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MAXI C.R.A.S. A Check Register Accounting System For MSDOS Computer Systems Version B.2 March, 1986 Written by: O. E. Dial and Dale A. Kubler Copyright (C) 1986 Published & Distributed by EXADOR, INC. 981 Courtenay Drive Atlanta, GA 30306 (404) 876-1969 Contents Introduction..................................................(iii) Author's Notes.................................................(ix) Using This Manual...............................................1-1 Some Conventions............................................1-1 Getting Started.................................................2-1 System Requirements.........................................2-1 Software Configuration......................................2-1 Creating the Execution Disk.................................2-1 Configuring Maxi C.R.A.S. for your Monitor..................2-3 Creating the Data Disk......................................2-4 Meet the Master Menu............................................3-1 Setting Up Your Accounts........................................4-1 Initializing Maxi C.R.A.S...................................4-1 Naming the Accounts.........................................4-3 Filing Opening Balances.....................................4-3 Printing a List of Accounts.................................4-4 Editing Account Titles......................................4-4 Entering Transactions...........................................5-1 Assigning Checks to a Single Account........................5-3 Assigning Checks to Multiple Accounts.......................5-3 Prorating on a Percentage Basis.............................5-5 Prorating by Fractions......................................5-5 Assigning Deposits to an Account............................5-6 Cash and Memo Transactions..................................5-6 The 'In Payment Of' File....................................5-7 Ending a Session............................................5-8 Starting a New Month........................................5-8 Printing Checks.................................................6-1 Reprinting Checks...........................................6-1 The Check Address File......................................6-2 Using Other Brands of Checks................................6-4 Printing Statements and Checkbook Reconciliation................7-1 A Variety of Statements.....................................7-1 Checkbook Reconciliation....................................7-2 Account Distribution Statement..............................7-3 Ending a Session............................................7-3 Protecting Your Investment......................................8-1 Utilities and Special Functions.................................9-1 When a Data Diskette is Full................................9-2 Starting a New Fiscal Year..................................9-3 (i) CONTENTS (Continued) Transfer to VisiCalc and SuperCalc.............................10-1 Technical Support..............................................11-1 Appendix A Sample Check Register Statement Printout.............A-1 Appendix B Sample Check Register Notes Printout.................B-1 Appendix C Sample Income & Expense Account Subtotals Printout...C-1 Appendix D Sample Selected Account Statement Printout...........D-1 Appendix E Sample Checkbook Reconciliation Printout.............E-1 Appendix F Sample Account Distribution Statement Printout.......F-1 Appendix G Sample Selected Account Statement Printout...........G-1 Appendix H Sample Payee/Payor Listing Statement Printout........H-1 Appendix I Sample Address Listing Statement Printout............I-1 Appendix J Configuring Maxi C.R.A.S. for use with a Hard Disk...J-1 (ii) Introduction WHO CAN USE MAXI C.R.A.S.? Almost anyone. Maxi C.R.A.S. (short for Check Register Accounting System) is designed for people interested in gaining more control over where their money is going. If you are like most small businesses and individuals, taxes and inflation are taking a bigger bite out of your budget every year. And it really hurts to know that you could reduce that bite if you just kept better records. We can help. Maxi C.R.A.S. delivers the information you need in the format required for income tax preparation, and it can help you put a muzzle on a lot of other budget-biters too. WHAT DOES IT DO? Maxi C.R.A.S. is a computerized check writing, recording, and reporting system designed for use with your MSDOS based computer. You can write checks by hand, have your computer print them automatically, or use any combination of the two methods. And that's just the beginning! When you enter a check or deposit into the register using the fast data entry routine, you can assign the transaction (or portions of it) to any or all of up to 223 income AND expense accounts. Whenever you need them, you can print a variety of statements that detail your financial activity over any period of time. AN EXAMPLE As an example, let's suppose you just got your American Express statement, and the total amount due is $945.34. $212.10 goes to Joe's Jalopy Service for repairs to your automobile, $558.34 to the Electronic Emporium for a new Sony TV, and $174.90 to Eastern Airlines for a trip to see your Aunt Martha. When you enter the check in Maxi C.R.A.S., you can distribute the total amount over several of your Maxi C.R.A.S. accounts. You might, for example, assign the $212.10 to your auto expenses account, the $558.34 to your entertainment account, and the $174.90 to your personal travel account. Now suppose that some time in the future you want to see exactly how much money you are spending on a particular category - office supplies, for example. With a simple command, Maxi C.R.A.S. will display or print out a report detailing that account's activity for any period of time you desire: (iii) 03-13-1986 Statement of Account No. 2 -- Automobile Page 1 For January, 1984 through January, 1984 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TXN#:MO:DA: Payee/Payor : In Payment Of :CHK #: Amount : Subtotal :N ----:--:--:-----------------:----------------:-----:-----------:-------------:- Opening balance : : 0.00: 1: 1: 1:Big John's Auto R:Oil Change for t:*****: 89.95: 89.95:* 3: 1: 5:Roger Holler Hond:New 1984 CR-X 1.:*****: 8,983.25: 9,073.20: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ That's only one example of the countless ways that Maxi C.R.A.S. can help you. Here are three other useful reports you can print or display: 03-13-1986 Check Register for January, 1984 Page 1 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TXN :Day:C:Check: Payee/Payor : In Payment Of # : :*: # : : -----:---:-:-----:------------------------------:------------------------------ Opening balance 1: 1: :*****:Big John's Auto Repair :Oil Change for the Porsche 2: 4: : :Department of the Interior :Sold them 1000 Acres 3: 5: :*****:Roger Holler Honda :New 1984 CR-X 1.5 4: 10: :*****:Happy Man Mortgage Company :House Payment #1101 5: 22: : :Monthly Paycheck :Work of January 1984 6: 28: : 12:Ex-Wife :Alimony for January Closing balances for January, 1984 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This two page statement (one page if printing with the 132 column printer option set during INSTALL program) is the actual check register that Maxi C.R.A.S. prints; comparable to the old-fashioned check register you keep in your checkbook, but far more detailed. 03-13-1986 Check Register for January, 1984 Page 2 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Amount Paid : Amount Received : Balance ::N: TXN : : : : ::*: # : :-----------------:-----------------:-----------------::-:-----: : : : 1,000.00 :: : : : 89.95 : 0.00 : 910.05 ::*: 1: : 0.00 : 12,000.34 : 12,910.39 :: : 2: : 8,983.25 : 0.00 : 3,927.14 :: : 3: : 753.21 : 0.00 : 3,173.93 ::*: 4: : 0.00 : 1,200.00 : 4,373.93 :: : 5: : 952.45 : 0.00 : 3,421.48 :: : 6: :-----------------:-----------------:-----------------:: : 10,778.86 : 13,200.34 : 3,421.48 :: (iv) The Income and Expense Account Subtotals printout is helpful when looking at your overall financial picture for a given month. You are given the opening balance, monthly subtotal, and closing balance for of your Maxi C.R.A.S. accounts. 03-13-1986 Income & Expense Account Subtotals for January, 1984 Page 4 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No.: Account Title : Opening Balance : Monthly Subtotal : Closing Balance ---:-------------------:-----------------:------------------:----------------- 1:House : 0.00 : 753.21 : 753.21 2:Automobile : 0.00 : 9,073.20 : 9,073.20 3:Misc. : 0.00 : 952.45 : 952.45 * 4:Pay Check : 0.00 : -1,200.00 : -1,200.00 * 5:Free Lance Work : 0.00 : -12,000.34 : -12,000.34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Check Register Notes feature is useful for jogging your memory about what a particular check was for. Many customers also use it for marking tax-deductible items. 03-13-1986 Check Register Notes for January, 1984 Page 3 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transaction No. 1 : ( ) Spark Plugs, New Gasket, and Tinted Windows Transaction No. 4 : ( ) This Completes the House Payments For Our House in Florida ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Account Distribution statement tells you how every check and deposit was distributed over your Maxi C.R.A.S. accounts. This is often referred to as the audit trail. 03-13-1986 Account Distribution Statement For January, 1984 Page 1 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank TXN #: Payee/Payor :ACT #: Amount : Account Name -----:------------------------------:-----:--------------:--------------------- 1:Big John's Auto Repair : 2 : 89.95:Automobile 2:Department of the Interior : 5 : -12,000.34:Free Lance Work 3:Roger Holler Honda : 2 : 8,983.25:Automobile 4:Happy Man Mortgage Company : 1 : 753.21:House 5:Monthly Paycheck : 4 : -1,200.00:Pay Check 6:Ex-Wife : 3 : 952.45:Misc. (v) INTERACTION WITH SPREAD SHEET PROGRAMS For even more detailed analysis, Maxi C.R.A.S. creates files readable by VisiCalc, SuperCalc, Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony, and others. Account names are placed in ascending order in the first column, opening balances for each account in the second column, and up to 12 monthly balances in the remaining columns. The possibilities for this feature are limited only by your imagination! IS MAXI C.R.A.S. EASY TO USE? Too many computer programs sold today need a computer programmer to understand them. Not Maxi C.R.A.S.! Even with its incredible versatility, Maxi C.R.A.S. is so easy to use that we recommend it as an ideal first program for new computer owners. Everything from making backups of your disks to balancing your checkbook is carefully explained in our thorough manual. And if account books and ledgers scare you off, take heart - using Maxi C.R.A.S. is so much fun that you'll enjoy keeping up to date! WILL IT BALANCE MY CHECKBOOK? The Checkbook balance is updated anytime you enter a check or deposit, and is instantly accessible. HOW ABOUT RECONCILING MY CHECKBOOK WITH THE BANK STATEMENT? It's simple. You enter the numbers of all transactions that have cleared the bank, the closing date of the bank statement, and the balance the bank says you should have. Maxi C.R.A.S. then prints or displays this very complete statement: (vi) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Checking Account Reconciliation Statement for Y/Y/Y Page 1 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Bank Statement Ending Balance ................................