Topshare FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Is there a version of Topshare for the Macintosh computer?
I'm having trouble with Auto Update / EOD Price Download / Company database update
How should I configure a firewall?
How many portfolios can Topshare handle?
How do I upgrade from V2 to V3?

Mostly obsolete (apply to V2)

I keep seeing a warning "Old price data for XXX" - why is this?
I've bought a new computer - how do I transfer my existing Topshare database to it?
How do I transfer Topshare data if I don't have a current backup?
I've made a mistake in editing, and now all sorts of things are going wrong. How can I fix it?
How can I enter more decimals in a Topshare entry field?
My Topshare shows the wrong currency symbol - how can I fix it?
Can you explain the difference between the two sources of price data?
How can I ensure the subscription data download works the way I want?
How do I handle the T3 Telstra instalment receipts, with the bonus loyalty share issue?
I'm trying to enter the purchase of a new stock or option, but Topshare doesn't recognise the ASX code
How do I record holdings of managed funds?
I've received an entitlement to some shares or options - how do I record this?
On clicking "Install update", I get an error "The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program"
How do I fix "RI Error (C2)" Startup Alerts?
How do I upgrade from V1 to V2?
Win7 problems with date format [Win7 Localisation problem]
"Database error C8" Alerts
Problems with price data downloads
How do Snapshots work?
Topshare on multiple computers, using "Cloud" services
What's the difference between Owner and Account in Topshare?
How do I enter Interest payments into Topshare?
How do I import data from another program? From a spreadsheet?
I'm setting up Topshare, but I have had a portfolio for many years. Surely I don't have to enter every historical transaction?
I am trying to record a dividend, but the company is not available in the Dividend form. OR, the no of shares shown in the Dividend form is incorrect.
I have a high-resolution display, with Win7 or later, and the Topshare screen and text appear very small

Obsolete (apply only to V1)

I've been entering some trial data into Topshare to test it, and now I want to delete these transactions and start with my real data. What's the easiest way to delete everything?
How do I move my transaction database to a new location?
What's the purpose of the Topshare Utility?
Does Topshare run OK under Vista / Win7?
Topshare is crashing with an error about running out of disk space - yet I have plenty.
I can't print my report. The print button is disabled, and the caption is flashing red.
When I enter a dividend, the number of shares or dividend amount shown seem to be wrong

Is there a version of Topshare for the Macintosh computer?

Yes - you need to run Windows in a "Virtual Machine" on your Macintosh. VirtualBox, from Sun, works well and is free. Once you've set up this "Windows on a Mac" environment, Topshare can be installed and run in the normal way.

I'm having trouble with Auto Update / EOD Price Download / Company database update

OR: How should I configure a firewall?

If you have Windows XP's firewall enabled, or if you are running another firewall program such as Norton Personal Firewall, Sygate, or ZoneAlarm, you must set it up correctly. The default operation of these firewalls is to block any access to the internet by all software. If Topshare is blocked in this way, several Topshare features won't work properly:

With any firewall product, the first time Topshare attempts to contact the internet you'll be asked whether to permit it. You must answer Yes. If you answer No, Topshare will be permanently blocked (you won't be queried next time). If this happens, you'll need to enter the Firewall configuration area to unblock Topshare.

Furthermore, anytime you update to a new Topshare version (either manually or using Topshare's Auto Update feature, the firewall will see this as a new program and you'll be asked again whether to permit access.

The Incredible Charts site has a good section on configuring firewalls in this situation, with explicit examples for each of the common programs.

How many portfolios can Topshare handle?

While there is no absolute limit on the number of portfolios recorded, Topshare is designed for the private investor with a small number of separate portfolios - perhaps one each for a husband and wife, and one for a super fund. Provided you have a fast computer you should not have too much trouble running up to 8-12 portfolios, particularly if they are not transaction-intensive; however, any more will probably result in unacceptably slow performance.

How do I upgrade from V2 to V3?

Please read the section "Converting from Topshare V2" in the Topshare Manual. You will need to install both Topshare V3 and the V2-V3 Converter program and then run the Converter program to update your database to V3 specifications.

I keep seeing a warning "Old price data for XXX" - why is this?

Topshare uses its Stock Prices Database to complete details in a number of reports and charts. In each case, what's actually requested is something like "get the most recent price available in the database, for stock xxx, as at date xxx".

Now, if the most recent price available is actually dated say six months prior to the request, it's probably not very reliable. For this reason you'll be given a warning "Old price data for xxx". The age threshold for this warning is 30 days by default, but you can change this in Edit | Preferences.

