Question

How do I move my Data from one computer to another?

Answer

Moving your data from one computer to another involves moving your databases and images (if you use OST).

By default, your application database(s) and image files are stored on your local drive (C) in a folder named OCS Documents and a sub-folder with the application name such as "C:\OCS Documents\OST" or "C:\OCS Documents\Quick Bid". Depending on how you have setup OST, your image files may not be stored locally, they may be on a network drive - you have to check your bids to see where your images are being stored, each bid can be linked to a different location. It is possible that your databases may be on a 2nd, local hard drive with a different letter than "C" also - you can tell where your databases are stored by looking in the Open Databases dialog box.

You will need to determine where your files are currently being stored and if they are stored in a location other than "C:\OCS Documents\" adjust the follow steps accordingly.

• First, open all databases that you are going to move from one machine to another (review the product's User Guide for help with that)
• Run a Compact and Repair on each database stored in the existing OCS Documents folder (review the product's User Guide for help with that, also)
• Close all databases (right-click on each and select "Close")
• Return all licenses by clicking File > Check Authorization and returning each one-by-one.
• Then exit out of the application (if you are moving both OST and QB, both applications must be closed before you start copying and pasting files)
• Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the C:\OCS Documents folder (inside this folder you will see an OST and Quick Bid folder (assuming you use both products), and in those folders, you will see databases (*.mdb files), and perhaps subfolders for Backups, Images, and unique Project Folders - you want to make sure everything gets moved).
• Right-click on the OCS Documents folder and select Copy
• Navigate to your USB drive, right-click and select Paste

• Insert the USB Drive (or open the Cloud drive or Network drive) on the new machine
• Locate the "OCS Documents" folder you pasted previously, right-click it and select Copy
• Open Windows Explorer, then navigate to wherever you want to store your data right-click and select Paste (by default, just paste that "OCS Documents" into "C:\" this will created a folder "C:\OCS Documents\" and your application folders and databases will be in there.
• Once the pasting process is complete, open the application(s) (again, if your copying a lot of data, this may take some time)

Follow the steps in your product's User Guide to point the application(s) to the new "Database Folder" (in Tools > Options > Folders) - Review each folder location to ensure it is pointed to the appropriate location on the new machine)

For On-Screen Takeoff projects you may need to re-link Pages to the new location where the images are stored - please refer to Related Articles for assistance with relinking image files. (If your images were stored in some subfolder of "C:\OCS Documents\OST" on the original machine, you should not have to relink anything.)

If you have any problems with this, please Contact Support and a tech will be happy to assist you.