$ 5,842.96 Transactions which have not cleared: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- :TXN#:MO:DA: Payee/Payor :CHK #: Amount : Amount : : : : : : : Paid : Received : :----:--:--:------------------------------:-----:-----------:-----------: : 1: 1: 1:Big John's Auto Repair :*****: 89.95: 0.00: : 2: 1: 4:Department of the Interior : : 0.00: 12,000.34: : 3: 1: 5:Roger Holler Honda :*****: 8,983.25: 0.00: : 4: 1:10:Happy Man Mortgage Company :*****: 753.21: 0.00: : 5: 1:22:Monthly Paycheck : : 0.00: 1,200.00: : 6: 1:28:Ex-Wife : 12: 952.45: 0.00: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Total uncleared payments received ............................$ 13,200.34 3. Total uncleared payments paid.................................$ -10,778.86 4. Adjusted Checking Account Statement ..........................$ 8,264.44 5. Check Register Balance .......................................$ 3,421.48 6. Difference * Bank Statement & Check Register * ...............$ 4,842.96 Note that items 4 & 5 should agree ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This reconciliation statement makes reconciling your check register with the Bank Statement a snap. So easy, in fact, that it's almost fun! The Last Check Register Accounting System You'll Ever Need * Write checks by hand, or print automatically on single or continuous forms checks from NEBS. Maxi C.R.A.S. also prints an unusually complete check stub. * Data entry routine second to none - saves time AND eliminates errors. (vii) * The widest variety of reports available - complete check register, income and expense subtotals, bank statement reconciliation, list of check register notes, and an account distribution statement (audit trail). * For even more detailed analysis, data is readable by VisiCalc, SuperCalc, Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, and Symphony. * Checkbook balance is automatically computed and instantly available. No more overdrafts! * Write as many checks per month as you like up to the capacity of a single disk drive's storage capacity. Not limited like many other systems. * Handle up to 223 separate income AND expense accounts. Most other systems only allow one income account. * Assign a check or deposit to a single account, or distribute by dollar amount, fraction, or percentage over multiple accounts. Indispensable for charge card users! * Check address data base stores up to 75 addresses and automatically prints them on the correct checks. Use window envelopes and save yourself the trouble of addressing envelopes. * Fast bank statement reconciliation - so easy it's almost an enjoyable pastime! SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 64K RAM 80-column display (Color or Monochrome) 2 single-sided (or 1 double-sided) disk drives IBM PC Disk Operating System (DOS) or MSDOS OPTIONAL - 80-column (minimum) printer. (Maxi C.R.A.S. is configured to route print data to the DOS LPT1: device assigned for your system. Follow instructions in your DOS and BASIC manual if you have a serial printer An 8 1/2 x 11 three ring binder to hold the printed reports that Maxi C.R.A.S. produces (viii) Author's Notes I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your decision to purchase the Maxi Check Register Accounting System (Maxi C.R.A.S.). I believe that you will find it to be one of the most valuable and frequently used programs in your software library. A BRIEF HISTORY The prototype for Maxi C.R.A.S. was a program known as Check Register Accounting System (CRAS) originally authored by O.E. Dial of Boulder, Colorado. It was published over a four month period in 1978 by Personal Computing Magazine. A reprint of these articles can be found in The Best of Personal Computing, available in many stores across the country. A pioneer program, CRAS was originally written in MITS BASIC, predecessor of now famous Microsoft BASIC. In 1979, CRAS was rewritten to run on the TRS-80 Model I and was marketed under that name by a now defunct firm (The Bottom Shelf). The program was an immediate success. Over time, as users became more sophisticated, they also began to expect more from their computers. Consequently, CRAS was rewritten to more efficiently utilize disk storage devices, improve operating speeds, and add most of the new features requested by existing owners of the program. The result - Maxi C.R.A.S.! I would like to personally express my appreciation to Harvey Pierce, Richard Rodgers, Richard Stanley, Dosse Blaise Segbeaya, William G. Behrens, and Sturgis Bates for the numerous ideas each provided during the evolution of Maxi C.R.A.S. Most of all, I would like to thank O.E. (Gene) Dial for initially designing the time tested logic of the Maxi C.R.A.S. program and for giving me the opportunity to market the program. As for the future, additional modules are planned to accommodate budgeting, graphing, and payables. With your support, Maxi C.R.A.S. will continue to evolve as time permits and needs dictate. Dale A. Kubler (ix) CHAPTER 1 Using This Manual To get the most out of Maxi C.R.A.S., we urge you to read this User's Manual carefully from beginning to end before attempting to use the program. The vast majority of problems encountered can be avoided by becoming familiar with it. We have designed the User's Manual to help you become familiar with Maxi C.R.A.S. as quickly and painlessly as possible. Still, no program with the capabilities of Maxi C.R.A.S. can be mastered overnight. As with any other powerful tool, a certain amount of study and experimentation will be necessary before you can depend on it as your main accounting system. Finally, some of you may be surprised to discover that the order in which information is presented does not exactly match the program's Master Menu. This is intentional. The User's Manual offers information in the same order that someone using the program for the FIRST TIME requires it. The Master Menu, on the other hand, is designed for greatest convenience under ordinary conditions. Once you become familiar with the Maxi C.R.A.S. system, you'll find the Table of Contents and Index very helpful when looking for specific information. SOME CONVENTIONS The key referred throughout this manual as ENTER may appear as RETURN or CARRIAGE RETURN on your keyboard. For clarity, data which you are to type into the computer is presented in uppercase letters. For example: Type F O R M A T ENTER means to type the word FORMAT, and press the ENTER key. Note that individual keys are shown as ALT or ENTER, and words to be typed are shown as P A S S W O R D, Y E S, R E N A M E, etc. Words with + (plus sign) between them indicate keys to be pressed down at the same time. For example, ALT + CTRL means to press the ALT key and the CTRL key simultaneously. Finally, many questions appear on the video display with an asterisk next to one of the possible answers. For example: Do you wish to continue (Y*/N) The asterisk indicates the default answer (the choice which will be made if you simply press ENTER in response to the question). 1-1 CHAPTER 2 Getting Started SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Maxi C.R.A.S. is designed to operate on an IBM Computer equipped with the following accessories: 1) 64K RAM 2) 80-column display (Color or Monochrome) 3) 2 single-sided (or 1 double-sided) disk drives 4) IBM PC Disk Operating System (DOS) or MSDOS 5) OPTIONAL - 80-column (minimum) printer. (Maxi C.R.A.S. is configured to route print data to the DOS LPT1: device assigned for your system. Follow instructions in your DOS and BASIC manual if you have a serial printer 6) An 8 1/2 x 11 three ring binder to hold the printed reports that Maxi C.R.A.S. produces SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION Maxi C.R.A.S. is supplied on a disk formatted by DOS but the DOS itself is not on the disk. Before you get started, you must: 1) Make a copy of your DOS disk. 2) Transfer the programs from the Maxi C.R.A.S. disk to it, using the transfer program included on ther Maxi C.R.A.S. disk. 3) Format a disk to hold the data Maxi C.R.A.S. creates (if using a second drive for data storage). CREATING THE EXECUTION DISK 1) (XT owners see Appendix A) Put your DOS disk in drive A. Turn on the computer. If the computer is already on, but the A> prompt does not apprear on the display, press CRTL + ALT + DEL simultaneously. A> will appear when your computer is ready. 2) Put a blank disk in Drive B and type: F O R M A T B : / S ENTER If you are using single-sided disks type: F O R M A T B : / S / 1 ENTER 2-1 Follow the instructions which appear on your video screen. It should display: Insert new disk for drive B: and strike any key when ready While the formatting process is taking place, the screen will display: Formatting . . . When finished, the screen will display: Formatting complete System transferred Format another (Y/N)? Type N ENTER. The screen will display the A> prompt. Throughout this manual the disk you just formatted will be referred to as the "Maxi C.R.A.S. execution disk." 3) Remove the DOS disk from Drive A. You will need it again so don't file it away yet. Move the Maxi C.R.A.S. execution disk from Drive B to Drive A. 4) Put the Maxi C.R.A.S. distribution disk (the disk you received Maxi C.R.A.S. on) in Drive B. 5) Type B : M C R A S X F R ENTER 6) The MCRASXFR program will automatically transfer the Maxi C.R.A.S. files from the distribution disk to the execution disk we are in the process of creating. 7) When all the files have been transferred, the A> prompt will reappear on your video screen. Remove the Maxi C.R.A.S. distribution disk from Drive B and store it in a safe place. You won't be needing it again, unless you wish to create a new execution disk or wish to make a copy for a friend. 