One outcome of this system that may not be immediately obvious, is in the Holdings Report. I get a lot of queries from people who say they see the "Old price data" warning on this report - yet, they know that their prices are up-to-date. The reason will be that they've selected the "Div % calculation" option "% price at Div Pay Date". With this option, Topshare needs the share price that was current at the time each dividend was paid (for those divs paid within the 12 months prior to the report date). This is used to calculate the dividend rate displayed on the report. Even though you've entered current prices, you may not have entered regular prices going back 12 months - so when Topshare needs to report on a dividend that was paid 12 months ago, it can't retrieve an appropriate price. In this case, you can stop the warning by choosing the other option "% price at Report Date" - this will display the dividend rate compared to the current share price.

One final note: if there are no entries at all for a particular stock in the price database, Topshare will use the original purchase price of the stock. Of course, this is very likely to result in the "Old price data" warning.

I've bought a new computer - how do I transfer my existing Topshare database to it?

Instructions for Version 2
Note: see also the following topic.
Instructions for Version 1
There are two steps - installing Topshare on the new computer, then transferring the data.
  1. To install Topshare on the new computer
    • Download the current version from the Topshare website. Don't try to copy the program files from the old computer, this won't work - you must use the installation procedure.
    • When you first run Topshare on the new system, it will invoke the Setup menu (asking for Owner Names, etc). Just give it something brief, because you're going to overwrite the new database in the next step (eg, add an owner "Fred" then click Next, Next, Finish).
    • If you're a registered Topshare user, you can re-register Topshare on the new computer using your existing code (any time within the next 60 days).

  2. To transfer your data
    • On the old computer
      • Ensure that Topshare is up to date. Click File|Check for Update and install any program updates available.
      • Use File|Backup/restore to make a database backup (a single ZIP file). Copy the backup file to removable media such as a CD or flash drive
    • On the new computer
      • Run Topshare, then use File|Backup/restore to Restore from the backup file just made on the old system.

How do I transfer Topshare data if I don't have a current backup?


There are three possibilities to recover data from your old system. In order of desirability/convenience, they are:

1. A backup ZIP file
In the special case of a new Topshare installation, you will get the chance of Restoring from a backup file during the very first Topshare startup - as described in the previous topic. Otherwise, you'll need to run File|Backup/Restore. To get access to the main form and menus, you will need to cancel out of the "Set up basic information" form that will probably display on startup.

2. A normal database file (usually AllPortfolios.TSD)
Make sure this is in an appropriate permanent location. Then run Topshare and use File|Database Options|Open to permanently connect it to Topshare.

Alternatively, you might simply replace the existing database file with your recovered one. When Topshare first runs on a new system, it will automatically create a new, empty database file - normally, My Documents\Topshare V2 Data\AllPortfolios.TSD. You can simply use Windows to replace this file with your recovered one, provided it has the same name (or you rename it). In this case, there's no need to change where Topshare is looking for the database (ie, don't use File|Database Options|Open). But if you choose this option, you MUST run Tools|Maintenance|Synchronise Tables afterwards.

Note: for reference, Topshare always displays the name of the currently-connected database file on its main form (near top left corner, under the toolbar icons). If you pause the mouse over the file name, you'll see the full path. Once you have set things up, please use this to confirm that Topshare is, in fact, using the database that you want.

3. A snapshot file (xxx.TSN).
These are simply renamed database files. So rename it back to, eg, AllPortfolios.TSD, then follow step 2.

I've made a mistake in editing, and now all sorts of things are going wrong. How can I fix it?

Your first avenue is to see if you can recover using a database Snapshot. Think of Snapshots as being like "Undo" in Excel or Word. Here's a brief description of Topshare's Snapshot system - you can read more by clicking Help after running File|Data Snapshots|View/Restore from Snapshot.

The first time Topshare exits on any particular day, a complete copy of the database is saved - this is a Snapshot. By default, the most recent 5 Snapshots are retained. When you run File|Data Snapshots|View/Restore from Snapshot you can get Topshare to temporarily disconnect from the normal database, and instead, connect to a Snapshot that you specify. Once connected to a Snapshot, you can run the full range of Topshare reports and other forms, to confirm that the Snapshot does indeed predate the time that your particular problem was introduced. You then have two options: to disconnect from the Snapshot (perhaps to try another one - click Cancel), or to restore the primary database from the current snapshot (click Yes - Use from now on).

Perhaps your snapshots don't go back far enough to restore your database? If so, you'll need to recover from a backup. Hopefully, you'll have one; too often, people don't even consider implementing a backup system until something like this occurs. Topshare's own backup system is the easiest to use - simply use File|Backup/Restore both to make a backup file, and to restore your data from a backup. Alternatively, you might be using an independant backup system. In that case, you'll need to backup (or restore) all the files contained in the Topshare Data Folder. By default, the Data Folder is My Documents\Topshare V2 Data - although this can be changed. To find the current data location: pause the mouse over the data file name on the main form (near top left) - or just click Help|About.

How can I enter more decimals than are currently displayed in a Topshare entry field?

With any numeric entry field that displays a "calculator" icon on its right, you can change the no of decimal places displayed. When you do this, the new settings will be remembered next time you open that form.

