Why ACT Export to CSV is very Slow?

[Aashath]

Hi ACT! Guys, This happens When i am trying to export my ACT! contacts [nearly 500K ] to a CSV file it becomes very slow and when the Total record size increases export time is not Propositional. Why is it so ? . is there a way i can speedup my process. Thanks Aashath eGrabber Inc,

[GLComputing]

It's probably the system running out of resources... I'd try one of the addons like Exporter from www.jltechnical.com

[uztemps]

hmmm....not sure about that, but maybe you can help me?  i am trying to export my act database fields into excel (.txt) ---- i am having trouble getting the ACT notes to transfer.  all other fields export OK.  how do i get those notes to export into excel??  HELP PLEASE!!

[uztemps]

so were you able to completely convert to a CSV?  notes and all?

Thanks

LSI Temporary Services LLC

[GLComputing]

The ACT! Exporter from www.jltechnical.com is the best way to get Notes (or other sub-tables.

ACT! will only export Contact fields

[linehanpc]

No, this is really not the answer. I have been an ACT! user for a decade and longer. For the past several months I have been trying to export ACT! 2008 database info (contacts, notes, histories, etc) to various other major software databases (Timeslips, AbacusLaw, Amicus Attorney, etc). I have paid hundreds and even thousands of dollars in this endeavor. I have used the services of exporter companies as listed in this thread's prior emails. I have tried exporting to csv, csv-flat, dbt, dbf, etc etc. All attempts to export ACT! 2008 to any other "outside" database program has been met with utter failure. All the other software companies who have been involved report the same: there are so many hidden codes, locks, etc buried with ACT! by ACT! that any attempts to successfully export/import ACT! 2008 database will simply not work. The only viable means to do so, all agreed, is to plug and crank individual contact data, notes, histories, appointments from ACT! 2008 into your chosen new database program. Long story short and to paraphrase Michael Corleone in Godfather III, "once you are in ACT! and you try to get out of ACT!, WHAM!!!, they drag you right back in!" Thus if you and your company have chosen ACT! as your database, good luck. If you ever want to change or move to another, you can't. You are literally physically stuck with ACT!

[GLComputing]

linehanpc, the ACT! Exporter from JL Technical will get ALL the data out of ACT!...

One issue with things like Notes and Histories (or even some fields like Memos and Pictures) is that they can't be stored in CSV as you can have commas and quotes in the data which will make the CSV useless.

This is why JL Technical also export to Excel and Access so this data is usable.

I know the guys at www.crmaddon.com are also working on an Exporter that if you send them an email they might let you test a version of.

[linehanpc]

Uh, no, read again as that is not what I said. Yes one can use "JL Technical will get ALL the data out of ACT...." But so what? Due to internal codings etc that are buried in exported ACT! data, that export date file is useless in being able to be imported into another database program.
Don't believe me? Call and ask Linda K. at JL Technical; she and I spent a week trying to import the exported ACT! into another database without success.
I am presently involved with once again another database company to see if the ACT! export data can be imported into their program; so far...not possible.
As noted, sure ACT! will let you export its data, but the file you receive is so full of hidden and proprietary codings that being able to successfully import that data into another database program is impossible. (Save and except for manually plugging and cranking each individual piece of datum into the next database).

In a discussion with ACT! tech support this past year while attempting to do an such an transfer of ACT! database contact/notes/histories to another database program, the tech support did not explain "how" this could be done, but only asked "why" I would want to leave ACT! for another program? After more discussion ACT! tech support finally stated that there was "no way" the entire ACT! database could be successfully imported into another database program as ACT! was not designed to permit that.

As noted, once you are in ACT! you are in for good; there is no way out.

[GLComputing]

That can also depend on the requirements of the program you are trying to import the data into... if Linda didn't know that application well enough, that would also explain the issue.

How long ago did you speak to Linda and to what application ... I might have a chat to her and if it was a while ago, will need to remind her. I know Linda and she might be able to explain the issue she had to me

ACT! Tech Support would only know what's built into the program, and not many apps with the amount of linked data can export everything to a generic format.

We have written 2-way links from ACT! to other applications for specific clients.

Handheld Contact does this with Contacts, Notes, Histories and Activities to link to Blackberry and Windows Mobiles smart phones.

[linehanpc]

Just this past week; she was as frustrated as I was and am. Tell her I am still trying and will be contacting her soon to let her know latest results.

As noted I am preparing to attempt to upload her ACT! export into a completely new and different database program and will be discussing with her and the new company the results there as well. However the new company's tech dept has already stated based on their own familiarity with ACT! and its hidden codes and attmepts to do same they did not think it would be possible with their program either.

It is interesting to note that while ACT! 2008 professes ease of "export", I have yet to find anyone who was able to "import" that ACT! 2008 export file (contacts/notes/histories) into another database program successfully: i.e., without the need to import only contact minus notes and histories or without the need to manually plug and crank the data in a tedious manual one to one transfer.