1. Add a field (use the same field name in each database and ensure it's a primary field, for example 'source'). To add a field, click Tools, Define fields on the Menu Bar.

2. Fill all instances of the the field (for every record in your database) with a name that relates to the database (use the Menu Bar: Edit, Replace field to fill all "source" fields in one go)

3. Close the database

Open your main or new database (the one that you want to contain all records) and import the other databases into it (Menu Bar; File, Import).

I’ve sent out a Mailing and one of the recipients has emailed back saying they don’t want to receive mailing from me. What’s the best way of stopping mailings to this person in future?

It’s important to flag this contact has not wanting to receive mailings in future but not to remove them from your database. I say not to remove them because if you did you might re-import them in the future and send mailings again.

One option is to create a new tick-box field and add it to your contacts screen (you could call it “NoMail”). This box should then be ticked if they don’t want to receive mailings from you. Whenever you write a Query to select mailing recipients always check whether or not this tick-box is ticked.

1. To create a tick-box field click on the Menu Bar: Tools, Define fields. The Field Data Type should be “Yes/No” and set it as a primary field and Allow Editing. Default value = No (Blank, allow mailing).

2. Add the field to your contacts layout (Tools, Design Layouts, Contact).

When you design a query and add this field to the criteria, remember that, in queries the field is False if it’s blank and True if it’s ticked so select contacts whose ‘NoMail’ field is False.

I’m sending out brochures to customers and I want to record the fact against each customer/contact record as my initial stage of an ‘Opportunity’ but ACT won’t let me set multiple contacts opportunities in one action. I don’t want step through all the contacts – there’s loads of them!

Agreed, ACT allows you to set/change an individual contacts opportunity but you can’t select more than one contact and set all their opportunities in one go.

I think the best action is not to regard this brochure as the initial stage of an ‘Opportunity’. Instead record that you’ve set the brochures in the contacts History. Run the query that you’ve designed to select which contacts you want to receive the brochure – this lists them in the Contacts List screen. Select/click-on the first contact, scroll-down, hold-down the Shift key and select/click-on the last contact – this selects all contacts in the list. On the Menu Bar, click Contacts, Record History and enter the details (“Brochure sent”, for example). The History will be recorded against each contact.

If you want to find these contacts in future you can either re-run the query or search for the history (“Brochure Sent”) using the Menu Bar: Lookup, Keyword Search.

There a few things I advise you to do in the spreadsheet before you try importing it. They aren't absolutely imperative but they make the whole process easier and quicker. Getting data from Excel to ACT! is a 2 stage process. First save the Excel file as a Comma Separated Value (CSV) or Text (txt) file then import the saved file into ACT!.

In the spreadsheet:

• Remove all commas from text in the cells. This is important if you're going to save and import the data as a csv file. Any spurious commas will potentially knock the spreadsheet data 'out of sync' (under some circumstances it may interpret the commas inside the cell as a divider between cells and will split the cell contents). Either manually scan through the spreadsheet and remove the commas yourself or do a Find and Replace: click on the Menu Bar Edit then Replace, in the Find What box type a comma (,), leave the Replace with box empty and ensure the Find entire cells only tick box in not ticked, click the Replace All button.
• Use the same column headings as ACT! uses for its field names. This isn't imperative but makes life easier later on. Usually in a spreadsheet, row 1 is used for column headings. In ACT! version 9 the standard field names are:

Add to ACT! Note, Address 1, Address 2, Address 3, Alternate Extension, Alternate Phone, Birth Date, City, Company, Contact, Country, County, Department, Email, Extension, Fax Extension, Fax Phone, Home Address 1, Home Address 2, Home Address 3, Home City, Home Country, Home County, Home Extension, Home Phone, Home Postcode, ID/Status, Last Attempt, Last Email, Last meeting, Last Reach, Last Results, Letter Date, Message ID, Mobile Extension, Mobile Phone, Pager Extension, Pager phone, Personal E-mail, Phone, Postcode, Private Contact, Referred By, Salutation, Spouse, Title, User 1, User 2, User 3, User 4, User 5, User 6, User 7, User 8, User 9, User 10, Web Site.

NOTE: ACT! uses "Contact" rather than "Name", "Address 1" (2 and 3) rather than "Address" and "Phone" rather than "Telephone".

• Delete any totally empty columns that may exist in the middle of your populated columns.
• Have all the spreadsheet data on one Worksheet.
• This really is optional but I've found is useful to know in ACT! where data came from originally. Create a column in the spreadsheet with the heading (in row 1) called "User 1" and fill the column (for each of the rows that contain data) with the name of the spreadsheet. This means that once the data is in ACT! the field "User 1" contains the spreadsheet filename.
• Save the Spreadsheet as a CSV or Txt file: Click on the Menu Bar: File then Save As, in the Save in box select a folder that you can remember, in the File name box enter a filename you can remember, in the Save as type box click the down-arrow button and select "CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)" or "Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt)" options (I recommend Text), click the Save button.
• Close the spreadsheet.

In ACT!:

I set up a database and two of the fields (Last Name and First Name) I placed into the Contact Template I can not type data into. All the other fields I am able to do so. What am I doing wrong?

You could create totally new fields (On the Menu Bar : Tools, Define Fields) and maybe call them Forename and LastName (you have to use field names that aren't already in use). When you put them in the Contacts Template, change the labels next to them to read "First Name" and "Last Name" if you want. They would be totally independent of the Contact field though.

The information on this site is provided in an attempt to help users with technical issues. In no event can Mark Rastin IT Help, Support & Training accept any liability for consequential loss, loss of data or economic loss.