Troubleshooting: the messages you might see and what to do

"Database is locked"

Another program has the file open. Usually it is a second copy of AcboBooks on the same PC, or the same file opened on two PCs over a shared drive. Close the other copy. If AcboBooks was force-closed, or the PC lost power, a stale lock file can remain beside the company file: with AcboBooks closed, delete YourCompany.acbo-journal and YourCompany.acbo.lock if they exist, then open again. Never delete the .acbo file itself. For two people on two PCs, use hosting, not a shared drive.

"Out of balance" or a transaction will not save

A journal entry must have equal debits and credits; the form shows the difference at the bottom. Fix the line amounts or add the missing line. AcboBooks refuses to save an unbalanced entry, by design. If the home screen says the books are out of balance, run Company → Verify Data: it lists the specific transaction and lines at fault and offers to repair orphaned lines. That state only arises from an interrupted write, and the automatic backups cover the moment before it.

A file that will not open

• "Company file not found." It was moved or renamed. Search Windows for *.acbo, then use Open Company to point at its new location.
• Opens but shows an older version of the books. You opened a backup copy from the Backups folder, or a sync conflict copy. Check the path in Company Settings.
• "Not a valid company file." The file is damaged, most often by a sync service copying it mid-write. Restore the most recent backup.
• Opens very slowly from a network drive. Copy it to the local disk; use hosting for sharing.

"That period is closed"

The transaction is dated on or before the closing date. If the change is legitimate, an administrator moves the closing date back under Company → Company Settings, you make the change, and the date goes forward again. The audit log records all three steps. If the change is to a filed period, talk to your accountant first; usually the right fix is a dated adjustment in the current period, not a change to the past.

A bank line is missing or doubled

• Missing after import. It was already imported earlier (same bank transaction ID) and is either matched or in the ignored list. Banking → Bank Feeds → Show ignored.
• Doubled in the register. A line was added from the feed when the payment or deposit was already entered. Delete the added one from Activities → Transactions and match the feed line instead.
• Match not suggested. The amount or date differs. Enter the transaction as the bank shows it, or if it is a bank fee netted from a deposit, record the fee as its own line.

Reset the sample company

The practice file is rebuilt from scratch every time you choose Open the sample company on the welcome screen. Anything you entered into it is discarded, which is the point. It never counts toward the trial's transaction limit.

Updating AcboBooks

When a newer version is available, a banner in the app links to the download. Close the company, run the new installer over the old one (or replace the portable folder), and open the file again. Company files are upgraded automatically on first open by a newer version, after an automatic backup, and remain readable by that version onward. The current version is 0.1.0; see the release notes.

What to send support

Email [email protected] with three things: what you were doing, what you expected, and what happened, with the exact text of any message. A screenshot of the message is ideal. Tell us the AcboBooks version (Help → About) and whether the file is hosted. Never send your company file, your encrypted backup password, or your sign-in password. If we need more than a description, we will say exactly what to send and how. Licence holders are answered first; everyone is answered within one business day.