Contact Plus Pro


Frequently Asked Questions

Upgrade/Purchasing Questions

  1. What are the differences between Contact Plus Personal and Contact Plus Professional?
  2. What are the differences between Contact Plus LAN 32 and Contact Plus Professional?
  3. I have data in a previous version of Contact Plus. Will the new Professional version be able to use it?
  4. I have a previous version of Contact Plus. What is the upgrade price?

    Feature Questions

  5. Is Contact Plus Professional a multi-user product?
  6. We need to be able to keep certain databases private from certain users. What kinds of security features are there in Contact Plus Professional?
  7. Our company has an outside sales force using notebook computers. How can the outside reps be kept up to date with the inside sales reps or main office?
  8. How can I get updates to Contact Plus Professional?
  9. Is there a demo version I can try out?
  10. How can I be reminded of my things to do for the day?
  11. How do I list my contacts at the same company in order? I have several contacts at the same company but with different last names.
  12. How do I print an address book?
  13. How do I open a new database?
  14. How do I delete a database?
  15. How do I print my calendar for today?
  16. How do I move contacts between databases?
  17. How do I set up my net dir in my Contact Plus Professional? Where is this setting?
  18. What are *.net and *.lck files?
  19. Should I place Contact Plus into my startup group?
  20. Can I place an icon for Contact Plus LAN on my Windows 95/98/NT Desktop?
  21. How do I filter on events?
  22. Why can't I use Corel WordPerfect or Microsoft Word mail merge codes?
  23. How do I print a sheet of labels?
  24. How do I export information for another application?
  25. How do I print a profile report?
  26. How do I move my form letters?
  27. How do I move my generated letters?
  28. How do I rename my generated letters?
  29. How can I be 100% sure that my backup was successful?
  30. What are special phone prefixes/suffixes for?
  31. What exactly is a filter?
  32. Can I print a list of my filters?
  33. How come my Filter list says "Modified in Database"?
  34. My client machines don't have CD-ROM drives. How do I do the client installation?
  35. How do I transfer data files from one machine to another?
  36. Why can't I use two modem programs at once?
  37. I am using Eudora for my email. How do I get Contact Plus to call it instead of Outlook?
  38. Do you have international versions?
  39. How do I move all not none events to today?
  40. What does Index out of Date mean? What does Record Key Deleted mean? What should I do?
  41. Why should I run repair?
  42. Are your backups PKZIP and WINZIP compatible?
  43. Can I transfer a string field to a number field in Global Update?
  44. I updated several contact's addresses and I noticed my envelopes/labels are printing with the old addresses. What should I do?


