Lost versions of old software

[erchess]

I had to reinstall windows which for those of you who don't know cost me everything on the computer and gave it to me as it was when I bought it. I did preserve all my data files before I did this drastic step. I am fine with the things I had in Drake because one way or another I got all my versions of them. However, I had one client's payroll in an old version of Taxslayer Books and another year's payroll and an installment agreement in an old version of Zillion Forms and three 1120S years in Ultratax and several dozen returns in each of several yeas of Intellitax. I have the data files but not the software on CDs. I also have a mirror image of the old problematic but still somewhat functional version of Windows with all the programs and the data.

So my question is what should I do?

I am not going to mess up my now beautifully functioning computer by reinstalling a version of Windows that had definite problems on it but I have a computer I could repair for a few hundred dollars or I could simply buy a used computer and either of these could receive the mirror image and allow me to convert everything to PDF Format and stick it on my good computer. Still we are talking about spending a few hundred dollars and I wonder if I could not locate CDs for less money in total and also less trouble. Am I right in thinking that renting a computer for the purpose is not an option because even if the owner wiped the hard drive it might be possible to pull confidential client data off of it?

What say people?

[Lion]

Paper?

Do you have paper copies? Are they old years not likely to be reopened? Or, are they recent and you need to roll them forward? If old and you have paper copies, I'd not do anything further unless you have to return to one or more of those returns.

[tilt53]

Here's a good article on "cleaning" your computer with some program suggestions.

http://tinyurl.com/yfe329o

[DaveO]

Don't know if this really addresses your question or not. I have a number of old hard drives around that came from crashed machines. Once in a while I'll install one to get at some old data but not often. I keep a junker machine around for that purpose. One thing to remember is as IDE drives are replaced by SATA drives you will run into problems connecting them soon.

I say if you don't need the data now and don't foresee a need within the year just store the drive in case you do.

[erchess]

Answers to questions

2006 is the oldest year involved so in my mind yes I need access to the information.

I have no paper files.

[luke]

I feel

your pain Erchess - been there done that. This may not help but most of the software companies would send you (or let you download) their old software in cases such as yours?

[erchess]

Luke

Thank you for the sympathy. I would imagine that Thomson will in some way let me have the old versions of Zillion Forms and CS Ultratax, and Tax Slayer in some way let me have the old Books. The sum total of what I had in that software is one year's payroll and three Federal and State years of returns all for the same S Corp and one installment agreement for an individual who never engaged me for any other work. The remaining work (probably less than a hundred 1040s written in 06 and 07) was done in Intellitax which is out of business. On the other hand it just hit me that TRX was a reseller of that product and might be able and willing to help me out as I was their customer in 07.

What I was really hoping when I began this project was that I could make all the work be as if it had been done in Drake but that may be impossible or possible only at prices I cannot afford.

[DaveO]

In that case I vote for the junker machine and run it as a slave drive if you can.

[geekgirldany]

What I always have done is just get a new hard drive and put the old hard drive as a slave in the same computer. The reason why is because I can still run programs from the old hard drive because windows is still on there. It is just easier. Another thing you can do is get a "hard drive case" that plugs into your computer through usb. You stick the old hard drive into the case, turn it on, and you will have access to your old files. I have about 5 drives set up like this I have another 5 drives on my website design computer setup as slaves.

I think you best bet would be to get a junker computer with a good hard drive and have the hard drive image restored.

[erchess]

Update

A very generous member of this board who apparently wishes to remain anonymous has made available to me the previous versions of Intellitax that I needed. That will take care of the overwhelming majority of the work that I was trying to recover. Here is the sum total of what I don't yet have.

07 IRS Payroll Report and 06 and 7 Forms 1120S and associated NC Form all for one client and an Installment Agreement Request for another client.

I am thinking that the cheap and easy thing to do with the 1120S client who is a friend is to help him get transcripts or if available return copies for both of us from the IRS and let it go at that.

I am further thinking that I can realistically let go on the installment agreement. If I want to be ultra safe I could call him and get his SSN (good guy, would give it to me and if he wouldn't his parents would) and make a note of the form number and his identifying information and file them away on paper.

I have not been successful in contacting Ultratax to see if I could get the software to match the 1120 S Data that I do have but that still might be an option. The Zillionforms that i used to do the Installment Agreement is not available and although I have the CD of TS Books which I used for the payroll report, I don't have the data except compressed as a mirror of my old hard drive. If I have to have that payroll and I can't get it from the IRS then the cheapest thing I am willing to do is get a clunker computer somewhere and put the mirror on it.

Am I thinking realistically or do I really need to get the clunker computer?