TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Before you give up, please browse through the technical support topics listed below. Better than 90% of our user's questions are answered this way. If you don't find the answer to your question, contact us via e-mail: support1 at easy-budget.com. Or you can reach us at our support line: (818)458-0827.

I don't like all those zeros that appear in an account which is blank. How do I get rid of them?
I can't get Easy Budget to load at all! Every time I type in my password the program stops and says, "Incorrect Password!" Help!
I keep getting this error message, "Locked or protected cells cannot be changed". When I click on TOOLS and then UNPROTECT, my serial number doesn't work. What's up?
I don't think my EASY BUDGET for Feature Films is adding right! I put in the current rate for Day Players, but it gives me another total.
The total number of crew members is incorrect. By my count we have 63 crew members, but EASY BUDGET says we have only 60.
How do I change EASY BUDGET to display different currency formats?

Q. I don't like all those zeros that appear in an account which is blank. How do I get rid of them?
A. The zeros display in empty accounts because of the default settings in your spreadsheet program. Your spreadsheet controls how Easy Budget displays the zero values. Here's how to change it:

Excel, and most other spreadsheets, follow these steps...

Click on TOOLS
Select, OPTIONS from the drop-down list
Click on the VIEW tab
Locate the box labeled ZERO VALUES
De-select (remove the check mark) from the Zero Values box
Click OKAY

The zeros should be gone.

However, we recommended that you KEEP the zero values visible until you've completed the budget and are ready to print. For most users, the zeros are a good reminder that you might have to enter something in an account.

Keep in mind that any BLUE color indicates a place where you CAN enter a figure, and BLACK indicates a value that Easy Budget calculates for you (including zero values).

Q. I can't get Easy Budget to load at all! Every time I type in my password the program stops and says, "Incorrect Password!" Help!
A. The password, which is the serial number printed on the label of your original Easy Budget CD-Rom, is "case sensitive." That is, "xx1234" is not the same as "XX1234."

Make sure the <Numlock> key is off. Many keyboards have a small light which indicates when the numlock key is on. This causes a problem if the numlock key is on and you're using the number key pad on the right side of your keyboard.

Easy budget passwords are always in lower case.

Q. I keep getting this error message, "Locked or protected cells cannot be changed". When I click on Tools and then Unprotect, my serial number doesn't work. What's up?
A. This really isn't an error message at all. Your serial number is used to open the program only, not to unlock "protected cells." If these cells were changed, your budget would no longer work. Fact is, almost all areas of EASY BUDGET can be changed. Remember to look for the text or numbers in BLUE color. Even the major account headings can be changed. See the instruction manual for details.

Q. I don't think my EASY BUDGET for Feature Films is adding right! I put in the current rate for Day Players, but instead of 4 days times the daily rate, it gives me the weekly rate.
A. Relax, EASY BUDGET isn't adding wrong. EASY BUDGET knows that it's cheaper to hire a union actor for the weekly rate if you're going to use this actor for more than three days. It inserts the weekly rate because it's cheaper overall than the daily rate.

Don't forget that when you sign this actor to a contract, make sure it's on a weekly, not a daily contract. SAG (and other unions), won't let you change an actor (or non-actor), from a daily to a weekly contract after you've signed a contract with them.

If this actor will be a "drop and pickup," (i.e.: works a few days at the beginning of your shoot, and then comes back much later to finish), you should put the actor down twice. If you don't get a waiver from the actor and SAG, you'll have to pay the actor for the whole period. Hummm. It might be time to adjust the shooting schedule?

Q. The total number of crew members is incorrect. By my count we have 63 crew members, but EASY BUDGET says we have only 60.
A. You need to carefully look at each person in every account. If you want a person to be considered as a crew member, you need to have at least a number 1 in the "C" or "housed" column. This is important because EASY BUDGET makes it's calculations for crew-related costs (like transportation, accomodations, food, per diem, etc.), based on this information.

If you have two crew members on the same line (like Extra Labor), make sure you put a 2 in that space instead of 1.

Don't forget that tech support is free to registered users of Easy Budget. You can contact us through this web page (support1 at easy-budget.com), or give us a call at our support number which was included with your EASY BUDGET software package. Have your serial number handy when calling - we can't help you without it. Also, check the "Read me" file on your original Easy Budget program disc for helpful hints.