Different WAB files & Synch?

hulland · Post by **hulland** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:45 am

Not sure if this is the right place to post this as it could be a suggestion, and it is certainly a question too. Sorry it is so long-winded!

I have three pc's and over the years in spite of trying NOT to duplicate addresses in O Express, we all get mail from new contacts on different machines,at different times. with the result that each WAB has slightly different contacts.
I therefore have 4 differentWAB files, installed with EPIM on my minidisk
( pen ) drive at home yesterday.the idea being to keep a "master " address folder with me at all times?

Just got to the office and of course I am getting the " dbase not found" message from EPIM, So I assume I have to always keep all 4 WAB files on my pen drive with EPIM all the time?
(Not a prob as each one is only about I Mbtye, so with the IMbyte of EPIM that makes 5MByte always tied up.)

So FIRST question--is that the best way?

SECOND question;- Is there a way to use EPIM to load all 4 WAB's and do some sort of easy duplicate ellimination or not?
What do you recommend please?
Excellent app. thanks for patience with above. Ian.

Max · Post by **Max** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 9:59 am

Hi,

you can carry on your memory stick both the program and database. Or database only- does not make a great difference. I personally carry both on the drive.

As regards importing WABs- currently we do not check for duplicates when importing. Import was meant to be just one-time function.
You can export all of your WABs into CSV files and merge them in Excel to make one single CSV to import into EPIM..or, delete duplicates straight from EPIM.

hulland · Post by **hulland** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 2:55 pm

OK that's great, but when you convert from *wab to *csv it always messes up the fields !

Also, I noticed today that although I have my *wab files on the SAME minidisk as EPIM, it can't open OR import them at all "Cannot open a closed db" it tells me.

How do YOU do it so you can plug the minidisk into any PC and still retain the database in EPIM?

Any way to open each wab and import each one under it's different name into EPIM, ( uninstall and re-install EPIM on minidisk?) if so, I wouldn't have to worry about duplicates yet?

That would be great.

So I suppose will have to spend a day converting all wabs to csv then sort out my duplicates, create a new wab then import that one into EPIM! Thanks for your feedback anyway. Ian.

Max · Post by **Max** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:05 pm

hulland wrote: How do YOU do it so you can plug the minidisk into any PC and still retain the database in EPIM?

Well, I just keep both database and program on minidisk and that's it...

hulland wrote: Any way to open each wab and import each one under it's different name into EPIM, ( uninstall and re-install EPIM on minidisk?) if so, I wouldn't have to worry about duplicates yet?

You can import each WAB file into different EPIM database (File-> New) and keep them all on your minidisk.

hulland · Post by **hulland** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:21 pm

OK thanks for fast answer,

I just can't get past this message " Canot import closed DB" whatever I try!
(either from the OE installation, on this pc; or the wab files I copied directly to pen drive)

But I will sit down quietly tonight and try re-installing and starting from fresh with pen drive, but this is the second day running with the same message from EPIM. Thanks again. Ian.

hulland · Post by **hulland** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 12:19 pm

OK managed to get all my problems sorted finally!

The cause of Essential to go into "Not Responding" was this;-

If you install it, either on HD or USB stick( happens with both) and import a wab file. then you later delete the .epm file, and try to go to Import from a replacement - different-wab file---then the window to select "Import CSV or WAB" is greyed out-thus stopping any further importation of any type. Worse -- the whole Application is locked up at this point.( Win 2K pro)

The quickest work-around I found was to " uninstall" Essential, then re-start PC, then re-install/load onto USB afresh.
Then, on opening Essential, you again get that first option to import from OE, and you can start again.

It seems that if you always keep at least ONE database in there the problem doesn't appear.

May not be a bug as such, but I hope you can see that anyone trying out Essential, who then decides to delete the INITIAL .epm database and continue with a nice new database will end up with Essential just locked up and Not responding messages?
Thanks for your help with the above all now works great. Ian. ( Island of Malta)

Max · Post by **Max** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 3:19 pm

Hi,

seems like a bug. We will try to reproduce it. Can you tell once more the exact sequence?

thanks!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 3:51 pm

Sure if I can help only too pleased;-

1) D/L'd and installed USB version onto USB drive.

2) Allowed Essential to import from the default location of O Express
(Drive G) .wab file-all opened fine in Essential.

3) deleted wab file, as it was NOT my main location for O Express addresses.

4) Copied completely different ( 1Mbyte) .wab onto USB drive and tried to import/convert from this new .wab into Esentail.

5) Error message with red cross, on EVERY re-try, something like
" L/BackUp/Addresses/dbase, not available"

Then just the usual empty grey window. On opening "File" /" Import" all fields were greyed out. Same happened with full version on drive E, I didn't try re-instating original datbase, although this may have worked.

To simplify, if one tries Essential out to test it with a fictitious
( ie worthless!) .wab file which is then deleted after evaluation, you can't get back in to Essential to import a fresh ( valuable!).wab to use it properly. You probably should create a second database THEN delete the first one afterwards.

Hope this helps ? Ian.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:33 am

Something is still not right here guys !!

When I plugged my USB drive in to my home pc last night, and also here in the office this morning, the shortcut icon on USB is corrupted and the first time I click on Essential I am STILL getting this RED cross with "Db not found" message even thought the database is in the same folder on the USB as Essential. After I go in to the application folder of essential and double click the .exe it starts up OK, but having to navigate extra like this is a pain!

I thought I could shove the old USB drive in and out anywhere on any pc for it to work ?
Perhaps you have to have Essential installed on the host pc first??

Am I the only one to have these niggles? This is getting frustrating. Ian.