Moving an ACT database to another machine
When you are forced to move ACT from one machine to another and do not have a recent backup, you can just move the files over.
STEP 1: If the old machine is still operating, you will need to stop sql before you move the files.
IF ACT IS STILL INSTALLED ON THIS MACHINE AND YOU SKIP THESE STEPS YOU WILL NOT GET ALL OF YOUR DATABASE
This can be done one of two ways.
- From the old machine, start, run, services.msc find the service SQLServer (ACT7) - you can right click on this service and choose Stop.
- The other way is to start ACTDIAG, Start, Run, ACTDIAG. When the ACTDIAG program opens, click on the database tab/menu and find your database. Then right click and choose detach.
STEP 2: If the old machine is no longer running or once SQL has been stopped, you can copy the files. When you browse to the database files, you will find 4 things for a database called MYDatabase. MyDatabase.pad, MyDatabase.adf,
MyDatabase.alf and MYDatabase-database files. and. YOU DO NOT NEED THE .PAD FILE. IT IS JUST A POINTER.. Copy the .alf, the .adf and the database files folder to the new machine.
STEP 3: On the new machine, Open ACT, choose File, Open and bowse to the location where you copied the .alf, the .adf and the database files folder. YOU NOW NEED TO SELECT .ADF INSTEAD OF .PAD FROM THE FILE OPEN DIALOG BOX.
ACT will now reattach the database to the SQL instance in your new machine
