TALLY TIPS

shailesh agarwal (professional accountant)   (7642 Points)

16 February 2009  

 

TALLY TIPS

 
1. How to enter data Faster in Tally



Although working in Tally is quite easy but when work load increases then faster data entry is required. Faster data entry in Tally may lead to incorrect entry if done in usual way. There are some inbuilt features and shortcuts which can help any user to enter the data faster.

Activating these features and using the short cut key would minimize the time consumed in data entry and accurate data feeding. Here are the tricks.

Skip date : First thing is to activate skip date field during data entry in voucher configuration screen. While in any voucher type press F12 put first option of Skip date field in create mode (faster entry) to Yes. This would save you from the hassles of entering date in every voucher.

Use defaults : If entry is in same sales or purchase register where

VAT rate is same then you can put Common ledger A/c for item

Alocation to Yes and Use defaults for Bil alocation to Yes.

This would let you select minimum ledgers in a single entry.



Use Voucher types and Voucher classes : Diferent types of

vouchers can be made to enter payments and receipts. For example

bank payments and receipts can be entered in separate voucher types

like Bank payment and Bank receipt. Same way cash receipts and

payments can be using separate voucher types.

this would reduce the error chances during entry. This task can be

further simplified by making separate voucher classes for sales and

purchase related entries by making separate voucher classes for

different VAT rate. For example seperate voucher class in sales can be

made as sales VAT4 % and by defining ledgers commonly used in that

voucher.

This would make entries faster as ledgers would be selected

automatically what you have to do is just enter the figures.



Use short Cut Keys : While removing backlog or handling heavy work

load we face almost similar types of entry which has to be made

repetitively in different dates . Figures and accounts involved in these

types of vouchers are almost same only few things are diferent like

date. In this situation short cut keys can be of great help.

Use Alt+2 for duplicating any entry while you are in day book. If

salary of 12 months has to be entered then duplicate this entry 12

times and then after wards change the date one by one. Here just

change the date and use Ctrl+A to accept the entry.

In the same manner If we have common narration in voucher then it

can be entered by pressing Alt+R . It would rewrite the previous

narration.

If there is an entry missing then that can be entered by selecting the

entry after which you want to insert it. Now press Alt+I to insert that

entry on that particular place.



Faster data entry in Tally also depends on your knowledge of hot keys

in Tally and it also depends on time you spend on Tally





2. Geting Started with Tally



Most of users who are either using Tally for the first time or who are

using licensed version of Tally have faced common problems. They

often complaint that when we were using pirated version of Tally then

life was easy. After getting with newer version of Tally or registered

version of Tally it has become more dificult while life was supposed to

be easy after buying the Tally license. I would say that current Indian

mindset is to be blamed here. Giving money for just a software doesn't

fit into the consciences of Indian mindset. When ever we purchase

computer then software is supposed to be the part of free bees.

Problem gets worst when we face problem after giving the money for

software. Few tips while getting started with Tally can save us a lot of

problems.

Some prior preparation is needed before instaling Tally. Tally license is

activated and updated from Internet, so we need internet connection.

Although it is not used as frequently but if the machine which is

running Tally is having permanent internet connections then license

can be updated or reactivated swiftly other wise this can be a major

problem for Tally users. Mostly who are first time user of licensed

software. The reasons of Tally getting educational has been discussed

in my previous post on why Tally turns educational.



Second most common problem occurs when working on Tally suddenly

system shuts down due to power failure or any other reason. To avoid

this user must take proper and regular backup of Tally data. The user

must make it a habit to take backup on daily basis. The proper method

of taking Tally backup and how to recover the data has been explained

in my post on Recover your data in Tally.



Third and major problem come with versions and stat files of Tally.

Normaly when we buy Tally then release 1 comes with box. Most of

the users instal Tally from CD in the box and activate it. Real problem

comes when the features which were heard are not available or cannot

be used. The most widely used feature of VAT is not available in

release 1 of Tally 7.2 which comes with CD. Again latest stat version is

needed from latest VAT modifications and Service Tax modifications

etc. You can get latest Stat info in my post on stat release 46 . The

solution to this problem is to get latest release of Tally and stat. You

can get latest Tally 7.2 and Tally 8.1 .



Fourth problem which come is when user gets stuck with advanced

options of Tally which were not there in older versions and now no help

is in sight. At this juncture Tally help file can be of great help. Just

press help button on top right corner. This would work only when

Tallyref.chm file is present in your Tally directory. It should also be

updated for latest features. You can download the latest file from the

site and copy it in Tally directory for proper functioning.



3. Recover your data in Tally - Some Tips & Tricks 

Data of Tally is very vital for every user or company. More serious the

user is more vital data becomes. In other words we can say more and

more dependence on Tally needs more and more care of its data.

Although Tally has provided many ways to protect you data but one

way or other due to some human error or system failure we loose our

data. Particularly in case of Tally it cripples our day today business.

We have to first see why data has got corrupted the ways to recover

depends on reason it got corrupted. Here are some tips and tricks

which can save you the day. First of al lets see diferent reasons which

can cause data corruption

Why data gets corrupted ?

The reason could be anyone of folowing :-



1. While working on Tally power goes of and UPS is unable to give

you backup. Next time you would open Tally the company in

which you were working would get corrupted.

2. The computer on which you re working is not operative and OS

is not working properly. Somebody formated it !!

3. You have taken so many backups by copying the Tally folder in

so many placed that you forgot which was to original one.

