To alter the ODBC settings on Win2K or XP go to the Data Sources section within the control panel (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Data Sources (ODBC)). Once there click on the System DSN tab at the top of the window to list the system datasources. Find the datasource called Sweet and click to highlight it, then click the configure button. At the top of the next window click the Database tab and look for the field called Database file. When VE launches it uses the path in this field to find the sweet.db file. You can use the browse button to change the path to the new location of the sweet.db file. Make sure that the users who will be using this computer will have access to read and write to this new location and that this location will be available when you launch VE or you will get an error that the database file can not be found. After you change the path to the new location click OK to close this window, then click OK to close the ODBC Datasource Administrator window.

The next time you start VE it will use the new location path to find the sweet.db file. If that new path is going to a USB jump drive or interchangable flash card slot, then all you need to do is switch the flash card or the jump drive that has a different database and start VE to see that databases data.

All you will need to do is FIRST, install the software on your new computer. That will install a blank database on the new computer too. It is important that you install the same version of the software on the new computer that you are currently using on the old computer. If you want to upgrade too, first install the software version you had on the old computer, perform the second step which is moving your data, then run your upgrade. You need to perform the steps in this order so that the software and the database file stay in synch. You will get errors if you upgrade your software first and then restore an older database file to the upgraded software.

SECOND you will need to move your data. If you have read any of the other FAQ's you are getting tired of hearing that the data is contained in one file named sweet.db. This file is located in the directory (folder) where you first installed vending essentials. The default install location is C:\Program Files\SoftEssentials\Vending Essentials\sweet.db. Find this file on your older computer. This file will have all of your data. Then copy it to a CD, jump drive, floppy disk (if it will fit), or some other media (you could even email it to the new computer). Once you get your old sweet.db file to the new computer just copy it into the directory (folder) where you installed vending essentials. There will already be the blank sweet.db that the install put there so you will need to overwrite the blank file or delete it before you copy your sweet.db with your data. Make sure you keep your database file named sweet.db. Unless you change this in your ODBC settings the software will be looking for the database file named sweet.db

Once you have copied your databse file to your new computer you should be ready to go. The password you used to login to the software is stored in the database file. So whatever password you used on your old computer will be the password you need for you new computer too. The Registration information can not be copied so you will need to re-register your software which will require a reset of your invoice number through Soft Essentials Support. Send email request for invoice reset to key@softessentials.com

With the program running, make sure that you have all of the Search and Detail windows closed, and that you have the CD in your CD-ROM drive. Then click on help in the main menu. Select Tutorials. Then choose the specific tutorial you would like to see.

If however you have downloaded the software, then you can download additional tutorials from www.vendingessentials.com/tutorialslink.html page. There are easy instructions for downloading and installing the tutorials into your VE software.