Top 15 reasons for Tally running slow with solutions

Is your Tally running slow or not responding frequently? Here are the top 15 reasons along with solutions on how to increase the speed of Tally

This complaint is heard many times. “Our Tally is running very slow” or “Tally is not responding”
This is a practical and in-depth guide to understand the various reasons why Tally works slowly. You will be able to resolve your issues in a majority of cases if you patiently and thoroughly go through this checklist.

Some commonly heard complaints are:

1. When we try saving a voucher, it takes a long time to save and the subsequent screen to be reloaded
2. While entering data certain lists such as items or cost centres or lists of banks take a long time to load
3. Reports take a long time to open
4. While one user is generating a report the other users’ Tally freezes or shows “Not Responding”.

When problems remain unresolved for long, the efficiency of employees decreases significantly due to the huge backlog created. There is an increase in the time consumed and effort of all Tally users. Generally, in most cases, users just conclude that Tally is running slow due to a problem with Tally itself.

But it just might not be an issue with Tally…

It is very important to identify the root cause behind Tally working slow or hanging often. There are multiple reasons why this happens. Some relate to the IT infrastructure and some concern your Tally and the Tally data. Going through the following checklist will resolve most issues

Computer IP address settings

Check if the IP address of each computer is properly configured. Each computer should have a separate IP and all should be in the same range. e.g. 192.168.0.1, 192.168.0.2 and so on.

Tally.ini file settings

The Tally.ini file in every Tally client should have the correct IP of the Tally server along with the appropriate port number.
e.g. Tallylicenceserver = 192.168.0.1:9000 (server IP: port no.)

Tally Server Config

You should use the best computer in the office as the Tally server. If this is not the case, then please do so at the earliest. It will significantly help. Also, you need to select the right size and type of hard disk.

Operating System

The smooth functioning of any application software is dependent on the operating system in which it is installed. A few users using slightly older systems increase the computer’s RAM and see no noticeable improvement in performance. The OS, in many such cases, is 32 bit. 32 bit OS can access only 4GB memory. Having 6 or 8GB is a waste and will not help till you change the OS to 64 bit and also install Tally 64 bit. Almost all processors available since the last many years are 64 bit. You don’t need to change any hardware. 64 bit Tally gives improved performance over 32 bit with the same system configuration. We also recommend a computer with a minimum of 4GB RAM for Tally to give a good performance. Of course with Tally Prime, the question of a 32-bit operating system does not arise.

Network Infrastructure

In a multi-user environment, the Tally server communicates with all the clients and provides the Tally License as well as Tally data to all client systems in the network. If there is any LAN speed fluctuation, the performance of Tally gets significantly hampered. This is among the most common reasons for Tally becoming slow or unresponsive in multi-user environments.

In wired LAN environments, we recommend the use of CAT 6 for both passive as well as active network components. A very common scenario is that the switches are CAT 6 whereas cables and patch cords are CAT 5. The network will continue working at Cat 5 speeds. Every component from switches to ethernet cards must be CAT 6 to operate at CAT 6 speeds.

In wi-fi environments, companies should use newer devices supporting speeds such as AC. It is important to mention at this point that all devices should be of the same speed. If your router is of higher speed and your laptop or desktop has a wireless ethernet adapter of slower speed, there will be no improvement.

Antivirus and Windows Firewall

Windows firewall and all antiviruses allow exclusion rules. These rules tell the antivirus and firewall not to bother with a particular folder or port or service. You should add Tally application files (both files and folder) to the exclusions of the antivirus. Port of application should be allowed in the windows firewall. Both inbound, as well as outbound rules, must be set properly. This is one of the most common reasons for Tally to run slowly and show the not responding screen.

Windows Services

Tally gateway services should be running properly on the server. Multiple services should not be there. The port of the Tally Gateway service should be added to the exclusions in the windows firewall. Multiple services running, also results in Tally going in an educational mode often.

Backup Software

Any third-party backup software taking backup of Tally data with users actively working and passing transactions also affects performance and users will complain that Tally is not responding.

Tally Software version

All computers in the network sharing the same data should be having the same version of Tally. Different computers having different versions of Tally also creates unexpected problems. We also recommend that all computers always use the latest version of Tally Prime so that you always get the latest in technology.

Use of Remote Desktop / Thin Client

Using Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) or thin client computers allows for all processing to take place on the server. This helps bypass many network speed related issues and helps improve Tally speed. Accessing the data from the centralized system shall provide a faster response to the data. But this requires a good server with excellent RAM configuration; preferably 2GB for every client that accesses it.

Also, check your network for the following:

• • Computers on the LAN should be easily visible to each other with proper and functional file sharing. You should be easily able to transfer files between computers. If there are problems during file transfers, you should get a network engineer to properly set up your network.
  • Check network connectivity using the ping command. There should not be any timeouts and ensure that the ping speed from the client to the server and vice-versa is always less than 1 ms for wired LAN. A disturbance in the network may be experienced if the ping speed rises to 5 ms or more. In such a case, it is imperative to ensure it drops to less than 1 ms. You should check with the ping command for at least 20 minutes at a stretch. A sample ping command could be 192.168.0.1 -t in which 192.168.0.1 is the IP address of the target computer such as the server with which you are testing connectivity. A networking expert will be able to better guide you on this.
  • Check if you are facing problems with, only Tally working slow and not responding or also other software giving problems over the LAN. You should get your network configuration thoroughly in case you are facing issues with other software too.
  • The memory and CPU utilization of the computer should be within a proper range. If not so, you might want to delete some unwanted software, remove unwanted startup programs or it could also point towards a virus attack. Or maybe your computer requires an upgrade as it is unable to handle the load.
  • You should have the correct Printers and ODBC drivers installed. In case the printer driver is not proper, Tally can give many unexpected problems such as not loading the company quickly etc.

Other concerns due to which Tally can get slow

Number of concurrent users

In case, multiple users are simultaneously viewing data-intensive reports such as GST returns or registers such as sales register for a longer period, chances of a not responding error are pretty high. A staggered use of Tally by different users or purchase of Tally Server 9 or maybe a third-party reporting tool that is integrated with Tally will help you in this case.

Total No. of Vouchers in a Company data

A very high volume of the number of vouchers in a single Tally data is one more reason for the Tally is not responding error. There is no definitive number as such. Investing in a higher-end server will tackle most of these data volume-related issues. If your company is having more than one year of data, splitting the company data, and working in only current year data helps significantly.

A very large number of cost centres or batches or godowns also affects performance. As written earlier, there is no definitive number and has to be studied in detail keeping other factors in mind. A specific customised module might help in some cases; such as providing a partial list of masters or using a search and display strategy for masters. Data size does affect memory consumption adversely when a company is being loaded. The company features and the volume of data entered determines the data size. Thus increase in RAM could also help.

Simultaneously opening multiple companies

While opening Tally default company automatically opens. We forget to shut it down before working and open our current company. Put Load Default= No in Tally in a file. This has a bearing when the volume of data in your company is high.

Tally Customization

Several companies get TDLs developed for their specific needs and requirements. The kind of TDLs being used and the quality of programming in the making of a particular TDL dies matter. In some cases, TDLs developed by someone may also affect performance. A simple test is to temporarily disable all TDLs and check the performance.

Conclusion

The problem of your Tally running slow or Tally is not responding issue will resolve in most cases if you follow all the above steps. This ensures, the smooth and fast working of Tally. But even after following the above steps, if you still face problems with your Tally speed, then it could require further analysis. You could contact us and one of our consultants will be happy to assist you.