro version 4.3 or greater, selective retrieval is possible but if it was made in an earlier version or on a different computer, selective retrieval is not possible. This is done to prevent data corruption by merging databases that are not compatible.
To get around this, do the following:
1. Make a couple of back ups to removable media (floppy disks for example) of the current data.
2. Retrieve ALL matters from the 'old' backup. This will avoid the error message.
3. Make any new entries, print bills, reports, etc. as needed for the 'old' matters. Especially remember to print any reports, screen shots, etc. that will help you in step 5 below. If you want to add any of these 'old' clients/matters into the current data, and there are many such clients/matters, Export their data using the ASCII Import/Export feature in BSA Pro under Utilities.
4. Retrieve ALL the current data from the back up made in step 1.
5. If desired, enter the 'old' client/matter name and address info in the current program as new clients/matters with a Beginning Balance that was the outstanding balance from the 'old' data. If there are many such clients/matters to add and you Exported their data to an ASCII text file in step 3 above, Import their data using the ASCII Import/Export feature in BSA Pro under Utilities.
NOTE: Do NOT perform a SELECTED retrieval of all matters in step 4 above since this will have the effect of merging potentially dissimilar databases and can corrupt your current database. Also, see question M38 below.

M34. Problem: We use Timeslips, PC Law, TABS, etc. and want to switch to BSA Pro or use Conflict Checker. Can we import our old data into BSA Pro or Conflict Checker?

Solution:
Import to BSA Pro: You can import your old client and matter information (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) but not the old billing detail.

CLIENT NAMES, ADDRESSES, etc.
Timeslips users: Click Here for detailed, step-by-step help importing your old client and matter information.
All users: All you need is your client information in an ASCII text format with each field surrounded by quotation marks and separated by commas. As a simple example, if you are importing 2 clients named John Smith and Jane Doe, your text file would look like this:
"John","Smith"
"Jane","Doe"
That's it. The file would consist of one line for each client and each field (First Name, Last Name, etc.) would be surrounded by quotation marks and separated by a comma. You also need to be sure you have the same number of data fields on each line. Most programs can create this kind of simple text data. If you're not sure whether your text file will work, please email us a sample of it and we'll look at it for free.

BILLING DATA
There is no reliable way to automatically import the billing data from Timeslips or other billing programs into BSA Pro or any other billing program. If any software vendor tells you otherwise, be sure you get it in writing and test it fully before you rely on it. The vast majority of our new users are former Timeslips customers who have finally given up fighting with that program. When they switch to BSA Pro, they simply finalize bills one last time in their old billing program and then enter the balance due (from the final invoices in their old program) as the 'beginning balances' in BSA Pro. After that, they use BSA Pro and rarely look back. They may need to consult the old program a few times for historic data or to answer questions but, after a few months, most users never open the old program again.

Import to Conflict Checker: You can import your Client information (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) from other programs such as Timeslips, Excel, Outlook into Conflict Checker ( Click Here for Timeslips details and read on for Excel and Outlook). Again, all you need is an ASCII text file with your data.
Also, in Conflict Checker, you can import your data from a simple CSV (Comma Separated Value) file. This option doesn't require quotation marks around each field as the ASCII file import option requires. This may work fine for you and is directly supported by many programs such as Excel. But, if your data has commas in it, then this is not a good option to use since the comma in your data will be interpreted as a field break rather than part of your data. For example, if your client's name is "ABC, Inc." the comma IN THE NAME will look to the program as the start of a new field. In that case, the data will look as if "ABC" is one field and "Inc." is another field. This will cause your import to fail.
So, if you want to avoid that problem, you should use an ASCII file with quotation marks. For example, if you have your Client information in Excel with the fields (Last Name, First Name, Address, etc.) in columns and the records (1st Client on line 1, 2nd Client on line 2, etc.) in rows, you can run the following Visual Basic Macro in Excel to get a text file with all your data in a quoted, comma delimited ASCII text file for use by BSA Pro, Conflict Checker or any other program:

Sub WriteFile()
Dim vNumber As Integer
Dim vFileName As String
Dim i as Integer
vNumber = FreeFile
'Change text file name and save location as desired
vFileName = "C:\ExcelTest.txt"
Open vFileName For Output As #vNumber
'Change Start and End Rows for your data in Excel file
For i = 1 To 3 'This gets the data in rows 1, 2 and 3
'Add additional columns as needed. This example uses columns A-F only
Print #vNumber, Chr(34) & Range("A" & i).Value & Chr(34) & "," & Chr(34) & Range("B" & i).Value & Chr(34) & "," _
& Chr(34) & Range("C" & i).Value & Chr(34) & "," & Chr(34) & Range("D" & i).Value & Chr(34) & "," _
& Chr(34) & Range("E" & i).Value & Chr(34) & "," & Chr(34) & Range("F" & i).Value & Chr(34)
Next i
Close vNumber
End Sub

So, if your data looked like this in the spread sheet:

After you run the macro, it will look like this in a text file:

"Greene", "James", "123 Any St.", "Sacramento", "CA", "95474"
"Browne", "Julie", "333 C St.", "Sacramento", "CA", "95474"
"Redd", "Harry", "456 Truny St.", "Sacramento", "CA", "95474"

Of course, be sure you have a back up copy of your Excel spread sheet before you do anything with it.
When you're ready to import, create a text file with just ONE LINE of test data and import it. If it goes perfectly, then you can delete the one record from the text file and import the whole batch at once. If it doesn't go perfectly and there's a problem, you'll have only one client to delete from the program.
Note: Again, the quotes are there to preserve any data that is a comma. It's common, for example, for a client to be a corporation and to have a comma as part of its name such as: "ABC, Inc." If you didn't put the quotes around EACH FIELD, any macro would interpret the corporation's name as TWO FIELDS rather than one. This would mess up your text file's formatting.
If you have your client information in Outlook as 'contacts' and you have Excel, you can export the client information from Outlook to Excel and then use the above macro to create the export file in Excel. Here's a link to Microsoft's Office help for more on exporting from Outlook.
If you get an error message such as: "Problem at line 1 you specified 13 fields for import but 12.5 fields were found on this line " �Then, there is a problem in the text file you created. For example, this error indicates that a closing quotation mark is probably missing at the end of a line. You can fix problems such as this by opening your export file in NotePad or WordPad and looking at the line number shown in the error message. In this case, you'd look at the first line. Count the number of quotation marks in the line. You should have 2 for each field. In this case, you should have 26 quotation marks. Chances are you have 25 marks which would imply there are only 12.5 fields. So, you'd have to either manually add the missing quotation mark or check to see if something went wrong with the export process and try it again.
�Another common problem is that you have specified a QUOTED, comma delimited file but have no quotation marks for the empty fields. If you want to preserve commas in your data (e.g. 'James Smith, Jr.'), you'll need to surround each field of data with quotation marks. In that case, you'll select the option to import from a QUOTED, comma delimited file and you need to have empty quotation marks in empty fields (fields with no data). �On the other hand, if you're selecting the option to import from a file without quotation marks, then EVERY COMMA will be treated as a field delimiter. In that case, a field with a comma in IN THE DATA will be treated as 2 fields and will generate the error that the number of fields specified for import does not match the number of fields in the data stream. Again, if you're working with only one line of data, this is much easier to see. Our experience is that you can quickly see the problem if you look carefully at the export file you created. If you're having trouble seeing the problem, try exporting only one client and then looking at the text file. With only one line to look at, you can quickly see if there's a problem. If the file looks good to you, try importing it into BSA / Conflict Checker to prove to yourself that the import will work when the file is properly formatted. Once you've gotten one client imported successfully, you can review your entire export file for errors. If you have more than 100 clients, you might want to break the file into several smaller files with only 100 clients in each file. That way, you can more easily review each file and correct any errors and then import it.

M35. Problem: We installed the free trial version of BSA Pro (or Conflict Checker) on several different computers and entered real data on all the computers during the free trial period. We then purchased the program and now realize we wanted all the data in one computer. Can we automatically merge the data?

