Univik BUSY Data Recovery Toolkit for Windows
At a Glance
Key FeaturesOne Workbook, a Sheet per Table
Excel export writes one .xlsx file. A Summary sheet comes first, then Accounts, Items, Vouchers, Entries, Item lines, Bill sundries and Bill references, ready for filters and pivot tables.
At a Glance
Univik BUSY Data Converter in Numbers Formats, sheets, version and price in one row
9
Export Options
Excel, CSV, JSON, invoices and five PDF reports.
10
Sheets at Most
A Summary sheet and seven data sheets, plus audit trail and activity log when present.
0
Programs to Install
Reads the company folder itself, with no licence for the original program on the PC.
6.10
Current Version
Needs .NET Framework 4.8 on a PC running Windows 11 or 10.
$99
Entry Price
The Personal licence covers 2 PCs. Trial exports hold 10 items per section.
Key Features
What Univik BUSY Data Converter Does Six tasks done without a running copy of the vendor's program
CSV and JSON for Other Software
Convert BUSY data into plain CSV with one file per table. Or get one JSON file that holds every table, for scripts and reporting tools.
Invoices as PDF
Sales and purchase vouchers turn into invoices with items and GST. Get one PDF with an invoice on each page or a separate PDF per invoice.
Five PDF Reports
Ledger statements with a running balance, a day book, party balances, a stock statement and a trial balance, each as a PDF.
Date and Voucher Type Filters
Set From and To dates, or leave both empty for the whole year. Keep sales, purchases or other vouchers. Tick the box to include deleted ones.
Row Counts for Every Table
Each export lists the rows written per table and warns when a count differs from the file. The company folder itself is only read.
The Core Problem
The Core ProblemWhy Export BUSY Data Outside BUSY?
Because the export routes inside the program hand over one report at a time and need the program to be running. Two limits keep the books locked in the data folder.
Trap 1: No Single Command Exports Everything
BUSY's own export FAQ says the whole dataset cannot go to Excel in one command. Individual reports export with Alt+E, so a full year means many files and many repeats.
Trap 2: XML Export Only Suits BUSY
The vendor says its XML export helps when data moves between two BUSY installations, per its backup and export FAQ. Excel and Power BI cannot open the .bds file itself.
The Fix: Export From the Files Themselves
Univik BUSY Data Converter reads the .bds files and writes every table of a financial year in one run. Our advice: export to Excel first and tie its trial balance PDF to a report you already trust. Produce CSV or JSON only after that.
“An export nobody can check is only a guess. A full-year run lists the rows written for every table and warns when a count differs from the file, so an accountant can tie the workbook back to the books before it leaves the office.”
What Comes Out
What Comes OutWhich Formats Does the BUSY Data Converter Write?
.xlsx
Excel Workbook
One file per financial year with a sheet for each table. Amber rows mark vouchers that were deleted and recovered. The usual first stop for checking figures.
.csv
CSV Tables
One plain file per table, such as accounts.csv and vouchers.csv. Any spreadsheet, import screen or script can read them.
.json
JSON Data
A single file that holds every table, with dates in ISO form. Deleted vouchers carry a deletedInBusy flag.
PDF Reports and Invoices
Invoices, ledger statements, day book, party balances, stock statement and trial balance, ready to print or email.
Three Steps
Three StepsHow to Bulk Export BUSY Data
Save a financial year from a PC where BUSY was never installed, reading the company folder directly.
1
Open the Company Folder
Install the toolkit on Windows 11 or 10. After that, open the company folder, such as COMP0001. A folder from a pen drive should be copied to a local drive first.
2
Choose What to Save
Open Export and pick Everything in Excel, CSV files, JSON data, invoices or a PDF report. Set From and To dates, the voucher types and whether deleted vouchers come along.
3
Pick the Folder and Export
Select a destination folder and begin. Afterwards, read the row count listed for each table. Every item needs a licence.
Get the BUSY Data Converter Trial
Windows 11 or 10 · source files opened read-only · help from the Univik support team
Typical Jobs
Typical JobsWhen Do You Need a BUSY Data Converter?
Year-End Files for the Auditor
Limit the export to one financial year, then send the workbook with the trial balance and day book PDFs instead of single reports.
Feeding a Reporting Tool
Power BI users on Microsoft's community forum find no connector for a .bds file. CSV and JSON from the converter load into any reporting tool.
Invoice Copies From an Old PC
A customer asks for a copy and only the data folder survived. Write the sales vouchers as PDF invoices without setting the program up again.
Before You Export
Before You ExportWhich BUSY Company Folder and Year Should You Export?
Good to know
Every company has a numbered folder of its own, such as COMP0001. Each financial year is a separate file inside it, so db12022.bds holds 2022-23 and an export covers that one year.
