jshtax Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I was told the way ATX is trying to run the database as embedded on a network share is not a supported way of running the new RavenDB. I was told by raven that it would cause slowness issues(some of this was resolved when the CCH developers came to my office and determined the software will not run on a domain and must be in workgroups) and even date corruption issues. We are currently up to 200 clients in 2012 and are finding the slowness we once experienced in the domain has returned to the workgroup. Entering information in the manager screens lags/delays up to 2 seconds before responding to key strokes. Once in a return the program crashes repeatedly for various reasons dealing with .net Frameworks and has lagging/delay issues the longer the program is running. I was told until the database is removed to a server version and not embedded most issues will not be fixed. Also we told program needs release a 64 bit version. Most updates will be just a patch and not permanent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulldogTom Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Well, most of that went over my head. A couple of things I am considering. 1. I don't think ATX was intended to go away. They would not have spent this money if they were just trying to push their clients to Taxwise or something else. 2. Someone must have had a plan for the software. It may have needed updates as they say it did. So someone had to try and figure out what to do. 3. If they have hosed it so bad that they can't fix it, they are going to have to do something to try and keep the ATX customers in CCH. That will be expensive too. And the hit to the parent company would reverberate through the tax prep community. Can you imagine the prosystemfx customers who pay through the nose asking their rep if CCH will stand behind them? Not sure how this will all play out. Will have to watch and see. I am hoping they get it fixed. If they can't, then I will move to something else. Tom Hollister, CA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Interesting comments Bulldog. I agree with your number 1. I don't think they planned to do away with ATX. But as you say, this may have consequences beyond their control. We'll see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txsoftware1 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I will not stay and see how it goes... Too much lost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 This is sorta like saying the Carnival Cruise folks screwed that all up on purpose cause they really don't want to sell cruises. OK, not at all, but come on, ATX didn't mean to do this to us. It's still done, and it sucks, but the theorizing about motives seems a little far fetched to me. And, I don't understand about the Ravens or the Colts, either. Just wanna get a tax return out of this baby while I'm still in my 30's. Ok, 40's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gail in Virginia Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I agree with RitaB, but I am concerned about jshtax's post. If this is going to be a continuing problem because they are using the database inappropriately (sounds kinda nasty, doesn't it?) I might be shopping this summer for a replacement program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maribeth Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I do not understand the OP's details either but I believe it has to do with having a "real" server versus having a peer-to-peer network. I believe the OP has a real server and that the problems with Raven deal with running a true network. Our system is a peer-to-peer network. We have had crashes that were fixed by deleting the assets folder. We have had no issues (knock on wood) running the workstations other than slowness. Our IT guy has been here twice, reconfiguring the AVG and doing other IT stuff and has increased our speed. He is installing SSD's tomorrow and I expect the speed across the network to increase substantially. My biggest complaint with ATX this year is the client letter and the billing. I have resolved that by generating letters in Word to use with the returns and the billing will be done through our time&billing system. We just won't use those function in ATX. This is a pain in the ass but it will work for this year. Maribeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaB Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Supposed to be gettin my Super Duper computer Tuesday. Hope 12.8 makes me regret the purchase. And Plan D, I think at this juncture, is that Super Duper computer kicks ass. Thought I would say that since my friend Maribeth did. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee B Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 This is the 4th or 5th post I have read about the poor programming decisions that ATX made with respect to reprogamming this software. All of these posts taken together seem to hang together and make sense. The conclusions I have drawn from reading these posts are (1) ATX will gradually get the bugs fixed and the program will become useable, (2) ATX will gradually reduce the peformance problems, but slowness in opening and loading will remain to be a serious issue, (3) ATX will really struggle trying to get the program to work properly on Networks and more than likely will never get it to work satisfactorily. The big question is, Does ATX try to keeping fixing a flawed program design or do they make some major changes so that the program performs the way we as practitioners need it to perform? Film at 11 or in our case next year! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 My biggest complaint with ATX this year is the client letter and the billing. The client letter is working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnccpas Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Great post starting this conversation. exactly! the raven database was not designed to be used how its being used. i don't know what new group of fresh out of college software coders who wanted to use this were thinking, better yet, a product that still even with the patches there is NO WAY its being tested. I can only get 12.8 running on a clean fresh install on a server that's only had quickbooks installed. I cannot install 12.8 on any server that has had prior versions of ATX or have had any other software running for a length of time. I get .net failures in the app log even in 12.7. 12.8 i can't even open the flipping program anymore. I fear tech support is a waste because how could they help me when they don't even have the competence to test the software. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jshtax Posted February 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 For those that do not completely understand there 2 types of databases: 1. embedded where the database is included in the software like ATX and the software is shared(not supported method) 2. server database where database is pulled out from software. this scenario you install software locally on each workstation and you map them to the database location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmcfly Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 The client letter is working but I still cannot figure out how to add a sentence or two to the letter for a given client. When I click the edit button, a window opens but the language is not there to edit. Maybe its me but it was easy to modify language in to 2011 ATX version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maribeth Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 For those that do not completely understand there 2 types of databases: 1. embedded where the database is included in the software like ATX and the software is shared(not supported method) 2. server database where database is pulled out from software. this scenario you install software locally on each workstation and you map them to the database location. So my peer-to-peer network, using one workstation as the "server", with two other workstations connecting to that server, is option #1 or is it option #2? The database is on the server but the program is not installed on each workstation. Well, let me look to see if it is . . . . . . . working . . . . . . .I cannot find it on my workstation, I belive I am just linked to the program on the server. Very confused, Maribeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maribeth Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 The client letter is working but I still cannot figure out how to add a sentence or two to the letter for a given client. When I click the edit button, a window opens but the language is not there to edit. Maybe its me but it was easy to modify language in to 2011 ATX version. You cannot edit the letter this year; you can only change the font. If you wish to have a different format/wording/layout, then you have to use the templates. I set up templates for every type of return that we do and still hated the way they look because the margins are so off. It does not present a professional appearance. One of the posters on the "other" board indicated that he was simply copying the letter into Word, making changes, and then using that as his letter. I have started doing that, it is a little bit more time, but the product is so worth it. Maribeth 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 I've never edited the letters (except when the 1040X letter wasn't available back a few years ago), so I just switched the font, and am good to go. BTW, 12.8 did fix the issue with the state letters not saying efiled until you opened the state letter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottmcfly Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Thanks Maribeth, I will use the "copy to Word" technique when I néed to add some language. I was starting to feel stupid because I thought a user had to be able to edit the letter and I could not do it. Instead it appears that the software got stupid. scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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