4. You have taken a backup and when you try to restore it your

data is washed out.



Solutions

Solutions to these problems needs common sense rather than Tally

expertise. Lets understand some feature and working of Tally. Tally

provides a backup and restore utility which colects al files of Tally

company into one file named tbk500.001. This way of Tally backup is

easier to restore as this one file can be kept save and easily can be

restored instead of al files in that folder. If any of the file gets missing

or gets corrupted Tally data wouldn't work.

In first case when data gets corrupted while working on Tally and we

are unable to open the company then data can simply rewriten. Come

to Company selection menu. Press "Ctrl + Alt + R". Now select the

company for re writing. 90% chance is that you problem would be get

solved.



In second case when OS system is not working then to recover data

you need computer skils and some common sense solutions can get

you out of this problem

If windows is not loading then you can try to boot the system in DOS

mode. Copy al Tally folders and data folders into D drive. If DOS mode

is also not working then take out the HDD and connect it with other

computer with os system and try to open it. If the disk is ok and

without bad sectors then you would be able to open the Tally folder. If

stil it not working then before formatting give it a try with some

recovery software or ask your computer hardware expert to recover

data folders from drive.



The third case happens when people are running so many versions of

Tally and al versions work on diferent directories. More over they take

backup by copying folders of data directory instead of taking backup

from Tally itself. In that case you too can get confused which one is

latest and which folder is needed to be restored. In this case just

remember the No. of your company in Tally. For example if your

company No. is 006 then go to search utility of windows and enter 006

in search box and begin search. You would see the list of folders. Now

in see the locations of each folder and see the date of last modified or

accessed. Choose the latest one and copy that folder in Tally's current

data directory. You would probably find the right one. One more

method can be that you look for folder which has largest amount of

data. Just go to each folder right click on the name and select

properties. Here you would find the total file size of that folder. The

biggest folder would be the current folder.



The fourth case happens you have created somany companies and

when you restore the data that current company is not in your older

data. This can also happen when data backup you have taken is

already corrupted. In this case there is no solutions except you find

some other backup which you have taken fortunately and which is

good as wel. To do some once again you can use search utility and

look out for files names as tbk500.001 or what you can do is just

type tbk*.*. It would get you al the files on your computer.



Some healthy tips can also save you the day.



• Take backup on regular basis make it a habit to take backup

when ever you have done enough work. The frequency of

backup always depends on how much work you do one daily

basis or how much work you can aford to do again!

• Take backup on the basis of name of days or name of month. If

data is high then the backup destination can be like this

d:\Tallybackup\Monday or d:\Tallybackup\Tuesday and so on. In

this way you would get seven backups and al backups cannot be

corrupted. If data volume is low then backup can be taken as

d:\Tallybackup\June if you can aford to do one months task in a

single streach.

• Try to make minimum companies. It would save you lots of

hassles.

• There should be only one Tally version and one Tally folder. Too

many versions and folders multiplies your work. If you are two

versions then try to sum up work in latest version as soon as

possible.

• There must be proper power backup while working on Tally. In

network environment is a must on al nodes where Tally is

working.





4. Why Tally Turns Educational ? - Some Solutions

It is a common problem seen in Tally that it turns educational just after

some time. Ever since Tally has been converted from 6.3 hardlock to

softlock this problem is there. As the new process of licensing has

come up it has brought new problems with it. Lets take an insight of

the problem.



Why Tally Turns Educational ?

To find the answer to this question we have to first understand the

process of licensing. In hardlock version Tally use to find its licensing

file in the hardlock itself which was there at printer port. In softlock

version these files are downloaded and stored in your computer

somewhere. Now when we get our Tally activated folowing process

happens



• Tally checks internet connectivity

• Tally generates a files which consists of information regarding

your computer hardware and configuration.

• Tally uploads this file to Tally server on internet and stores this

file against your serial no.

• In response it gives one more file which is stored in your

computer somewhere. This file is your license file.

• Every time you run Tally it checks for license file info with your

computer hardware and configuration.

• If it matches then your Tally starts in licensing mode.



Most of the times what goes wrong is change in your computer

configuration after the license file has been downloaded. Earlier for

security purpose Tally made it mandatory to update file after every 30

days in Tally 6.3 version and early 7.2 releases. But now keeping view

the practical problems associated with it you can download the license

file and use it for as long as you want.

Most common change which can cause problem can be



• Disabling or change of your LAN/Ethernet card.

• Change in configuration after instaling new software or drivers.

• Change in windows configuration like computer name user name

etc.



The Solutions

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



• You can make a system restore point while instaling Tally. But

before restoring the same point you should remember that you

data can be lost in this process so take an external backup of

your data on CD etc.

• You can go in back dates by changing system date and see if

Tally is working or not (Some times it works !!).

• You can insure that your system name, lan cards etc. Doesn't

change.

• If you know that a trouble is coming ahead e.g. you may need to

upgrade system or format the system then best solutions is that

you first surrender the Tally before formatting.

• If you are in deep trouble an and cannot connect internet the

surrender the Tally in offline mode and keep that file in a pen

drive or CD along with your data backup.

• If you are in much deeper trouble and finds out in the morning

that you computer doesn't start windows and last option is to

format it again, then try to start windows in DOS mode and

recover that data files by copying whole Tally folder in to another

drive. Then you can write mail to support @ Tallysolutions.com

stating your Sr.No and contact person name to reset your

licensing info. Wait for the response and then activate the Tally.