  1. What are the differences between Contact Plus Personal and Contact Plus Professional? There are dozens of differences between Contact Plus Personal and Professional including more user fields, sales tracking, a built in word processor, the electronic marketing and mailing assistant (EMMA) to automate routine tasks, and more. A complete list is available on the Features page.
  2. What are the differences between Contact Plus LAN 32 and Contact Plus Professional?
    Contact Plus Professional offers among other things a more sophisticated level of security, interoffice features such as email, broadcast messages, and more. A complete list is available on the Features page.
  3. I have data in a previous version of Contact Plus. Will the new Professional version be able to use it?
    Yes, you can convert your databases easily with the built in Windows conversion program for Contact Plus Personal or Contact Plus LAN 32 databases, or the DOS Conversion for older DOS versions.
  4. I have a previous version of Contact Plus. What is the upgrade price?
    Substantial discounted pricing is available to previous Contact Plus customers. To be eligible for an upgrade price, you must be a registered user of a Contact Plus contact management software product. Contact the Sales Department using the Upgrade Price Request Form.
  5. Is Contact Plus Professional a multi-user product?
     Yes! Contact Plus Professional was conceived and designed as a multi user product from the ground up. You can use Professional as a single user or as a network product depending upon your needs and budget.
  6. We need to be able to keep certain databases private from certain users. What kinds of security features are there in Contact Plus Professional?
     Contact Plus Professional includes a wide variety of security measures to keep your databases private. The System Administrator has complete control over all aspects of the database, including who is able to view a database. In addition you can set up groups of users quickly and easily to create classes of users.
  7. Our company has an outside sales force using notebook computers. How can the outside reps be kept up to date with the inside sales reps or main office?
    Smart Merge Pro, an add on module, is ideal for this situation. With one simple program all the outside sales reps can update the main office with all of the changes they've made while out on the road. And the office can keep them updated with new developments when they're away too. Smart Merge Pro is now available.
  8. How can I get updates to Contact Plus Professional?
    As with any software product there are likely to be interim releases and update patches as time goes on. Updates can be downloaded free from this web site on the Updates page for 12 months after the initial purchase. 
  9. Is there a demo version I can try out? Yes. The demo can be downloaded from the main Professional page.
  10. How can I be reminded of my things to do for the day?
    Use the alarm feature to notify you of your meetings and appointments. In Setup F7 on toolbar I, under Alarm Settings, make sure the alarms are enabled to be able to function. Make sure to specify the amount of lead time before the event that an alarm should notify you. When making an appointment with the Schedule Events F5, also on toolbar I, make sure that the alarm box is checked. You can change the lead time for the alarm if desired. You may also choose to purchase the add-on module Event Plus which can automatically print a list of the items you need to do for today.
  11. How do I list my contacts at the same company in order? I have several contacts at the same company but with different last names.
     Contact Plus will sort your contacts on as many fields as you want. Create an index using 'Company name' as the first field and then 'Last name' as the secondary field on which to sort. This way, all of the contacts at Acme Incorporated will appear in order.
  12. How do I print an address book?
     Choose Reports F1 on toolbar II. Select the Contact Report. Select the detail level and font. Select the destination as printer. Click OK. Select a filter if desired. Click OK.
  13. How do I open a new database?
     From the pull down menu select File|Open database. Select the database and click OK. Or you can double click on the Database name box in the main screen status area.
  14. How do I delete a database?
     From the pull down menu select File|Delete database. Select the database and click OK. This will remove all contacts in that database and any references to that database elsewhere in your data. Note that this action is NOT reversible. Be sure to make a backup of your data first.
  15. How do I print my calendar for today?
    There are three ways to print calendars. Calendar F2 on toolbar I is used to print not done events for today. View Events F4, also on toolbar I, prints a list of events (done, not done) for any time period, including a range of days, by right-clicking in the window and choosing Print Events. The third way is to use the add-on module Event Plus.
  16. How do I move contacts between databases?
    You can copy or move contacts one at a time between databases using the Transfer Contact F2 button on toolbar II. To move groups of contacts you can use Database Utilities, Transfer Contacts. Go to the Contact Plus Pro group on your Start button, and choose Tools and then Database Utilities. Note that everyone must exit Contact Plus first. Also note if you are using Smart Merge you should copy the contact to the new database and then delete it from the old. We do not recommend moving contacts if you are using Smart Merge.
  17. How do I set up my net dir in my Contact Plus Professional? Where is this setting?
     You can set the Shared Network Control Directory by running the utility NET DIR. There is an icon called Net Dir in your Contact Plus Pro group if you installed the System Administrator on the computer. If you didn't, you can find NETDIR.EXE in the CPPRO directory. This program must be run on each client machine, and they all must point to the same location for the Net Dir, like F:\CPPRO\DATA.
