Recovering data from Version 11 backup

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wseaton
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 6:01 pm

Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by wseaton »

Greetings,

I'm assisting a church in recovering data from a PC that lost it's HD and was recovered at some cost.Version of PowerChurch they are on was 11 I believe, and after the rather expensive debacle (backups are your buddy) they purchased a new PC and refreshed to the most recent version of PowerChurch.

This leaves us with the fun project of recovering data from old 'dead' PC.I do have all the data files and executables from the previous PCPLUS11 folder intact, but not quite sure where to proceed. I'm going to assume I will need to install the old version 11 and substitute the data files and go from there, but if there's a more direct way I'm all open to suggestions. I see there's an install folder with serveral EXE in it, but not sure if they are just installation modules.

NeilZ
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Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
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Re: Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by NeilZ »

wseaton wrote:Greetings,

I'm assisting a church in recovering data from a PC that lost it's HD and was recovered at some cost.Version of PowerChurch they are on was 11 I believe, and after the rather expensive debacle (backups are your buddy) they purchased a new PC and refreshed to the most recent version of PowerChurch.

This leaves us with the fun project of recovering data from old 'dead' PC.I do have all the data files and executables from the previous PCPLUS11 folder intact, but not quite sure where to proceed. I'm going to assume I will need to install the old version 11 and substitute the data files and go from there, but if there's a more direct way I'm all open to suggestions. I see there's an install folder with serveral EXE in it, but not sure if they are just installation modules.
If you were able to recover the entire PCPLUS11 folder, then copy that to the C:\Powerchurch directory that was created when v12 was installed. Go into the PCPLUS11\install folder, and run the netsetup11.exe program. This will re-register the program's .DLLs with Windows.

I hope that they DID NOT start doing anything with the v12 installation. The reason I say this is that normally when you start any PCPlus new version the first thing it will ask is if you're upgrading from an earlier version. It will then search the drive for a previous installation, and will find the v11 database and convert it to the v12 schema as it copies that data. This just reads the old database, and leaves it intact.

However, if they already started doing anything with the new version, come back and let us know, there may be a way around it. Frankly you cannot do a 'merge' locally.
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

wseaton
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 6:01 pm

Re: Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by wseaton »

Thanks for the quick reply!

Yep....Netsetup11 did the trick. I'm now presented with their passwords, but I can get that information quickly enough from the staff. I assume there's a password file that can be nuked or such but unless it's critical to get in that way I'll wait for the sysadmin password to be E-mailed to me.

So, as I understand you, when a fresh version 12 installation occurs it can import and merge data from a previous version, but once version 12 is up and operational the 'automatic' method is off the table. Correct? That would leave us with export / import CSV...yadda, yadda, yadda.(?)

In other words, do the version 12 fresh install over version 11, have version 12 automatically import, and many headaches will be spared, right? :-)

I'll have to see what their status is with version 12. If they haven't started entering a ton of data I would think it might be worthwhile to start fresh now that we have a process down for recovering ver 11 data. I'll need to see how far into 12 they are.

NeilZ
Posts: 10208
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
Contact:

Re: Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by NeilZ »

wseaton wrote:Thanks for the quick reply!

Yep....Netsetup11 did the trick. I'm now presented with their passwords, but I can get that information quickly enough from the staff. I assume there's a password file that can be nuked or such but unless it's critical to get in that way I'll wait for the sysadmin password to be E-mailed to me.
Actually, there's not a file with the passwords, its integrated into the database, so you really want to wait for the sysadmin password.
So, as I understand you, when a fresh version 12 installation occurs it can import and merge data from a previous version, but once version 12 is up and operational the 'automatic' method is off the table. Correct? That would leave us with export / import CSV...yadda, yadda, yadda.(?)
Actually, not even that ... there are only certain imports you can do, and they don't cover a lot of data.
In other words, do the version 12 fresh install over version 11, have version 12 automatically import, and many headaches will be spared, right? :-)

I'll have to see what their status is with version 12. If they haven't started entering a ton of data I would think it might be worthwhile to start fresh now that we have a process down for recovering ver 11 data. I'll need to see how far into 12 they are.
Basically, yes. If v12 is already installed hopefully they have not starting doing anything with it, so it will pull and convert the data. If they already started entering Membership data thinking that they would have to do that because everything else was lost, basically all you need to do is delete the DATA directory.

However, if they started using the Acccounting and Contributions it makes it a LOT harder, and may cost a bit as the data would probably need to be merged, and that's a job for the Powerchurch office techs. Come back and let us know where they're at.
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

wseaton
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 6:01 pm

good news

Post by wseaton »

They just E-mailed me back and confirmed they haven't done much with 12 other than install it.

Ok, so, just to confirm the process: Should they remove version 12 before we proceed with putting 11 back?

NeilZ
Posts: 10208
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
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Re: good news

Post by NeilZ »

wseaton wrote:They just E-mailed me back and confirmed they haven't done much with 12 other than install it.

Ok, so, just to confirm the process: Should they remove version 12 before we proceed with putting 11 back?
Not needed, if they hadn't started the program, or closed it when they got the 'are you a new install or upgrading" question. If you can get the password and log in, do a backup using the backup function under the utility menu. That's all you'll need, as V12 when first started will ask if you want to convert from a backup, it has to be a PCPlus backup even though it uses ZIP to archive it.

Just copy that backup file to flash drive, then bring it to the new computer. You'll get the usual file dialog when you tell it you want to upgrade from a backup, so just point it to the flash drive.
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

wseaton
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 6:01 pm

Re: Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by wseaton »

Sounds like a plan.

Assuming they've already tripped the auto import flag in the new install I can re-trigger it by nuking the data directory?

NeilZ
Posts: 10208
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
Contact:

Re: Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by NeilZ »

wseaton wrote:Sounds like a plan.

Assuming they've already tripped the auto import flag in the new install I can re-trigger it by nuking the data directory?
Yep, that will fool the program :)
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

wseaton
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 6:01 pm

Re: Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by wseaton »

Done. Wow....not much data there. Small church through. I'm working with their office manager and relaying instructions, but I'll remote in if I have to.

Dumb question: When restoring from a backup PowerChurch 12 only has to be pointed at the .ZIP file, correct? Or, does the ZIP file need to be extracted first?

NeilZ
Posts: 10208
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
Contact:

Re: Recovering data from Version 11 backup

Post by NeilZ »

wseaton wrote:Done. Wow....not much data there. Small church through. I'm working with their office manager and relaying instructions, but I'll remote in if I have to.

Dumb question: When restoring from a backup PowerChurch 12 only has to be pointed at the .ZIP file, correct? Or, does the ZIP file need to be extracted first?
Just point .
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

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