A guide to backing up a Well Seeker Pro local Database.
When Well Seeker Pro is installed for the first time, part of the install is a database which can be found in the following location.
When the program is opened for the first time, this is the database which Well Seeker will access. The database being accessed is referenced in the bottom right corner of the Well Seeker screen.
Well seeker database files have a .mdb file extension, and the user can easily create and switch between databases using the File – Create New Database and File – Select Database features in the top menu.
It is very important that the user regularly backs up their databases to ensure they always have a copy in case something happens to their computer or in case there is some other issue.
The current database is defined as the database which is currently being accessed when you open Well Seeker. This database is backed up as follows:
Open Well Seeker
Select File – Backup Database
Choose an appropriate location to save the database and select an appropriate name. For example, Master Db.mdb or Master Db (Date).mdb etc.
It is not uncommon for a user to have multiple databases which they frequently switch between. It is very easy to back up a database without even opening Well Seeker, even if it is the current database. As an alternative method to the one described in section 2.1, any database can be backed up as follows:
Locate the database to be backed up. This will be a .mdb file.
Copy the .mdb database file and save it in the required backup location.
At this point the user can rename the database if necessary (but this is not required). For example, Well_Seeker_DB.mdb could be renamed Well_Seeker_DB (Date).mdb, or it could be completely renamed. This is just for reference and has no effect on the database itself.
When necessary a backup database can be accessed when in Well Seeker by selecting File – Select Database. The user should then Navigate to and select the relevant back up.
The backup location should NOT be in the Programs (x86) folder. Rather it should be in a documents folder on the computer C drive, or ideally somewhere that is backed up regularly i.e. a shared drive etc. The user’s desktop should also be avoided as files on the desktop are easy to delete by mistake.
When a new version of the software becomes available, the user needs to remove the existing version (via the add/remove programs feature in Windows) before they can install the new version. This uninstall process removes all the files which initially came with the install. This INCLUDES the original Well_Seeker_DB.mdb database. Although Innova recommends that users create their own database when they first start using the software some users prefer to work in the default. In this situation it is ESSENTIAL that the user backs this database up before they uninstall the software as this database will be DELETED during the uninstall process.
Well seeker database files have a .mdb file extension. When a database is being accessed by Well Seeker an additional .ldb file is temporarily created. This is a very small file which, disappears when the database is not being accessed i.e. Well Seeker is using a different database, or when Well Seeker is closed.
When backing up the current database following Section 2.2 instructions, the user should be careful not to copy the .ldb file instead of the .mdb as this does not contain any data. To avoid making this mistake, it is safer to ensure that the .ldb file is not present, and Well Seeker being closed ensures this.
Questions relating to any of the above can be sent to support@innova-drilling.com
