Capture data on floppies to transfer to anothe computer

  • I have two computers, one in Phoenix and the other up in the mountain. I have an extended Windows 98 Address Book on rhe PHX location and I want to capture all that data on a floppy so I can put the data in the computer in the mountains. I tried the "export" option but when I checked the floppy all I got was the Address Book window, no data. I sure do not want to import into the mountain computer and have it screw up all the data with blanks. That would mean a tremendous typing job to recover. Does anyone know how to export data to a floppy and then import it into a different computer with no foul ups?


  • sublime1 Well I found a BACKUP ADDRESS BOOK when I did the search *.wab as you suggested. So rather take the risk of fooling around with the original Address Book I deleted all the entries in that BACKUP file and imported ADDIES into the BACKUP. It looks like it is an exact copy except for one little thing---- the ORIGINAL ADDRESS BOOK was 305KB the ADDIES was 304 as exported from the original the BACKUP WAS 389KB after I imported ADDIES into it and the ADDIES had 540KB after I IMported it into the BACKUP !!! I don't have any idea why the sizes are so different---got any ideas??? I also exported ADDIES to a floppy so now I can carry the floppy to the mountains. Up there I will either move the ORIGINAL ADDRESS BOOK (don'T know has this is done) or delete all of the ORIGINAL and the export ADDIES into it. Sure thank you for your patience and for sharing you expertise with me. I will rate this *****. superroy


  • GOOD ANSWER AND SUBLIME1 STUCK WITH ME WITH QUICK REPLIES ---THANKS


  • superroy... How strange! After you export the file to the C:a folder, how big is the file size when you look in that folder? You'll need to have Windows Explorer set to 'View --> details' from the menubar at the top of Explorer. Also, by default, when I click on a .wab file, the Address Book program opens with a selection window on the left and with 'Shared Contacts' highlighted. This shows no addresses in the right-hand window, and I must click on the sub-folder in the left-hand box which is titled 'Main Identity's Contacts'. Only when I do this will there be addresses shown in the right-hand window. Hope that helps... sublime1-ga


  • superroy... Thanks for the great rating. I've seen the same phenomena with file-size differences. My take on this is that, if you open one of these files in a plain old text editor, there are huge gaps between data, filled with blank spaces. These files actually get 'fragmented' something like your hard drive does, with spaces between data, since, like your hard drive, data is being written to them and deleted from them all the time. This is nothing to worry about. As for "Up there I will either move the ORIGINAL ADDRESS BOOK (don'T know has this is done)...", just locate the current file with a search, if it's not in the location I gave you for Windows 2000: C:Documents and SettingsUserNameApplication Data MicrosoftAddress Book and right-click it, selecting 'cut', then right-click on a dummy directory you've created, like C:a, and select 'paste'. Do this with your email program shut down. This will move the old .wab file to the 'a' folder. Once you've moved it, you can then open your email program and import addies.wab from whatever 'dummy' directory you copied it to from the floppy. Regards... sublime1-ga


  • superroy... I'm glad it's working out so far. As far as the new file 'replacing' the old one, I don't think it will do that automatically. When you 'import' the new file, I believe it will 'add' the current data to the data presently in the mountain address book - which may be a good thing, but is likely to leave you with double entries to delete. At least that's what happens when you 'import' emails. If you'd rather actually replace the file, you could just delete the old address book from its location on the mountain computer (or move it to a 'dummy' directory for safekeeping, if you want). You would delete/move the file while your email program and address book are shut down. The default directory for the address book will likely depend on your Operating System and Email Program, but the default for Windows 2000 and Outlook Express is: C:Documents and SettingsUserNameApplication Data MicrosoftAddress Book. If your system is different, you can just do a 'search' of the C directory for *.wab and you'll find it. Once you've deleted it, or moved it, you can then open your email program and import the new one from whatever 'dummy' directory you copied it to from the floppy. That should do it for you, but do keep me posted. Regards... sublime1-ga


