Given the “end of life” to Palm OS devices, I’ve been getting a fair number of users requesting a way to continue using DayNotez Desktop data files on newer computer systems that they no longer have access to (or want to install) the Palm Desktop and HotSync. In the past I had given instructions on how to manually move your existing data files to the new system and modify the registry with Regedit in order to “trick” DayNotez Desktop into thinking it has a valid installed user. Over the past couple of days however, I put together a simple tool that helps in this process until the time comes that we maybe have a DayNotez Desktop standalone application.
So, how does this work?
1) If you don’t already have DayNotez Desktop installed on your system (or can’t due to the installation requirements that either HotSync/Palm or ActiveSync/PPC being installed on your system), then download the latest 1.7 beta files from our site and unzip them into a folder such as “C:Program FilesNataraDayNotez” or “C:Program Files (x86)NataraDayNotez” on a 64 bit system.
2) Copy your existing 2 DayNotez Desktop data files (both the .dnz and .mdw files) to a folder on your new system. You could create a DayNotez folder in your “Documents” directory and place them there if you like. If you need help finding those files please refer the documentation section on “How Do I… Backup my data files”. Remember where you place them since you’ll need to locate them with the tool.
3) Download the “DayNotez Data File Locator” zip file and unzip the “DDFL.exe” file. Run that file. Now just use the “Browse” button to locate the data file pair. Once the tool verifies the data files you can select the “CREATE” button and it will create the necessary registry entries in order to DayNotez Desktop to work.
A couple of quick notes:
1) This tool will NOT create new data files. It is intended to be used by existing DayNotez Desktop customers who have already used the product with a handheld device and hence already have a set of data files. Data files are currently ONLY created at the time of a sync with a handheld device.
2) You can run this tool on an existing system in order to add outside existing data files. Keep in mind if you should only add uniquely named data files (the part of the name before the “DayNotez.dnz” part). Adding a set of data files that has the same name as an existing user will overwrite the location of the existing users data files. It will not, however, overwrite one set of data files with another. It simply redirects where the data files are opened from.
3) In regards to #2 above, the DayNotez “user” that is created or modified is based off the prefix or the data file set you point to. So, a set of data files named “Mr Fox DayNotez.XXX” will use the data files and setup or use an existing “Mr Fox” user. The “DayNotez.XXX” part of the file name is a requirement, so don’t try to do without it. Most users won’t have to worry about that anyway.
4) The tool works with either Palm or Windows Mobile data file types.
5) ALWAYS KEEP BACKUP COPIES OF ANY DATA! YOU CAN’T RESTORE WHAT YOU HAVEN’T BACKED UP.
Hope this tool is of some use to some of you!