Solution: No. Merging the data by simply automatically combining the databases will corrupt your database. That is why you should install BSA Pro (or Conflict Checker) on only one computer - even in a network environment. You will need to select one computer for your billing/conflict tracking and manually re-enter the data from the other computers into the one copy of BSA Pro (or Conflict Checker) on that one computer. If there is any time remaining on the other copies of BSA Pro, you can print an Activity Report and use it to speed data re-entry. You can print an All Clients/Connections report in Conflict Checker for this data.
If there is no time left on the other computers, we can create the Activity Report for a flat fee of $50 per database. So, if you installed BSA Pro on 2 additional computers, the cost would be a flat fee of $100. To take advantage of this service, please send an email to sales@seabill.com inquiring further.

M36. Problem: We want to generate year-end (or some other period) reports of amount billed for clients. How do we do this in BSA Pro?

Solution: Use the built-in reports to generate an Activity or Payments report for the matter and date range in question. Also, if there is a report you want that is not built in to BSA Pro, you can create custom reports. Click Here for more.

M37. Problem: Which files contain my data and where are they kept?

Solution: All the data for each program is kept in one, Microsoft Access DataBase (MDB) file. The data file for BSA is called 'BSA.MDB' while the data file for Conflict Checker is called 'CCDB.MDB'. If you make a back up in BSA and accept the default file name, it's called 'BSABAKUP.ZIP' and for Conflict Checker it's called 'CCBAKUP.ZIP'. BSA also makes an automatic back up file before it finalizes bills called 'ZZZBSA1.ZIP'. It's possible you or someone else in your office has made a back up and named it something other than the default names.
The main data files and ZZZBSA1.ZIP are kept in the program folder. The default program folder location is under 'Program Files' on the hard drive (usually the 'C:' drive) and is called 'BSA Pro' or 'Conflict Checker'. It's possible the program was installed to a different folder on your computer. The default location for back up files is a floppy disk. Again, it's possible you or someone else has made a back up to another location.

M38. Problem: I want to temporarily retrieve selected billing data from an old backup I made on a different computer (or different copy of BSA) so I can view, print, etc. an old bill. When I try to do this I receive an error message that 'selected' retrieval is not allowed since the back up was made on a different machine. How can I do this?

Solution: Retrieving selected data made in another copy of BSA will cause data corruption by mixing different databases. It's almost impossible to guarantee referential integrity when you mix data from two databases. That's why you are prevented from doing it.
So, to get around this, you can:
1) Make a back up of ALL your current data;
2) Retrieve ALL your old data (instead of 'selected' data);
3) Do whatever you wanted to do with the old data;
4) Retrieve ALL your current data with the back up made in step #1 above to return matters to the status quo ante.

M39. Problem: I tried to uninstall a seaBILL program and the uninstallation feature failed. How can I uninstall?

Solution: If the automatic uninstallation feature fails, you can manually uninstall the program by deleting the program folder. After you do this, you can also delete the program short cut, if any, manually.

M40. Problem: A Client/Matter has disappeared from the Client List. Could they still be in the system?

Solution: Yes, It's possible someone has Inactivated the Client/Matter. You can check this by selecting 'Delete Client/Matter' from Home Menu and then selecting 'Activate/Inactivate'. If the name appears in red, the Client/Matter is inactive. All the information is still in the system and you simply click on the name to Activate it.

M41. Problem: I have my client information in an Excel spreadsheet. How can I import it into BSA or CC?

Solution: Please see M34 above

M42. Problem: How do I make a back up of my data from within the program in BSA Pro?

Solution:
NEW! Video help now available for this topic.
Read the instructions below and then CLICK HERE to go to the "Tips" page and watch the video.

1. Start the program and go to Home Menu
2. Select 'Utilities'
3. Select 'Backup or Retrieve'
4. Select 'Backup'
5. Select 'Backup ALL Data'
6. Select the drive you want to back up to and complete the back up.
If you have a floppy drive, it's usually called the 'A' (or 'B') drive so you can just put a blank, formatted floppy in it and select the option to back up to the 'A' (or 'B') drive.
If you want to back up to something other than the 'A' or 'B' drives, select the option to 'Change Name of Backup File.' Then, you can specify the drive and name of the file as you wish and then select 'Continue Backup.'

M43. Problem: How do I retrieve all my data from a backup from within the program in BSA Pro?

