Can't export a lookup to another Act! DB

[mcm58]

This has been annoying me for years on various databases & customers. I want to restore some accidently deleted contacts so I do a lookup in a database in a good DB & go to export the lookup to the bad DB. I get to step 4 but there is no list of fields to map, just 99999 of 99999 showing in the record selector. Click Reset & I get the good old Object Reference not set error. Does anyone how to get this function to work? I am currently working on a customers v17.0 Premium DB & it would have saved a lot of time to be able to export a lookup of contacts.

[Scott Baker]

mcm58,

Thank you for submitting your post. The experience you are having with exporting contacts from a Lookup may be resolved by checking out our Knowledgebase at http://kb.act.com .

Below is a link for a Knowledgebase Article that may assist you with this issue:

1. 14010 How to Export Data From One ACT! Database To Another - http://kb.swiftpage.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14010

Customize your columns before running the export. I have included the link to the knowledgebase article to customize the columns: http://kb.swiftpage.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/13897

[mcm58]

Thanks for your reply Scott, but I am still in the dark. On page 3 of the wizard are 3 options for exporting contacts: Current Contact, Current Lookup, All Contacts. If I choose the 1st or 3rd option, page 4 displays the columns to be mapped correctly. If I choose to export a Lookup of contacts, the field mapping window does not populate. i.e. it is blank so there are no fields to map.

I should have mentioned in my first post that the two DBs I am working with have identical structures. In this particular case the "good" DB is a RestoredAs copy of a remote DB that I am using to restore contacts accidently deleted from the parent DB.

[Scott Baker]

mcm58,

Are both Databases Act! v17? Have you been able to export from this database before? Can you export into an empty database or another database?

[mcm58]

Sure. Image attached of stage4 of the wizard. On the previous page I have selected to export contacts & the current lookup.

Both DBs are v17.0. To get the job done I have taken a backup of a "good" remote database and made two copies using Restore As on the server holding the parent DB. So all DB's are the same version & have the same fields etc.

NB: This is just the most recent example. I can't recall when I was last able to export a Lookup of contacts in any version of Act! on any anyone's computer. i.e. it is not site or version specific. So there is either a bug that everyone else would also be posting about, or else I am missing a vital step when trying to use the Lookup option to export from one Act! DB to another.

Export pg4.jpg ‏49 KB

[Scott Baker]

mcm58,

At this point, I would like to refer you to Swiftpage Support for some troubleshooting and diagnosis the issue. Their number is 877-578-7876. Keep in mind, an active support plan will be necessary to recieve assistance.

[mcm58]

Hi Scott.  Have you been able to replicate the problem? I am a ACC advising about a problem that I have consistently experienced across various Act! versions on multiple customer sites.  So I am suggesting that it is either a longstanding bug or there is a fundamental step that must be done to get the field lists in stage 4 to display as they should.  i.e. the option to export a Lookup of contacts is a menu item, so it should work. Using this forum is I hope one way of elevating it to Swiftpage Support/Development.

[Scott Baker]

I was unable to replicate the issue with Act! v17 and dont have documentation of this issue in the Knowledgebase.

[mcm58]

How big were the DBs you were testing in?  If I do a lookup in my own DB (total contacts = 3169) & export to the 2015Demo DB (201 contacts) it works fine.  But if I do a lookup in the 2015Demo DB & try to export to my own DB I get the error.  I suspect there is a problem exporting to DBs over a certain size.

[dshaw111]

Have you tried doing a 'Clear' or 'Reset' of the mapping?