  18. What are *.net and *.lck files?
    When Contact Plus Professional is started, a temporary file called PDOXUSRS.NET is created. This file is shared by all the users. If the Shared Network Control Directory is set to different locations on the client machines, Contact Plus Professional will create multiple NET files and not operate correctly. If this occurs, confirm that all the Shared Network Control Directories are identical and delete the PDOXUSRS.NET, PDOXUSRS.LCK and PARADOX.LCK files on all drives, including the local drives and the network drive.
    Similar to the .NET file, PDOXUSRS.LCK and PARADOX.LCK are temporary files that are created in the Shared Network Control Directory.
  19. Should I place Contact Plus into my startup group?
     No. It is not recommended you place Contact Plus Professional in your Startup.
  20. Can I place an icon for Contact Plus Professional on my Desktop?
     Yes. Right-click on the Windows 95/98/NT Desktop. A popup menu should appear. Choose New/Shortcut from that popup menu. In the Command Line, type X:\CPPRO\CPLUS.EXE (where X is your network drive letter) for the Professional version. Click on "Next". In the "Name of the Shortcut" window, type "Contact Plus" or whatever you want to call it. Click on "Finish".
  21. How do I filter on events?
     The same as with contacts. Select Filters F11 on toolbar I and then choose Add. Click on the Field blank and in the pop-up you will see Event and Event Related Fields in the list. Use the fields under these two headings to construct your filter.
  22. Why can't I use Corel WordPerfect or Microsoft Word mail merge codes?
     Contact Plus Professional uses its own merge codes that appear within brackets like {{FirstName}}. If there is a reason you must use Corel WordPerfect or Microsoft Word to do a merge, you can go to the File menu in Contact Plus and use the Export function to create a comma-delimited export file or a dBase file.
  23. How do I print a sheet of labels?
     Select Labels F4 on toolbar II. Select which labels you are using and which address to print, then click on Merge. A series of prompts will guide you through the process. If you want to print a sheet of only one contact's address, then click on Sheet instead of Merge.
  24. How do I export information for another application?
     Contact Plus Professional comes equipped with an export feature. It is accessed from the main menu File|Export. If you want to export only certain contacts, choose a filter first and activate it from Filters F11 on toolbar I. Next, choose File|Export and select the type of file you wish to export (we suggest DBase). Then click on Select Fields to choose which fields to export. Once you've done that, click OK and choose a folder or directory and give it a file name. The file will be created automatically.
  25. How do I print a profile report?
     On the pull down menus, choose File and then Print Contact Profile. Check the items you want to print, then click on Preview. From there simply click on the print icon to print the profile.
  26. How do I move my form letters?
     Use the Windows Explorer to copy and paste the Forms directory to the new desired location. In Contact Plus, go to the Setup Menu, to Global, and then to Form Template Path, and set the path to match the new path, like X:\CPPRO\DATA\FORMS - then click ok. (Make sure the method you use to identify the location, either UNC encoding such as \\SERVER\C\CPPRO etc or mapped drive letters such as X:\CPPRO etc, matches the BDE setting.) Select Quick Letter F6 from toolbar I. Use the Import button on the Add/Edit window to individually add each of the moved files.
  27. How do I move my generated letters?
     Use the Windows Explorer to copy and paste the Letters directory to the new desired location. In Contact Plus, go to the Setup Menu, to Database, and then to Generated Letter Location, and set the path to match the new path, like X:\CPPRO\DATA\LETTERS - then click ok. (Make sure the method you use to identify the location, either UNC encoding such as \\SERVER\C\CPPRO etc or mapped drive letters such as X:\CPPRO etc, matches the BDE setting.)
  28. How do I rename my generated letters?
     You shouldn't rename your existing letters. Contact Plus Professional remembers their names in the contact's history so you can access them later. If the files are renamed, this function will not work properly. However, you can change the way Contact Plus generates letter names in the future, by going to the Setup Menu, to Global, and then to Word Processor and click on the Letter Naming tab.
  29. How can I be 100% sure that my backup was successful?
    It is imperative that the integrity of your backup is intact, otherwise should you need to restore the backup there isn't anything to restore. It is very useful to create a backup file on the hard drive of the network and then copy that file to another computer on the network for safekeeping. Assuming you used Contact Plus' Backup & Restore, there are a few ways to confirm the quality of your backup. If you have WinZip or PKZip for Windows, you can open the zip file that Backup & Restore creates on the disk. Looking inside the file, you can confirm the dates on the .DB files within are recent. We suggest backing up also to multiple external media, such as zip disks or jazz disks, especially for larger data. For example, you might have sets of disks labeled "Odd" and "Even", and each night back up to a different set. That way, if last night's backup was corrupted for whatever reason or maybe the dog chewed it, you have the older backup set. At the very least keep two sets, for odd and even days. Periodically, you should put your backup disks in storage and start over with fresh disks. After all, disks are cheap, your data is not. Alternately, you can define a directory on your network as a drive letter and backup to that directory. Many network users backup the entire hard disk onto tape each night. However you must ensure that your data folder is identified in the backup routine.
