New Install - Existing (Old) Database

If you are taking over for an existing membership director, you were probably given an existing database that contains your group's current records. Typically, you're also given concise, thorough, and exceptionally helpful step by step instructions like, "Just install this thing and then use this database." Remember that you're welcome to contact support if you find yourself lost and without good instructions.

If you have access to the computer that is running the database you're being given, you may want to follow the instructions for Moving the Software instead. It will make things a lot easier.

Note: This procedure assumes the database you've been given is a single file with a ".db" extension. If you don't have this, but instead have a large set of files with file extensions like "myd", "myi", and "frm", please see New Install - Existing (Current) Database for instructions.

Note: If you are running any sort of firewall or antivirus software on your computer, read this.

Since you are reading this, we'll assume that the installation of the software has already been accomplished, and now you need to convert the old database from the old version to the new one.

To convert the old database to the new format, you may need to install one other small piece of software, depending on whether you already had the old version on your PC to begin with. This is because MemberTies is going to need to refer to some ".dll" files that were in the old version in order to connect to and convert your old ".db" style database into the new format.

•	If you are upgrading from version 2.x to version 3.x, and you installed version 3.x over the top of your existing version, you're ready to go. MemberTies will be able to use existing files to do its conversion.

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If you did NOT already have an old version on your machine, you will need to download a small set of upgrade files for MemberTies to use temporarily. You can download the installation program for these files here: http://www.memberties.com/release/misc/mt_upg_files_setup.exe.If this link is no longer valid, please send an email to support@myrro.com and indicate that you need the minimum set of upgrade files. Once you have the installation file, run it and install it to its default location. It should install to a temporary directory like, "MemberTies Upgrade Files".

•	If you are not sure, download the file as described above and install it. You can always uninstall it later if you didn't need it.

If the database is on a diskette, CD-ROM, ZIP disk, or other removable media, you will need to copy it to your machine before you can use it. Since you have a ".db" file database that is going to be converted to a completely new format, just copy it to a temporary location. A good choice might be your Desktop.

NOTE: If you copy this file from a CD-ROM, it will probably be read-only. After copying it to your PC, you MUST select it and then right-click it and choose Properties. Make sure the Read Only checkbox is not selected. Failure to do this will prevent the server from being able to use the database, and result in error messages.

Start MemberTies and wait for the Login window to appear. Decide what to do next based upon the window that appears.

Look for the dropdown field called "Database." Open that dropdown and see if your database is listed (you can use the horizontal scrollbar at the bottom of the list to scroll to the right and look at the actual database name).

If your database is not listed, choose the option labelled, "(Specify New…)" and choose OK when prompted to create a new profile. Now Skip Ahead to Step 6 below.

If the "Welcome to MemberTies" window appears instead of the Login window, choose the "Search" option, then click "Continue" and continue with Step 3 below.

4	Navigate to the ".db" database file, then select it and choose OK/Save. After you select it, you will be prompted to upgrade the database. Just follow the instructions and let the upgrade happen.

On the Database Profile window, provide a short name for the database. This name is going to appear in the Database dropdown on the Login window, so keep the name simple and short. An abbreviated name of your organization is a good choice. The default name is simply, "My Database", which may not be descriptive enough.

9	On the Login window, make sure your database is selected in the "Database" dropdown, then enter the user name and password of an existing user on the database.

•	Try to log in using the default administrator account, and once you log in, create a new user name and password for yourself by going to Tools > Server Tools > Maintain Users.

11	If you don't have any other old databases to convert, you may now go to the Control Panel, Add Remove Programs, and uninstall the "Minimum Upgrade Files". They won't be needed again.