Lacerte FAQs 64-Bit

Lacerte Tax Program and 64-Bit Platforms

What types of problems could I experience when running Lacerte tax on a 64-bit platform?

Internal tests and client reports indicate Lacerte is capable of running on a 64-bit platform.

Some computers run the application without any errors. However, we have also seen the following issues reported (below are links to the Knowledgebase articles with more details):

• Installation Issue concerning .NET Framework 1.1
• Client Tracker has been disabled.
• Printing to PDF from Lacerte generates an error message
• Printing to DMS from Lacerte generates an error message
• Help Videos do not work on 64-bit Platforms
• Document E-Sort does not work on 64-bit Platforms

In addition to the problems mentioned above, some clients have reported concerns with communicating with Lacerte (primarily R.E.P. and Electronic Filing), and printing to a printer. These issues are commonly related to driver concerns that may be addressed by the manufacturer of the specific components experiencing the issue.

What should I do if I encounter an error when working in Lacerte?

If you encounter an issue in the list provided, click on the link to view the Knowledgebase article with more details.

• Installation Issue concerning .NET Framework 1.1
• Client Tracker has been disabled.
• Printing to PDF from Lacerte generates an error message
• Printing to DMS from Lacerte generates an error message
• Help Videos do not work on 64-bit Platforms
• Document E-Sort does not work on 64-bit Platforms

These items are kept up to date and any workarounds or corrections will be reported here first.

If you encounter an issue not detailed in the list provided, then download the updated drivers for the hardware being used at the time of the error. For example, if the error occurs when attempting to print, download the latest 64-bit printer driver for your printer. If the error occurs when attempting to communicate, download the latest 64-bit modem driver for the modem.

In all cases ensure that you download the proper driver for the hardware you are attempting to use and install only the 64-bit variants of the drivers.

How do prior versions of the Lacerte tax program work in 64-bit environments?

Thorough testing of prior versions of Lacerte tax on 64-bit platforms have not been performed. In general the prior version of Lacerte tax will function largely as the current tax year program operates; however, 64-bit architectures are expected to drop support for 16-bit applications. This means DOS is being phased out, and therefore, DOS based programs are being phased out. This shouldn't have much impact on the program from Tax Year 2000 and after; however, 1999 and prior have considerable DOS integration, and operations of these programs on a 64-bit platform may be significantly impaired or prohibited entirely. It is suggested that if you intend to run Lacerte tax prior to tax year 2000, you should keep a secondary machine running Windows XP as a backup computer.

What is a 64-bit platform (environment)?

A 64-bit platform is one that is fully 64-bit capable, meaning the hardware (processor, motherboard, RAM), and software (operating system) are all fully 64-bit compliant.

A 64-bit platform changes how the computer looks at memory. Traditional computers are limited to 4 GB of RAM (memory); however, a Vista 64-bit environment can recognize up to 128 GB of RAM.

How do I know if my system is a 64-bit platform?

Almost all non-Vista computers are 32-bit platforms. If you have a Vista computer you can check to see if your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit by clicking on the Start button. Then, select "Control Panel." On the "Control Panel," select "Classic View" in the top left corner of the screen, then double-click "System". A screen appears, and in the middle of it under a "System" heading, there is a category entitled "System Type." This item details the bit architecture of your computer.

What are some known issues when running 32-bit applications on 64-bit platforms?

The greatest impact to 32-bit applications on a 64-bit platform doesn't have much to do with the 64-bit platform itself, it has to do with the drivers to the components used on the platform.

In order to be fully functional in 64-bit environments, hardware manufacturers of printers, monitors, modems, etc. develop 64-bit drivers for their hardware. As the 64-bit platform market is just emerging, many manufacturers are slowly developing these drivers.

Often when an application encounters problems on a 64-bit platform, the problem can be traced to drivers, and some of the more serious problems that have been reported to Lacerte regarding the tax programs operation in 64-bit environments have in fact resulted from the drivers being used.