Q.    I had a hard drive crash (or bought a new computer). Can I re-install the DCMS and is so, how do I get my data back into it?

This is a generic answer designed to give you the instructions necessary to re-install the DCMS onto a new or repaired computer. This procedure assumes that you have data from a previous installation of the program that you want to restore.

In advance, I want to apologize if I seem to be describing way too much. I am assuming that the reader knows very little about computers (which is often the case when I get a message asking for help) Please note also that there are several terms for mouse clicks and they are different. When I just say "click", it's meant to mean click once with the left mouse button (your common mouse action). When I say "right-click", I mean to use the right button. This usually brings up a menu. Finally, when I say "Double-click" I mean click twice in rapid succession (and note that some Windows setups do not require a double click - but that just makes things interesting doesn't it?)

You could be needing these instructions because:

• you just bought a new computer and want to move the DCMS to it; 
• your computer crashed and you are restoring programs to the repaired computer; or 
• as a result of a virus, you had to wipe your hard drive clean and are restoring the DCMS to the computer.

Note: The instructions below assume you will have a backup disk in drive A: of your computer. Many new computers no longer have a floppy disk drive A:, which was the staple for so many years in the DCMS. The latest versions of the DCMS are now built to also look for backups on drive D: through M:, so you can transfer your backup from a floppy to a USB drive and restore the backup from the USB drive in your USB port instead. To do so, you need the use of a computer with a floppy drive and a USB port. Put your (old) backup in the floppy drive and a USB drive in the USB port, and copy the contents of the floppy to the USB drive's root directory. Then follow the directions below as if you were using a floppy disk backup.

The best way to get started is to first realize that the CD I originally sent you is probably outdated, but the latest version of the program will always be available on the web site. The instructions are the same in whichever case you find yourself (new computer, hard drive crash recovery or virus recovery). The only difference to the instructions below is if your computer does not have a working floppy disk drive.

Step 1  Create a DCMSINST Folder to Hold the Downloaded Update (if it doesn't already exist) 

The Installation Instructions below make certain assumptions and one is that you are going to have a folder in which to download the Re-Installation update, from which you will install the latest version of the program - and that folder will be called  DCMSINST. We should create it if it doesn't exist now. 

First, double click on "My Computer"  and then double click on your   Drive C:  (local disk C:)  That should open a window that shows the files and folders on drive C:. Examine the folders and see if you see one there called DCMSINST. You do not have to look any further than the main window of Drive C:, if the DCMSINST folder isn't there, you don't have to go looking for it.

If the DCMSINST folder is not visible, right-click  (note: use the right-most mouse button) on an empty space in the C: drive window. You should see a pop-up menu appear and one of the options will be "New..."  Choose the "New.." option and a sub-menu will appear. On that menu will be the option "Folder". Choose folder from the sub-menu and a new folder will appear with the name "New Folder"

Right-click (again, use the right-most mouse button) on the new folder and choose the "Rename" option from the pop-up menu. Rename the new folder to  DCMSINST and then press the <Enter> key to continue.

Step 2  Download the Re-Installation Update 

We now have to obtain the latest copy of the "Re-Installation" update from my web site. Please note that this update is the same file as I use to provide a "Demonstration" version of the DCMS to prospective users. It is a full running copy of the DCMS. To start, visit the DCMS web site.

Choose the "Support" link from the home page. Then select the "Program Updates" link. On the Program Updates page, you will see a list of available updates for the program. The third one is the "Re-Installation Update". The Re-Installation update exists to let people (as the name implies) Re-Install the DCMS on their new or fixed computer. However, it is also the update to use if you are having significant problems with the program, or it has been over 12 months since your last update or installation of the DCMS for Windows.

Click on the "Re-Installation Update" link. You will be asked for your name and email address. Provide them and click "Let Me In" 

You will then get a page of instructions. Print that page for use later. This will help you during and after the download. On the page is also a link to start the download. The file you are downloading is called DCMSDEMO.EXE. You will be asked if you want to Save or Run (or Execute) the download. You will always want to "Save" the update - and you will want to save the program to the DCMSINST folder.