Click Help|Contents, click "Things you should know", and scroll down to the bottom for more information about this - here's an extract:

All fields with the calculator icon display a fixed number of decimal places that, under most circumstances, will be appropriate for the data being entered. However, if you need to enter data with a higher level of precision (for example, a share purchase price of $1.3522; or entering fractional units for the no of shares purchased), the default decimals can be altered as follows:

  • With the cursor placed in the field, hit Shift/Right-arrow to increase the no of decimals displayed
  • With the cursor placed in the field, hit Shift/Left-arrow to decrease the no of decimals displayed
Alternatively, if you display the calculator, you can change the decimals using the up and down arrows (to the left of the 'Cancel' icon).

My Topshare shows the wrong currency symbol - how can I fix it?

Topshare uses the currency symbol defined in Windows. Click Start|Settings|Control Panel, double-click Regional and Language Options, and select English(Australia) from the drop-down list. Click OK.

Can you explain the difference between the two sources of price data?

The Free Data service is sourced from Yahoo, and provides 20-minute delayed prices. Historical data are not available. Not all stocks are covered - in particular, warrants, options, and most securities that have 4,5 or 6-character codes don't seem to be available. You can retrieve prices at any time of the day or night, without limit on frequency. If you download after the market closes, you should get close to the day's EOD prices. However, even well after 4pm EST, Yahoo-sourced data isn't necesessarily exactly the same as the "official" ASX EOD prices (which aren't even released until around 7pm EST), because of possible post-close transactions. Some late transactions don't ever seem to be reflected in the Yahoo data. The Yahoo service is accessed in one of the following ways (all are equivalent):

  • New Data|Stock prices|EOD (Online)
  • The "Prices" toolbutton (left-most button in the default configuration), then EOD(Online)
  • File|Download current prices
  • Because this data feed is sourced from Yahoo, we have no control over its availability - there have been occasional interruptions or errors in the past. There is a limit on the number of ASX codes that can be retrieved.

    The Subscription Data Service must be purchased annually from us, separately from your Topshare license. We supply the data from our server, under license from the ASX. Each day's EOD data are available from around 7:30pm EST. Normal operation, to maintain your local EOD prices database for stocks in your portfolio (plus watchlist), is completely automatic - Topshare retrieves the data as soon as they become available. On startup, any outstanding historical data are downloaded immediately, so that Topshare will automatically "catch up" if it hasn't been run for a few weeks or months. Manual operation (through the Subscription Data menu) allows you to retrieve prices for the whole portfolio on a particular date (eg, you need to know the portfolio valuation on 30/6/04); or to retrieve a historical data series for a particular stock. About 9-10 years of historical data are available. Most stock codes are included, in particular those missing from the Yahoo feed. Some stock indexes are also available.

    In summary:

    How can I ensure the subscription data download works the way I want?

    There are two key parameters controlling operation of the automatic subscription data download:

    Valuation Date is determined by Topshare from the latest date in the local Prices database. You can see the Valuation Date displayed on the main form, in blue text, to the left of the portfolio summary. To see the data giving rise to the current Valuation Date, run Edit|Advanced|Edit Database; in "Table to edit" click Prices; tick "Enable sorting, filtering"; click once on the "dte" column header to sort the display by date. Now, at the bottom of the grid, click the ">>|" button to scroll to the end of the data. Because the data are displayed in date order, the last price that's now displayed will be the source of the Valuation Date.

    Download Time is shown/set in Subscription Data|Check Status, at "Local time for EOD data". This is the time that Topshare will contact the server, each day, to request the latest data. This is recorded in local time and must be after 7:30pm NSW time. For example, in QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC and TAS it could show 7:45pm during winter. In summer in QLD, because there's no daylight saving, it could show 6:45pm. In SA, assuming daylight saving applies, it could show 7:15pm.

    All data updates are recorded in the "Actions" tab, including Subscription Data downloads (whether successful or not), Yahoo updates, and manual updates.

    OK, now these two parameters have been defined, here is a quick description of how the auto download works.

    Firstly, whenever you start Topshare, Topshare will first determine whether data should be available - based on the current date/time, the Valuation Date, and the Download Time. If appropriate, Topshare will contact the server and retrieve prices for your current portfolio, plus watchlist, from the Valuation Date to the present.

    Secondly, at the Download Time, Topshare (if active) will retrieve prices for your current portfolio, plus watchlist, from the Valuation Date to the present - provided the Valuation Date is before the current date.

    The most common problems are:

    How do I handle the T3 Telstra instalment receipts, with the bonus loyalty share issue?

    First, read this document.

    Here are two alternative methods. These two examples assume that you're classed as an Individual taxpayer, and you didn't pre-pay the instalment receipts. These examples represent general advice only. Please check with your accountant as to what is appropriate for your situation.

