Hi all,
I decided to proceed with the conversion to Version 4 unassisted, since I wanted to get it done a couple of weekends ago on a Sunday. I use a server - client setup here with hardwired PC's accessing the databases, which prior tp my conversion had been located on a data partition drive on my server.
Anyhow, I had a minor screw-up and had to start the conversion process over but ultimately got everything running. All the PC's communicate with the server and we love the new version. Although I succeeded in putting the new SQL databases on the server, I think it's now on the main C:\ drive , in the AmazingCharts program folder, rather than my dedicated D:\ drive where I wanted them to go. There are copies of the files "amazingcharts.mdf" and "amazingcharts.ldf" on the D:\ drive but they have not been modified or grown any larger since the day I did the conversion more than 2 weeks ago. The copies of the SQL database files which ARE being modified, and are getting larger, are on the C:\ drive. SO, I suspect that's the real ones.
I feel like I need an episode of "To Tell The Truth" around here. Will the *REAL* database please stand up?
SO... my most important question at this point is: which files constitute the data that I need to backup and protect?? It appears that the files I *thought* were my data files on my D:\ drive are actually extras, dummies, probably created by my first aborted conversion attempt. How do I determine where exactly my "real" databases are and which files/folders are these? It looks like to me they are:
1. The 6 total files with .mdf and .ldf suffixes
2. The folder named "ImportItems"
3. Which other files or folders? There's one called _Data001
I had been backing up my Version 3 databases manually each day, to external drives and to discs, but now I don't think I have a good backup for my version 4 data for the last 2 weeks!! Incidentally, about a week ago I signed up and paid for the AC automatic offsite backup service, but it crashes when I try to run it. I put a request in to the IT folks, but.... no answer yet this week. I'm guessing the auto backup program doesn't know where the databases are, either.
Thanks for any advice, so I can at least run manual backups to disc for now.
Jim