When you choose to save the download, you will be given a screen that allows you to choose the location on your disk to save it to (such as the one pictured below). Near the top of the screen, you will see a "Save In" label, and to the right of it, you will see a field with a location (underlined). To the right of that Location Field, you will see a group of icons. One of these icons (circled below) is called an "UpFolder" button, and looks like a folder with an arrow pointed "Up". Click that folder until the Location Field says "Desktop".  Then, look below the Location Field and you will see icons representing files, folders and drives. In this case, find the one that says "My Computer" and double-click on it.  "My Computer" should then appear in the Location Field and the icons below it should change. Among those icons, you should find something like "Local Drive C:" Double-click on that icon and the screen will change again. Finally, find the folder icon that is called  "DCMSINST" and double-click on that.  The Location Field should then state "DCMSINST".

If that is the case, click the "Save" button in the lower right corner. The Re-Installation Update will be downloaded and saved in the DCMSINST folder of your C: drive. The length of time it takes to download will vary on your internet connection, from 4 minutes for a high speed connection to 45 minutes for a dial-up connection. When the download is complete, close your Browser, and return to a blank Windows Desktop (the Windows screen with your icons on it)

Step 3  Install the Downloaded Re-Installation Update 

Now that the update has been downloaded, we have to Install it to your computer. This will give you the very latest version of the DCMS.

To install the program, double-click on "My Computer". If My Computer doesn't exist as an icon on your desktop, click on the "Start" button in the lower left corner of your Windows Desktop. A menu will appear and "My Computer" should appear as an option on that menu. Choose it.

Either way, you should see a window appear, which has, among other things, an icon for (something like) "Local Drive C:". Double-click on that icon to "log on" to drive C:. In the drive C: Window which will then appear, you should see a number of folder icons (Like the one beside "Roxio" in the illustration above. One of those folder icons should be labeled "DCMSINST". Double-click on that icon to open a window showing the files in that folder. 

If we did everything right, there should be a file called "DCMSDEMO.EXE" (although you might not see the ".EXE", depending on how your computer is set up). That is the Re-Installation update we downloaded in step 3.

Double-click on the DCMSDEMO icon to start the installation process, and follow the prompts. Do not change the location of the installed program, unless you really know what you are doing.

Step 4  Creating a Desktop Icon to Start the DCMS  - (optional) 

When you finish installing the update/program, you are left with an open window with an emerald star icon labeled DCMS for Windows on it. You can have a copy of this icon to your desktop if you wish, so you can start the DCMS from your desktop.

To do this, right-click the icon once to bring up a pop-up menu (use your right mouse button for this). From the menu, choose "Copy". Then close the window with the emerald star icon. Choose an empty spot on your Windows desktop and right-click again, bringing up a similar pop-up menu. This time, choose "Paste" from the menu and a copy of the emerald star icon will appear on your desktop.

To start the DCMS from now on, all you need to do is double-click this icon.

Step 5  Restoring Your Backup to the DCMS 

Before you start the DCMS for the first time. Make sure you have the Backup disk in drive A: (or the USB drive containing the Backup files in your USB port). Start the DCMS and the program will instantly recognize that it has no data and will start looking through the drives to find a ready backup. When it finds the Backup on your floppy or USB drive, it will automatically restore the data for you. When finished, if necessary, it will update the data and when you get to the title screen, your data will be returned to the state it was in when you made the backup - except that you will have the latest version of the program as well.
 

Step 6  If the Backup Doesn't Restore 

After you have finished the above procedure, start the DCMS and see if your data from the previous computer is there. If it is, fine. If not, you can manually restore the data, that is, if there wasn't something wrong with the backup. Open the Utilities Menu and choose the "Backup Utility" In the Backup Utility, you will see a menu at the top with the prompt "Please Select an Action". The default value of this menu is "Make a Backup". Change that to "Extract File(s)". 

Below that menu, you will see a place where you can choose the drive letter that describes the disc (or USB drive) which contains the backup (drives A through H). If the backups is in the base directory of any of those drives, choose it there. If, on the other hand, the drive is not listed there, or the Backup is in another folder on another drive, you can click the "Browse" button to search your computer or network for the backup file. Typically, the file is called "BACKUP99.LZH" Either way, designate where you want the DCMS to look for the Backup you want to restore.

Finally, near the bottom of the Backup Utility, you will see a field with the prompt "Filenames to Extract (if applicable)". In this field type " *.* " (asterix, period, asterix  or  star dot star) Use the asterix above the number 8 key on the top row of your keyboard. When you have typed in "*.*", click the "Do It" button. You should see a DOS window open and a list of files being "melted".

That is your data being extracted. Again this is only necessary if the previous five steps did not return your data to your DCMS.

Hope that helps and I also hope that you enjoy the program.
 

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