    The easiest method is based on treating the bonus loyalty shares as a share split. However, the bonus shares won't be identified as a separate parcel - all shares will be seen by Topshare as having the same date of acquisition, being the date you acquired the original TLSCA. It's unclear from the ATO link (above) whether this would be correct - that is, if you sold all your new TLS tomorrow, at a profit, would the bonus shares be eligible for the 50% CG discount? Perhaps not, if they were treated as being acquired when the instalment was paid out. But Topshare will treat all the shares as being bought at the float in 2006, and will apply the 50% discount to all. To use this method, firstly use New Data|Convert Instalment/Option to record the conversion of the TLSCA to TLS, at a cost of $1.60 per share. Then, on the day after the TLSCA->TLS conversion, record a split of your TLSCA (New Data|Split/consolidate) - for the Split Ratio, enter "for every 25 you now have 26". This will result in the correct number of shares, and they will all have the correct cost base of 25/26 x ((amount paid for TLSCA) + $1.60).

    An alternative is to use Topshare's Merge/Demerge feature. This gives you the flexibility of identifying the bonus shares as a separate parcel, with their own acquisition date. Run New Data|Merge/Demerge; in Step 2, Input Stocks is TLSCA. In Step 3,Output Stocks is TLS. In Step 4, specify two output parcels. In Step 5, specify the No of shares, Date of acquisition, and Cost base of each parcel. The first parcel will have the same no of shares as your original TLSCA, Date of Acquisition will be the date you purchased the TLSCA, and the cost base will be 25/26 x ((amount paid for TLSCA) + $1.60) x (no of shares in parcel). The second parcel represents the Bonus Shares allocated. Consult your accountant to determine the correct Date of Acquisition. Again, the Cost Base will be 25/26 x ((amount paid for TLSCA) + $1.60) x (no of bonus shares allocated). In Step 6, add any appropriate comment, then click Finish.

    I'm trying to enter the purchase of a new stock or option, but Topshare doesn't recognise the ASX code

    Firstly, try Tools|Update companies from ASX. This will refresh Topshare's local database of company names and ASX codes with the latest information. It's possible that the company you're trying to add is a recent float or name change. However, this only updates the 3-character ASX codes, and won't be successful for Options or other entitities that have 4, 5 or 6-character codes - these need to be added manually.

    If "Update companies" doesn't help, or you're dealing with a 4, 5 or 6-character code, you'll need to add the details manually using the "Add a new company" button. You'll be prompted for the company name, and its ASX code. Once these have been added to the database, you'll be able to proceed with recording the purchase.

    How do I record holdings of managed funds?

    When recording the first purchase, you'll need to record the name of the fund, and a 6-character "ASX code", using the "Add a new company" button. Make sure that the code is unique, and not previously used in Topshare (you'll be notified if you try to use an already-existing code). After the fund is recorded, proceed as you would when recording a normal purchase.

    I've received an entitlement to some shares or options - how do I record this?

    Simply record it as a purchase at zero cost. To do this, on the second page of the Buy form, you'll need to check the box marked "Cost=$0.00". Also, if it's an Option you're recording, you may need to first enter the name and ASX code manually, as described in the previous 2 topics.

    On clicking "Install update", I get an error "The setup files are corrupted. Please obtain a new copy of the program"

    This can happen if the auto-update download is interrupted, or if you have a network dropout during the download.

    Run Tools|Maintenance|Delete last auto-update download. This will delete the corrupted download file. Then run File|Check for Topshare Update, and a new copy of the update will be downloaded.

    How do I fix "RI Error (C2)" Startup Alerts?

    Error message C2: "The following Referential Integrity error conditions exist..."
    Beginning from version 2.1c, Topshare performs a number of checks on startup that relate to Referential Integrity. This is a technical term that simply means that one part of your database contains a reference to another component that is missing. Some simple examples would be:
    * You have a recording of a purchase of BHP, yet your Companies table doesn't have an entry for BHP.
    * You have a recording of a dividend to be credited to the account "XYZ001", yet that account doesn't exist in the Accounts table.

    These problems are most likely to have been generated by careless editing using Edit|Database.

    If you suddenly start getting these messages after making some changes to the database, you should recover from a Snapshot rather than trying to fix the problem.

    However, if you see these messages on upgrading to version 2.1c, the error condition may have existed for some time and a snapshot won't help, so you'll need to fix it. Only general information can be given here - each situation is different. Fixing it will probably require you to use Edit Database, and/or SQL commands. If it's not clear to you what is causing the error condition and what needs to be done, don't try to fix it yourself, contact User Assistance. Be sure to make a backup before you attempt the repair.

    Here is the general form of the message:
    Table: Child, Key = xxx. Not present in Master(Lookup)

    What this means is that the table Child contains one or more records with a Key value of xxx. The Master table should contain a record which contains xxx as a Lookup value, but doesn't.

    How to fix it:
    There are three approaches you could take. Each of these will remove the warning message, but you'll need to consider the other implications.