8) Load the DOS disk used earlier into Drive B and type: C O N F I G ENTER 9) The CONFIG program will automatically transfer several DOS files to the Maxi C.R.A.S. execution disk. 2-2 CONFIGURING MAXI C.R.A.S. FOR YOUR SYSTEM Your answers to the next few questions will customize Maxi C.R.A.S. for your particular hardware requirements. Gain access to the DOS as described in the previous chapter. When A> appears, type I N S T A L L ENTER. Answer the following series of questions: ENTER the drive letter to be used to store the PROGRAM DISK (A-D) (Also accepts DOS 2.0 TREE directories): Most users should type A ENTER. XT/AT users should type C ENTER. If you are storing Maxi C.R.A.S. on a hard disk subdirectory (i.e. MAXICRAS on Drive C), type: C : \ M A X I C R A S \ ENTER ENTER the drive letter to be used to store the DATA DISK (A-D) (Also accepts DOS 2.0 TREE directories): Type the letter of the drive you plan to store data on. Most users should type B ENTER. XT/AT users should type C ENTER. If you are storing the Maxi C.R.A.S. data files on a hard disk subdirectory (i.e. MAXICRAS\1986 on Drive C), type: C : \ M A X I C R A S \ 1 9 8 6 \ ENTER Are you using the COLOR/GRAPHICS monitor adapter (Y/N) ? Type Y ENTER if you are, and N ENTER if you aren't. If you type Y ENTER, you will be asked an additional question: Are you using an RGB monitor (Y/N) ? Type Y ENTER if you are using an RGB monitor and N ENTER if you are using a Composite Color (or Black & White) monitor. Enter the maximum number of columns per line supported by your printer (80 or 132)? Type the correct number your printer can print, and press ENTER. If your printer normally prints 80 columns but is capable of printing 132 columns in a condensed or compressed mode (Epson, Okidata, Gemini, etc.) type 1 3 2 ENTER. How many control codes are required to ENABLE the 132 column mode? Type the correct number and press ENTER. For example, if you are using an Epson MX-80 printer, specify 1. 2-3 Enter the decimal value of control code # 1 ? If you are using an Epson or IBM printer, type 1 5 ENTER. Otherwise specify the correct code(s) for your printer. How many control codes are required to ENABLE the 80 column mode? Type the correct number and press ENTER. For the Epson and IBM printers, type 1 ENTER. Enter the decimal value of control code # 1 ? Type the correct number(s) and press ENTER. For the Epson and IBM printers, type 1 8 ENTER. When the A> prompt reappears, the process is complete. Type: A U T O E X E C ENTER CREATING THE DATA DISKETTE You have just created the Maxi C.R.A.S. execution disk, which contains the programs necessary to run Maxi C.R.A.S. You also need to format another disk to hold the data you create using Maxi C.R.A.S. To do this: 1) Place the Maxi C.R.A.S. execution disk in Drive A and a blank disk in Drive B. Turn the computer on, or if it is already on, press CTRL + ALT + DEL. As soon as the program begins loading, press CTRL + BREAK. You will be asked if you wish to: Terminate Batch Job (Y/N)? Type Y and A> will appear on the video screen. 2) Type: F O R M A T B : ENTER Follow the instructions which appear on your video display. 3) When A> reappears on your video screen, the process is complete and your data disk is ready to be used. NOTE: Do NOT put write-protect tabs on either the execution or data disks! Maxi C.R.A.S. updates files on both disks when transactions are entered, checks are cleared or printed, or file maintenance is performed. It will not work properly with write-protect tabs in place. 2-4 CHAPTER 3 Meet The Master Menu LOADING MAXI C.R.A.S. Have you created your Maxi C.R.A.S. execution and data disks yet? If not, you need to follow the instructions in the previous chapter before continuing. Then: 1) Put the execution disk in Drive A (assuming that Drive A was defined as the PROGRAM drive during the configuration procedure described in Chapter 2). Put the blank, formatted data disk in Drive B, if using a separate data disk. Turn on the computer, or if it is already on, press CTRL + ALT + DEL simultaneously. 2) When asked to enter the date, do so in MM-DD-YY format. After briefly displaying the program title page, the following menu will appear: * * * MAXI Check Register Accounting System Menu * * * --------------------------------------------------------------- Function Code Function ------------- -------- 1 - Input Transactions 2 - Print the Check Register Statement(s) 3 - Print Checks 4 - Print Selected Account Statement(s) 5 - Checkbook Reconciliation 6 - Print the Account Distribution Statement 7 - File Maintenance 8 - Utility Programs 9 - End Operations ENTER the Function Code desired: This menu is referred to throughout this manual as the "Master Menu," and you select from it the tasks you wish Maxi C.R.A.S. to perform. Type the number (Function Code) which corresponds to the option you wish, and press ENTER. Many of the options display other menus (referred to as "sub-menus") from which you make further choices. 3-1 Before we get started, let's take a brief look at each of the options on the Master Menu. To avoid confusion, do not actually select any options until the next chapter - our purpose here is merely to introduce you to Maxi C.R.A.S. INPUT TRANSACTIONS Select this option to enter checks or deposits into the system, to move money from one account to another, or to find the current checking account balance. PRINT THE CHECK REGISTER STATEMENT(S) Select this option to print a complete check register statement, check register notes, income and expense subtotals, or any combination thereof. PRINT CHECKS Maxi C.R.A.S. lets you write checks by hand, or print them automatically. Select this option to print checks you mark for printing during the transaction entry phase, or to reprint a check for a selected transaction number. PRINT SELECTED ACCOUNT STATEMENT(S) This option prints a statement which allows you to monitor activity in any account you specify, over whatever period of time you specify (within the current fiscal year). CHECKBOOK RECONCILIATION Select this option to reconcile the Maxi C.R.A.S. check register against your bank statement. After you enter the numbers of transactions which have cleared the bank, a very complete statement is generated, which includes a list of checks that have not cleared the bank, and deposits which have not been credited. PRINT THE ACCOUNT DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT This option provides a detailed audit trail of how each transaction was distributed over each and every account. Whenever a task is completely finished you will be returned to the Master Menu, or given the option to do so. This lets you cancel tasks which you started by accident, or no longer wish to continue with. FILE MAINTENANCE Select this option to add, edit, or delete entries in the Account, Address, or "In Pay Of" files. 3-2 UTILITY MAINTENANCE Select this option to perform a variety of tasks, such as initializing a new data disk, starting a new fiscal year, creating a VisiCalc-readable file, etc. END OPERATIONS Whenever a task is completely finished you will be returned to the Master Menu, or given the option to do so. When you are finished with a session of Maxi C.R.A.S., always select the End Operations option from the Master Menu before removing your execution or data disks. 3-3 CHAPTER 4 Setting Up Your Accounts INITIALIZING MAXI C.R.A.S. Now that you have a general idea of what the different options on the Master Menu do, you are ready to set up (initialize) your Maxi C.R.A.S. accounts for your particular needs. In this chapter, you will learn how to enter your name, address, bank and account information into Maxi C.R.A.S. If you are using Maxi C.R.A.S. for the first time, it's wise to enter imaginary data, and open just a few accounts. Once you have experimented with the system and are confident that you understand how Maxi C.R.A.S. works, you can reinitialize, and replace the imaginary data with the real thing. The first step is to initialize the data disk you formatted in an earlier chapter. Put the execution disk in Drive A, the data disk in Drive B, and load Maxi C.R.A.S. From the Master Menu, select Function Code #8, "Utility Programs." The utility sub-menu will be displayed. From it select #1, "Initialize Data Disk for New Year." Once the Initialization program has loaded, you will be asked several questions, some of which are necessary to initialize the system, and others which are designed to keep you from accidentally erasing your data if you choose this option by mistake. If you press the wrong key when entering an answer to a question, corrections can be made by backspacing with the left arrow (or backspace) key and retyping the incorrect portion of the entry. Most yes and no questions can be answered by typing Y ENTER or N ENTER. Here's the series of questions: Do You Already Have Transactions On File (Y*/N) ? Type N ENTER. If you are very observant, you are probably wondering what the asterisk just to the right of the "Y" means. Throughout the program, the asterisk is placed next the default option. In other words, it indicates the option which is chosen if you just press ENTER. Do You Wish To Bypass Initialization Procedures (Y*/N) ? Type N ENTER. 4-1 Have You Filed The Name Of Your MAXI Check Register Accounting System (Y*/N) ? Type N ENTER. Type the name of your Checking Account:.................... Type either your name and/or that of your spouse, or your company name. Press ENTER when done. Type the Number Of Your Checking Account: ................. Type the number of your checking account. Check for accuracy, and press ENTER. Type the Name Of Your Bank: ............................... Type the name of your bank and press ENTER. Type the number of the beginning month of the fiscal year (1-12): Maxi C.R.A.S. permits use of a fiscal year that begins with any month. Type a number from 1 to 12 (1 for January, 11 for November, etc.) and press ENTER. If you don't enter a number, the month of January will be assigned by default. Type the number of the beginning month (1-12): This will be the first month for which you will enter transactions. It will be different from the beginning month of the fiscal year if, for example, your fiscal year begins in January, but you start using Maxi C.R.A.S. in July. Type a number from 1 to 12, and press ENTER. Type the number of the year: .... Type all four digits of the year and press ENTER. Have you filed your account titles (Y*/N) ? Type N ENTER. The following will appear on your video screen. ******************* Initialization Procedure ******************* The MAXI Check Register Accounting System provides for a total of two hundred twenty-three (223) accounts, which must be divided between INCOME and EXPENSE. This will be your only opportunity to determine the number of each without reinitializing the entire system. Think carefully about your present and future requirements. ***************************************************************** 4-2 Type the number of income accounts (1-222): ... You may use up to 223 accounts, divided any way you like between income and expense accounts. You don't have to use all 223 accounts -- but they're there if you need them. One way to set up your accounts is to take last year's cancelled checks and sort them into categories. You may wish to have a separate account for subdivisions of the categories. For