User Support Forum

We currently network three computers using Version 11.1. My Membership, Activities, Attendance, Utilities Modules contain 12 years of data. However, a fourth computer needs added to the Network.

Here is the problem. The fourth computer is a laptop that our Volunteer Treasurers used. We have just made the Treasurer a staff position and the laptop will remain at the church. The laptop is also using Version 11.1, but the Treasurers created and maintained their own database. Members were entered in the laptop with just their names; some have their addresses and some not; None have vital statistics like "When joined," "Birthdays," Codes, etc.

So, is it possible to combine the two databases or will one overwrite the other? I don't have any Contribution or Finance data on the other three computers so am afraid of losing Account Numbers, Contribution figures, etc. And, on the other hand, I don't want to lose any of my membership information.

dcc wrote:We currently network three computers using Version 11.1. My Membership, Activities, Attendance, Utilities Modules contain 12 years of data. However, a fourth computer needs added to the Network.

Here is the problem. The fourth computer is a laptop that our Volunteer Treasurers used. We have just made the Treasurer a staff position and the laptop will remain at the church. The laptop is also using Version 11.1, but the Treasurers created and maintained their own database. Members were entered in the laptop with just their names; some have their addresses and some not; None have vital statistics like "When joined," "Birthdays," Codes, etc.

So, is it possible to combine the two databases or will one overwrite the other? I don't have any Contribution or Finance data on the other three computers so am afraid of losing Account Numbers, Contribution figures, etc. And, on the other hand, I don't want to lose any of my membership information.

OK .. I take it that the 'Treasurers' entered the contributions and did the Funds Accounting too, writing checks, etc.

The Accounting files are the easy part, as that part of the database really does not interact with any other part of the database.

On the old treasurer's laptop, use the Powerchurch backup utility.

1. From the top menu, select Utilities -> Backup & Restore Files, the backup utility window will appear, select Backup files and click NEXT.

2. On the next window, select Accounting Files from the list. The system will add a ACC in the filename to reflect that backup. You can restore this file to your main database which I recommend doing now, this will give you all the data that was on the laptop.

The next part is the tricky part. The main index for contributions data is the Envelope Number. As long as this number is the same in the main database, and the laptop database, you 'should' have no problems. If your main database does NOT have envelope numbers, you will have to enter these on the correct personal profiles manually. You'll have to print the envelope number list report from the old laptop in order to match the numbers.

Once the numbers are entered and verified, you can backup the Contributions database from the laptop.

3. Again, head to the backup utility as in step 1 above.
4. On the file list window, select the choice Contribution Files. You do not want the selection "Contributions, Mailing LIst & Profiles". That would pull the partial data from the membership database on the laptop, which you DO NOT want. The system will add "CON" in the filename.

Before you do anything else, do FULL backup of the Main Networked Database, this will contain your good membership data, as well as the Accounting data if you've restored it already from step 2.

5. Restore the Contribution database you backed up in step 4.

Check to make sure that all the contribution data matches by verifying data from the old laptop.

Thank you so much!! We aren't quite ready to begin the project, but I will tell you the outcome when we finish.