User Support Forum

Our church got off to a rough start using PowerChurch. We have used it for several years, but with many different users and without much consistency between users. We are now seriously considering starting over by installing a clean copy of PCV9 and setting it up from scratch the way we really want it to work for our church. We realize this will mean considerable data re-entry, but we do not want to include all of our previous data.

We are thinking of making this change after we have closed out the present year using our current setup. We would like to set up a standalone version of PCV9, not on our network, which would contain this year-end data. This would allow us to generate reports which would aid in entering data, especially membership data, into our new system which will be housed on our network.

Is it possible to install PCV9 on our network without incorporating any data from our current system? If yes, how would this be done?

Will our idea of installing PCV9 on a standalone computer using the saved year end data work? Could we then use this version for historical reference and to generate reports which would be useful as source material for entering data into our new system?

Hope this request for information and assistance is clear. If not, I would like a chance to clarify.

Thanks!

pudgyswede wrote:Our church got off to a rough start using PowerChurch. We have used it for several years, but with many different users and without much consistency between users. We are now seriously considering starting over by installing a clean copy of PCV9 and setting it up from scratch the way we really want it to work for our church. We realize this will mean considerable data re-entry, but we do not want to include all of our previous data.

We are thinking of making this change after we have closed out the present year using our current setup. We would like to set up a standalone version of PCV9, not on our network, which would contain this year-end data. This would allow us to generate reports which would aid in entering data, especially membership data, into our new system which will be housed on our network.

Is it possible to install PCV9 on our network without incorporating any data from our current system? If yes, how would this be done?

Will our idea of installing PCV9 on a standalone computer using the saved year end data work? Could we then use this version for historical reference and to generate reports which would be useful as source material for entering data into our new system?

Hope this request for information and assistance is clear. If not, I would like a chance to clarify.

Thanks!

I've had 3 different versions of PC+ installed on one machine without a problem, primarily to be able to access historical data that we had purged in our current database. Remember, what you are about to do will require the complete recreation of the Funds Accounting chart of accounts, the Contributions Funds with their transfer accounts to the Funds accounting modules, all changes to the mailing status and personal profile codes, and any other special activities and codes you currently use.

What I would do is:

1. Do a backup of the current database to CD.

2. Locate the computer you want to use as the repository. Install V9.0 on this machine. You will have a chance to determine what directory you want the program to be installed to, the default is normally C:\Powerchurch. You could use something like C:\PCPlusHistory and it will still work. The system will continue to install, then finish.
Then install any maintenance releases that have been released.

Find the Powerchurch icon, and start the program. The program will start then ask if you want to update from a previous version, answer NO. It will then ask you for your church information. Enter this data. PC+ will then create a blank database, I forget if it then exits, but in any case if it does, restart the program, if not continue to step 3.

3. Do a RESTORE from the backup CD. You now have your historical version setup. You can then use the Membership Master Report from the Mailing List module to create the source data for reimput into the new system. Actually, what I would do is create these reports now, and mail them to the congregation for them to update and return to the church. Hopefully, people will return them, so you'll have current data.

4. On your server, go to the Windows Control Panel, and click on the Add or Remove Programs icon. Then uninstall Powerchurch completely.

5. Open My Computer and go to the drive where Powerchurch was located, and delete the Powerchurch directory, and all directories beneath it. You want to make sure the old data files are deleted.

6. Install Powerchurch on this machine using the CD, then the latest maintenance release. Afterwhich you can then start Powerchurch, answer NO to the upgrade question, enter your church information, and start adding to the empty database.

Hope this helps

Thanks!

This is exactly the information I was seeking. I sincerely appreciate the help and the very concise manner in which you presented the information. I also appreciate the timeliness of your response to my question.

Can I install another copy of the program, containing no data, for a fresh start, while leaving the old version in place?

maviszook wrote:Can I install another copy of the program, containing no data, for a fresh start, while leaving the old version in place?

Yup ... just use a different folder name, and don't 'convert' any data.

Yay! Thanks.