example, one category might be defined as AUTOMOBILE. This category could be subdivided into accounts for OIL and GAS, AUTO PAYMENT, AUTO INSURANCE, AUTO REPAIRS, and PARKING. You should also anticipate new accounts that you might need to add later in the year (for new loans, new sources of income, etc.) by including a few unnamed accounts. If you still don't know how many accounts you need, consult an accountant. First you are asked for the number of income accounts required. Type a number from 1 to 222 and press ENTER. Next you are asked for the number of expense accounts required. Type the number and press ENTER. Expense accounts will be assigned numbers first, starting with number 1. Income accounts are assigned last. NAMING THE ACCOUNTS After the account numbers have been entered, you will be asked to name the accounts. Try to pick titles that accurately represent the purpose of your accounts. An account number and line with a blinking cursor indicates an account that is ready to be named. Type in the account name. When you are sure that the account name has been typed correctly, press ENTER to go on to the next account. Again, feel free to leave some accounts unnamed if you have allowed space for them. You can always go back and name them later. When you are finished naming the accounts, you will be asked: Do you want a listing of the Account Titles (Y/N*) ? If you type Y in answer to this question, the list of account titles will be sent to your printer. If the system "locks up", turn on your printer. Maxi C.R.A.S. does not check to see if the printer is on-line. FILING OPENING BALANCES Next, you will be asked: Have you filed your opening balance (Y/N*) ? Type ENTER to choose the default response. You will be asked: 4-3 What is the opening balance in your Checking Account ? Type the number, check for accuracy, and press ENTER. You will then be asked: Do you want all opening account balances set equal to zero (Y*/N) ? If you answer N ENTER, you will be given an opportunity to enter the beginning balance for each account. If you answer Y ENTER, Maxi C.R.A.S. will enter an opening balance of $0.00 for each account. PRINTING THE LIST OF ACCOUNTS When the account balances have been filed, Maxi C.R.A.S. will again ask if you wish to print out the chart of accounts. This is a good time to do it. Note that on the printout, the account numbers of income accounts are preceded by an asterisk. EDITING ACCOUNT TITLES While account balances and transaction information cannot be altered once entered, account titles can be edited. After deciding whether or not you wish to list the account titles, you will be asked: Do you want to Edit the Account Titles file (Y/N*) ? - If you type N, you will be returned to the Master Menu. If you type Y ENTER, a list of accounts will be displayed on your video screen. Type E ENTER to edit titles and you will be asked to specify the title number to be changed. Type the account number and press ENTER, then correct the title and press ENTER. Maxi C.R.A.S. will store the titles, complete with any changes you made to them. Congratulations! You have just completed the initialization procedures. That wasn't too bad, was it? 4-4 CHAPTER 5 Entering Transactions Now that the process of setting up Maxi C.R.A.S. is behind you, you can begin learning about what you bought it for in the first place -- keeping track of your financial transactions. "Learning!" you exclaim? Absolutely. As mentioned before, we don't recommend entering "real" data into Maxi C.R.A.S. until you are confident you understand all its functions. So for now, read through the manual and just enter imaginary data. THE KEY TO IT ALL -- TRANSACTIONS As far as Maxi C.R.A.S. is concerned, a transaction is anything that will affect the balance of your checking account. Checks, deposits, interest, automatic withdrawals, and service fees are all examples of transactions. For Maxi C.R.A.S. to be accurate, all transactions must be entered into the system. Scrupulous entry of EVERY transaction will be rewarded with accurate and complete statements and reports! Maxi C.R.A.S. can handle checks or deposits of up to $999,999.99, and a total balance of up to $99,999,999.99. To enter transactions, select Function Code #1 (Input Transactions) from the Master Menu. You'll be asked: What is the number of the month ? Type the number of the month for which the transactions are to be recorded and press ENTER. If the month is the same as the date entered when you loaded the program, simply press ENTER in answer to the question. Let's suppose you type 1 ENTER (for January). If this is your first use of Maxi C.R.A.S. after initializing the system, (or if you simply forgot to put the data disk in the drive assigned for data during the configuration procedure described in Chapter 2) you'll be asked to: Insert January's DATA Disk into Drive #? Depress ENTER when ready ENTER 'C' to create a new DATA Disk The question mark (?) above refers to the drive specified as the data disk during installation back in Chapter 2. 5-1 Don't confuse this with the initialization and/or formatting you did earlier. This is the final step in preparing the disk for new data. If this is the first time you have used Maxi C.R.A.S., you DO need to create a new data disk. Type C ENTER. In later sessions (after some data has been entered) you should answer this question by simply pressing ENTER if the DATA disk that holds the month in question's data is mounted on Drive #? If for any reason the proper data disk is not available, you can return to the Master Menu at this point by pressing @ ENTER. Next you'll be asked: Is this the first transaction for the month of January? (Y/N) ? This question is asked as a second precaution in case the proper disk is not mounted in the proper drive. If the proper disk is mounted in the proper disk drive, type Y ENTER. Displayed on the video screen will be the transaction entry form. At the top of the screen is the Maxi C.R.A.S. transaction number. At the bottom are four options. You can: * Enter a check by typing C ENTER * Enter a deposit by typing D ENTER * Display your checking account balance by typing B ENTER * End the session and return to the Master Menu by typing E ENTER FIRST YOU FIND OUT HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THERE.... To get an up-to-the-minute checkbook balance, type B ENTER. Maxi C.R.A.S. will display on your video screen the exact amount of money you have in your checking account, based on your entries of checks written versus deposits made. You can display the balance as often as you like, whenever you need it. AND THEN YOU LEARN HOW TO SPEND IT! To enter a check, type C ENTER. Maxi C.R.A.S. will ask for the day of the month. To use the date you entered when you loaded the program, simply press ENTER. For any other date, type the date you wish to use. You will be asked for the payee (who the check is made out to), and what the check is in payment of (reason for payment). Next you will be asked for the amount paid. The maximum amount a single check can be made out for is $999,999.99. If you press ENTER in response to this question, a default value of $0.00 will be entered for the transaction. For this example, type in 250. You will then be asked: Do you want a check printed on this transaction (Y/N*) ? 5-2 This is a question with important implications -- it lets you decide whether you want to write the check by hand, or have Maxi C.R.A.S. print it for you. For example, if you picked up a gallon of milk on the way home last night and paid for it by check, you'd answer this question by typing N ENTER. You'll then be asked to enter the number of the check you used. This number will be displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the video screen. If on the other hand, you are paying several bills, you'll probably want Maxi C.R.A.S. to print the checks for you. Type Y ENTER, and a line of asterisks will be printed in place of a check number on the video screen. The transaction is flagged, and a check will be printed at your convenience when you select the "PRINT CHECKS" option from the Master Menu. ASSIGNING CHECKS TO A SINGLE ACCOUNT Next, you will be asked to enter the account number you wish to assign the transaction to, and how much you wish to assign. If you just wrote a $250.00 check to Jolly John's Jalopy Jumpers for repairs to your automobile, you would assign the check to the AUTO REPAIRS account. For our example, in answer to the "Amount?" question, type 250, or just press ENTER. (Pressing ENTER automatically assigns the entire amount of a check to the single account you specified.) Next you'll be asked: Do you want to ENTER a Note (Y/N*) ? If you type Y ENTER, Maxi C.R.A.S. will allow you to type a brief (64 character) note to yourself about this transaction. The message may be recalled and printed out at your convenience. A popular use for this feature is to mark tax-deductible items for future reference. If you type N ENTER, you'll be asked to: Verify your entries on this transaction - Correct (Y/N*) ? If you type anything other than Y ENTER, Maxi C.R.A.S. will erase the entire transaction and ask you to try again. Type Y ENTER and the transaction is recorded on disk and the transaction entry form reappears. Notice that the Transaction Number at the top of the screen has been increased by one. ASSIGNING CHECKS TO MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS In addition to assigning the full amount of a check to a single account, Maxi C.R.A.S. permits you to distribute a transaction over several accounts. As you experiment with this feature, you'll begin to comprehend just how powerful Maxi C.R.A.S. is. 5-3 Getting back to your visit to the Jalopy Jumpers, suppose you had Jolly John fill the gas tank while he was repairing your car. When you go to pick up the car, he also sells you a couple gallons of milk. At the checkout counter, you find that John has added $6.00 for the milk and $50.00 worth of gas to the $250.00 you owe him for the new windshield wiper, so you write him a check for $306.00. Some accounting systems would force you to assign the entire amount to a single account. But unless your memory is very good indeed, a few weeks from now you won't remember all the things that check paid for. Maxi C.R.A.S. allows you to easily distribute the single check over several accounts. You can charge $250.00 to the AUTO REPAIRS account, $50.00 to the GAS & OIL account, and $6.00 to the FOOD account. Years from now, you'll be able to examine your Maxi C.R.A.S. reports and find out exactly what that check purchased. How do you assign a check to multiple accounts? From the transaction entry form, type C ENTER to enter a check. You already know how to answer the date, payee, and in pay of questions. For our example, enter $306 as the amount paid, and say anything you like in answer to the check printing question. In answer to the "Account Number ?" question, type the number of the account you wish to assign the milk to, and type 6 ENTER as the amount. You'll be asked to enter another account number. Type the account number you want to assign the gas to, and type 50 ENTER for the amount. Finally, type the account number you want to assign the auto repairs to, and press ENTER to charge off the entire remaining balance of the check to that account. Complete information about accounts, amounts, and balances is displayed on the video screen as you go through this process. Use it to check carefully for errors before continuing to your next transaction. While our example included only three accounts, you can spread a single transaction over as many accounts as you like. Maxi C.R.A.S. will keep asking you for new account numbers until the full amount has been distributed. Whenever you wish to charge off the entire remaining balance to an account, simply press ENTER when asked for the amount. GETTING FANCY In addition to assigning a check to a single account or assigning specific amounts of checks to several accounts, Maxi C.R.A.S. will allow you to prorate a transaction over multiple accounts on a percentage or fractional basis. We'll do it by percentage first. 