Transferring Planebase to a new PC

[graham]

Hi all

The laptop decided to give up yesterday, have bought a new one today and am trying to transfer PB across to the new one. I have contacted PB and they have sent me a new user code so the actual programme is set up on the new pc. But, I need to transfer the files across to populate the new install with my sightings. I've copied the user logs and type logs on to a stick drive, I've inserted the stick drive into the new pc, clicked on "import" on PB but nothing happens. So, at present, the new installations tells me I have no logs at all.

I asked on the user group and as usual, got promptly shot down in flames for posting a cry for help, that "I should read the wiki manual" and contact support rather than posting on the usergroup. So I did, and all suopprt tell me is to "read the wiki pages".

If I didn't need PB so bad, I'd tell them to shove it but I'm getting nowhere fast so was asking if anyone on here has transferred PB between old and new pc's please?

[adi44]

Hi Graham,

Do you still have access to your old Laptop files (ie the original Planebase)?

if so, Go to Windows file explorer, select the C: drive, and look for a folder called "Planebase" double click on this folder, then look for a folder called "PB Program Files", double click on this, you will now see a whole
list of files & Directories. You should now see amongst all these files three called Full_Log, Full_Log[xxxxxx] & Multilog, these are all MS Access Database files. (The xxxxx beside Full_Log contains a date ). copy these
three access files to your stick.

Goto your new machine, insert the stick, and again find "Planebase" then "PB Program Files" on your new machine. These three files will already be there but you can tell they are empty databases by their size (typically 200- 1000 kb), if they are any bigger than that then the spotting has already transferred to the new machine along with planebase (Doubtful). if they are small files it means they are empty, so copy the three files from your stick to the C:\Planebase\PB Program Files\. Windows will ask do you want to overwrite, select "Yes". once the three files are copied across, re-start the machine, then re-start planebase.

Conversely if you do not have access to the old laptop, and if you have a backup, do the same process using the backups

Any probs give us a shout

Regards

Adrian

[graham]

Hi Adrian

That's great, very much appreciated, all seems to be up and running now. Many thanks indeed. Final question if you don't mind is this.

I use PlanePlotter Mobile, on my old laptop it gives you the facilty to build a SQB file which is then copied to my mobile. This then allows me to check a registration on my mobile while I'm out and about and tells me whether I need the frame or not. It's all linked in to PlaneBase. I can't for the life of me find where I download this from or whether it's just a case of copying it across from the old pc, would you have any idea please?

[adi44]

Hi Graham

I Have never used Planeplotter, but i would imagine if planebase is generating a supplemental SQB file, then it would be contained within the PB Program Files directory, so best bet would be to go back to this directory and look for a large SQB File, and copy that across, in windows under the file type it will say SQB File. Will planebase not generate a new one for you on the new machine ?

Regards

Adrian

[graham]

Apologies Adrian, I should have written PlaneBase mobile

[adi44]

Just Having a quick scoot through the PB manual (I am in work at the moment !) it says on the front page "Alternatively, a new ready-linked SQB can be created using the ‘PlaneBase SQB Creator’
software which is available via the Downloads panel in the main PlanebaseNG program or via the User Portal. For more information see the ‘Updates’ section of this document (page 13). "

When i look at Page 13 of the manual it shows how to create a new SQB file from your sightings, is this it ?

The Manual is in C:\planebase\Manuals\pblink3.pdf

Regards

[graham]

Morning Adrian

PlaneBase itself is all sorted out now thank you. What I'm not able to figure out is PlaneBase Mobile, this is an app I use on my phone. You build a SQB file on your PC using what they call the PMDC ( PlaneBase Mobile Database Creator) which is then copied and pasted across to your phone. This then enables Planebase mobile to tell you when you input a registration whether or not you require that frame. The app on my phone works fine, but as I log new frames, it needs updating say once a week so it then knows whether I've seen that frame when I input the reg.

I've searched the web high and low to find the download, looked in the PlaneBase portal downloads section and asked on the "help" group where as usual the only replies you receive are " read the manual" which isn't helpful as I have read it, and still can't figure it out.

The SQB download you mention is purely to populate the actual Planebase programme, it just updates twice weekly and ensures the database is completely up-to-date with regard to new registrations, changes to registrations, withdrawn frames, etc.

[adi44]

On your mobile are you using PBlink ?
if so with your mobile go into the options page on pblink and you should see a screen like this

Screenshot 2022-10-17 091805 by Adrian Share, on Flickr

I think by setting this up on the mobile it should update for you, but as i say it is not something that i have ever used

Regards

Adrian

[graham]

Thanks Adrian, I don't use PB Link I'm afraid, I think, but aren't sure, that it is used if you're running a base station. I have put in for some assistance from the PlaneBase admin but whether I receive any assistance or not remains to be seen.

[graham]

Hi Adrian, all sorted now thank you. I sent a request for help on the support centre and had a very pleasant reply from Nic Storey, the chap who writes all the programmes. He steered me in the right direction, sent me the required link, and we're back up and running.

[adi44]

Hi Graham

Brilliant, sorry i could not be any more help with the mobile side of things, but it is not something i have ever used. With the main Planebase application, this is just basic Database Management, once you know which files planebase is using to do what function, then it's just a database application like any other.

Regards

Adrian

[graham]

Many thanks Adrian