Solution:
1. Start the program and go to Home Menu
2. Select 'Utilities'
3. Select 'Backup or Retrieve'
4. Select 'Retrieve'
5. Select 'Replace ALL Data with backup file'
6. Select the drive you want to retrieve from and complete the back up.
If you have a floppy drive, it's usually called the 'A' (or 'B') drive. If you backed up to a floppy, you can put the back up floppy in and select the option to retrieve from the 'A' (or 'B') drive.
If you want to retrieve from something other than the 'A' or 'B' drives, select the option to 'Retrieve from a different directory or file name...' Then, you can specify the drive and name of the file as you wish and then select 'Continue Retrieval>>.'

M44. Problem: How do I properly uninstall a seaBILL program?

Solution:
Use Windows 'Add/Remove Programs' feature in Control Panel. Here's a link for more help: Uninstall
If files were added to the program folder after installation of the program, the uninstaller may not be able to remove all the files automatically. In that case, you will still have the program folder with those files and any subfolders in it after you use Windows to uninstall the program. To completely remove the program, use Windows Explorer to find the old program folder and delete the folder and all the files that remain after the uninstaller runs.

M45. Problem: Where is the 'serial number' you keep referring to?

Solution:
The program serial number appears in the upper right corner of all seaBILL programs on the FIRST SCREEN you see after you start a seaBILL program. Here's where it is in BSA Pro.

M46. Problem: Can we run seaBILL programs across a VPN or with Windows Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, etc.?

Solution:
Yes. Nothing in the programs prevents this. Please keep in mind, however, that if the remote computer is running Vista, you may need to upgrade to the latest version of the seaBILL program. This has nothing to do with the remote access issue but is simply that Vista requires an upgrade to the seaBILL program itself.

M47. Problem: We don't want the built in spell checker to use the free, 10,000+ word legal dictionary included with BSA Pro. Can we get rid of it?

Solution:
Yes. Locate the file "ORJUNLEX.VTD" in the folder where you installed BSA Pro and rename it to "ORJUNLEX.OLD." This will disable the legal dictionary. If you want it back, just rename it to its original name.

M48. Problem: I re-installed BSA Pro from the original CD but I had previously downloaded and applied free update files. How do I apply those updates to get back to the version I was using?

Solution:
We no longer stock the free update files so you'll need to have them. The files were called 'Pro48up.exe' (or something similar) and you would have downloaded them to your hard drive before you could apply the free update. You should have retained the file after downloading it so you could apply it again if you re-installed. Search your hard drive for one of these files and, when you find it, run it to perform the free update.
If you did not retain the free update file, you will need to buy an upgrade to get the latest version. Registered users get a discount on the latest version.
CLICK HERE for more information about upgrading.

M49. Problem: My computer crashed and I don't have any good back ups of my data. How do I start over in BSA?

Solution:
Reinstall the program from the CD we sent and get a new password. Click Here for reinstallation instructions. After reinstallation, re-enter your client information (name, address, etc.) Use the last hard copy of the client's bill to enter the beginning balances for the matters as you re-enter them. Then, continue to use the program as normal.

M50. Problem: I'd like to consolidate the billing for several matters on one summary bill. How do I do this?

Solution:
Use the Consolidated Summary feature in the program. For more, open the help system (press F1 from any screen) and search for 'Consolidated Summary set up options' and then select the 'Go To' button to go to the help section on "Bill Format Consolidated Summary."

M51. Problem: Do your programs run on a Mac computer?

Solution:
Our programs are not designed to run on Macs but many users do so with Windows emulation hardware/software. If you have this option, please feel free to download one of our free trial programs and test it to see if it meets your needs and works on your system.

M52. What is an FAQ?

Solution:
It is now a term of art in the computer software support world. It originally stood for "Frequently Asked Questions." In our case, we post every legitimate question we receive as soon as it is asked. Thus, questions posted on our FAQ pages are not necessarily asked FREQUENTLY. These free support pages could, more accurately, be called simply "Asked Questions" but then many people would not immediately recognize that title as relating to free support questions. FAQ, while not literally accurate, quickly conveys to the reader that these are support questions and answers. Since this has become the standard in the software support industry, we follow it. So, just because a question appears in the list of FAQ's, it does not mean the question has been asked repeatedly. In many cases, we have received only one question from one person on a given topic. Nevertheless, if it is a legitimate question, we feel it's best to post it and answer it in case anyone else ever has the same question.

