How to copy your Encyclopedia database from a previous version

If you are using the Diamond Mind Baseball Encyclopedia for version 12 and you also have an earlier version of DMB Encyclopedia installed on the same computer, you may want to copy your existing encyclopedia database into the new format.

When you want to convert an encyclopedia database to the latest version without permanently altering the original encyclopedia database in the old format, the File -> Copy encyclopedia command is the best choice.

To make a copy of an existing DMB Encyclopedia database and convert it to version 12:

1. Begin by opening DMB Encyclopedia for version 12. Be sure that you do not also have a copy of a previous version of the DMB Encyclopedia open at the same time.

2. Click File on the DMB Encyclopedia menu bar and select Copy encyclopedia.

3. The Copy existing encyclopedia window will open.

The DMB Encyclopedia assumes that you want to copy the active encyclopedia database so this location is entered for you in the Location of the existing encyclopedia box. The DMB Encyclopedia also assumes that you will want to save the newly copied database to the main Encyclopedia folder so this location is entered for you in the Location for the new encyclopedia box.

4. Since you want to convert an encyclopedia database from a previous version of DMB Encyclopedia to version 12, you will need to choose a different existing database folder location than the one DMB Encyclopedia has entered for you. Click the button to the right of the Location of the existing encyclopedia box to open the Old encyclopedia location window:

In the Old encyclopedia location window, navigate to the folder location of the existing encyclopedia database in the previous version of DMB Encyclopedia that you wish to convert and double-click the database folder name to select it. For example, if you want to convert an encyclopedia database that you have been maintaining in DMB Encyclopedia version 11, navigate to the dmbenc11 folder (usually, C:\dmbenc11) and then select the encyclopedia database folder you wish to copy.

Note: The Old encyclopedia location window requires you to double-click on each folder to open it as you navigate.

When you have selected the folder location of the encyclopedia database you want to convert, click the OK button to return to the Copy existing encyclopedia window.

5. In the Name of the new encyclopedia box, enter a name for the new encyclopedia database. If you are copying an encyclopedia database from a previous version of DMB Encyclopedia, you may use the same name for the new encyclopedia database. For example, if the existing encyclopedia database was stored in a folder named "C:\dmbenc11\MyLeagueHistory", you could use "MyLeagueHistory" for the name of the new encyclopedia database and it will be stored in a new folder named "C:\dmbenc12\MyLeagueHistory".

6. Click the OK button to begin the conversion process. DMB Encyclopedia will make a copy of the existing encyclopedia database folder in the new location and then check to see what version the encyclopedia database files are in. If DMB Encyclopedia detects that this encyclopedia database is not already in the current format, it asks you whether you wish to convert it to version 12.

If you click No, DMB Encyclopedia will not convert the encyclopedia database and it will not allow the new encyclopedia database to become the active database. If you click Yes, DMB Encyclopedia converts the data from its old format to the new version 12 format.

DMB Encyclopedia converts all of the information that was contained in the existing encyclopedia database. Depending on the number of simulated seasons contained in the encyclopedia database, this process could take some time.

7. When the conversion is complete, you have the option to view a log of the conversion activity. In most cases, the log will simply report that the conversion was able to successfully convert everything in your encyclopedia database. If any problems were encountered, the log will contain warnings or error messages.