  • sublime1 Thanks for your quick reply. I have to rely on your expertise concerning the paragraph where you suggested to "create a 'dummy' directory in Windows Explorer......etc". Guess I am a dummy but I don't know how to do what you suggest----I clicked on "C", "new", "folder" and renamed the folder "a" but that did not do the job. Can you tell me exactly how to accomplish this task in a step-by-step manner? Again thanks superroy


  • sublime1 Looking into the folder I find the size is 305KB---I have to assume that is the same size as the my Address Book since I don't know, or how to get, the size. However, following your information the addresses do show up when I click on the 'Main Identity's Contacts' and they seem to be all there. Seems we have got this far, now I have to follow the rest of your instructions to see if I can get the data to a floppy. Will keep you posted. Guess I am a worrier but, if and when, I do get the data on a floppy and import it into the second computer will it totally replace the data that I already there?? Hope so !! Sure do appreciate your help---thanks superroy


  • superroy... Your description of your attempt to create a 'dummy' directory sounds like it should have worked. While I don't currently have Windows 98 installed, I seem to recall that Windows Explorer would not 'refresh' the window right away, thus showing the 'a' folder you just created. If you go there now, you may now see the 'a' folder, listed alphabetically under the main C drive (so it should show up close to the top of the 'tree' of folders, once you click on the little '+' sign to the left of the C drive). Please check this and come back here to verify whether you see the 'a' folder, before I go through a detailed explanation of how to do what you may have already accomplished. If the 'a' folder that you named isn't showing up directly under the C drive, I would suspect that you did not hit 'Enter' after renaming the 'New Folder' to 'a'. This would mean that you have an empty folder named 'New Folder' (also to be found listed alphabetically) under the C drive. If you want, you can simply rename this 'New Folder' to 'a', remembering to hit the 'Enter' key after renaming it. To rename the 'New Folder' folder, just right-click on it and select 'rename'. Let me know where this takes you. sublime1-ga


  • I was able to create the dummy C:a. However, when used the "export" option in the Address Book I got the same blank window except now it is named C:aaddies.wab. (I even used your suggestion of addies, just for fun). Now I have to figure out why the data does not export ???? I will keep you posted. superroy


  • superroy... When you say 'extended' address book, it makes me wonder if the reason the window comes up blank after being copied to the floppy is because the file was too big to fit on the floppy, or if it is so large that, loading it from floppy takes a *long* time. At any rate, you can arrive at some certainty by doing this: Create a 'dummy' directory in Windows Explorer, just under the root drive, 'C', and name it 'a'. Its address will be C:a. In the dialog box when you are exporting the address book, name it something memorable, like 'addies.wab' and point the export to the C:a folder. When the export is complete, go to Windows Explorer and look in the 'a' directory you created. You should see 'addies.wab'. Click on the file to open it, and see if it has your data. Take note of the file size and whether it will fit on a floppy. If it is less than 1.4MB, it should fit. Copy and Paste it to a floppy which has been freshly formatted and verified by ScanDisk. Open the file from the floppy. If it is a large file, it could take *quite a while* for the data to show up in the window. In fact, depending on your available RAM, your system may not be able to accommodate opening it from the floppy. Regardless, if the file on the A drive is the same size as the one you exported to C:a , it will be fine. When you get to the mountain, reverse the procedure. Do not import the address book directly from the floppy. Instead, copy the file from the floppy to another 'dummy' folder such as C:a , and import it from there. If, when you exported the file to the C:a folder, you found that it was larger than 1.4MB, you may have to split the file across two floppies and reassemble it on the mountain computer using some kind of 'file splitting' software, or you may be able to compress it by using WinZip to make it into a .zip file. If this is the case, post a Request for Clarification, and I will point you to such a program, or assist you with 'zipping' the file, if you need help with that. Of course, you would need to 'unzip' or reassemble the file to its original form on the mountain computer, so you will need a copy of the 'file splitting' software or WinZip to install on the mountain computer when you get there. If you have any questions regarding any of the steps in the process described above, please don't hesitate to ask. Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that the answer cannot be improved upon by means of a dialog established through the "Request for Clarification" process. sublime1-ga







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