5 Tips to Improve Performance: CaseWare Working Papers 2020

From Customer Service Team Member Nahida Velona: Do you want to know some handy tips to improve on the speed and performance of Caseware Working Papers? Read on to understand 5 ways to make sure your Working Papers runs smoothly…

Tip #1 –Back to the Basics: Storage Capacity

Make sure there is enough storage capacity in the location you are saving all your engagement files.

By default, all Caseware files are stored in the local C: drive of your computer. However, if you are working from a Network drive, you also need to ensure there is enough storage capacity in that location.

This is a relatively simple thing to check by navigating to Windows Explorer and clicking on This PC and checking free space available in the C: drive and/or Network drive. We have found this to be overlooked quite often (been there, done that!).

Tip #2 – Working on a Network Drive or Remote Server: Working Local is Best!

This is one of the most common causes of lag in Caseware performance. Working Papers works best when files are located in the local drive (on your personal computer).

Get a local copy for better performance: If working on a file from a shared network drive, use the Sign In/Sign Out feature to sign out a copy of the file into your local drive, complete your work, and then make sure you check the copy back in. This feature allows you to sign out a copy of the entire engagement file to a local location, leaving a read-only copy behind at the network drive. Again, ensuring you have enough storage space on your C: drive (see point 1, above) is crucial to reducing lag times.

This FAQ (specifically the performance considerations) is a good read if you’re looking to improve engagement file performance while working with a terminal server setup.

Tip #3 – Updates: Keep Up with the Latest

Outdated engagement files can lead to slower performance overall of the software and engagement file. Engagement files need to be regularly updated in order to improve the functionality of the file and make sure that all the relevant content and functions in your engagement file remain in tip-top condition!

Refer to this FAQ to read up on how to update your Caseware Engagement file, or just give our Customer Service team a ring!

Tip #4 – Short Filename Pathways: Long Winded Filenames not Recommended

It is important to keep the filename pathways of engagement files as short as possible. By keeping the engagement file close to the root folder, the performance of the file improves and the risk of exceeding Microsoft’s character limit for pathways is reduced.  

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Tip #5 – Anti-virus Exclusions: Constant Checking Processes Cause Delays

There may be a lag in Caseware performance due to your antivirus software preventing Caseware from functioning effectively. If you are experiencing performance issues with Caseware, make sure the file extensions and executables listed out in this document have been excluded from  the antivirus software.