This article explains how to remove old, empty folders from the DMS database in order to enhance program performance.
- The process is organized in the folder templates window of DMS. There, you create a master "map" of all the folders in your database and then delete any that are too old.
- It's recommended to keep only the current tax year folder and the two prior tax year folders in the folder template.
Before You Begin
- Make sure your DMS version is up to date.
- Go to Tools and click Internet Updates to update your program.
- Make sure you have a current backup of your DMS database. See Backing up a DMS database before a repair
- Make sure all users are out of DMS.
- It's recommended to run DMS locally from the computer where the DMS database resides.
- Network users should run DMS on the server.
How to remove old, empty folders from DMS
The following steps won't result in data loss. DMS will never delete a folder where files reside.
- If at any point you encounter any database errors when completing the steps in this article, exit the program and see Running DMS database repair utility DBRepair.
Step 1: Identify tax year folders
Use the Archive feature to identify all prior Tax Year folders.
- Open DMS.
- Click on the File menu.
- Select Archive.
- Click No when prompted to run the Database Maintenance tool.
- After selecting Yes to get to the Archive DMS Folders to... window, click the Collapse button to see how far back the list of tax year folders goes.
Once you've noted the complete list, click Cancel to close the window.
Step 2: Add prior tax year folders to your folder templates
- Click on the Tools menu.
- Select Options.
- In the DMS Options window, click the Folder Templates tab at the top.
- Note the years listed in the template.
Add TY folders to Folder Templates until it matches the list of TY folders in the archive window. Based on this example, you'll need to add folders going back to TY03.
- Mark NO to Do you want to apply changes to ALL clients?
- In the Subfolders to create for new clients, click the top item listed which is Client.
- Click the Add button, this will create a folder titled New Folder.
- Rename this folder to be the next TY folder that should be listed in your Folder Template.
Example: In this image we will name it TY15.
- Click on the top level folder named Client once again and repeat these steps until all of the folders needed match what is listed in the archive window.
Example: In this image we will add TY15 going back all the way to TY03.
Note: It is not necessary to add the subfolders to each TY folder. We only need the top level TY folders.
- Before clicking anything else, verify that Do you want to apply changes to ALL clients? is set to NO.
- Click OK.
The following dialogue box will be displayed.
- Click Continue to add the folder templates.
Note: This process should go fairly fast. Once the window closes the process is complete.
Step 3: Remove Prior Tax Years Folders
- Click Continue to add the folder templates. Note: This process should go fairly fast. Once the window closes the process is complete.
- From the Tools menu, select Options.
- Select Folder Templates. This time verify Do you want to apply changes to ALL clients? is set to YES.
- Click on the oldest folder listed in the Folder Templates (In our example it is TY19).
- Click the Delete button.
- Select Yes on the warning message.
- DMS will not delete any folders if files exist inside of them.
- Continue removing prior year tax year folders until you are left with the current tax year and the two prior as shown below.
- Once you are finished removing folders click the OK button to continue.
- The following dialogue box will be displayed.
- Click Continue and the folder removal process will begin. Note: Once you click Continue it will take a considerable amount of time.
- Once it completes it is important to run DBRepair to clean up the database. Performance improvement will not take place until after DBRepair has ran. Follow this link for directions to run DBRepair: DMS Database Maintenance
- Once DBRepair has completed all users can go back into the program.
Closing notes:
After following the steps provided an added step should be followed when creating the new tax year folder to the folder template.
The oldest tax year folder should be removed from the folder template. When this folder is removed please verify that Do you want to apply changes to ALL clients? is set to YES.
This will keep the DMS database from getting cluttered with empty folders moving forward.
