Need Help Moving PP Gen Data To New Computer

[PhantomOnTour]

My trashy old machine is out and the new one is in...it's about time.

Anyway, I have tons of data stored on my PP Generator (from BRIS) program and I'm nervous about moving it to the new computer.
I have backed up my latest data inputs on the PP Gen database and then saved that to a thumb drive. I am worried that I won't be able to reload that data once I download the PP Gen program on the new compuer.

Does anyone have any experience with such moves? I'm a computer cro-mag and any help/advice would be appreciated.
Thx

[Native Texan III]

Don't worry about the machines.
Thumb drives can go wrong though.
If you want to play double safe, open a Dropbox account (free) and also store backup data on the web.

[DJofSD]

Wow - lots of possibilities.

Is the old computer still functional? If so, would you be able to have it booted at the same time as the new one, or, are you swapping old for new and using the same monitor, keyboard, etc.?

If, and that is a highly qualified if, you can remove the hard drive from the old computer you can access it on the new computer depending upon the vintage of the drive (i.e. if it is IDE or SATA). If it is a SATA drive, and, you have access to a free SATA port on you new PC (it might be internal), you could, for the time being, put it on the new PC and just copy the files across, then, put the old drive away for safe keeping (it then becomes a point in time back up).

Thumb drives work just fine. Used them myself many times to do what you want to do.

I believe some of the back up services will let you try them for free. That would assume the old PC is serviceable and you would upload/back up the old PC then, using you new PC, access the service to download/restore the folders and files you want to carry over onto the new PC.

[PhantomOnTour]

I must have done something wrong.
Saved all my User Item data and personal notes to the PP Gen backup database; then saved those files to a thumb drive.
Installed PP Gen on the new computer but my data isn't being read when I try to import those files. I tried compressing them (that's the way the data files come from BRIS) but it still can't read them.
Good news is that the old machine is still working and in my possession, bad news is that I won't be doing any serious Saratoga studying tonite.

Any advice?

[JustCoolGene]

Just copy entire original C:\BRIScust folder (the one with your notes and settings) over to your backup drive. Then install fresh copy of PP BRIS Generator on your new computer and copy everything from the original BRISCust folder over to new installation and you are good to go.

You can also copy notes and settings on the same hard drive. Just rename original BRISCust folder to BRISCust2. Then install new PP Generator on same computer and copy original BRISCust2 over to newly installed BRISCust folder.

Gene

[PhantomOnTour]

Just copy entire original C:\BRIScust folder (the one with your notes and settings) over to your backup drive. Then install fresh copy of PP BRIS Generator on your new computer and copy everything from the original BRISCust folder over to new installation and you are good to go.

You can also copy notes and settings on the same hard drive. Just rename original BRISCust folder to BRISCust2. Then install new PP Generator on same computer and copy original BRISCust2 over to newly installed BRISCust folder.

Gene
Thank you Gene :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:
All set...data and notes transferred.
Whew

[PhantomOnTour]

Now my data files are incomplete. When I download a card (the $1 kind) I am missing some beaten lengths in the pp lines. A horses' running line will have his position but no winning/losing margins. The company lines are missing the beaten lengths as well.
It's not every line for every horse, but each horse with a full set of pp's is missing data for about 2-3 races.
Anyone else have this problem?
I just switched to IE9...could that be an issue?

[tupper]

I doubt that the problem lies with your web browser (IE9).

Can you check the files in a text editor or in some other program to see if there is any "distinctive" code in the missing cells.

[BIG49010]

I am not sure, but you could download the upgrade bris offers, it might just add the latest files, and not touch your data? I would call them first, before you try it, they usually are helpfull.

[PhantomOnTour]

Just talked to BRIS tech support and they tell me it's a font problem with the new operating systems and they can't figure out how to fix it.
The guy tells me to just use my old computer...say what!!??

