Common Questions

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 Will Bird Tracker work on a Mac?
? Converting data from another management software.
? Can I continue to use the Trial Version information in the Registered Version of Bird Tracker for Windows?
? How can I back up a large file to a standard 1.44 MB floppy disk?
   
   
   

Will Bird Tracker work on a Mac?
Bird Tracker for Windows will only operate on a PC.  If anyone is aware of avian management software that will operate on a Mac, we will gladly provide the information here.

I have been using another avian management program and would like to transfer the information to Bird Tracker.  Do I have to manually re-enter all the information?
We have given this problem a lot of thought and wish an easy solution existed.  There are about a dozen different programs available on the market today and each having various database versions.  It would be a significant effort to try to make a function that will convert their information into the Bird Tracker database.  Our best advise is to use the previous software for archived information and use Bird Tracker for current information.

Can I continue to use the Trial Version information in the Registered Version of Bird Tracker for Windows?
Yes.  To continue using the database information you have generated in the Trial Version of Bird Tracker for Windows, simply install the purchased registered version of Bird Tracker for Windows, ensure you have downloaded and installed the most current upgrade patch, open the registered version of Bird Tracker for Windows, select Utilities from the menu at the top of the screen, click "restore database", select the location of your Trial Version database (if you selected the default install location for the Trial Version, then it should be located at C:\Program Files\Bird Tracker Trial Version\ ), check all the options within the Restore Options box, then click the Restore button.  You can now continue working your previously created records.

How can I back up a large file to a standard 1.44 MB floppy disk?
 Should you want to back up your data to a 3.5" floppy, but the size of the data is greater than 1.44 MB you should consider the following.

A quick an easy solution is to obtain a copy of WinZip. Their web site is located at http://www.winzip.com. This software will compress your database to 1/10th its current size. With WinZip installed on your computer, go to your Windows Explorer and select the BirdTracker.mdb file from the Bird Tracker application folder. If you selected the default location for installing Bird Tracker, the application folder should be at C:\Program Files\Bird Tracker. Right click your mouse and select "Add to Zip" from the pop up selection. Select a location (i.e., floppy disk) to store the zipped file. To restore the zipped file to the Bird Tracker application, insert the floppy containing the zipped file, right click the file, select "Extract to" from the pop up selection, then select the Bird Tracker application folder. WinZip is also useful if you need to email your data to us or someone else.

If your data files are vitally important to you, then investing in either a second hard drive or a CD read/writer is the easiest and most reliable method for not losing your data. At Cabin Software, we use both devises on multiple computers. Each approach has its advantage. A second hard drive backs up data quicker than a CD read/writer. On the other hand, a CD read/writer will provide you with a CD that can be placed elsewhere. This would be a preferred option if you live in a high crime area. Also, having done quite a bit of data copying onto CDs, Cabin Software has never yet experienced a CD corrupted file. We have experienced numerous corrupted files using standard 3.5" floppy disks, therefore, we are reluctant to add a data file compressor and splitter to the Bird Tracker application.

 

 

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