It is time to get rid of CounterPoint 7

I want to emphasize that I still work with customers who are running CounterPoint 7, and if you need help I'll try to help you. I am making money off the situations when I help CounterPoint 7 customers, and this is my business. But this is becoming increasingly challenging, which is why I wrote the following message.

Although it was a great program for its time, that time has passed. You got your money's worth out of your investment, because you couldn't have bought it less than ten years ago.

The fact is, if it crashes today the odds of getting it to work again and still have your data is slim.

The last three times I've tried to help orphan clients get their CounterPoint 7 systems running again have been little short of disastrous, with businesses at a standstill for days or weeks.

You system is probably running on old hardware, and every hard drive has a finite life.

Tape backups can fail, so if you're still using tapes you need to test those backups. The survival of your business may depend on it. Assuming that your backups are good is a dangerous thing to do.

Do not cherry pick when you're making backups. Backup EVERYTHING including the top-level directory (usually named syn, syn75 or something similar). I will be happy to connect to your computer and help you identify the files you need. Unless you are extremely proficient at restoring and rebuilding crashed computer systems, do not try to guess about this.

Installing or reinstalling CounterPoint 7 is very difficult because sometimes obsolete hardware, software and operating system requirements cannot be met. If you're using a Novell Netware server, then you're also probably using the Btrieve database engine, which is obsolete. Simply finding a technician who is still actively working an proficient with Netware and Btrieve is difficult, as there are only a few still in business in this country.

It can be especially disastrous if you don't have your registration information, because nobody on this planet can generate a new registration code for you. Unless you already have a registration code for a newer version of CP you are stuck forever on the version you're currently using.

Before Radiant/Synchronics stopped upgrading existing Counterpoint 7 systems, they generated new registration codes for existing users for version 7.5.20.  You'll need to contact an NCR dealer to get that code. The reason for this is that in order to upgrade to CPSQL and migrate your existing data, you must first upgrade to 7.5.20. If your system is customized you will probably lose some or all of your data unless the person who customized your Counterpoint version is still in business.

For now, get on your System Registration screen right now and hit Ctrl-P to print that screen. Look at the printout and verify that it is complete, then put the printout in a safe. If you have a Windows system you should also do whatever you can to try to find and save the Pervasive software registration keys. Many times those were copied by default to floppy disks.

Start shopping now for a replacement while your data files are still intact. Most data can be transferred to a new system, or at least left on the old system running in a back room for occasional reference.

It's likely that the new computer system will be completely deductible under Section 179 of the tax code. Check with your tax advisor.

Please act today and start searching for new software.

Read my original page about CounterPoint 7, which is still accurate, here.

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