5-4 PRORATING ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS Let's suppose you have a check for $100.00 which you wish to distribute over three accounts: 50% to one account, 25% to another account, and 25% to another account. Begin entering a new check transaction. After the "In payment of ?" question, when asked to enter the amount paid, type 100 ENTER. Type 0 (zero) or press ENTER when asked for the account number. You will then be asked to type in a denominator. Type 100 if you wish to prorate the transaction by percentages. Next, you will be asked for the account number you wish to assign the first percentage to. Type in the number and press ENTER. Next you will be asked to enter the numerator of the percentage you wish to charge to that account. Since you want to assign 50% of the check to this account you would enter 50 for the numerator. You will recall from your high school algebra that: 50 = numerator --- = 50% 100 = denominator Maxi C.R.A.S. will then display how much is left to be distributed ($50.00) and ask you for another account number. Type in the account number and type 25 for the numerator. There should be $25.00 left to distribute. Type in the third account number, and press ENTER to assign the balance to this account. If everything was entered correctly, the video display will show that 100% of the amount has been distributed. PRORATING BY FRACTIONS You may also prorate on a fractional basis. For example, if one-third of a transaction is to be charged to a single account, type 3 for the denominator. Type 1 when Maxi C.R.A.S. asks for the numerator. Remember (when prorating) that to charge the entire remaining balance to a particular account, you can save time by typing 0 (zero) or pressing ENTER in response to the request for a numerator. 5-5 NOTE: The fractional amount charged will always be based upon the balance remaining to be charged when the prorating mode is first entered (by typing 0 (zero) in answer to the request for an account number, remember?). To exit the prorating mode and return to the normal Account/Amount Entry mode, type 0 (zero) or press ENTER when asked for an account number while you are in the prorate mode of operation. You may switch between the two modes as often as you like within a single transaction. ASSIGNING DEPOSITS TO AN ACCOUNT Deposits are entered in almost exactly the same manner as checks except, of course, you experience the greater pleasure of crediting accounts rather than debiting them. The amount of the deposit may be assigned to a single account or distributed over several, using the same techniques used for distributing checks. CASH AND MEMO TRANSACTIONS Another type of transaction which Maxi C.R.A.S. handles for you is referred to as a memo transaction. This is a transaction for which a check has not been written, yet requires that an amount be allocated to an account. You may wish to establish a miscellaneous catchall account for this purpose. Memo transactions are also convenient for moving amounts from one account to another without affecting the overall check register balance. You might use this feature if you find that you have charged an amount to the wrong account. Maybe you decide to open a new account and wish to move amounts from other accounts to the new account. Perhaps you paid your phone bill with cash, and wish to record this fact in your "PHONE EXPENSES" account. Or perhaps you change the opening balance of an account after you have already initialized the system. In each of these cases, you enter the data to Maxi C.R.A.S. from the transaction entry form. Type M E M O E N T R Y ENTER when asked for the Payee or Payor. When asked for the amount of the transaction (directly after answering the "In payment of ?" question) enter a 0. This ensures that the entry will affect just the balances of the individual accounts, and NOT the overall check register balance. Press ENTER when a check number is requested. You must follow certain rules when making memo entries. If the memo transaction will affect an expense account, it should be made as a check entry. If it will affect an income account, it should be made as a deposit entry. That's perfectly logical, isn't it? 5-6 Next, if an account is to be reduced (debited), type a negative sign (-) before the amount (in other words, enter it as a negative number). If an account is to be increased (credited), type the number normally. Refer to the chart below for assistance if you are confused. Many users establish a petty cash account to deal with cash transactions. When paying for an item with cash, money is removed from the petty cash account, and assigned to another expense account. Remember to always type the negative value first. --------------------------------------------------------- Acount to Account to Check or 1st 2nd Reduce Increase Deposit Entry Entry --------------------------------------------------------- Expense Expense Check Minus Plus --------------------------------------------------------- Income Income Deposit Minus Plus --------------------------------------------------------- THE 'IN PAYMENT OF' FILE An indispensable timesaving feature of Maxi C.R.A.S. is the 'In Payment Of' file. This feature speeds up transaction entries by automatically completing the 'In Payment Of' question with data you store in the file. Every time you enter a transaction, Maxi C.R.A.S. looks for an exact match between the payee/payor and the first line of each entry in the 'In Payment Of' file. Letters and spaces must match perfectly, although upper and lowercase are not considered. If a match is found, the information is displayed on the video screen and entered as part of the transaction. Up to 75 entries may be stored in the 'In Payment Of' file. ADDING NAMES TO THE 'IN PAYMENT OF' FILE The 'In Payment Of' file works in a similar manner to the Check Address file discussed in detail in chapter 6. To add, edit and print entries for the 'In Payment Of' file, select function code #3, "'In Payment Of' File Maintenance" from the File Maintenance sub-menu. Follow the instructions on the video display. TO EXCLUDE 'IN PAYMENT OF' DATA FROM A TRANSACTION If you wish to enter a transaction for a payee or payor listed in the 'In Payment Of' file, but don't want the 'In Payment Of' data from the file included in the transaction, add an asterisk to the payee/payor name when entering it into the transaction entry form. 5-7 ENDING A SESSION The only option on the transaction entry form we haven't discussed yet is "END". Type E ENTER, and after a brief delay, you will be returned to the Master Menu. If you are completely finished using Maxi C.R.A.S., select Function Code #9 (End Operations) from the Master Menu. This ensures that all files are closed in an orderly manner. Do not terminate a session in any other manner. STARTING A NEW MONTH For your security, Maxi C.R.A.S. only permits entry of one month's data at a time. When you are through with a month, its files are closed to further transactions, and can only be accessed for printing reports. Moreover, you cannot start entering transactions for a new month until the current month has been closed. When you select Function Code #1 (Enter Transactions) from the Master Menu, you are asked: What is the number of the month? If you type a number representing the month following the current month open, you'll be asked: Do you wish to close transactions for XXXX (Y/N*)) (XXXX represents the current month.) If you wish to enter transactions for a new month, you must answer this question by typing Y ENTER. Do NOT do this unless you are absolutely sure that you are finished entering transactions for that month. You will then be asked: Is this the first transaction for the month of XXXX (Y/N)? Since you ARE starting a new month, it will be the first transaction for that month, so type Y ENTER. The transaction entry form will be displayed on the video screen. 5-8 CHAPTER 6 PRINTING CHECKS Maxi C.R.A.S. is designed to print checks on NEBS 9020 continuous form checks. Window envelopes are also available (NEBS #775 Duo-View) which display both your address and the Payor's address (which Maxi C.R.A.S. prints on the check). Samples and an order blank are included with this package. If they are missing, contact: NEBS Computer Forms 78 Hollis Street Groton, MA 01470 To print checks you specified to be printed during the transaction entry process, select Function Code #3, (PRINT CHECKS) from the Master Menu. You will be asked: Are You Using Continuous Form Checks (Y*/N)? If you wish to print checks singly, type N ENTER. If you will be using continuous form checks, type Y ENTER. Do You Want To Perform The Alignment Test (Y/N*)? If you type Y ENTER, Maxi C.R.A.S. will print an asterisk(*) in the first column of the check stub to help you align the form in the printer before actual check printing begins. When properly positioned in the printer, the check stub should be advanced to its ninth line. The alignment process varies from printer to printer. Experiment using blank paper to determine alignment and correct type-wheel or pitch size for your printer before attempting to print real checks. What is the number of the first check to be printed? ... Type the number of the first check you wish to print and press ENTER. Printing will begin. Maxi C.R.A.S. will print every check you specified in the transaction entry phase, assigning check numbers automatically in ascending numerical order. When printing is finished, you will be returned to the Master Menu. REPRINTING CHECKS If you select the "Print Checks" option, but didn't mark any checks for printing during transaction entry, Maxi C.R.A.S. will inform you that: There are no checks to be printed. Do you wish to reprint a check (Y/N*) ? 