Helpful Tips

Helpful Tips:
  • Some basic information
    • To create a new account, tap on the three dots on the top right, then tap on the New Account menu item.
    • Most of the screens in the application have long-press options, which is the equivalent to a right-click on a computer mouse.

  • How to Export Data
Here are some detailed instructions on how to manually  transfer the application's data from a mobile device to use as a backup of the application's database, or to export the data to a file you can use with Microsoft Excel.
    • These files can also be sent to your email address or saved on your Google Drive or DropBox storage via your mobile device's file browser, or from your computer after transferring the files to your computer.

    • There are two different ways to upload the checkbook register data to your computer (only copying the database file provides a way to copy or move the data from one mobile device onto your another device).
1) Backup the Checkbook Register application's database, that is on your old phone/device or SD-card, using the database file backup from within the Checkbook Register application's app settings.
However, if you are unable to open the Checkbook Register application on your old phone/device, you can just copy the database file from your old phone/device or SD-card.

2) Export the Checkbook Register application's data to a .CSV file that can be opened and used with Microsoft Excel.

We suggest doing both periodically and also when changing or upgrading your phone/device.

Below are some detailed information on how to do both.

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1)  Backup the Checkbook Register application's database
You can back up the Checkbook Register database through the settings option from the main starting screen menu. 
(**** If you are unable to open the  Checkbook Register application on your old phone/device, please skip to step 1-d.1 below. ****)

a) In the Accounts list screen, open the menu select Settings
b) select 'Database Maintenance'
c) click the 'Database Backup' button.
A database file will be created in a folder on your phone/device called 'safeChkRegDB.db'.
It will usually(some manufacturers don't follow the conventional folder structure)  be created in the 'sdcard0\safeChkRegDB\backup' folder.
You will need a file explorer program to access the files and folders on your phone, if your phone/device doesn't already have a file explorer program installed.  
We use the program AndroZip, available for free from the Android Market.

d) Open the folder 'safeChkRegDB', and then open the 'backup' folder.
You will see the file called 'safeChkRegDB.db'.

    d.1)  If you are unable to open the  Checkbook Register application on your old phone/device, use the database file from the application's root folder instead, the 'sdcard0\safeChkRegDB\safeChkRegDB.db' file.

e) You can email yourself this file, and/or save it onto your computer.
f) After upgrading your phone, first install the Checkbook Register application, and then open the Checkbook Register application once, and then close it.
g) Transfer your data into your new phone/device, depending on how you backed it up:
     g.1) Connect to your computer to transfer(or copy) the database file from your computer onto your new phone/device,
     g.2) Or, download the database file from your email, depending on how and where you saved it, onto your new phone/device.

h) Paste the file in the  'sdcard0\safeChkRegDB' folder. Copy over(replace) the existing 'safeChkRegDB.db file.

i) Open the application and your data should all be there now. 

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2)  Export the Checkbook Register application's data
Instructions on how to export your data to a .CSV file, which can be viewed using Microsoft Excel.

*** This method doesn't give you the option to import the data into the Checkbook Register Application after you upgrade your phone/device. Currently there is no support for importing data, so periodically backing up the database file is highly recommended.

It is useful to export your data to a CSV file, so that you can have access to the data on your computer, which you can use with Microsoft Excel for a detailed history of your accounts.
To export your data data, 
a) Select one of your accounts to open the transaction entry list screen.  
b) Open the menu
c) Select 'More', then 'Export Register Table'.
The export will be created as a .CSV file on your phone/device in the 'safeChkRegDB\exports\<current date>\checkentries.csv'.

Also, it doesn't really matter which account you choose to use for exporting, because the export currently always exports the data for all of your accounts.

You can also export your category and payees data, which each have to be done separately.

This is done by
a) selecting the payee or category tab after opening the app
b) open the menu
c) select export Payee/Category table
The export will be created as a .CSV file on your phone/device in the 'safeChkRegDB\exports\<current date>\mypayeestable.csv', or the 'safeChkRegDB\exports\<current date>\mycategorytable.csv'.

And that's it.  We are planning on making this much more simple in the next version of this application.
  • How to create a transfer transaction
You create transfers in the new or edit transaction screen. Enter the destination account as the payee, and optionally enter ACCOUNT TRANSFER as the category to make it easy to find and track transfers.

When you create a new account, a payee is created using the name of the new account and the word TRANSFER at the end.

For example, if you created a new account called Rainy Day Savings, a new payee would be created called Rainy Day Savings TRANSFER.

If you create an Expense transaction to the Rainy Day Savings TRANSFER, from an account called Checking, an income transaction would be created in the Rainy Day Savings account from the Checking account, using Checking TRANSFER as the payee.

  • How to clear a single transaction entry(or set it back to not-cleared). 


    • "On a single transaction in the transaction list for an account, long-press on the transaction, and the options to set the transaction as cleared or not-cleared will be displayed."
    • Long-press Options on Transaction Entry List Items

4 comments:

  1. Thx u for this. extremely helpful.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. I'm having an issue with this app for the very first time and I've been using this app for many years. When I scroll the app goes ballistic. Don't know if it heads to do with the fact that my phone got the new marshmallow update. Is this check register app compatible? Any feed back would be great!

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  4. I wish I could simply void a check on the payee list.
    After export I print my register and I cannot show where a voided check occurred. Or I cancel a check after mailing it and cannot account for that check number on my print.
    I need to show my partners accountability for every check number.

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