Can A Working Drive Be Removed and Used To Boot ACT as an External Drive

[jnpurdy]

I have a customer whose system crashed.  The crash is the motherboard and not the HDD.

Can the HDD be removed and attached to another computer to restart ACT and open the db?

As an alternative, can the 2nd computer have ACT installed and then point to the ACT Database on the external drive to reopen the db?

[ch1p · Accepted solution]

Just to expand a little on copying the database files.

Copy the whole ACT directory where the database was kept.

Once copied delete the database .PAD file from the new location.

Open in ACT using the File - Browse for database - CHANGE FILE TYPE FROM .PAD to .ADF

Browse to copied database and open.

ACT will now create a new .PAD file and setup the database on the new PC / Server

[Roy_Laudenslager]

Neither option you suggest would work, the database must be on a local drive. Tow options, actually install the hdd as a secondary drive or use your second option and copy the ADF and ALF files to the local drive and then open using the ADF.

[gleo]

If it is an old PATA (aka IDE) hard drive you might have an issue connecting to a new PC. Even SATA (serial) hard drives may not be supported if the PC is very new. You can get interface devices really cheap that will go from SATA to USB. Alternatively some computer stores will do the extraction for you to a USB device for a fee.

[jnpurdy]

Thanks for pointing that out.  A very useful tip if the older computer doesn't have current HDD interface technology. 

If nothing else, I'll add it to my knowledge base when I do run into such a situation.  

[ch1p · Accepted solution]

Just to expand a little on copying the database files.

Copy the whole ACT directory where the database was kept.

Once copied delete the database .PAD file from the new location.

Open in ACT using the File - Browse for database - CHANGE FILE TYPE FROM .PAD to .ADF

Browse to copied database and open.

ACT will now create a new .PAD file and setup the database on the new PC / Server

[jnpurdy]

Thanks Ch1p.

Can I assume, though, that if there was a user name and password that would still be needed?  My client is having a hard time recalling the PW b/c he had the db remember it and just clicked to proceed.

[ch1p]

The windows account should not matter but the database log-on name and password will still be needed.

If you have a problem with windows permissions you can add and the windows user EVERYONE and give full rights in the main folder property window.

[infoconceptlc]

Chip, I did that but nothing... doesn't work for me.... check my post

https://community.act.com/t5/Act-Premium/Import-existing-database/m-p/363429#M51089