Contact-Pratique FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

• I can't use the software, a red message indicates: "Microsoft has blocked macros from running because the source of this file is untrusted". What to do?

  This is a security feature of Office that blocks macros from files originating from the Internet.

  However, you can easily unblock the file in a few clicks:

  Close the file, right-click on the file > Properties > Check "Unblock," confirm, and then reopen the file.

• I cannot use the software, I am stuck on a sheet where it is written: "The activation of macros is essential to be able to use this application". What to do?

  This means that the macros (which are essential to the operation of the application) have not been activated.

  To be able to use this application, start by activating the macros in your Excel options and then restart Excel.

  You will find on the following page useful information for activating macros:
  www.excel-pratique.com/en/vba_tricks/enable-excel-macros

• How many contacts can be entered at most?

  You can enter up to 65,000 contacts in the full version (20 with the free trial version).

• I already have a large contact base. Is there a solution to avoid having to enter all my contacts one by one?

  The full versions allow the display of the sheet where all the contacts are stored (although to avoid any risk of error, it would be preferable to enter them via the Contact-Pratique window).

  It is therefore possible to copy/paste your contact data in bulk (at your own risk).

  How to display the sheet:

  Right click on the sheet tab > Unhide > BD > OK.The "BD" sheet is now displayed: Remember to hide this sheet once the copy is completed.

  Copy:

  Before copying/pasting your data, start by adding/modifying groups from the Contact-Pratique window and then enter 2 or 3 contacts to have an example of filling in the database sheet.

  Then create a backup copy (for safety) and copy/paste your contacts into the database, making sure to respect the columns, enter the group for each of your contacts and not to leave empty lines between contacts.

• Can I change the field names?

  The 3 fields "Special 1", "Special 2" and "Special 3" can be renamed according to your needs. To do this, simply click on the field name to rename it: Note: to modify more fields, the full version with VBA access and a minimum of VBA knowledge are required.

• How many groups can be created at most?

  You can create as many groups as needed.

• How to delete a group?

  The group is a mandatory field. For this reason, when you want to delete a group, you have to transfer the contacts from this group to another group.

  To delete a group containing contacts, modify this group by giving it the name of an existing group. In this way, the contacts will be transferred to the new group and the old group will be deleted.

  To delete a group that contains no contacts, modify this group by giving it the name of any other existing group.

• When I save data, the background of the window changes color for a second, what does that mean?

  This is a recording confirmation.

  The traditional window that informs you that the data has been recorded has been replaced here by a visual indicator to avoid having to close a window at each recording.

  Note that you do not need to wait for this indicator to disappear to continue using the application.

• How to simply erase the contents of the search fields?

  Just double click on "Search" or on the magnifying glass symbol.

• What is the "@" icon for that appears next to the email address field?

  This icon appears when the field contains an email address (clicking on this icon opens an Outlook window, provided you have this software).

• How to recover data entered in the trial version after purchasing the full version?

  At the first start of the full version, the application will automatically offer to recover all the data that you had already entered in the trial version (optional). Importing these data only takes a few seconds.

• Is the VBA password provided in case of purchase?

  Yes, provided you choose the full version WITH access to the VBA code.

• How to rename a field from the VBA editor?

  The version of Contact-Pratique WITH access to the VBA code (and only this version), allows you to access the source of the application and modify (at your own risk) the application.

  To rename a field:

  • open the VBA editor (Alt + F11)
  • access the "Contact_Pratique_FULL_VBA" project by entering the password obtained when purchasing
  • display the "UserForm_contacts" UserForm
  • select the label to rename
  • and modify its "Caption" property (if this window is not visible, press F4)

  

• Can several users work simultaneously on the same Excel workbook?

  The possibilities of using the Excel workbook are the same as with any other Excel workbook.

  Only one person can work on the workbook and save the changes. If another user tries to open the file while it is already open elsewhere, the file will be opened in read-only mode (the user will therefore have access to the data but will not be able to modify the file).

• Can this application be used online?

  No, you need a Windows version of Excel to use this application. The online version of Excel is limited and incompatible with VBA macros, making it unusable with this application.

  If you are looking for a contact management application that can be used online (and potentially by multiple users), we recommend the Google Sheets application Sheets-Contact.

• What are the usage restrictions of this application?

  See the terms of use of the application ...

• Is it possible to get the invoice for this purchase?

  Yes, an invoice is automatically issued at the time of purchase (the link to this invoice is indicated in the purchase confirmation email).

• How much does this application cost?

  The prices are displayed on the purchase page (accessible by clicking "Buy" in the right-hand menu).

• How many licenses do I need?

  You need one license per file (excluding backup copies).

  For example, for 2 branches that would each need a contact management file, 2 licenses are required (a license is valid for one single file).

• Is it possible to move the Excel file to another computer?

  Yes, you can move the Excel file of this application to another computer (as long as it has a compatible version of Excel).

  This will not pose a license problem as long as you only use one file of this application per license purchased.

• What is the difference between the version without VBA access and the version with VBA access?

  Both versions are complete and have identical features.

  The only difference between the 2 versions is that the version with VBA access allows you to access the VBA code of the application.

  This can allow you in particular:

  • to modify the VBA code and/or the UserForms and controls
  • to have access to add your own macros
  • to access the VBA code to try to understand the operation of the application (the VBA code of this version is indented and contains some comments in English, however the names of the variables, functions and procedures are in French, as the software was originally developed in French)
  • etc.

  Note that if you are the end user of this application and you did not know what VBA access was, it is likely that the standard version (without VBA access) is the version more suitable for your use.

• Is the application compatible with Mac or LibreOffice, OpenOffice?

  No, this application is compatible only with versions of Excel for Windows.