Moved PC, lost 2007 contributions?!?!

[mcleveland]

We are using two compuuters, networked, with v8.5. The contributions were placed onto the office computer (#1) (with the database) from another computer (#2) in the next office via the network. Life is fine. A week ago, the office computer #1 was replaced with a nice new computer (#3). So computer #1 was moved to the other office and is to be used to place contributions. #3 is to access it across the network and #2 is retired.

So all we did was move the main computer to the next office and try to use it to handle contributions. For some reason, we have lost all the 2007 contributions. The accounts are there. The people are there. Attendance records are fine. 2006 contributions are there. But no 2007. We haven't used this computer to input contributions before. The only difference is that we are keying in contributions on the main computer, not over the network. But the data should be there.

Any ideas before we have to rekey all the contributions with year? I don't want to restore anything without understanding what is wrong in the first place. I have played with report date fields with no luck. Indexes have been rebuilt. The data doesn't seem to be there. But I don't know where is went.

Michael

[NeilZ]

We are using two compuuters, networked, with v8.5. The contributions were placed onto the office computer (#1) (with the database) from another computer (#2) in the next office via the network. Life is fine. A week ago, the office computer #1 was replaced with a nice new computer (#3). So computer #1 was moved to the other office and is to be used to place contributions. #3 is to access it across the network and #2 is retired.

So all we did was move the main computer to the next office and try to use it to handle contributions. For some reason, we have lost all the 2007 contributions. The accounts are there. The people are there. Attendance records are fine. 2006 contributions are there. But no 2007. We haven't used this computer to input contributions before. The only difference is that we are keying in contributions on the main computer, not over the network. But the data should be there.

Any ideas before we have to rekey all the contributions with year? I don't want to restore anything without understanding what is wrong in the first place. I have played with report date fields with no luck. Indexes have been rebuilt. The data doesn't seem to be there. But I don't know where is went.

Michael

A few questions:

First off ... when you moved the 'server' computer, that is computer #1. did you do a backup of the database ? Also, when you accessed contributions via this computer prior to the move, did you see 2007 contributions ??

Second, is the moved computer #1 still the 'server', that is, is it the home of the database ??

Third, how did you install Powerchurch on computer #3, since I'm assuming that computer #1 is still the database computer, did you setup Powerchurch on Computer #3 using the NetSetup85.exe from computer #1 ??

Based on what you told me, I'm suspecting that either Computer #2 may not have been networked properly, and that it was using its own database; or that Computer #1 was restored using an old backup which overwrote the data.

FWIW ... this is the way the network should have been setup:

Computer #1 - main server computer. Location of the entire database. Directory containing Powerchurch is shared throughout the network.

Computer #2 - client computer, Powerchurch installed by mapping the Powerchurch directory from Computer #1, and running the NetSetup85.exe program from that mapped directory. Upon retirement, no Powerchurch data should have been residing on this computer, as all data would be written to the database on Computer #1

Computer #3 - client computer, Powerchurch installed as listed for Computer#2.

Backups - done weekly to networked hard drive, then copied to CD for offsite storage.

[mcleveland]

I set it up just as you outlined. Since I never used the CD on computer 2, its only setup can from the network installation. I am setting the old configuration back up to see if I can recreate the previous condition. I'll let you know if we have any luck. Thanks. Michael