  30. What are special phone prefixes/suffixes for?
     The Long Distance Prefix is dialed before a phone number that is outside your local area code. The Long Distance Suffix is dialed after a phone number that is outside your area code. For example, in the Long Distance Prefix, you might have a 1, a credit card number, or perhaps a carrier code. Some carrier codes go after the number, therefore there is the suffix field too. The Local Area Prefix and Local Area Suffix are the same concept, but they are always dialed before/after numbers that are in the same area code as you are. If someone is in the same area code you are in, but is a long distance number, you enter their "exchange" in the Exchanges tab for the special dialing on the "Special" tab in the Phone Dialer setup window. For example, in the phone number "AAA-BBB-CCCC", BBB represents the exchange. You could tell Contact Plus to dial BBB numbers as long distance, even though it's the same area code.
  31. What exactly is a filter?
     A useful way to handle working with a subset of the database is to create filters to locate records within a database that match certain criteria. Criteria includes "like" conditions among records, such as "all records in category H." Filters can be very simple or complex by using a combination of statements. It is handy to create a filter to include certain records in a mail merge or report.
  32. Can I print a list of my filters?
     There is no easy way to print a list of the filters. You could do a print-screen and print them that way, but that will only print the ones that currently appear in the window. If you have more than currently fit onscreen, you will have to scroll down and do it again.
  33. How come my Filter list says "Modified in Database"?
     Filters that use User, Numeric, Money, Date fields or Categories are database specific because those fields may be different from database to database. For example, Categories in my "Sales" database may be different from Categories in my "Leads" database. The "Modified in Database" column lets you know which database the filter was last modified in. If your filters are things like "Everyone in the State of Florida", they will still have a "Modified in Database" but they will work identically in all your databases.
  34. My client machines don't have CD-ROM drives. How do I do the client installation?
     Simply copy the \prodisk folder from the CD-ROM onto the file server. Then go to one of the client machines. Use the Windows Explorer and run the SETUP.EXE that's in the new directory you just made on the server (\PRODISK). Then go to each of the other client machines and run it again.
  35. How do I transfer data files from one machine to another?
    Use the add on module Smart Merge.
  36. Why can't I use two modem programs at once?
     When one program, like a fax product, grabs hold of the modem, the modem is put into a "busy" state that prevents it from being used by other applications. You may need to exit the fax product before another application can use the modem.
  37. I am using Eudora for my email. How do I get Contact Plus to call it instead of Outlook?
     In the Tools menu of Eudora, choose Options. Scroll down to the item called "MAPI". Change "Use Eudora MAPI Server" to "Always". Click on OK.
  38. Do you have international versions?
     Contact Plus Professional has several features that allow international users to customize the product. By going to the Setup menu, to Global, and then to International, you can rename some of the main data entry fields. Also, Contact Plus uses your Windows international settings for decimal places, currency characters, and time/date settings.
  39. How do I move all not none events to today?
     The easiest way to move a group of events in Contact Plus Professional is to use the Month view, found in the Calendar F2 window on toolbar I. You can click on individual items in the window at the bottom, and drag them to other days. You can move multiple events by checking them with the ctrl key held down. However, there is no global reassign to move "all these events to this new date".
  40. What does Index out of Date mean? What does Record Key Deleted mean? What should I do?
    Run the Database Repair program and repair the database. If Index Out of Date or Record Key Deleted continues to appear, check the Updates Page to confirm you have the latest version of Contact Plus Professional. If you do, call Technical Support for more assistance.
  41. Why should I run repair?
     The most common problems that would require a database repair have to do with either the EVENT.DB or CONTACT.DB. If you encounter problems viewing, creating, or changing events, or problems that occur when you go from one contact to the next, run the Database Repair program. Make certain no one is using Contact Plus Professional at the time.
  42. Are your backups PKZIP and WINZIP compatible?
     Yes.
  43. Can I transfer a text field to a number field in Global Update?
     Yes, but only the actual numbers will be transferred. For example, the strings "text1", "1text1", and "text1 text2 text3" will be transferred into numeric fields as "1", "11", and "123" respectively.
  44. I updated several contact's addresses and I noticed my envelopes/labels are printing with the old addresses. What should I do?
    Envelopes and labels use the "Main Address" block under the Address tab for printing. If you have not updated those blocks then the old addresses will still be there. To update the addresses, on the pull down menus choose Setup, then Global, and then Address Formats. Make sure the option "Format main address block when address changes" is checked. Then simply click on the Update button. Make sure the first option, "Update the primary mailing address", is checked, and then select the option "Update all address blocks" and choose Start.

    Have you got a suggestion or question you'd like to see here? Submit questions to cpsupport@contactplus.com

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