When trying to generate the trial balance in Aspel COI, some users encounter messages such as “Error generating trial balance”, “Index error”, or “No movements found in the period”. This article explains the most common causes of these errors and the steps to resolve them without losing any accounting data.

The Error

The most common error messages when generating the trial balance in Aspel COI are:

  • “Error generating trial balance” — a generic message that can result from multiple causes.
  • “Index error” or “Record access error” — indicates that the database indexes are damaged or out of date.
  • “No movements found in the period” — appears when no journal entries have been posted to the general ledger for the selected date range.
  • “Fiscal year not configured” — the system has no defined fiscal year or accounting period for the active session.

These errors typically appear at the start of a new fiscal year, after updating Aspel COI, following an unexpected system shutdown, or when working with a database that has not received regular maintenance.

Root Cause

Errors generating the trial balance have several possible causes:

Damaged or outdated indexes: Aspel COI uses indexes to quickly access accounting records. If the system was closed incorrectly or the database was damaged, the indexes can become corrupt, preventing the generation of reports.

Fiscal year not configured correctly: At the start of a new year, the fiscal year must be configured in the company parameters. If this step is skipped, COI does not know which period to query and throws the error.

Incorrect date filters: If the dates entered when requesting the trial balance do not correspond to any period with registered movements, the system reports that no data was found.

Journal entries not posted to the general ledger: Journal entries in Aspel COI must be “posted to the ledger” for their movements to appear in reports. If this process was not run, the trial balance will appear empty or return an error.

Corrupt or fragmented database: Extended use without maintenance can cause fragmentation or corruption in the database files, which manifests as errors when generating reports.

Step-by-Step Solution

Follow these steps in order to resolve the trial balance error in Aspel COI:

  1. Verify the active fiscal year. Go to Configuration > Company Parameters. Confirm that the “Fiscal Year” field shows the correct year and that the accounting period is properly defined (for example, January–December). If the fiscal year does not exist, create it before continuing.

  2. Check the date filters when generating the trial balance. When you open the trial balance module, make sure the start date and end date match a period with registered journal entries. A common mistake is searching for fiscal year 2025 when the active year is still 2024.

  3. Post journal entries to the general ledger. Go to Journal Entries > Post to Ledger. Select all journal entry types (general, income, expense, etc.) and the date range for the period. Run the process and wait for it to complete. This step is essential for movements to appear in the trial balance.

  4. Close Aspel COI and create a backup. Before reindexing, close all active modules and back up the database. Go to Utilities > Backup and save the file to a safe location.

  5. Reindex the database. Go to Utilities > Reindex. Select “All tables” and click OK. The process may take several minutes depending on the size of the database. Do not close the program during the process.

  6. Regenerate the trial balance. Once reindexing is complete, go to Reports > Trial Balance. Set the period and filters correctly and generate the report. The error should now be resolved.

Alternative Solution

If the steps above do not resolve the error, try these alternatives:

Compact and repair the database: Go to Utilities > Compact. This option removes records marked as deleted and reorganizes the database, reducing fragmentation. After compacting, repeat the reindexing process.

Export using different filters: If the database has partial issues, try generating the trial balance with a smaller date range (for example, month by month) to identify which period contains the error.

Repair the COI installation: If errors persist, program files may be damaged. From the Windows Control Panel, choose “Repair” on the Aspel COI installation. A full uninstall is not required.

Contact an Authorized Aspel Distributor: If none of the solutions work, Aspel technical support can access the database remotely and run advanced repair tools that are not available from the user interface.

Prevention

To avoid future errors when generating the trial balance:

  • Configure the fiscal year at the start of each year before entering any journal entries. This is the step most frequently skipped.
  • Post journal entries to the ledger regularly, preferably at the end of each working day or week.
  • Reindex monthly. Schedule a database reindex at least once a month, especially before generating critical reports or the annual closing.
  • Back up daily. Use Aspel COI’s automatic backup feature or set up a Windows scheduled task to back up the company files.
  • Avoid abrupt shutdowns. Power outages or forced system closures are the leading cause of index damage in the database.

If the trial balance error persists or you encounter other messages in Aspel COI, check these related articles:

Summary

  • Trial balance errors in Aspel COI have four main causes: damaged indexes, unconfigured fiscal year, incorrect filters, and unposted journal entries.
  • The first step is always to verify the active fiscal year in company parameters.
  • Posting journal entries to the general ledger is mandatory for movements to appear in the trial balance.
  • Reindexing the database resolves most index errors.
  • If the problem persists, compacting and repairing the database or contacting Aspel support are the next steps.
  • Prevention involves configuring the fiscal year at the start of the year, posting entries regularly, and performing periodic backups and reindexing.