6-1 Type Y ENTER and you will be asked to enter the transaction number of the check you wish to reprint. Type N ENTER and you will be returned to the Master Menu without printing anything. The ability to reprint is very helpful if checks are printed misaligned, or are damaged somehow. THE CHECK ADDRESS FILE Maxi C.R.A.S. will store the mailing addresses of up to 75 separate payees, and automatically print them on your checks. When Maxi C.R.A.S. prints a check, it examines the check address file, to see if an address is on file for the payee. If it finds a match it will print the address on the check directly below the payee's name. Each address can contain up to four lines of text. The first line of the address must contain the name of the payee, spelled exactly as it is when you enter a transaction (you don't need to worry about matching upper and lowercase, however). If, for example, you find that you are frequently writing checks to Jolly John's Jalopy Jumpers, simply add Jolly's address to the payee address file. The next time you print checks, Maxi C.R.A.S. will include Jolly's address on the check. Drop the check in a NEBS window envelope, and you've saved yourself the not-inconsiderable work of addressing an envelope. BUILDING YOUR CHECK ADDRESS FILE To add names and addresses to the Check Address File, select Function Code #7, "File Maintenance" from the Maxi C.R.A.S. Master Menu. Select Function Code #2, (Address File Maintenance) from the File Maintenance sub-menu. This will display the Address File Maintenance sub-menu: * * * Address File Maintenance * * * ------------------------------------------------------------- Function Code Function ------------- -------- 1 - Add New Address 2 - Edit Existing Address 3 - Print Address 4 - Return to 'In Payment Of' File Maintenance 5 - Return to Main Menu ENTER the Function Code desired: 6-2 ADD NEW ADDRESSES To add new addresses, select Function Code #1. You may type in up to four lines of information. This group of four lines is referred to as a "record." You may store up to 75 unique records in the Address File. The top line of the record must be the payee's name, spelled exactly the same way it is when you enter transactions. When you are finished, you will be asked if the information is correct. If you type Y ENTER, the record will be saved to disk and you will be returned to the Address File Maintenance Menu. If you type N ENTER, you will be given an opportunity to change any of the four lines of data. EDIT EXISTING ADDRESSES Function Code #2, "Edit Existing Address" allows editing of an address file entry. After selecting it, you will be asked to enter a search key. Maxi C.R.A.S. will compare the line you enter as a search key to the names and addresses stored in the address file, and display the first match it finds. Any information in any of the four lines of address data may be used as a search key. You then have four options: * Edit the record by typing E ENTER * Find the next record that matches the search key by typing F ENTER * Delete the record by typing D ENTER * Return to the Address File Maintenance sub-menu by typing R ENTER. If you wish to edit the record, type E ENTER and you will be asked to specify the line number you wish to change. The old line you specified will be erased and you may enter a new one. Pressing ENTER without doing anything else restores the old line. To erase a single line, type SPACE ENTER. If the record found by the search is not the one you wish to edit, type F ENTER, and the next match will be displayed. Naturally, the more specific your search key is, the more likely you are to find the correct record on the first try. PRINT ADDRESSES Function Code #3, "Print Address" prints a list of all addresses currently in the address file. This is useful for archival purposes, and also lets you make sure that names and addresses are correctly spelled. Note that all reports may be directed to either the video display or to the printer. If sending the report to your printer, make sure it is on-line and loaded with paper and ribbon before selecting it. Maxi C.R.A.S. does not check to see if the printer is on-line, ready to accept data. 6-3 IF YOU DON'T WANT AN ADDRESS TO BE PRINTED... When printing checks, the payee's name must be spelled exactly as it is in the Check Address File, or the address may not be printed. You can use this to your advantage if you ever wish to make out a check to a payee listed in the Check Address File, but don't want the address printed on the check. Simply place an asterisk before or after the payee's name when entering it into the transaction entry form, and the address will not appear on the check. USING OTHER BRANDS OF CHECKS It is possible for a reasonably competent BASIC programmer to alter the MCRAS.CP file found on the Maxi C.R.A.S. execution disk to allow it to print properly with virtually any brand or style of checks. If you use only a few checks at a time, an alternative is to use standard checks and a special carrier which allows several of them to be run through either a tractor or platen feed printer. One such carrier is the "Paper Caper II" sold by Services Squared, Box 2665, Las Cruces, NM 88004. For a fee of $20.00, Exador, Inc., the authors will customize the check printing routine for you. Send at least 10 blank checks, one of which is marked with the revised format. RETURN TO 'IN PAYMENT OF' FILE MAINTENANCE Function Code #4, Return to 'In Payment Of' File Maintenance takes you to the 'In Payment Of' File Maintenance sub-menu and is the equivalent of choosing Function Code #7, "File Maintenance" from the Main Menu followed by Function Code #3, "'In Payment Of' File Maintenance" from the "File Maintenance" sub-menu. 6-4 CHAPTER 7 Printing Statements and Checkbook Reconciliation Of all the features Maxi C.R.A.S. offers, perhaps the most valuable is the wide range of useful reports and statements available. After you have entered several transactions into the system, you may want to try printing out each of the statements to get an idea of what they can do for you. All reports may be routed to the video display or the printer. Note that all reports may be directed to either the video display or to the printer. If sending the report to your printer, make sure it is on-line and loaded with paper and ribbon before selecting it. Maxi C.R.A.S. does not check to see if the printer is on-line, ready to accept data. A WIDE VARIETY OF STATEMENTS Function Code #2 "Print the Check Register Statement(s)" on the Master Menu presents a sub-menu that offers a selection of several Check Register Statement printout options. You may print: 1) Check Register Statement 2) Check Register Notes 3) Income and Expense Subtotals 4) Check Register Statement and Notes 5) Check Register Statement and Subtotals 6) Check Register Notes and Subtotals 7) All of the above. 8) Return to Master Menu Select the report you wish to print, make sure the correct data disk is mounted, and follow the prompts on the video screen. Note that reports 1-3 are the three check register statement types available; options 4-7 print various combinations of these. CHECK REGISTER STATEMENT Function Code #1, "Check Register Statement" will print a complete check register for any month you specify, or all the transactions entered to date for the current month. Many use this statement as a worksheet to aid in checkbook reconciliation. Note that while the check register statement is 132 columns wide, it is printed on two sheets of paper to accommodate 80 column printers, if you specified the 80 column printer option during the INSTALL procedures described in Chapter 2. When directed to the video display, the report is also printed on two 80 column screens. When printing is complete, place the two sheets side by side and read across. See Appendix A for a sample Check Register Statement printout. 7-1 The first and last columns of the check register display the Maxi C.R.A.S. transaction number. The third column of the check register has "C" (for "cleared") as a heading. An asterisk will appear in this column for each transaction which has cleared the bank. However, the asterisk will NOT appear for transactions which were entered after the Checkbook Reconciliation module is run, so always do that first. In the last column, (headed by "N") an asterisk indicates that a note has been entered for this transaction. All other headings are self-explanatory. You can print registers whenever you like, but you should always print a final register when all transactions for a particular month have cleared the bank. Store each month's printout in your binder. If one of your diskettes becomes damaged, you will still have all the data in printed form. Remember, paper is cheap! CHECK REGISTER NOTES Function Code #2 prints check register notes with their transaction numbers. Refer to Appendix B for a sample printout. INCOME AND EXPENSE SUBTOTALS Function Code #3 prints income and expense subtotals. Headings are self-explanatory. Refer to Appendix C for a sample printout. SELECTED ACCOUNT STATEMENTS By selecting Function Code #4 from the Master Menu you can print a statement which allows you to examine activity in a selected range of accounts over a selected span of time. Accountants love this report! With it, you can closely monitor the activity and status of each of your accounts with a fraction of the effort that would be required without Maxi C.R.A.S. Be prepared to use several pages during printing, depending on the number of accounts printed and the period of time covered. See Appendix D for a sample printout. CHECKBOOK RECONCILIATION Function Code #5 "Checkbook Reconciliation" on the Master Menu will allow you to post all transactions that have cleared the bank. This function is so easy to use that it comes close to making checkbook/bank statement reconciliation an enjoyable pastime! 7-2 You will be asked to enter the numbers of all transactions that have cleared the bank, the closing date of the bank statement, and the account balance the bank says you should have. You can enter the first and last of a sequence of transaction numbers, or individual numbers one at a time. Maxi C.R.A.S. will compute the outstanding checkbook balance, the current account balances, and what the checkbook balance should be. A very complete reconciliation statement is printed, which includes a list of checks that have not cleared and deposits not credited. Not just the check number, but also the Maxi C.R.A.S. Transaction Number, Payee/Payor, and amount paid or received are included in the statement. Refer to Appendix E for a sample printout. If the Reconciliation Statement balance matches the checkbook, everything is fine. If it doesn't, either you or the bank made a mistake! ACCOUNT DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT Function Code #6 on the Master Menu provides a detailed audit trail of how each transaction was distributed over each and every account. Accountants love this feature, and you will too -- especially at tax time! A sample printout is Appendix F. ENDING A SESSION When you have completed a session using Maxi C.R.A.S., select Function Code #9, "End Operations" from the Master Menu. This ensures that all files are closed. It is very important that you use this option each time you finish a session. Do not terminate a session in any other manner. 