Collectorpro Technical Bulletin

Title-How Collectorpro Stores the information about your collections

Versions Affected-Collectorpro for Antiques Version 8 or higher

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Disclaimer

This information is provided to allow more advanced users to perform certain functions within Collectorpro.  This information is provided as-is and all responsibility for data backups and recovery is the responsibility of the user of Collectorpro.  Dimark Group is not responsible for any loss of data or any other loss incurred.

Where Collectorpro Stores data

When you install Collectorpro it creates the following folders on your hard disk drive.  This is where all the Collectorpro program files and collection folders are stored.

C:\Program Files\collectorpro8

Collectorpro also creates a sample collection named DATA in the folder location listed below.  This collection can be used for keeping your inventory or for practicing and learning Collectorpro.  This collection cannot be deleted.

C:\Program Files\collectorpro8\data

Each time you create a new collection in Collectorpro a new folder is created to hold the information about that collection.  The name of the folder is is the same as the name of the collection that is displayed in the Select Collection screen.

For example, if you create a collection named BUSINESS, the following folder will be created on your hard disk in the collprow folder.  All of the item information for the BUSINESS collection will be stored in various files inside this folder.

C:\Program Files\collectorpro8\business

Transferring Collections from One Computer to Another

 Prerequisites

1.  The same version of Collectorpro must be installed and operational on both computers.

2.    Even if you are not using the default collection named DATA you must copy the DATA folder along with any other folders.  The master list of collections is stored in the DATA folder.

To transfer data from one computer to another you copy all the files in the DATA folder to diskette, tape, or other transportable media.  Then you will need to restore all these files to the same folder location on the computer that you are copying to. 

Repeat the process for the folder where the collection is stored.

Note: The easiest way to move collections from one computer to another is to copy the entire c:\Program Files\collectorpro8 folder from one computer to another.  This will insure that all collections, programs, and supporting files are copied.  A removable disk is an ideal way to do this.

Example for Collectorpro with a single collection using the default collection named DATA

In order to copy all the data files from computer A to computer B the following steps must be completed.

1.        Install the same version of Collectorpro on computer B that is on computer A.

2.        Copy all the files from the c:\Program Files\collectorpro8\data folder on computer A to a transportable media such as diskette or tape.

3.        Restore all these files on computer B to the d:\Program Files\collectorpro8\data folder.

The collection in the DATA folder will now be in sync between the two computers.  If you make changes or additions to the data on computer B, you may reverse the process to bring computer A back in sync with computer B.

Example for Collectorpro with multiple collections

In order to copy all the data files from computer A to computer B the following steps must be completed.

1.   Install the same version of Collectorpro on computer B that is on computer A.

2.  Copy the DATA collection as described in the section above.

3.   Determine which collections you wish to copy.  In this example we will use the collection on computer A named BUSINESS.

4. Copy all the files from the c:\Program Files\collectorpro8\business folder on computer A to a transportable media such as diskette or tape.

5.   Restore all these files on computer B to the c:\Program Files\collectorpro8\business folder from the transportable media.

Your data will now be in sync between the two computers.  If you make changes or additions to the data on computer B, you may reverse the process to bring computer A back in sync with computer B.

Important Considerations

This method is not a true synchronization of data.  When you copy data from one computer to another it completely overwrites the existing data on the destination computer with the data from the source computer.  The important point here is that if you make changes to the data on both computers at the same time there is no way to save both of these changes to both computers.

The way most Collectorpro customers use the above methods is to copy all their data from a desktop computer to a laptop computer before they travel and then copy the data from a laptop computer back to a desktop computer when they return.  Then the next time they travel, they copy data from the desktop to the laptop before they leave.  Then they repeat the process to copy the data back to the desktop when they return.

Other Important Notes

You may use any software product you wish to copy files between computers.  Some users are using Microsoft Backup, WinZip, or Windows Explorer.  Collectorpro Software Group does not provide assistance or support on these products.  Support will only be provided on Collectorpro software.  The user assumes all liability for use of third party software.  If you are unsure on how to use these third party products, you should contact your software vendor or a qualified computer support technician.

Happy Collecting!

The Collectorpro Team

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