    1. Delete the problem record(s) in Child. You may need to subsequently re-enter the data using the appropriate New Data menu item. This is the easiest, safest approach provided there aren't too many Child records involved. The quickest way to delete them would be to use an SQL command (Tools|Advanced Database Use) like:
    delete from Child where Key='xxx'; (substitute Child, Key and xxx as appropriate)

    2. Change the record(s) in Child so that they reference an existing record in Master. The best way to do this is to use an SQL command (Tools|Advanced Database Use) like:
    update Child set Key='yyy' where Key='xxx'; (Substitute Child, Key, xxx and yyy as appropriate. yyy must be an existing value for the Lookup field in the Master table.

    3. Add a new entry to Master, with Lookup=xxx, and other fields as appropriate. For example, in the very first example above, you could add an entry to Companies with ASX=BHP, and CoName=BHP Limited. You could do this most easily using Edit Database.

    After any changes, be sure to shut down and restart Topshare to check if the Alert has been cancelled.

    How do I upgrade from V1 to V2?

    Upgrading your Topshare installation involves three tasks: Installing Topshare V2, converting your V1 database to V2 format, and registering Topshare V2. It's best if you do things in the following order:

    1. Install Topshare V2

    Download and install Topshare V2 from the "Downloads-Topshare program" page (use the link "Click here to download the Topshare installer"). This will run an installer which places a new Topshare V2 icon on your desktop. BUT DON'T RUN TOPSHARE V2 YET (if you do, it will assume you're a new evaluator, and will step you through the process of setting up a new, empty database).

    2. Convert your V1 database

    Download and install the V2 Database Updater program from the "Downloads-other" page (use the link "Installer for Topshare V2 Updater")

    IMPORTANT: once installed, you still need to run the Updater from the Start menu (Start|All Programs|Topshare Portfolio Manager|Topshare V2 Database Converter). Answer all the prompts, and ensure that it completes without errors.

    3. Now run and register Topshare V2

    Double-click the new red Topshare icon on the desktop, or run it from the Start menu. When you first run V2, it will be in Evaluation mode. Within 60 days, you'll need to register it - instructions for doing this will be sent to you when you purchase your V2 upgrade.

    Finally: it's probably a good idea to delete your old V1 icon from the desktop. This will ensure that you don't revert to V1 by mistake, but it won't uninstall V1 (you can still access it, if necessary, through the Start menu).

    Win7 problems with date format [Win7 Localisation problem]

    A problem is evident on some computers (eg Dell, HP) purchased in Australia with Win7 pre-installed. Even though Windows is pre-configured for Australia, Topshare (and all other programs written in the Delphi language) will still display the US date format month/year/day.

    The fix is easy: simply open Control Panel, change the current setting to another location (eg, English(Canada)) and click Apply. Now, change it back to English(Australia) and click Apply again.

    This should only need to be done once.

    From v2.3a, Topshare detects this condition on startup. We are currently working on a better solution.

    "Database error C8" Alerts

    These alerts warn you that there's an unlikely date attached to something in the database. They seem to happen commonly with stock prices, where occasionally something seems to go wrong in the data transfer from Yahoo; and with other transactions where you may have made an input error in the date, for example entering one year in the future.

    In all cases, the first step is to identify the source of the problem. The Alert text will mention a table name, eg Prices or Additions. Run Edit|Advanced|Edit Database, then select this table from the drop-down list. Now tick "Enable sorting", and click the "dte" field to sort the table by date. You will find the offending data either at the top or the bottom of the grid - use ">>|" and "<<|" to quickly scroll to bottom and top, or alternatively repeat-click "dte" to change the sort order.

    Once you have identified the problem, you need to fix it. If the Alert concerns the Prices table, the best idea is usually to simply delete the problem record(s) directly in Edit Database. For other tables, the safest procedure is, having identified the problem record, to exit Edit Database and use one of the other selections from the Edit menu to fix or delete it (eg, Edit|Buy or Edit|Dividend).

    Problems with price data downloads

    First, check that Topshare can access the internet OK. The best way to do this is by running File|Check for Topshare Update, while at the same time watching the status area at the bottom left corner of Topshare's main form, where a message will appear briefly. If you see "Topshare is up to date" then there is no problem. If you see "Internet update check failed" then Topshare is being blocked, and that's what you have to fix. The problem could be your internet connection (so check if your browser is working OK), or a firewall that is blocking Topshare itself.

    If Topshare is getting out to the internet OK, the next step depends on which data source you're having trouble with. Is it the Yahoo prices or the subscription download?

    Yahoo: these are accessed via the Prices Form, (it has a caption at the top "Input stock prices"), using the "EOD(online)" tab. Downloads are reported in Actions, with a line like "Update stock prices: Prices form [Yahoo]".

    Any problems with Yahoo are probably to do with the Yahoo website, which is outside our control. You can test this by first un-selecting the option "One click: download, import, finish", then click Download. Look at the data returned (if any), and check the dates. There have been problems with Yahoo from time to time where it returns data that are out-of-date.

