Moving Dive Log Data to another computer

[Codyjp]

I've changed computers that I use. According to the website I just need to copy and paste the file.
"CAN I TRANSFER MY DIVE DATA FROM ONE PC TO ANOTHER?
Locate the database file in the OceanLog 2.X directory (*.dlg) under Logs. Copy this from one PC and place in the same directory on the other. "

Unfortunately this DOES NOT work. I can only seem on import part of my logs. I've attempted to remove all oceanic data from my new computer, re installed the software then tried again. It still isn't working.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[dhuskins]

Interesting... It should work. The .dlg file is in reality just an access database file with a change in the file extension.

Here's what I would do: Check the version number of the program on your old PC. Make sure it is the latest and greatest off the website. Then open the program and make sure all the data is really there. Once it is verified, close the program.

In the LOGS folder, there should be your datafile. With the program closed, copy the file again to the new PC. (I suspect you had a bad copy originally or copied it when the program was open.)

Open the program on the new PC and verify you are using the same program version. Then, open the data log. It should be fine.

I do this regularly. I keep a copy of my dive log on my home PC as well as my small travel notebook. On every dive trip, I upload my dive info to my notebook. When I get home, I copy the dive log to my home PC so I can see the program better.

 

[Codyjp]

Nope. I've tried doing this a bunch of different ways and still I'm having no success. I'm using a simple external hard drive. This shouldn't have any effect right?

 

[bperrybap]

What OSes on on your computers?
On Vista, the location where where applications get and store the logs can be different depending on if you have UAC enabled/disabled.
When UAC is enabled, Vista creates a shadow directory structure under
the users home directory for applications that attempt to read/write data in system
areas (where they shouldn't).
When UAC is disabled, the applications read/write to the systems area where the software is often installed.

Yes you will see files under the normal XX:/Program files/appname/......
But those directories will not be accessed if UAC is enabled even if the application
attempts to read files under the "Program Files" area.

It can be really confusing if you switch UAC on and off because depending on which
way UAC is set, the application can be accessing different files because it is directed to different directories.

This is definitely the case for the Oceanic s/w.

If you have Vista and have used or are using UAC, try looking in
$HOME/AppData/Local/VirtualStore/Program Files/OCEANIC/Oceanlog 2.x/Logs/*.dlg

for you logs.

Likewise, you will also have to use that location for the destination directory if the new machine has Vista and you have UAC enabled.


NOTE: AppData is a hidden directory. So if you don't have hidden files turned on, you will need to do this.


--- bill

 

[memorex77]

When I went through the same situation, I did the following:
backup the log in a real, known directory, like Desktop. Copy the logfile.bak to the other PC, and "fix" the logfile on the new PC.

This shadow directory story is really driving me crazy, especially the way Oceanic deals with it. There is no "save as" where you could chose a directory. There is no way to merge two logfiles together either.

 

[bperrybap]

When I went through the same situation, I did the following:
backup the log in a real, known directory, like Desktop. Copy the logfile.bak to the other PC, and "fix" the logfile on the new PC.

This shadow directory story is really driving me crazy, especially the way Oceanic deals with it. There is no "save as" where you could chose a directory. There is no way to merge two logfiles together either.

But it does do a "save as" where you can choose the location for a backup.

All the shadow directory stuff or VirtualStore as Microsoft calls it was created by Microsoft as an attempt to create local file storage on per user basis without applications having to deal it.

In my mind this is another of many poor windows programming techniques that have proliferated over the past 25 years.

It would be nice if applications would simply start doing their per user storage the way Unix has been doing it for 40 years.
- Create a subdirectory for the application data under the users home directory.....

Anyway, probably the easiest way to avoid all this would be backup up the logfile/logbook using Oceanlog,
then copy the backup logfile to the new machine and restore the logfile/logbook using Oceanlog.

Oceanlog lets you specify the locations for the backup and restore.
You could even do the save and restore directly to/from a thumb drive.
That way you completely avoid any of the Vista virtual store stuff.

This won't allow you to merge the data from 2 different logs, but it will allow you to move an existing Oceanlog logbook to the new machine.

Alternatively, if you want to copy the database file manually,
you don't have to copy the logfile to OceanLog's default location.
I just did a test and put the logbook database file directly on my desktop.
I then started OceanLog and did a [Logbook]->[Open Log]
Oceanlog does switch to its default directory location for opening logbooks but you
can navigate over to wherever you copied the file.
The next time you open OceanLog it will remember the last logbook file you opened wherever you stored it.

Using a location that is different from the default Oceanlog location is good if you ever run Vista in different UAC modes.
i.e. sometimes have it on and sometimes turn it off.
With a non default location under somewhere under your home directory,
you will always know where your logfile is and it won't move or disappear depending on whether UAC is on or off.

------

If you want to merge the data from multiple logs or have the data from different vendors dive computers all in the same electronic log, you will have to use a 3rd party dive log package such as Scubase or DivingLog.




--- bill

 

[Codyjp]

Ok, I got things to work out after about 4 hours and 300 grey hairs. The sad thing is I have no idea how I did it when it finally worked.

It is sad that the software is so difficult to use, had I known what I do now I wouldn't have spent the $100 of the cable in the first place!