He said the programmer can't figure out the problem...AWESOME.
So no solution is in sight (according to him)....AWESOME AGAIN!

All this data I have accumulated now cannot be read properly by their PP Gen program?
It was all a waste?
I don't quite know what to do except raise 10 kinds of hell over there, but that's not gonna do me any good either. I just want the complete data so i can cap the races...what a f***in joke.

[DJofSD]

We're talking about PPGEN, right? What version do you have installed?

[DJofSD]

What is a joke is the technical support page for PPGEN.

[PhantomOnTour]

I have the 2.40 version of PP Gen (the latest one) and I operate on windows7 - 64 bit - using IE9.
Just spoke with the guy and they can't figure the problem out...i am about to lose my cool here.
That's A LOT of work that is wasted...A LOT!

[DJofSD]

Dont' panic - at least not yet.

Do you download the full install for each version of PPGEN? If so, just uninstall the flakey version and reinstall a back leveled version. When I discovered problems with 240, I installed 2.286.

If you do not have a copy of a complete install for an older version, I think we can take care of that too. They generally run about 35 MB. It will just be a matter of getting you a copy. It's free softwere so there should not be any "issues" getting you a copy of the backlevel installation program.

If BRIS didn't have so a p*ss poor approach to supporting their customer base, they'd update the web site with some information about the current problem, and, make available a link to access a back level that works.

It just occured to me as I write this reply, is this a W7 (only) problem? Will an older version have the same problem if it is a W7 problem?

[PhantomOnTour]

I don't know the exact problem...and neither do they! :lol:
I don't know how to post a link to the thread, but do a search on PP Generator and find the thread started by Tom (it's at the top of the 2nd page of threads)...you will see some posts about the same problem I am having, and they were posted in Dec 2010 by OverlayHunter.


Evidently this isn't a new issue with BRIS, they just can't figure it out :mad:

[DJofSD]

Alright, let's try it this way: the old computer, what version of Windows did it run? Do you remember what version of PPGEN you were using?

[PhantomOnTour]

Just spoke with the VP of BRIS...Happy something or other is his name, and he assured me he would solve my problem by post time today at Saratoga:lol: :lol:

He also said he wasn't aware of the problem...another :lol:

As you can see, I'm none too optimistic about this actually being fixed, because i know it won't be....just curious to hear what Happy has to say in an hour or so when he realizes that as well.
Stay tuned, what he says to me will be posted here.

[DJofSD]

Good on ya, mate.

However, there is a chance you can get on the other side of this problem on your own. And, a lot sooner than on Sunday and post time for the 1st @ SAR.

[PhantomOnTour]

Just spoke with the VP of BRIS...Happy something or other is his name, and he assured me he would solve my problem by post time today at Saratoga:lol: :lol:

He also said he wasn't aware of the problem...another :lol:

As you can see, I'm none too optimistic about this actually being fixed, because i know it won't be....just curious to hear what Happy has to say in an hour or so when he realizes that as well.
Stay tuned, what he says to me will be posted here.
Got to speak to the guy who actually wrote the program (and that Happy VP fellow again) and here's what they said...

"Blah blah blah....you could get an old machine (computer) and use it on that one"

He actually told me to go buy another computer :lol:

Heck with it...going to do something else today.

[DJofSD]

They've not giving you enough information.

There is a problem but where? Is it just their new version of PPGEN? Or, is it a problem with W7? Or, a problem with the new PPGEN running on W7?

Like I said, you might be able to solve the impass yourself. An older version of PPGEN got me back up - I'm still Vista Home Premium. You might very well find that an older version of PPGEN will work for you too.

[PhantomOnTour]

It's a 64 bit system problem

Forget about it...no ponies today

[DJofSD]

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384249%28VS.85%29.aspx

[BIG49010]

You could export your data files, then move the notes to Drf formulator, screw bris! I am sure it has been done by someone on here, there are quite a few formulator guys on here.