    Topshare data subscription: accessed either automatically when you start Topshare, or via the "Subscription Data" menu. Downloads are reported in Actions, with a line like "TS auto price download" or "TS prices for XXX".

    If you're having trouble with the Subscription, first check that your subscription is active with Subscription Data|Check Status. Also, confirm that "auto price download" is ticked.

    If this has not helped you, please contact User Support. Be sure that you have read this fully first, so that you can tell us whether it is Yahoo or the Subscription that is giving the trouble, plus a description of the problem.

    How do Snapshots work?

    Snapshots in Topshare are way you can "Undo" any recent changes to the database. You might find you need to do this after entering a complex series of transactions and finding that they don't bring about the desired result. Or you might have introduced unintended consequences by editing the database directly (please only do this under instruction from User Support!!).

    Here's how they work. Periodically, TopShare makes a copy of the entire database (prices, purchases, sales, dividends, etc) - this is a Snapshot. This is done when you close Topshare down for the FIRST time each day. Topshare keeps seven of the snapshots; once you have seven, it will delete the oldest one each time it saves a new one. Several aspects of the way Snapshots are recorded can be customised in Edit|Preferences.

    If necessary, you can discard your current database and revert to one of the available snapshots - effectively discarding recent actions, and restoring an earlier version of the database. Do this using File|Data Snapshots|View/Restore.

    To see if a snapshot would suit your needs, Topshare at first will connect to it only temporarily. There will be a red flashing sign on the main form "Viewing snapshot" with two options - "Use from now on" and "Cancel". While the warning is displayed, you can perform any of the normal Topshare actions, including running reports and other analyses, and viewing the "Actions" tab. You should do whatever is necessary to check that you have identified the latest snapshot that does not display your problem. If you are satisfied that the snapshot being viewed is OK, then click "Use from now on" and your database will be replaced with the snapshot.

    If you're not happy with the current snapshot - maybe the snapshot was taken too long ago, meaning important recent data would be lost; or maybe the problem that you're trying to fix is still there - you can click "Cancel" and try a different snapshot.

    More information is available by running File|Data snapshots|View/Restore, then clicking "Help".

    Topshare on multiple computers, using "Cloud" services

    "Cloud" file systems such as Dropbox and Wuala are very effective (and free!) ways of synchronising the Topshare database between multiple computers. For example, you may have a desktop at home and a laptop that you take travelling. By sharing the database via the cloud, you can ensure that each system always has access to the proper database, without worrying about transferring the data between the machines yourself.

    To set this up, you first need to make sure that the folder containing the Topshare database (normally "Topshare V2 data" in My Documents) is synchronised on the two computers via the cloud. How to do this depends on which Cloud system you are using. For example, in Dropbox you need to move the Topshare database file into the "Dropbox" folder which is then automatically synchronised. In Wuala, you can simply nominate "Topshare V2 data" as one of the folders to be synchronised. Once you have set up the Cloud synchronisation, make sure that each copy of Topshare is properly connected to the shared database, if it is now in a different location. Finally, on both machines, go to Tools|Preferences and enable "mirrored database protection" (see below for more about this).

    You may find these Topshare features useful:

    Essential precautions
    There is potential for things to go wrong, because:

    If you run Topshare simultaneously on both machines, OR if you run it on (say) Computer 2 after shutting down Computer 1 but before the files from Computer 1 have synchronised, you will end up with two conflicting copies of the file. The Preferences setting "mirrored database protection" will usually detect if another system is currently using the database, and will prevent the second copy of Topshare running. But because of the delays involved in synchronising files via the cloud, it is still possible to clash. To minimise the risk:

    What's the difference between Owner and Account in Topshare?

    Owners and Accounts are terms that have specific meanings in Topshare.

    An OWNER is equivalent to a portfolio. The Owners are what's listed on the main Topshare screen when you start up, shown as "All Portfolios". Each OWNER can be linked to a group of holdings, and also to income received. An OWNER should correspond to a TFN - that is, the Owner is the relevant entity for taxation purposes when considering income and capital gains.

    On the other hand, an ACCOUNT is used to represent a bank account or trading account. Every transaction you enter into Topshare can be linked to an ACCOUNT, mainly for the purpose of keeping a list of transactions against the account, with a running total, so that you can reconcile it against your actual bank statement.

    Both Owners and Accounts are set up and maintained in different parts of Edit|Setup - Accounts on the first page, and Owners on the third. Important: although it is possible to have both Owners and Accounts with the same name, this will lead to confusion and is not recommended!

    How do I enter Interest payments into Topshare?

    This can be done in two ways:

    1. Record it as an Account transaction. This is most appropriate for an interest payment or charge directly associated with that account. To do this, run View|Trading Accounts; select the relevant account from the list, and click Show to list existing transactions; then, click Insert and select "Interest" as the transaction type. Interest payments recorded in this way will show up in two places only:

    Interest payments recorded this way won't be shown in the Dividends report, because they're not entered as Dividends in the first place.