M53. Why do you recommend multiple floppy disks for back ups? That's ancient technology and, besides, my new computer doesn't have a floppy disk drive!

Solution:
A back up system must have multiple media to be safe and effective. If you have only one medium, such as a tape in a tape drive, a flash drive, a 2nd hard drive, etc., regardless of how many copies of the database file you keep on that one medium, you still only have one back up medium. If something happens to the tape, flash drive, etc., you have lost ALL your back ups!
So, again, a back up system must have MULTIPLE MEDIA to be safe and effective. Multiple media also allow you to keep some of the back up media off site in case a fire or other disaster strikes at your office. Despite advances in technology, there is still nothing better, cheaper and easier than a box of floppy disks for giving you MULTIPLE MEDIA back up files. A box of 25 floppy disks costs about $10 and offers you 25 media in a small package that is easy to use. Nothing else that we're aware of even comes close to that level of protection at that cost. Until something can match the floppy, we'll continue to recommend its use and, in fact, the latest version of our billing software program, BSA PLUS, continues to recommend floppy disk back ups.
When you're ordering a new computer, you can get a floppy disk added for about $30. Or, you can get an external USB floppy drive for about $20 as of this update (May, 2009). There's simply no excuse for not having a safe and secure floppy disk back up system at these prices.

M54. How do I insert our firm's logo on our bill's letter head?

Solution:
To add a logo, from Home Menu:
1) Select SETUP
2) Select BILL FORMATS
3) Select ADD OR EDIT BILL FORMATS
4) Select the bill format you want to work or create a new one
5) Select 5. MORE OPTIONS
6) Select GRAPHICS
7) Select YES and specify the file name and location of your logo artwork file and the location you want it to print.

M55. Why don't you offer web-based billing and other applications?

Solution:
Generally speaking, web-based applications are a bad idea, especially for lawyers. The main concern is client confidentiality. Client records can easily contain client confidences. For example, just the client's name being associated with a certain law firm might be considered a confidence. Bill Gates of Microsoft, probably wouldn't want anyone to know if he retains a major Las Vegas real estate firm today. One might conclude he is about to buy/build a casino and this revelation might be completely unacceptable to him. Also, the matter description for a client can reveal a confidence. Most criminal defendants don't want their name associated with a 'sexual assault' matter description. Further, billing detail can give away confidences and reveal legal strategy to an opponent. The list of potential confidences in client billing records is endless.
If your clients' billing records are kept on the web, they can be compromised. Don't believe the hype you read about 'secure servers' for back ups and billing data, etc. on the web. No matter what they say, SOMEONE other than you has access to the computers that run the back up or web-based billing system. And, that someone is almost certainly NOT your employee, NOT a lawyer and NOT subject to your control. Further, that person may be from another country since it's very common to outsource such services.
You only have to think for a minute to dream up many scary situations where your billing records or your data are subject to review, copying and dissemination far and wide if you place your data on the World Wide Web. Do you really want to take that chance? Even if you can somehow get beyond that problem, you've got the problem that the web is not always available. With web-based billing, if you can't get 'on the web' for any reason, you can't get to your billing. The systems of computers and telecommunications equipment that get you on the web are not within your control and can be "down" at any time for any number of reasons. You don't want to find out your Internet Service Provider just experienced a meltdown when the judge is hanging on the line asking for the total attorney fees due in a case!
With stand-alone (non-web-based) billing such as BSA Pro Legal Billing Software, you only need your computer to boot up to get your billing done. If the computer doesn't boot, you can switch to another computer. YOU are in control of your billing and client data. There's simply no question whether some 14 year old Internet Whiz from Lithuania is having a field day rummaging through your clients' billing data tonight in a valiant attempt to learn English!
As if all this weren't enough, you also will find that web-based billing software will cost a lot. A typical price is $40 per month at the LOW end. In one year, you'll rack up $480. With BSA Pro legal billing software, you can buy a license for a ONE TIME charge of under $300. Many of our users have been using the same program for more than a decade. In that time, they've spent a total of $300 while, with web-based billing, they would have spent a minimum of almost $5,000. And, it seems very likely that the monthly rates for web-based software will go UP over time - not down.
Finally, what if the web-based company goes out of business? With BSA Pro legal billing software, the program will still work even if we turn out the lights and lock the doors. Obviously, with web-based billing software, if the web service goes out of business, you're out of luck. You just lost your billing system and possibly all your data!
Until these problems are resolved, we won't offer web-based billing and it's hard for us to believe any lawyer would take the chance on it.