7-3 CHAPTER 8 Protecting Your Investment Maxi C.R.A.S. is an extremely reliable program. Unfortunately, even with the best of computer systems, accidents can happen. Coffee spills, magnetic fields, power failures, disk wear -- these and more can result in irrevocable damage to your disks and loss of data. We cannot overemphasize the importance of frequently making a set of backup copies. A "set" consists of backups of your data disk(s), AND THE EXECUTION DISK USED TO CREATE THEM. Because Maxi C.R.A.S. stores information on both execution and data disks, backing up the data disk(s) alone is useless. If using the same disks for data and programs then a "set" consists of the EXECUTION Disk only. A good backup routine goes a long way towards preventing loss of your time, effort,and investment. Store your backups in a safe place, and update them often. Since disks do not last forever, check them frequently for wear. When deep and wide grooves begin to appear in several places on the disk, it should be replaced with a backup, since a worn disk will eventually become unreadable. Murphy's law dictates that this will happen at the precise moment that you need its data desperately, and a backup is not available! Remember, the key to a healthy and trusting relationship with your microcomputer is to: A) Make backups of both execution and data disks frequently. B) Print out frequently any data that might be lost if your disks are misplaced or damaged. C) Never use disks of questionable quality with your Maxi C.R.A.S. system. If, in spite of this advice, you don't make backups and a catastrophe occurs which destroys your working disks, there is still hope. Get the original disk you received with Maxi C.R.A.S. and make a new execution disk. Then reinitialize the year, using data from the printouts in your notebook. Use the closing balances from the previous month as opening balances for the current month, and reenter the data for the current month from the keyboard. Maxi C.R.A.S. can then continue from this point and finish the year. Of course, you will not be able to print new reports for the months that were lost, but you will still be up to date, thanks to your printed reports. 8-1 CHAPTER 9 Utilities and Special Functions There are several housekeeping utilities included on your Maxi C.R.A.S. disk. They are accessed from the Utilities sub-menu: Function Code Function ------------- -------- 1 - Initialize Data Disk for New Year 2 - Transfer Data for Continuation of New Year 3 - New Data Disk - File Flag Reset 4 - Transfer Account Data to VisiCalc 5 - Transfer Account Data to SuperCalc 6 - Return to Master Menu * Initialize Data Disk for New Year prepares the execution disk for use by Maxi C.R.A.S. Use it when you first begin with Maxi C.R.A.S., and at the beginning of a new fiscal year. See Chapter 4 for further details. * Transfer Data for Continuation of New Year is used to transfer account information and balances from the old execution disk to a new one at the beginning of a new fiscal year. * New Data Disk - File Flag Reset is used when you fill up a data disk before the end of a fiscal year. * Transfer Account Data to VisiCalc creates a VisiCalc, Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, or Lotus Symphony readable file which contains data from Maxi C.R.A.S. Refer to Chapter 10 for complete instructions. (Note Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, and Lotus Symphony all have transfer/translate functions that allow them to read VisiCalc files). * Transfer Account Data to SuperCalc creates a SuperCalc readable file which contains data from Maxi C.R.A.S. Refer to Chapter 10 for complete instructions. * Return to Master Menu is self-explanatory! 9-1 WHEN A DATA DISK IS FULL If you have extensive financial transactions, you may fill up your data disk before the end of a fiscal year. When this happens, the program will inform you that no further transaction entries can be made until you prepare a new disk to hold them. How long it takes you to fill up a data disk is entirely dependent on how many transactions you enter each month. At a minimum, a transaction without notes requires 85 bytes plus 10 additional bytes per distributed account. If a note is included with the transaction, an additional 64 bytes will be required. CAPACITY Double-Sided Drives Single-Sided Drives ------------------- ------------------- Without Notes: 3982 Transactions 1770 Transactions With Notes: 2389 Transactions 1062 Transactions It is conceivable that you could fill the disk in a couple of months, but it is far more likely to take a year. In any case, have no fear that Maxi C.R.A.S. will send your data to computer never-never land when the disk is filled -- everything has been taken care of as long as you have two disk drives available. Essentially, the process of preparing a new data disk involves formatting it (just as you did your first data disk). Then transfer the ACCENTRY.XXX, NOTES.XXX, and TRANSACT.XXX files from the full data disk to the new one. ".XXX" represents a file extension that corresponds to the first three letters of the month to which you were entering transactions when the file closed itself. Do not transfer any files from earlier months. For example, if you were entering transactions for the month of September when Maxi C.R.A.S. closed out the files, you would transfer the ACCENTRY.SEP, NOTES.SEP and TRANSACT.SEP files from the old data disk to the new one. NOTE: If you initially started using Maxi C.R.A.S. with a single disk drive for both programs and data, you must transfer ALL files for ALL months stored on the execution disk to the newly formatted data disk which must be mounted on the second disk drive. First however, you must run the INSTALL program to instruct Maxi C.R.A.S. to read data from the newly added second disk drive. To transfer these files: Bypass the automatic program execution instructions. When A> prompt appears on the video display, insert the old data disk in Drive B and the newly formatted disk in Drive A. 9-2 Type: C O P Y B : * . S E P A : ENTER After the three files have been transferred to the new data disk, delete them from the old disk using the DEL (or ERASE) command. Continuing with our September example, with A> on the display and the OLD data disk in Drive B, type: D E L B : * . S E P ENTER This will delete all files on Drive B which have the .SEP extension. Again, replace the .SEP extension with the first three letters of the month you were actually working on when the file closed itself. If you are unfamiliar with the use of the ERA command, refer to the DOS or MSDOS manual for more details. When the required formatting, copying, and deleting has been accomplished, put the execution disk in drive A, and the NEW data disk in drive B. Load Maxi C.R.A.S. and select Master Menu Function Code #8 "Utility Programs". Choose Function Code #3 "New Data Disk - File Flag Reset" from the utility sub-menu. You will be returned to the Master Menu when the process is complete. STARTING A NEW FISCAL YEAR Before entering data for a new fiscal year, you must make a new copy of the Maxi C.R.A.S. execution disk. To do this: 1. Put the current execution disk in Drive A and a blank, new disk in Drive B. Type: D I S K C O P Y A : B : ENTER 2. When the file copying is complete, leave the old copy in Drive A, the new copy in Drive B and press CTRL + ALT + DEL. From the Maxi C.R.A.S. Master Menu. Select Function Code #8 (Utility Programs) from the Master Menu. From the Utility sub-menu select Function Code #2, (Transfer Data for Continuation of New Year). The following will appear on your video display: This program transfers fixed initialization data and current balances from one disk to another thereby enabling subsequent year input. Note: A BACKUP copy of the current PROGRAM Disk is required. The BACKUP copy will be referred to as the NEW disk and should be inserted into Drive B before progressing any further. The current PROGRAM Disk will be closed out insofar as entering new transactions are concerned. It may only be used for purposes of printing the variety of financial available statements available. 9-3 Do you wish to continue (Y/N*) ? 3. Assuming you have put the disks in the proper drives, type Y ENTER. You'll be asked: Are you sure you want to continue (Y/N*) ? 4. Type Y ENTER. If everything is working correctly, the following will appear on the video display: * Now filing the initial month and current year * * Now filing the checking account balance * * * * OK, all data has been filed on the NEW disk * * * If you insert the wrong disks, or select this option at the wrong time, an error message will be displayed and you will be returned to the Master Menu. If this happens to you, merely insert the proper disks in the proper drives and try again. When the process is complete, store the old execution disk in a safe place, and put the new execution disk in drive A. 5. Put a newly formatted data disk in drive B, and you are ready to begin entering data for your new fiscal year! If using a hard disk, create a new directory and run the INSTALL program to inform Maxi C.R.A.S. where to store the new year's data files. 9-4 CHAPTER 10 Transfer to VisiCalc and SuperCalc An outstanding (and unique!) feature of Maxi C.R.A.S. is its interaction with popular spreadsheet programs. Using the data you enter as transactions, Maxi C.R.A.S can set up a data file readable by VisiCalc, Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus Symphony, or SuperCalc. To create a file for VisiCalc, Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, or Lotus Symphony, select Function Code #4 (Transfer Account Data to VisiCalc) from the Utility Menu. Maxi C.R.A.S. will create the file for you, and return to the Master Menu when finished. The file will appear in your execution disk's directory as MAXICRAS.VC, and can be loaded into VisiCalc like any other VisiCalc file. Note that this isn't a DF file. Account names will be placed in ascending order in the first column, opening balances for each account in the second column, and up to 12 monthly balances in the remaining columns. The possible uses for this file are as varied as its users. To learn how to use VisiCalc most effectively, we encourage you to refer to the excellent manual supplied with it. Multiplan, Lotus 1-2-3, and Lotus Symphony are also capable of reading VisiCalc files. Consult the manuals supplied with these programs for further details. To transfer data to SuperCalc, select Function Code #5 (Transfer Account Data to SuperCalc) from the Utility Sub-menu. The file will appear in the execution disk's directory as MAXICRAS.XQT. Load the file using SuperCalc's execute (X option) command. If using a hard disk, the MAXICRAS.VC and/or MAXICRAS.XQT file will be stored in the data disk directory. 