    2. Record it via the Dividends form. Because "Dividends" can be used to record any type of distribution, there are a range of payment categories available, including "Interest". The most common usage for recording Interest via Dividends would be when you have a recorded holding such as a floating rate note (eg NABHA, MBLHB) or a trust or fund that includes Interest in its distributions. However, there is also the facility for recording income that isn't directly linked to a current asset holding (on Step 2 of the New Dividend form, tick "This payment is not linked to an ASX"). There is no reason why you shouldn't record interest from a bank account this way instead of (1) above.

    Interest payments recorded this way will appear in both the Dividends report (with ASX and Company shown as "none" if the "no ASX" option was used); and in the Income section of the Taxation Report (again, with ASX and Company shown as "none" if the "no ASX" option was used).

    How do I import data from another program? From a spreadsheet?

    If your data are currently in either Portfolio Reporter or StockEasy, then it's easy - we have a separate program Topshare Importer to transfer all transactions from these into Topshare. See this page.

    For other cases, you first need to assemble the data into an appropriate CSV format so that it can be imported into Topshare. If you have other portfolio management software, use its facilities for "Export to CSV" as a starting point. There are three steps, each involving its own specifically-formatted CSV file for import:

    1. Purchases: These are imported directly into Topshare's Additions table, using File|Import. To guide you in formatting the Purchases CSV file, first you should export and examine the current contents of Additions. Further notes on columns in Additions:

    2. Sales: These are completed using File|Import|Smart Imports|Share Sales. The form displays instructions on formatting your CSV file, however see above and General Notes below for more information on fields Owner Code, Account Code, and Broker Code.

    3. Dividends: These are completed using File|Import|Smart Imports. There are two options for Dividends, based on whether your source identifies the total div payment, or amount per share. In each case, the form displays the instructions for formatting your CSV file, however see above and General Notes below for more information on fields Owner Code, Account Code and IncomeCode.

    General notes:

    I'm setting up Topshare, but I have had a portfolio for many years. Surely I don't have to enter every historical transaction?

    The more accurately you can enter the data into Topshare, the better. Ideally, you should enter every purchase, sale and dividend. That way, all of Topshare's historical reports will be correct, and you will be able to use Topshare to answer questions like:

    Firstly, if you have some form of computerised records, you may be able to import the data without re-keying it. You might be able to import from another portfolio program, from your own spreadsheet, or from one or more files that you can download from your broker. There is a separate program used to import data from the older portfolio managing programs Stockeasy or Portfolio Reporter. Other imports can be managed via the options in File|Import. See this FAQ entry for more information about importing.

    If you can't import the data, and there is too much information to consider entering it manually, you may have to compromise. Inevitably, this will involve some loss of functionality. There are two main approaches you can take.

    The first approach will give you correct tax reporting for the current FY onward, and will give correct historical information for some stocks, but not for your whole portfolio. Begin with a listing of your portfolio composition at the beginning of the current FY. Where a stock was purchased at different times, you'll need the purchase date and price paid for each parcel still held. Now enter each of these purchases into Topshare. The next step is to enter any sales that have been made during the FY. Finally, you should enter all dividends that have been paid during the current FY, but ignore any paid previously.

    One further level of simplification involves combining existing parcels - however, it can affect Topshare's taxation reporting so should only be used after consulting a tax accountant. For example, if you hold 15,000 BHP shares, the end result of 10 purchases over a period of years, you might simply enter a single "purchase" into Topshare based on the no of shares and the average purchase price. However: you must be aware that Topshare's taxation reporting is based on both the purchase price and the date of acquisition, and so any simplification of these data will affect the accuracy of Topshare's tax reporting on final sale.

    I am trying to record a dividend, but the company is not available in the Dividend form. OR, the no of shares shown in the Dividend form is incorrect.

    When you enter a dividend, Topshare will automatically calculate the number of shares that qualify for the dividend, based on the Ex-Dividend Date. This is used to calculate the total div amount. The calculated no of shares for each portfolio, the calculated dividend, and imputation amount, are all shown on Page 2 of the Dividend form. This is an important check on the accuracy of previously entered data - if there is a mistake in one of your transaction entries, or in the entered dividend details, then the dividend amounts won't match up, alerting you to the error. Or it may be that the company isn't even seen as being eligible for the dividend (isn't available for selection in the "Select a stock" drop-down box).

    So, if the calculated dividend payment details seem incorrect, your first action should be to check carefully that you've entered the dividend details correctly - particularly the Record Date of the dividend (because this is used to calculate the Ex-Div date), and the dividend amounts and franking details.

    If the dividend details are confirmed OK, you should then check the dates and number of shares involved in prior Buy/Sell transactions.

