If you use TaxSlayer Pro on multiple networked computers, before changing the computer designated as the File Server we encourage you to talk with a TaxSlayer Pro Technical Support Representative at 706.868.0985 to assist with the transition.
You will need an external drive, such as a USB thumb drive or external hard drive. Depending on how many years you have used TaxSlayer Pro, how many returns you prepare, and whether or not you are a Classic user or Premium user, the drive may need to have up to 16GB of free space for Classic users and up to 32GB of free space for Premium users.
To determine how much space is needed on your storage media:
- Open a Windows File Explorer window and navigate to either This PC or My Computer or Computer (depending on the Windows version).
- Double-click the drive where TaxSlayer Pro is installed, typically Local Disk (C:).
- Right-click the TaxSlayer folder and choose Properties. Windows will calculate the total space used by everything in the TaxSlayer folder. Whatever number shows for "Size on disk", round up and ensure the external drive you use has greater than this amount of free space.
To copy the data to the external drive:
- Open a Windows File Explorer window and navigate to either This PC or My Computer or Computer (depending on the Windows version).
- Double-click the drive where TaxSlayer Pro is installed, typically Local Disk (C:).
- Right-click the TaxSlayer folder and select Copy.
- Click the back arrow to return to the previous screen.
- Right-click the external drive and select Paste.
- After the copy is finished, right-click the external drive and select Eject.
- Remove the external drive.
The next steps involve copying the data from the external drive to the new PC,
- Attach the external drive to the new File Server.
- Open a Windows File Explorer window and navigate to either This PC or My Computer or Computer (depending on the Windows version).
- Copy the TaxSlayer Pro folder from the flash drive to Local Disk (C:). Note: It's best to Copy the files, rather than Move the files, so that you have a backup in case something goes wrong.
- If a message appears asking if you want to overwrite existing files or folders, answer YES.
- Open the TaxSlayer Pro program and verify that all the tax returns are in the Client List.
- If this is a new computer, be sure to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader DC to work with PDF documents. (On Adobe's download page, note the optional software being offered and be sure to uncheck the check box for the software you don't want or need.)
If the old File Server will continue to be used with TaxSlayer Pro but now as a Workstation, you will need to indicate that in the program configuration. From the Main Menu of TaxSlayer Pro select:
- Configuration
- System / Network Configuration Menu
- File Server? - Change YES to NO
Additionally, every Workstation will need to be reconfigured to change the computer indicated as the File Server.
To find out the name of the File Server, in Windows on the File Server:
- Right-click Start (the Windows icon, typically at the lower left of the screen) and choose System.
- In the About window, note the computer's name
To change the File Server used in TaxSlayer Pro on each Workstation, from the Main Menu of TaxSlayer Pro select:
- Configuration
- System / Network Configuration Menu
- File Server Address
- In the File Server Name field, type the File Server's name, then click Connect To File Server.
- You should see a green text bar indicating the two computers have connected. If you see a red text bar indicating they didn't connect, double-check the File Server Name spelling. Generally, repeated failure to connect is due to a network issue, e.g., the Workstation and the File Server being on different networks or one or both computers being temporarily disconnected from the network. If you are unable to get the two computers to connect, call TaxSlayer Pro customer support 706.868.0985 for assistance.