Purging (Deleting) Data

Old data can be purged from the G/L, A/R, A/P, I/C, or J/C modules, as required. In some cases, it is recommended that data be purged on a regular basis to better manage the size of your data file. Purging can be done at any time throughout the year.

When a purge is performed you will be prompted for a cut-off date and Connected will only delete those transactions that are on or before the cutoff date.

For example, purging the G/L deletes all journal entries on or before the cutoff date specified.  NOTE:  If the Bank Reconciliation is enabled, an entry is not purged unless it has been reconciled, regardless of how old the entry is.

There are some performance issues to consider if you decide to retain a lot of detailed history.  For example, the Customer Activity Ledger or Inventory Movement ledger may take longer to load when there are more transactions in large data sets. Also, generating some of the reports will take longer as there is more data to search through.   

WARNING: It is imperative that you have a verified backup copy of the data before purging. If a hardware or power failure interrupts the purge process, revert to a backup to perform the purge.  PURGING IS FINAL AND CANNOT BE UNDONE.

Reference:
How to Manually Back Up a Connected File
How to Create a Manual Back Up File Using the ODBA Application

NOTE: Purging can only be performed if the data file is being accessed by a single user (aka single user mode) All users must be completely logged out of the data before proceeding.

NOTE: Purging can only be performed by a Connected System Administrator. 

TIP: If you are purging large amounts of data, it is recommended that you run the purge locally from your server or locally from a network workstation. Running the purge across the network can yield the slowed results on large data sets.

How to Purge Data from Connected

To purge data from Connected:

1) Select Utilities from the File menu and choose Purge Data, as shown in the following screen.

2) The following warning message will appear. Carefully read the message and then click OK to proceed.

3) The following Purge Data window will appear.  Enter a date selection beside the "Purge for dates prior to and including" label.

4) The date entered must be outside the current fiscal year.  If a date is entered within your fiscal year and the purge is attempted, the following message will appear indicating the date must be prior to the start of your fiscal year.

5) Choose to Purge Transactions for the "G/L", "A/R", "A/P", "I/C", or "J/C". Any combination can be selected.

6 When ready, click the Purge Data button to proceed or Cancel too abort.  If Purge was selected, the following warning message will appear. Read this message carefully and ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE A VERIFIED BACKUP BEFORE PROCEEDING.  Purging is FINAL and CANNOT BE UNDONE.

7) Select the Box to the left of "I understand this warning and have a verified backup of my data" and then click Proceed to continue or Cancel to abort.

8) A working message will appear while the purge is being processed. When completed, the following OK message will appear.