Copy the folder to a local drive and export from the copy. The data path sits under Company > Set Data Directory, and the vendor's backup and restore FAQ says to point at the data folder, not at a company code. The .bds file guide lists the contents of each file in that folder.
Compare Your Options
Compare Your OptionsWhich Way Gets BUSY Data Out?
Alt+E fits a single report from an open company. This software fits a full year, or a PC without the program.
| What you need | BUSY Export (Alt+E) | Excel or Power BI | Univik BUSY Data ConverterTRIAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included with BUSY | Excel or Power BI licence | From $99 |
| Needs BUSY installed | Yes | Cannot open the file | No |
| Opens a .bds company file | Yes, in its own screens | Not directly | Yes |
| Every table of a year in one run | No, each report on its own | Not applicable | Yes, in one workbook |
| Output formats | Excel per report, XML between installations | Whatever the connected tool writes | Excel, CSV, JSON and PDF |
The vendor's import FAQ says BUSY itself imports only from Tally and takes other data through Excel sheets. Busy2Tally, a transfer service, is made for moving data into Tally. That is a separate job.
What You Need
System Requirements Univik BUSY Data Converter needs a Windows PC and space for the files it writes
Windows and .NET
A Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC with a .NET Framework 4.8 runtime or newer. A Mac needs a Windows virtual machine.
No Program to Install
The BUSY data converter software opens the company files itself, with no licence for the original program.
Disk Space
Keep free space on the drive that receives the files. The company folder is only read.
Licence for Full Export
A licence unlocks every item. Personal covers 2 PCs at $99, Business covers 10 PCs at $199 and Forensics covers 50 PCs at $299.
| Product | Univik BUSY Data Recovery Toolkit, converter module |
| Version | 6.10 (Latest) |
| Platform | Windows 11 and Windows 10 |
| Framework | .NET Framework 4.8 or later |
| Reads | db.bds and db1YYYY.bds year files in a company folder, plus older .mdb files |
| Writes | Excel (one workbook, a sheet per table), CSV (a file per table), JSON and PDF |
| Filters | Date range, voucher types and deleted vouchers on or off |
| Scope | One company and one financial year per run |
Questions
BUSY Data Converter Questions
Install the Univik BUSY Data Recovery Toolkit on any Windows 11 or 10 PC, open a company folder such as COMP0001 and choose Export. The converter reads the .bds files itself and writes Excel, CSV, JSON or PDF.
Univik BUSY Data Converter has a free trial that covers 10 items in each section. Personal at $99 for 2 PCs removes the limit, and every licence has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The BUSY data converter exports Excel (.xlsx), CSV, JSON and PDF. It does not write XML, TXT, HTML or SQL files.
The workbook starts with a Summary sheet, then Accounts, Items, Vouchers, Entries, Item lines, Bill sundries and Bill references. Audit trail and Activity log sheets follow when the company file holds those records.
It exports one financial year per run, with every table of that year in the same workbook. Each year sits in its own file, so a company with five years of books is exported five times.
Yes. Sales and purchase vouchers become PDF invoices with items and GST. Choose one PDF with each invoice on its own page or a separate PDF for every invoice. Seller details come from the company and are saved on your PC.
Yes, when you tick the option to include them. Vouchers deleted in BUSY and recovered from the data file are shown in amber in Excel. A Status column names each one, and JSON marks them deletedInBusy.
Univik tested the converter on 3 BUSY 21 companies holding 6,411 vouchers, and every voucher balanced. The reader handles .bds folders and older .mdb files. Send the file names to Univik support if a folder from another release will not open.
Yes. The installer for Univik BUSY Data Converter is digitally signed, and company files open read-only so the source folder never changes. All processing stays on your own PC.
No. Univik BUSY Data Converter works from the company folder on your PC and writes the output files to a folder you pick. Nothing goes to a server, and it runs offline.
No. BUSY's own FAQ says exporting the entire dataset to Excel in a single command is not supported. Individual reports export with Alt+E. The converter writes every table of a financial year in one run.
It does not write a Tally import file. The converter gives you Excel, CSV and JSON, which you can map to the import screen of Tally or any other system. BUSY itself imports only from Tally, per its FAQ.
No. There is no affiliation between Univik and BUSY. The converter reads the company files by itself.
More Tools
More ToolsOther Univik BUSY Data Tools
Page Reviewer: Nick Rogers Univik founder
Reviewed 11 Oct 2026
Leena Taylor Paul ran the converter over 3 BUSY 21 companies with 6,411 vouchers, and every voucher balanced. Nick Rogers approved this page on 11 October 2026. Vendor facts link to its help pages where they appear. Source files stay unchanged. The refund policy gives 30 days on every licence.
Updated on 11 October 2026
Univik Since 2013Source Files UnchangedDigitally SignedWorks Offline30-Day Refund
BUSY is a trademark of its owner. Univik has no affiliation with it.