I have searched for a solution on this forum for my specific problem but to no avail. Here is the situation:
I have just built a new PC running Windows 8 Pro x64 and have installed OE Pro on it. In the past I have used OE Pro on my old machine running Windows 7 x32 very effectively. On the new machine Windows and all programs are installed on a Solid State Disk while all my data is on a separate Hard Disk. The download directory for OE projects is on the Hard Disk.
The download directory on the old machine was (H:). On the new machine it is called (M:). I have copied all the project, .map, .dat, URL2s and webdown. files from the old machine to the (M:) directory on the new machine. There are twelve webdown. files and a whole load of .map files.
When I run OE Pro on the new machine I can see all the files on the left hand pane under the Map tab. But under the Projects tab I see only a default item listed and no projects under it.
So, how do I restore my projects on the new machine?
Many thanks for any help with this.
I have just built a new PC running Windows 8 Pro x64 and have installed OE Pro on it. In the past I have used OE Pro on my old machine running Windows 7 x32 very effectively. On the new machine Windows and all programs are installed on a Solid State Disk while all my data is on a separate Hard Disk. The download directory for OE projects is on the Hard Disk.
The download directory on the old machine was (H:). On the new machine it is called (M:). I have copied all the project, .map, .dat, URL2s and webdown. files from the old machine to the (M:) directory on the new machine. There are twelve webdown. files and a whole load of .map files.
When I run OE Pro on the new machine I can see all the files on the left hand pane under the Map tab. But under the Projects tab I see only a default item listed and no projects under it.
So, how do I restore my projects on the new machine?
Many thanks for any help with this.
The webdown.dat file and all other folders/subfolders from that directory should be placed to the new computer to a directory set in the Options dialog - Files section - Projects, Maps and Templates Directory.
It is different from the Download Directory. Please try this and let me know if it helps.
Thank you!
Best regards,
Oleg Chernavin
MP Staff
It is different from the Download Directory. Please try this and let me know if it helps.
Thank you!
Best regards,
Oleg Chernavin
MP Staff
Thanks Oleg for your response.
You should really produce a detailed guideline on how to migrate OE systems from one computer to another. Many people these days upgrade to new hardware and want to take their data with them. With MetaProduct products this seems to be quite difficult. Its astonishing that there is no guidelines in your help files, knowledge base or FAQs on how to do migrations painlessly. I went back many years in this forum searching for a solution and soon noted that the problem of migration comes up again and again. So, what's stopping you? Explain what all the map and webdown files actually do and how OE maintains links to on-disk structures and what needs to be done during migration to preserve these links.
OK, I have copied all the webdown and map files I found on my download directory to my C:\Users\Johannes\AppData\Roaming\Offline Explorer directory and pointed OE to that location in the options dialogue file section. Now OE can find some of the projects but not all. Lots of the others I have downloaded in the past are not there. The project names are there but with no content. That directory on C:\ was created by OE when I installed it, by the way. The map and webdown files were right at the end of my download directory. They were not in a separate directory. By the way, when I click on the maps tab on the lefthand pane, nothing is shown.
Over the last few years I have downloaded about 10GB worth of website information. On my old system I can access all this data because they are on disk, even tough the websites of some of this information has long since disappeard. On my new system lots of this data is now gone. It seems to be no longer on disk. Yet, I copied the whole download directory from my old system to the new system expecting that all my old stuff will be preserved. All 10 GB of it. My new download directory is the same size as the old one. So, the information must still be on disk but OE does not seem to be able to find it.
What's going on?
You should really produce a detailed guideline on how to migrate OE systems from one computer to another. Many people these days upgrade to new hardware and want to take their data with them. With MetaProduct products this seems to be quite difficult. Its astonishing that there is no guidelines in your help files, knowledge base or FAQs on how to do migrations painlessly. I went back many years in this forum searching for a solution and soon noted that the problem of migration comes up again and again. So, what's stopping you? Explain what all the map and webdown files actually do and how OE maintains links to on-disk structures and what needs to be done during migration to preserve these links.