    In a small number of cases, you'll find that everything checks out OK. The cause might be, for example, a prior purchase or sale within a day or so of the Ex-Div date, but Topshare's Ex-Div date calculations are upset by a public holiday that it doesn't know about. If this is the case, simply adjust the calculated amounts shown on Page 2 of the Dividend form. Make sure that you make corrections, if necessary, to Imputation Credit as well as the dividend payment amounts. Don't worry that the "Holding" number is incorrect - this is shown for your information, but does not form part of the Dividend record.

    If the company is not even available in the drop-down list, you'll need to first get it displayed as follows:

    When this process is completed, you can now enter the dividend and imputation amounts as described above.

    I have a high-resolution display, with Win7 or later, and the Topshare screen and text appear very small

    This will be fixed properly in V3, but in the meantime all you need to do is locate the icon used to start Topshare (eg on the desktop), right-click on it, and select "Properties". Then select the "Compatability" tab, and tick the option "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings". Click OK, and restart Topshare - all should be well.

    Obsolete (apply only to V1)

    [V1] I've been entering some trial data into Topshare to test it, and now I want to delete these transactions and start with my real data. What's the easiest way to delete everything?

    Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, navigate to the folder My Documents\Topshare Data. Delete all the files in this folder - about 40 of them, with *.db and *.px names. Be careful not to delete any of the subfolders.

    Next time you start Topshare, it will display a warning that no database files were found, and offer to create a new, empty database.

    [V1] How do I move my transaction database to a new location?

    [V1] What's the purpose of the Topshare Utility?

    The Topshare Utility is a separate program that performs some support functions in a Topshare system. Importantly, the Utility can run even if there are problems with the Topshare environment that are stopping Topshare itself from running properly. With the current version of the Utility, you can:

    To download and use the Topshare Utility, follow the instructions on this page: downloads3.html

    [V1] Does Topshare run OK under Vista / Win7?

    Yes, - but you need to set it up properly. The Installer should perform these steps automatically for Vista, but it doesn't recognise Win7. Here's what you need to do, once you've completed the installation:

  • Right-click on the Topshare desktop icon
  • Choose "Properties", then the "Compatibility" tab
  • In "Run this program in compatibility mode for...", choose "Windows XP SP2"
  • In "Privilege level" tick "Run this program as an administrator"
  • Save changes (click "OK").
  • [V1] Topshare is crashing with an error about running out of disk space - yet I have plenty.

    Topshare uses a database system from Borland called the BDE. Although this system dates back to around the time Windows was introduced, it still works well - most of the time. However, as time goes on, some problems are beginning to appear.

    One known BDE problem is that if the free disk space is an exact multiple of 4gb, the BDE thinks the disk is full (remember this system was designed when an average HD was probably about 20mb). Look for these two lines in the Error Report:
    free disk space : (C:) 204.00 GB
    [About line 10. Is the free space an exact multiple of 4?]
    exception message : Insufficient disk space..
    [About line 20]

    If you get this error, you'll be able to work around it by simply using up 50mb or so of your free space - for example, duplicate a few pictures.

    We have replace the BDE in Topshare V2, and this problem no longer exists.

    [V1] I can't print my report. The print button is disabled, and the caption is flashing red.

    The short answer is, this is because the report won't fit on the page. You can make it fit by doing one or more of the following:

    For more information, click Help in any report, then click the link "Using reports"

    [V1] When I enter a dividend, the number of shares or dividend amount shown seem to be wrong

    When you enter a dividend, Topshare will automatically calculate the number of shares that qualify for the dividend, based on the Ex-Dividend Date. This is used to calculate the total div amount. The calculated no of shares for each portfolio, the calculated dividend, and imputation amount, are all shown on Page 2 of the Dividend form. This is a useful check on the accuracy of previously entered data - if there is a mistake in one of your transaction entries, or the entered dividend details, then the dividend amounts won't match up, alerting you to the error.

    So, if the calculated dividend payment details seem incorrect, your first action should be to check carefully that you've entered the dividend details correctly - particularly the Record Date of the dividend, and the dividend amounts and franking details. If this all seems OK, check the details for previous transactions in the shares using the Full Transactions report. Fix any errors that you find using the appropriate item from Topshare's Edit menu, before re-attempting the dividend entry.

    If the error is still unexplained, there is one further circumstance that can, rarely, cause a problem. This is when one of your transactions (usually a sale or a purchase) occurred just a few days before or after the dividend's Record Date. Topshare calculates the Ex-div date as four business days before the Record Date, as defined by the ASX - however, on rare occasions, a parcel of shares will actually receive a dividend, even though the shares weren't held on the calculated Ex-date. Or, conversely, a parcel won't receive the dividend even though it was actually held on the calculated Ex-div date. This can arise either through an error in Topshare's calculation of the Ex-div date (perhaps there was a public holiday?), or some minor irregularity with the share registry's records. Whatever the reason, the cure is simple - just experiment with an earlier or later Record Date (shifting by only one or two business days is normally all that is required), until you get the correct result.