M56. An incorrect entry has been added to the custom dictionary. How can we edit/remove words from the dictionary?
Solution:
The custom dictionary for the built in spell checker is a text file that can be edited like any text file. Go to the program folder where BSA Pro is installed and find the file named "CUSTOM.DIC". Open this file with a simple text editor such as the Windows text editor NotePad and make any changes you want.

M57. We are a registered user and need to upgrade to the latest version of one of your programs. We currently have the networking [or some other] option. Do we have to buy that again?
Solution:
Yes. The upgrade is just like a new purchase. An upgrade sale is just like a a new sale in that we ship a new CD package and offer free email support for 30 days. As a courtesy, we offer a discount to registered users. The amount of the discount depends upon when you bought the original program. That way, if you bought recently, you don't have to pay as much to get the latest version. But, if you've been using the program for a long time, you'll pay more.

M58. How do we print a bill for July when there are prior, unfinalized charges?
Solution:
You can't print a bill for a period that excludes prior, unfinalized charges because the bill would not be accurate. For example, assume you have charges in January through June that total $5,000. You also have charges for July that total $2,000. The correct total due is $5,000 for the time period from January through June PLUS $2,000 in charges for July, for a total of $7,000.
If you exclude the $5,000 in charges before July, the July-only bill would show $2,000 due which is incorrect. So, you must first finalize the bill through June 30 in order to get the $5,000 to show as the beginning balance on July's bill. Then, you can print the bill with a July 31 cut off date and it will show the correct amount due of $7,000.
If you have intentionally back-dated entries in this way in order to get a correct beginning balance, you might decide it's better to use the "Balance Forward" feature in BSA Pro to start with a Beginning Balance. That's what it's designed for. If you don't want to do that (and you have already sent out the bill for January through June), you can finalize the bill without printing it and use a June 30 cut off date. This would bring the $5,000 in charges forward to the July bill as the beginning balance for July.
It may be that you really want the billing activity for the month of July rather than an actual bill for July. In that case, use the Activity Report which is specifically designed for this purpose. The Activity Report is found from Home Menu by selecting 'Reports' | 'Client/Matter Reports' | 'Activity Report.'

M59. Do I have to pay for support?
Solution:
No. You can purchase an email support package but we do not recommend it since we post all the answers to all the support questions we receive here on the web and you have free access to our web resources at any time. It's been that way for more than a decade and we have therefore probably covered every question someone is likely to have. Further, if someone comes up with a support question that isn't already posted on our web site for free, we answer it at no charge and post it for the benefit of all. We don't try to make money on support and our goal is that our users never have to pay for support. The only time one would need to pay for 'support' with seaBILL products is if you have received more than 2 free replacement passwords or if your database became corrupt and you didn't have a back up and you wanted us to try to recover your data. Data recovery is really a separate service. Even then, we only charge if we recover it successfully. Data corruption, however, can easily be overcome by having a good back up system as described on our web site. So, in the end, there's really no need to pay for support.

M60. I entered the password months ago and today, the program asked for the password again. What's wrong?
Solution:
The most likely answer is that you have 2 or more copies of the program installed and today, for some reason, you opened one of the other copies that was not enabled. You only need to enter the password once. seaBILL programs do not require that you periodically re-enter the password. Search your computer for other copies and, once you find the original copy with your data, carefully note its location on your hard drive, make several back ups and then carefully delete the folder(s) containing the additional copies of the program.
If you got a new password and enabled one of the other copies of the program before you realized you had multiple copies installed, then you'll find your data isn't there; there's only the sample data because that's not where you've been entering your data. In that case, you'll need technical support to reset your password. CLICK HERE to submit a support request form and please explain that this is what you've done.