OK, I have copied all the webdown and map files I found on my download directory to my C:\Users\Johannes\AppData\Roaming\Offline Explorer directory and pointed OE to that location in the options dialogue file section. Now OE can find some of the projects but not all. Lots of the others I have downloaded in the past are not there. The project names are there but with no content. That directory on C:\ was created by OE when I installed it, by the way. The map and webdown files were right at the end of my download directory. They were not in a separate directory. By the way, when I click on the maps tab on the lefthand pane, nothing is shown.
Over the last few years I have downloaded about 10GB worth of website information. On my old system I can access all this data because they are on disk, even tough the websites of some of this information has long since disappeard. On my new system lots of this data is now gone. It seems to be no longer on disk. Yet, I copied the whole download directory from my old system to the new system expecting that all my old stuff will be preserved. All 10 GB of it. My new download directory is the same size as the old one. So, the information must still be on disk but OE does not seem to be able to find it.
What's going on?
Johannes,
You are totally right about the migration. I will plan to add it as a dialog to one of the next versions of Offline Explorer. It would be a tool to help automate this process.
Regarding downloaded files visibility - please make sure that download directory name and location is the same in the new system. So, if it was c:\download\ on the old one, it should be also c:\download\ on the new computer.
If it is this way, perhaps, I would need to make a remove support session to see what is wrong.
Oleg.
You are totally right about the migration. I will plan to add it as a dialog to one of the next versions of Offline Explorer. It would be a tool to help automate this process.
Regarding downloaded files visibility - please make sure that download directory name and location is the same in the new system. So, if it was c:\download\ on the old one, it should be also c:\download\ on the new computer.
If it is this way, perhaps, I would need to make a remove support session to see what is wrong.
Oleg.
Hi Oleg,
Looking forward to your migration guideline!!
OK I have changed the name of my new download directory to be the same as the old one, with the result that many more of the projects and their data are now visible. There are a few things that are still missing but Im working on it.
Thanks for your help so far.
Johannes.
Looking forward to your migration guideline!!
OK I have changed the name of my new download directory to be the same as the old one, with the result that many more of the projects and their data are now visible. There are a few things that are still missing but Im working on it.
Thanks for your help so far.
Johannes.
OK. Thank you very much!
Oleg.
Oleg.
Hello,
Is there any tutorial/instructions/blogs on how to move files from old computer to new one ?
I have old product and old license, but I am having exactly same issues as described above.
Thanks
Is there any tutorial/instructions/blogs on how to move files from old computer to new one ?
I have old product and old license, but I am having exactly same issues as described above.
Thanks
The easiest way would be to transfer contents of two folders - specified in the Options dialog - Files section:
1. Download directory - it is better to place it exactly in the same drive and place on the other computer. Otherwise Project Maps may not work.
2. Projects, Maps and Templates directory - all files from it should be placed in the same directory which is set on another computer. Since the user profiles may be different, it is OK if exact paths on two systems are different for this directory.
Oleg.
1. Download directory - it is better to place it exactly in the same drive and place on the other computer. Otherwise Project Maps may not work.
2. Projects, Maps and Templates directory - all files from it should be placed in the same directory which is set on another computer. Since the user profiles may be different, it is OK if exact paths on two systems are different for this directory.
Oleg.
Is there some other step involved. My old PC crashed so I set up a new one.
I updated the OE directory options so they were the same as on my old PC. Then I took all the downloaded files from a backup server and put them in a download directory on a drive assigned the same drive letter.
And I took the entire backed up contents of the C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Offline Explorer and copied them to the same directory on the new PC.
But when I start Offline Explorer Pro it shows nothing but default under the projects tab.
I updated the OE directory options so they were the same as on my old PC. Then I took all the downloaded files from a backup server and put them in a download directory on a drive assigned the same drive letter.
And I took the entire backed up contents of the C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Offline Explorer and copied them to the same directory on the new PC.