[PhantomOnTour]

VP of BRISnet, Mr. Happy Broadbent (no, i did not make that up)sent me an email this morning stating that John (a programmer) has determined that Microsoft will not allow custom fonts to work on 64 bit machines.

Okey dokey Happy, but where does that leave everyone?
Will there be a notice on the website that if you have a 64 bit machine you shouldn't even bother downloading the PP Gen because your data files will be messed up?

I would go into more details and even post Happy's email, but it is so pathetically rife with grammatical errors that Mr. Broadbent would be embarrased...and it may violate the TOS here.

[DJofSD]

As a guess, I would say the problem with the custom font would be the superscript numbers that appear in the running line. Possibly other data too.

If there is not a way for the PPGEN fonts to use a "standard" font then BRIS will need to find some kind of work around. Can any one spell graphics rendering?

[HUSKER55]

I have a dumb thought, which is only slightly better than no thought. If you called microsoft and explained the problem they might know the solution. After all, it is their operating system. It is difficult to imagine bris being left out in the cold over a 64 bit font problem.

Second idea, although there is a charge involved, is to call Smart Computing. Number is on their web site. They work all day on problems like this and they may know a solution. Also, there is no fee if they can't fix it.

They come into your computer and work from their end.

Just a thought before you abandon ship.

Good luck!

[DJofSD]

Do an internet search using "Windows 7 custom fonts" and you should find it is possible with lots of help showing/telling you how to do it. I suspect there's a bit more to the problem than not being able to use custom fonts under W7. Likely, the program needs to be changed some how to use the W7 interface for custom fonts. That's likely were the problem lies - they can't get there from here. If I am not mistaken, PPGEN is written using FoxPro and that could be part of the problem - outdated FP, a need to go to a more current version, etc. See: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/Details.aspx?type=Software&p=Microsoft%20Visual%20Foxpro&v=Microsoft&uid=9&pf=0&pi=0&s=foxpro&os=64-bit

[PhantomOnTour]

Okay....a resolution is in sight. A programmer at BRIS is getting on the phone with me this evening and we're going to try patch this up.
He says he's found a temp solution and can get into my machine & get them symbols working again. Even sent me a screen shot that looks good.
Let's hope this works.
I hope so because i won't get off work until 11pm or so and this guy is waiting up for me. Gonna be a late night.

Thanks for all the direction and input and offers here y'all...i make take you up on them yet....let ya know tomorrow :ThmbUp:

[PhantomOnTour]

Not only did this guy from BRIS fix everything; the new fonts are a bit larger and easier to read.
He got on to my machine and, in layman's terms, hooked me up. It was the fellow who actually wrote/developed the PP Gen program.

The new fractions in the running lines are displayed with a backslash instead of a dash....something like:

1 2 3/4...obviously with the 2 3/4 type being raised a bit as it usually is.

Look for a notice on the BRIS site next week about a fix if you happen to be having problems.

[DJofSD]

Excellent job. Congrats. Whether you know it or not, you probably help hundreds of other cappers which use that program.

[PhantomOnTour]

Excellent job. Congrats. Whether you know it or not, you probably help hundreds of other cappers which use that program.
I hope some other folks with the same problem will be helped by this. Polite persistence works :ThmbUp:

Now for the bad news...
Windows7 almost destroyed PP Gen - Windows8 will. It's simply too old.
PP Gen is 15yrs old and I learned that CDI (the owner of BRIS)wants to move to a web app like Formulator.....NO! NO! NO!...this will cause major logjam delays on wknd and big race days.
Nothing new is being done to develop the PP Gen program. The man on the phone with me said he hadn't worked or improved the program in years.
It's working fine now, and for the near future, but it's days are numbered and that scares me.
Maybe we should contact CDI about keeping this program around, but I'm not sure how popular it is out there. I know that if we do nothing it will be gone soon.
If you use PP Gen and like it I suggest contacting CDI and letting them know that. I've already done it.