There are a few ways to make a computer your "New" main computer. I'm going to go over the different ways step by step and throw in a few shortcuts along the way (We can always use shortcuts. anything to make life easier and less stressful).
Here is Scenario 1
New main computer is a brand new computer:
Get the installer for AC on that computer and make sure it is the same version as the main you already have. Whether this means downloading one or finding the one you saved from when you installed on the main.
Lets assume your downloading it, while it is downloading, start to make a backup of your database on your original main computer. We usually say that you should include your imported items and images with this backup but that is not always the best thing to do. This really depends on the size of your imported items folder. Rule of thumb is if your folder is larger then 10 gigs in size, your better off just copying the folder and pasting it on the new main computer. The backup would take longer to create then it would take to get it and move it to the new PC.
OK, shortcut number 1, when making the backup, for step 2, select a folder on the new main computer as this then relieves you of having to move it so many times. This also depends on the size of your backup and the speed of your network. You would not want to move something that is 10+ gigs in size over a slow network. It would be faster to just copy it to something like an external drive.
So now you have the backup and the installer on the new computer. You now need to install it onto the new main computer. when you are asked if you want to make this the main computer, select yes. Then pretty much click next through everything else.
Once you have installed amazing charts on the computer, you can't just go right to the backup restore utility. SQL has to be attached to something to restore or override something. So the first thing you do after installing is to start amazing charts on your new main computer. This will have you first find the XML file. The XML your looking for is the one located on your new main computer. Your essentially setting the path to itself. You want to restore to this computer so do not select the XML file on the old main computer. Remember, restoring will override the information of the computer that SQL is attached to. So if your attached to your old main computer which has the information you want, it would then try to override that information.
After setting the path to the new main computer, you will find that it is asking for you practice information. Basically you need to create a dummy database. so you can just type in a bunch of gibberish. nothing will remain from this dummy database after you have restored to the backup file. you do need to put in an admin password and create a user. Just put in the minimum requirements in there(everything that is red). when you hit next it will ask if you want to ad another user. don't add another user, only one is needed. Then you will be at the schedule screen. You do not have to add a schedule. Just hit next and it will take you to the finish button.
Now you've created a dummy database and are ready to restore. the restore utility is located in the amazing charts folder. Usually the folder can be found in C:\Program Files or for 64 bit computers C:\Program Files(86). If you selected a different location when installing, then it would be in there. Once in the folder you will find the backup restore utility. it will have an icon of a life preserver. when you start it up it will ask you to select the .ENC file(this is your backup you made earlier) you would like to restore to. browse to the file and it will start to restore.
Now there is a slightly different way of doing this for this scenario. instead of making the backup and moving everything over to the other computer, you can install on the new main computer and still chose "Yes, this is the main computer" then continue to make the dummy database. You can just sync, which does the exact same thing as a restore. It will override the dummy database with the correct information. Now this also depends on your database size and the speed of your network. If your database is very large, you can exclude your imported items and move them over like we did above and sync just the database.
Now if the computer you want to make the new main computer already has amazing charts on it, the steps are just slightly different. You do not have to uninstall the version you have. Just run the installer and select the "Yes, this is the main" option. This will install SQL and when you get to the installation of amazing charts, select the repair option. The rest is either going to be the backup restore option or the sync option above.
-Joe