M61. I normally start the program by double clicking on the program's icon on my computer's desktop. When I tried that today, nothing happened. What's wrong?
Solution:
This is a Windows computer question - not really a problem with seaBILL programs. Anytime your Windows-based computer starts doing something weird like this, it's a good idea to first re-boot the computer and see if the problem goes away. If not, read on.
Since the short cut was working and now it's not, something has changed in your computer. The most likely answer is that you have a virus or other computer problem or, possibly, somehow you moved or deleted the folder where the program was installed.
Use Windows 'search' feature to locate the file 'bsapro.exe' and note the folder where it's located. Use Windows Explorer to go to that folder and inspect the contents of the folder and double click on that file (bsapro.exe) to start the program. If it works, create a new shortcut to the program and delete the old one. If you don't know how to create a short cut in Windows, use the Windows Help system or search the web for help. If double-clicking doesn't do anything, try RIGHT clicking and selecting 'OPEN' from the menu that appears. If this works, it means your mouse has stopped responding to double clicks and, again, you need to re-boot the computer to reset the mouse or possibly you need a new mouse.
Also, when you search for the program file, you might find more than one copy of the program has been installed. This seems to be a common situation for some reason. That might explain some of the problem and you'll want to take the time to figure out which is the real program you're using and which ones are just duplicates. After CAREFUL study, you can delete the duplicates.
If your careful search for the file 'bsapro.exe' turns up nothing, then you have somehow deleted the program and you'll have to reinstall it and get a new password. CLICK HERE for help with that.
If double-clicking on the file bsapro.exe doesn't cause anything to happen no matter what you try, you have a computer problem since Windows is supposed to try to run any program that you double-click on. Since it's not doing that, something is wrong with the computer and you'll need to either try a different computer or get professional help to work on the computer.

M62. Why can't I turn off the "back up message" in BSA Pro?
Solution:
For liability reasons, the back up message cannot be disabled. Further, while YOU may have read the back up message many times, others who use the program (such as FUTURE users) may need the warning, as well. Also, we have found that people often think they are protected by an automatic back up system, and thus do not need the warning, when they are not actually protected. The back up message explains this fact.
Any back up system that re-uses the media (such as a hard drive or a tape drive where the tape is not changed each time) is not sufficient since you will lose your back up if the media fails. In that case of tape drives, this is common.
Further, any such back up system that re-uses the file name each time will overwrite the prior back up file and leave you with only one back up file in addition to one back up medium. This fact is often overlooked and it is not common for automatic back up systems to change the file names on their own.
Obviously, any such system is not sufficient to protect your data.
The only sure system is one that back ups your data whenever you enter a significant amount of new data and backs it up to new, removable media each time such that you have multiple back ups on multiple media. To date, after more than a decade, we still find human-initiated, floppy disk back ups to be the most effective and cheapest.
Finally, a good system includes off-site back up storage and an uninterruptible power supply to avoid problems.

M63. I just got a 'netbook' computer that has no hard drive, no CD/DVD drive and no floppy. Can I run a seaBILL program and make back ups?
Solution:
Most 'netbook' computers come with Windows XP (or Vista 32) installed so seaBILL programs will run fine on them. If you want to try the latest version of one of our programs on your netbook, just download it from this web site and install it.
If you're trying to install a seaBILL program from a seaBILL CD, put the CD in a computer with a CD drive and copy the file 'bsasetup.exe' (or 'ccsetup.exe' for Conflict Checker or 'portbsa.exe' for PORTABLE bsa) from the CD to a flash drive (or email it to yourself). Once you have that file on the netbook, you can install the program by running that program on the netbook computer.
To make back ups (or SEND entries from PORTABLE bsa), you'll probably want a USB drive since that is the easiest, most secure way to transfer data from the netbook. Remember that, to be safe, you'll want multiple flash drives for back ups in case something happens to one of them.

M64. Can I import client information from Outlook?
Solution:
Yes, BSA and Conflict Checker can import client information from an ASCII text file and Outlook can make an ASCII text file. For details on how to make an ASCII text file in Outlook, CLICK HERE .