10-1 Chapter 11 Technical Support While every effort has been made to ensure that Maxi C.R.A.S. is error-free, it is conceivable that we overlooked a bug. Fortunately for all concerned, our experience has shown that most alleged software errors have occurred because the user did not fully understand a procedure. Prior to contacting Exador, Inc. for assistance, reread the User's Manual carefully to verify that your problem is indeed caused by a software error. It is our policy to improve programs and manual on a continuing basis, and offer updates from time to time for a nominal fee. When you have sent your contribution to Exador, Inc., you will be entitled to receive this technical assistance. Absolutely no assistance can be provided to those who have not sent Exador, Inc. a donation in support of Maxi C.R.A.S. HOW TO GET HELP For best service, send a detailed written explanation of the circumstances that led to the problem and how the problem can be duplicated. Be sure to include : 1. Program and data diskettes associated with the problem. (Your data is kept confidential) 2. Description of the DOS or MSDOS based computer you are using including the version of CP/M. Also include the capacity of each disk drive used with Maxi C.R.A.S. as determined by the DOS or MSDOS CHKDSK command on a newly formatted disk. 3. Description of any unusual or custom hardware you use. 4. Description of any patches or solutions you have tried. 5. $5.00 in cash or check to cover shipping, packing, and handling expenses. Our address is: Exador, Inc. 981 Courtenay Drive Atlanta, GA 30306 ATTN: Technical Assistance 11-1 PHONE HELP Phone help is not now available but may be added at a later date. Contributors will be notified if and when this occurs. PROBLEMS WE CAN'T HELP YOU WITH While we do all we can to make sure that you are happy with Maxi C.R.A.S., we cannot serve as your personal consultant or custom programmer. This means, for example, that we can't provide assistance to people who have never read the manual, or (heaven forbid) can't seem to make Maxi C.R.A.S. work on their homebrew Z-80 computer with modified paper tape operating system. The bottom line? If you can't make Maxi C.R.A.S. do what the User's Manual claims it will do, get in touch with us immediately. We'll do everything we can to help you. For anything else, see a computer consultant. 11-2 APPENDIX A Sample Check Register Statement Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Check Register for January, 1984 Page 1 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TXN :Day:C:Check: Payee/Payor : In Payment Of # : :*: # : : -----:---:-:-----:------------------------------:------------------------------ Opening balance 1: 1: :*****:Big John's Auto Repair :Oil Change for the Porsche 2: 4: : :Department of the Interior :Sold them 1000 Acres 3: 5: :*****:Roger Holler Honda :New 1984 CR-X 1.5 4: 10: :*****:Happy Man Mortgage Company :House Payment #1101 5: 22: : :Monthly Paycheck :Work of January 1984 6: 28: : 12:Ex-Wife :Alimony for January Closing balances for January, 1984 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Check Register for January, 1984 Page 2 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Amount Paid : Amount Received : Balance ::N: TXN : : : : ::*: # : :-----------------:-----------------:-----------------::-:-----: : : : 1,000.00 :: : : : 89.95 : 0.00 : 910.05 ::*: 1: : 0.00 : 12,000.34 : 12,910.39 :: : 2: : 8,983.25 : 0.00 : 3,927.14 :: : 3: : 753.21 : 0.00 : 3,173.93 ::*: 4: : 0.00 : 1,200.00 : 4,373.93 :: : 5: : 952.45 : 0.00 : 3,421.48 :: : 6: :-----------------:-----------------:-----------------:: : 10,778.86 : 13,200.34 : 3,421.48 :: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A-1 APPENDIX B Sample Check Register Notes Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Check Register Notes for January, 1984 Page 3 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transaction No. 1 : ( ) Spark Plugs, New Gasket, and Tinted Windows Transaction No. 4 : ( ) This Completes the House Payments For Our House in Florida ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B-1 APPENDIX C Sample Income and Account Subtotals Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Income & Expense Account Subtotals for January, 1984 Page 4 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No.: Account Title : Opening Balance : Monthly Subtotal : Closing Balance ---:-------------------:-----------------:------------------:----------------- 1:House : 0.00 : 753.21 : 753.21 2:Automobile : 0.00 : 9,073.20 : 9,073.20 3:Misc. : 0.00 : 952.45 : 952.45 * 4:Pay Check : 0.00 : -1,200.00 : -1,200.00 * 5:Free Lance Work : 0.00 : -12,000.34 : -12,000.34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-1 APPENDIX D Sample Selected Account Statement Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Statement of Account No. 2 -- Automobile Page 1 For January, 1984 through January, 1984 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TXN#:MO:DA: Payee/Payor : In Payment Of :CHK #: Amount : Subtotal :N ----:--:--:-----------------:----------------:-----:-----------:-------------:- Opening balance : : 0.00: 1: 1: 1:Big John's Auto R:Oil Change for t:*****: 89.95: 89.95:* 3: 1: 5:Roger Holler Hond:New 1984 CR-X 1.:*****: 8,983.25: 9,073.20: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-1 APPENDIX E Sample Checkbook Reconciliation Statement Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Checking Account Reconciliation Statement for 12/31/84 Page 1 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Bank Statement Ending Balance ................................$ 5,842.96 Transactions which have not cleared: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- :TXN#:MO:DA: Payee/Payor :CHK #: Amount : Amount : : : : : : : Paid : Received : :----:--:--:------------------------------:-----:-----------:-----------: : 1: 1: 1:Big John's Auto Repair :*****: 89.95: 0.00: : 2: 1: 4:Department of the Interior : : 0.00: 12,000.34: : 3: 1: 5:Roger Holler Honda :*****: 8,983.25: 0.00: : 4: 1:10:Happy Man Mortgage Company :*****: 753.21: 0.00: : 5: 1:22:Monthly Paycheck : : 0.00: 1,200.00: : 6: 1:28:Ex-Wife : 12: 952.45: 0.00: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Total uncleared payments received ............................$ 13,200.34 3. Total uncleared payments paid.................................$ -10,778.86 4. Adjusted Checking Account Statement ..........................$ 8,264.44 5. Check Register Balance .......................................$ 3,421.48 6. Difference * Bank Statement & Check Register * ...............$ 4,842.96 Note that items 4 & 5 should agree ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-1 APPENDIX F Sample Account Distribution Statement Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 Account Distribution Statement For January, 1984 Page 1 Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank TXN #: Payee/Payor :ACT #: Amount : Account Name -----:------------------------------:-----:--------------:--------------------- 1:Big John's Auto Repair : 2 : 89.95:Automobile 2:Department of the Interior : 5 : -12,000.34:Free Lance Work 3:Roger Holler Honda : 2 : 8,983.25:Automobile 4:Happy Man Mortgage Company : 1 : 753.21:House 5:Monthly Paycheck : 4 : -1,200.00:Pay Check 6:Ex-Wife : 3 : 952.45:Misc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-1 APPENDIX G Sample Schedule of Accounts Statement Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * * * Schedule of Accounts * * * ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 U.S. Postage 19 Salary - MMK 2 Food/Beverage 20 Bonuses 3 Office Supplies 21 Contracted Labor 4 Printing/Duplication 22 Royalties 5 Utilities 23 Loans 6 Bank Charges 24 Interest 7 Computer Hardware 25 Miscellaneous 8 Computer Software 26 9 Furniture & Fixtures 27 Computer Maintenance 10 Vehicles 28 11 Gasoline/Oil 29 Taxes 12 Publications 30 13 Legal 31 The Business Division 14 Accounting 32 COMPUSOL, Inc. 15 Timeshare Services 33 Misc. Service 16 Inventory 34 Misc. Sales 17 Medical Benefits 35 Direct Sales 18 Salary - DAK 36 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G-1 APPENDIX H Sample Payee/Payor Listing Statement Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 * * * Payee/Payor Listing Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern Bell Georgia Power Utilities Utilities Postmaster CITIBANK Miscellaneous Loans Anytown National Bank Charges ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- H-1 APPENDIX I Sample Address Listing Statement Printout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03-13-1986 * * * Address Listing Maxi Cras Demo Data 123-45-6789 Maxi Cras Data Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exador, Inc. NEBS Computer Forms 981 Courtenay Drive 12 South Street Atlanta, GA 30306 Townsend, MA 01469 Anytown National Suite 700 123 Main Street Atlanta, GA 30346 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-1 APPENDIX J Configuring Maxi C.R.A.S. for use with a Hard Disk Hard disk owners follow slightly different procedures than floppy disk users when configuring Maxi C.R.A.S. for their computer. Instead of residing on a separate execution disk, Maxi C.R.A.S. is transferred to the hard disk drive. The data that Maxi C.R.A.S. creates can also be stored on the hard disk. COPYING MAXI C.R.A.S. TO THE HARD DISK Put the MSDOS 2.0 (or higher) master disk in Drive A. If MSDOS isn't already present on the hard disk, put it there. There are a variety of ways to do this outlined in the literature supplied with your computer or hard disk, and you may wish to choose carefully the approach best suited to you. However, if you are in a hurry, simply type: C O P Y * . * C : ENTER When A> reappears, the contents of the MSDOS disk will have been copied to the hard disk. Next, copy Maxi C.R.A.S. to the hard disk. Type C: ENTER. When C> appears, replace the MSDOS disk (in Drive A) with the Maxi C.R.A.S. distribution disk and type: C O P Y A : * . * C : ENTER After a minute or so, C> will reappear. Type: I N S T A L L ENTER and follow the instructions found on page 2-3 under "CONFIGURING MAXI C.R.A.S. FOR YOUR SYSTEM." NOTES ON USING THE HARD DISK DRIVE Although the hard disk is extremely reliable, it is nevertheless an excellent idea to make backup copies of the Maxi C.R.A.S. data files on floppy disks. This will avert total disaster should your hard disk ever lose its contents. J-1