How to Move a Library From One Computer to Another
This article will tell you how to move your ScreenSteps Lessons library from one machine to another, for example from your desktop computer to a laptop.
Reveal Library Folder
If your library is open in ScreenSteps you can use the File > Reveal Library Folder menu to reveal the folder in Finder or Windows Explorer.
Copy Entire Folder
When you reveal the lesson library you are going to see a folder that will have two items in it:
- The Lessons folder
- The Library.data file.
You need to copy both of these items. What you really want to copy is the folder that contains these two items. In the example above you would copy the ScreenSteps Library (3) folder. You can copy this over your network or onto a removable hard drive.
Open Library on New Machine
Once you are on your new machine and have launched ScreenSteps select File > Open Library.
- Select the folder that contains the Lessons and Library.data file (in this example ScreenSteps Library)
- Select Choose
That's it.
Peter DeGregorio
Hello, does anyone store libraries in Subversion (a source code repository)? I work on different computers and would like to be able to have a central location where lessons can be stored.
Blue Mango
@Peter -
I am not aware of people who use something like Subversion or Git with ScreenSteps libraries. The reason for this is that the ScreenSteps Library is actually a SQLite database. Checking a database into version control doesn't usually work very well.
Some users use Dropbox but you need to be very careful that you don't have the same library open on two separate machines as you could end up with lost data if both computers try to write to the SQLite library file.
Jack
After a windows restore I have lost all my lessons. when I look for the folder its there and all my media are there too but the library.data seems cleared since its become only 40kb whereas it was over 700kb before. Can I do something about it?
Trevor DeVore
@Jack It sounds like the library.data file was not restored, just the media folder. When ScreenSteps opens a library folder it will create a library.data file it one doesn't exist. Can you check your backup files for for the library.data file?
Jack
Thank you Trevor for your response. Unfortunately, I had to go back to a previous restore point since I had a major Windows problem and I did not create any back up.
Trevor DeVore
@Jack I'm sorry to hear that.
Jack
The strange thing is that everything else is working and I have no problems with any other software except for ScreenSteps.
Trevor DeVore
@Jack - ScreenSteps won't move or delete your data. The only other thing I can think of is that is that you had another ScreenSteps Library somewhere else on your computer. Have you tried searching for another library.data file?
Jack
@Trevor
I know ScreenSteps won't do that but I think ScreenSteps might have an issue with Windows backup and restore mechanism.
Yes I searched the computer for library.data but there was only one.
All my media are there but like you said, the library.data seems to be deleted after a system restore.
Many Thanks
Trevor DeVore
@Jack - The ScreenSteps library.data file is a standard file format in use by many applications (it is a SQLite database). I believe a Windows restore just puts files back into a state they were in previously. ScreenSteps will just try to open the file that is there on your computer. I would be very surprised if there was anything specific to ScreenSteps that would cause a problem during/after a restore. I think there is something else at play here.