I keep several folders containing local security files. I also keep sector and sub-sector folders together with some groups of stocks I made for myself like Housebuilders and so on and from these I calculate folder averages to show relative strengths and weaknesses. Anyway the point is a security will be located in several local folders.

The problem I have is that the Downloader is the most useless programme at keeping one's data properly organised. It is a major task to do the most simple things unless someone knows different.

I download nightly EOD data from Reuters. I inspect the collection report and then try to delete securities that have moved to the Pink Sheets, adjust symbol changes and so on. If I see a security has moved to the pink sheets how do I find it easily and delete it in its several folders. There is no find facility that lets you search for the symbol and then simply delete the results. I am going to Open-Find in the Downloader and then manually listing each location and then going to Delete and Browsing to the folder where the security is - searching for it in the list again and then deleting it. It takes an age - is there an easier way?

If I want to change a symbol I have to use Open-Find and open each data sheet, change the symbol and save clicking OK to teh warning boxes - again a right pain - is there an easier way?

Why is there no facility to automate (in part at least) changes to data that are reported from Reuters? Could there not be a facility to find all locations of a Symbol and delete them in a simple way, and to change a symbol in a simple way, and to move a security from one folder to another (needed if it changes sector group), and whilst on sectors I note that there are many errors in the Symbol Database as to which symbols are in which sector. Does anyone ever check at Equis?

If anyone knows of a utility to help with data file management please let me know as it is taking way too long at the moment. It would be really useful if Equis provided a To-Do list in order to keep data up to date but I suppose they realise the faults in their software and don't want to bring attention to it. One would have thought after so many years of upgrades this sort of thing would have been tackled long ago. Maybe it's just me!

Thanks

slipperx

maby this will help

http://forum.equis.com/files/3015/metastock_files/entry22426.aspx

hi pp
thanks for the latest I have already downloaded that utility, but all it currently does is delete files had not been updated, and I already have that utility using a program called Spyglass. What is needed is a utility to locate a symbol in various locations (much like the find utility in the download open dialogue, which finds locations of the various symbols but does not let you do anything with them except open them, whereas I want to delete them or rename them or change the symbol). Also utility to move symbols between folders will be useful. I know it is physically possible to do this using the download but there are so many steps it makes the process extremely time-consuming. Since maintaining one's data is an essential task I would have thought that over the years a quiz night spent a little more time developing the downloader

slipperx.

Slipperx,

Wabbit is right, yesterday i downloaded the premium data program for a free trial and i`ve come to the conclusion that it is better than my current data provider and not just that but slightly cheaper. It changes the symbols automaticaly, it moves the delisted securities in to a separate folder automaticaly, u can create custom lists and it already has a lot of customs lists already made. ....i know about premium data for a long time but never until yesterday give it a try and it seems that it was a mistake.