But when I start Offline Explorer Pro it shows nothing but default under the projects tab.
Perhaps, usernames do not match on the computers. Please start Offline Explorer, open its Options dialog - Files section and see the exact location of the Projects, Maps and Templates directory.
Now exit Offline Explorer and copy the corresponding files from the old computer to the above directory.
Does it help?
Oleg.
Now exit Offline Explorer and copy the corresponding files from the old computer to the above directory.
Does it help?
Oleg.
No change. I copy the entire contents to the directory. I still see nothing but a default entry, no projects.
Jeff
Jeff
Jeff, can you please write me to support@metaproducts.com and supply the screenshots of the Options dialog and the corresponding directory in Windows Explorer?
Oleg.
Oleg.
Hi,
Did you ever get those files? I sent them a while ago. Please let me know.
Thanks,
Did you ever get those files? I sent them a while ago. Please let me know.
Thanks,
I have never solved the problem. I went thru AppData and all other possibly related windows special folders, registry, and couldn't get old projects migrated to new notebook.... Of course I tried several times all hints mentioned earlier in the thread. It looks like there are config files at more than one/two places and they work combined. One config file I found has only half of existing projects... so others must me somewhere else.
Maybe some tutorial or migration/debug tool would be really usefull...
Maybe some tutorial or migration/debug tool would be really usefull...
Jeff, I answered you on Jan 4th:
I looked in the directory listing. I think, you need to rename the webdown.bw3 file to webdown.dat and then start Offline Explorer. This file has the most recent timestamp and it has the full size.
webdown.dat actually contains all Projects. All other webdown.b* are just backup copies.
Oleg.
I looked in the directory listing. I think, you need to rename the webdown.bw3 file to webdown.dat and then start Offline Explorer. This file has the most recent timestamp and it has the full size.
webdown.dat actually contains all Projects. All other webdown.b* are just backup copies.
Oleg.
Petar,
Yes, it is a good idea to add a Migration tool. I will implement it in future versions. Thank you!
Oleg.
Yes, it is a good idea to add a Migration tool. I will implement it in future versions. Thank you!
Oleg.
Hi Oleg,
I think we've found the cause of the problem. After what you suggested did not work, I figured I would do a clean install and try again from scratch. But when I went to uninstall OE, the installer said it wanted to close the program to continue. But I had already closed OE. I could see the icon was inactive and it did not appear in my applications list in task manager.
So I checked the process list, and there was "OE.exe *32" still running. So I manually terminated the process, renamed the dat file as you instructed, and re-started OE. And all of my old projects were there. Everything seems to be working perfectly now.
I'd bet if I had closed that process and just used copies of my old files as you originally suggested, it probably would have worded too. So i don't know if this is a bug in Windows 7 or if OE needs modifications to how it launches or closes in a Windows 64-bit environment, but the failure of that process to close seems to have been what was keeping us from getting the projects migrated.
So thank you again for the incredible support you provide. I'm really glad to have my OE back working again.
I think we've found the cause of the problem. After what you suggested did not work, I figured I would do a clean install and try again from scratch. But when I went to uninstall OE, the installer said it wanted to close the program to continue. But I had already closed OE. I could see the icon was inactive and it did not appear in my applications list in task manager.
So I checked the process list, and there was "OE.exe *32" still running. So I manually terminated the process, renamed the dat file as you instructed, and re-started OE. And all of my old projects were there. Everything seems to be working perfectly now.
I'd bet if I had closed that process and just used copies of my old files as you originally suggested, it probably would have worded too. So i don't know if this is a bug in Windows 7 or if OE needs modifications to how it launches or closes in a Windows 64-bit environment, but the failure of that process to close seems to have been what was keeping us from getting the projects migrated.
So thank you again for the incredible support you provide. I'm really glad to have my OE back working again.
Yes, this is a good point. I also observed several times that OE kept running. I will work on this more to understand and fix the issue.
Thank you!
Oleg.
Thank you!
Oleg.