bergenco

I stand corrected, thank you and apologies to jkl - I will post my questions and findings (re Drake) over there. KC - I also agree, I loved the ATX interface, but once CCH took it over, the program really went downhill. Though learning Drake is pretty straightfwd for tax entry - we still use QB for bookeeping/payroll/etc.

Oh really, do you work for ATX? Because in that case, can you then delete the recording of "We encourage you to access the ATX Community Board Forums to discuss program resolutions?" whenever you call ATX CS?

Then go buy Drake, make the conversion, and quit complaining!!!!! Yep, already downloaded the link to free trial, and Drake CS answeed after 3 rings. How refreshing coming from 7 years of ATX's every lenghtening prompts. As for ATX CS, neither you, nor CS/Tech over telephone, have yet to answer a simple question in my thread as to why ATX sometimes saves the export file as "Name = ABC..." or "Name =ABC..." Can you answer at least that 1 (ONE) question or will you resort to cute emoticons or vague answers as 'use network mode' which as nothing to do with the question? Also, when is the last date I can get a refund for ATX since it will probably take me another 15 minutes just to reach ATX CS via phone? So that's 2 questions... (instert cute emoticon)

Another stat from CPA Practice Advisor Drake in Red (#1), ATX in Yellow (near last)

Uh ohhh, looks like I hit a nerve with the ATX mods for this inexcusable slow beta version.. Running network mode is quite horrible, even slower than running from my PC or laptop due to the programs bugs (especially when telecommuting or at client/hotel/vacation given connection issues when you can just work locally if preferred using import/export technique from years past (no more) and batch dump files onto the server while going to gym, making IRS calls, or running other errands), all while having numerous Return Manager screens on different desktops programs if (no, when) you get that 'cannot open file' error, backup included, which we get every year despite automatic update being default. Using the import/export feature in the fashion we have allows us to circumvent that. So, yes working in the same manner as we always have has been beneficial vs simply running network mode. Regarding Drake, most "research" out there seems to be advertorials disguised as such giving all products 4.5 - 5 stars which means absolutely nothing. I did find a good article here though and some numbers were eye opening being an ATX user for the past 7+ years and only considering changing the product now due to this horribly slow and beta-ish 2012 version. http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2012/Sep/20125667.htm Some telling signs.... Note Drake users were ranked #1 (tied) as happiest with price, with about a 10% point difference vs ATX. ATX Support ranked DEAD LAST, whereas Drake ranked #1. No surprisse here given it takes me longer to reach ATX CS than IRS agents, ha. And once I reach them, they give me verbatim items similar to clicking the Help button - why bother calling then? On the topic of 'Would you reccomend the software?" Drake #1, ATX #5 (tied) ATX does have a good amount of forms, but with all the bugs, very slow program, inept CS, I will be giving Drake a call to at the very least start a trial (never done with any other software in the past 7 years, but it's just too slow and buggy now). Mastering the new program and some hard conversions "wasted" in a week will hopefully save me countless days of headache in the upcoming season. Thanks JohnH, for your helpful post.

Hi Jack - can you please respond on my thread as to not sidetrack OP's post? Other 2 options - 1. Backup currently does not work as forced alternative (walked through with CS), and 2. "Save" feature just places to return my Return Manager. We've Imported/Exported for the past 7 years with ATX no problem since we are accessing the ATX program from local computers but storing the data on a shared network folder. The import/export feature hast not given us issues for the past 7 years except for this 2012 version due to the points outlined in my post. Thanks.

Thanks Jack, I am willing to spend an entire week to relearn new software based on the ATX importing/exporting mess alone (sorry, not to sidetrack the thread but you seem knowledgable with ATX moreso than general customer service). Any thoughts on my issues below? Best.

Agreed, it seems Drake is the next most similar software?

Customer Service (CS) was unhelpful when calling so seeing if anyone else has the same setup. We install ATX locally in each workstation and save all the data in 1 folder in shared network drive. In the past 7 years Exporting and Importing from that 1 shared folder worked great from any workstation. Now it seems horrible due to reasonings below: 1. Exporting to the atx file no longer saves the file as the person's last and first name. It saves it as "Name =ABC..." with a bunch of weird strings in front of the name OR "Name = ABC..." (notice difference in spacing between "=" sign and "ABC." We have over 900 clients making it now cumbersome to locate file (example) "SMITH" - previous years we just hit 'S' on the keyboard and it would take us the general location. Now, you can't do that since they all start with either "Name = SMITH.." or "Name =SMITH.." so I have to a) look at 2 different locations due to spacing errors in the export process and look at the latest timestamp from both locations since you cannot OVERRIDE previous versions (point #2 below). Per CS you cannot change how the file name is saved when exported. 2. When exporting, you cannot override the previous file with the new one, and a new copy is made. Now staff is forced to find the most recently timestamped file which adds extra time in opening files. To further complicate, it is hard to find the 5 SMITH files since some are named "Name =SMITH..." or NAME = SMITH..." in my folder with 900 files so not all the SMITH files will be even aligned together to see which file is the latest and greatest. Since a backup of the file is already auto saved on my C drive, I'd much prefer to OVERRIDE the previous file when exporting so I don't have 5 different versions available. Per CS you cannot change this feature. 3. Importing does not automatically open the return (like the last 7 years), but insteads puts it onto the Return Manager, where you then have to open the return. Horrible idea since some complicated returns involve importing/opening several times throughout the busy season. Thus, the Return Manager will have several versions of the return and you may end up double clicking the previous version instead. Furthermore, since the updated version can either show up as "SMITH..." or "Copy (x) of SMITH..." on the Return Manager once imported, I must scour both the 'C' and 'S' sections of my Return Manager AND look at the coresponding time stamp. My Return Manager has over 900 files, so having 3+ copies (average) yields scouring 2,700 files just to import/open a file. To avoid all this mess why not just have the file open automatically upon improting like in the last 7 years of using ATX? 4. Agree with the other users, it is SUPER slow compared to the past versions, which magnifies all exporting/importing problems above. Get rid of all the cute graphics and leave that to the Turbo Tax crowd, not actual preparers. This feels much more like a flimsy unfinished beta version but I want to be wrong on this, am I missing something? Advanced thanks.