Act! acting as server and tracts pc

[Alex818]

I updated my Act! to 10.0.2.191 today and have 2 questions/problems:

1) My internet security suite gives messages saying Act! is trying to act as server and monitor what I do on computer, Act could also be tracking what I do on my computer. If I click the "deny" button, Act! hangs. What is this tracking/monitoring thing about?

2) I have been trying for hours to import contact info into Act! My current database has about 200 contacts but none of them has email addresses. The email addresses are in a different email program. I have been able to put the email addresses on Excel, and save them in both Tab-delimited text file and comma-delimited file. However, I've tried several hours and imported many times--all failed. The email addresses just can't be imported. Please help!!

[GLComputing · Accepted solution]

You needed to look at the link I posted a couple of posts back... it covers how to just fill the empty fields in matching records in an import

[GLComputing]

1. Part of ACT! (SQL Server) is supposed to be running a server. You should always allow this

2. Export the addresses to a text file, bring them into Excel, combine them with the other data to a single sheet, then export them to CSV or TXT. Then import this into ACT!

[Alex818]

I went through the steps but Act! still won't import email addresses. I really do not want to manually copy-and-paste 200 email addresses. What am I doing wrong?? Help!!

[GLComputing]

You have a single file with all the details for each contact and the contacts are not already in the database you're importing to?

Then, follow the steps listed at this ACT! Knowledge Base article - http://tinyurl.com/3l6xeo

In item 10 - make sure the email field is correctly mapped.

[Alex818]

The text file from the address book of my email client contains only city and email address (only very few have first and last names; the first and last names are stored in Act!). In my Act! database, all the city fields are filled out. I have been trying to link the two by  mapping "city" to "city". Apparently this doesn's work??? If not, is my only option manually copy-and-paste the 200 addresses??

My computer won't let me go to tinyurl.com. I don't know why. I've added the URL to my internet security program and have sent the company an email to find out.... Doesn't seem like my day for computer work.... 

[Alex818]

I have just tried to import again with the internet security suite shut down--still no luck. Help!!!

[GLComputing]

Maybe try this link?

ACT! isn't good at importing to contacts already loaded, but if the fields are all blank, the link above would normally work.

But, if you don't have the names in the import file, how can you expect them to be matched up when you import them?

Maybe export the ACT! database to a CSV file, combing that with the address file in Excel, then use the link in this post to fill the empty email address fields.

[Alex818]

I guess I conceptualize importing data into Act! as joining two tables using a primary key in a relational database. Thus, even though I do not have names (first name and last name) in the tab-delimited table, the field "City" is there and I wanted Act! to match City with city. Maybe my conceptualization of importing to Act! is incorrect? Anyway, I am going to try exporting Act! to a CSV.... and see what happens. Back in a few minutes.

[GLComputing]

You can change the Duplicate setting on the database to City... but this would only work if you don't have more than one contact in any city

[Alex818]

Yay! The new table got imported!!  The bad news is most of the City now have 2 records in Act!--one has phone number and street address, the other has email address. I am at my wit's end and decide to just go through the records one by one, manually combining the two and then delete one of them. I've spent about 9 hours today doing nothing but trying to get this database together. Now the end is in sight....

Thank you very much for your help. I really appreciate it!