New Computer worries

[Andrith Davis]

Apologies to the geeks in the room, but I need to know...

I have a new Windows 11 computer sitting in its box waiting for my techie to do his magic. I have been using Dance Master since I started cueing, then started using Wizard...no going back.  Now here is my question.  It is my feeble understanding that Wizard uses the DM database.  For the sake of storage room or whatever it is, I would rather use only Wizard on the new computer.  Now just how does that work?  

1) Is there a procedure for setting up DW for the first time without DM to work from?  Or can the DM database just be transferred by itself?  Ay-yi-yi, I'm on a roundabout! 

3) And what other programs must I have to make Wizard work?  DM has to have a couple others, but does DW use them as well?  

A lot to ask, sorry.  Again, apologies for my techno-ignorance.  If this is too much, I'll just ask the techie to contact you, Bill.

[Bill Davenport]

Hi Andrith,

This is a great question...

On the new computer you do not need to install DanceMaster. DanceWizard uses the same database and dance related files but does not need any of the DanceMaster program on the new computer.

You'll need to copy your database and dance related files from the old computer (probably using a USB drive). Here's what needs to be copied: 

1. Your current database. Since you're running DanceWizard on the old laptop go to the File menu and select Settings. On the settings window select the Database tab. On that tab you'll see a section for Database File. This will tell you where on that laptop your database file is stored (most likely C:\DanceMaster) and the name of the database file (most likely DMRounds.mdb).
2. From that folder on older laptop (where your database is located) copy the following to a USB drive:
   • the database file shown on the Settings window Database tab (probably DMRounds.mdb)
   • the following folders: Backups, Cue Cards, Dance Modules, Dance Programs, Full Cues, Music Files, Video Files, Voice Files

On the new computer:

1. Create a folder to hold all of the files and folders you copied to the USB drive (this can be named anything you'd like - on my laptop it's named My Dances).
   • Don't use the C:\Program Files (x86)\DanceWizard folder or any other folder under C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86) as these are reserved for installed programs.
2. Copy the database and folders from the USB drive to the folder you created on the new laptop.
3. Install DanceWizard on the new computer and when it asks about your dance database have it use the database file from the new folder you created on the laptop.

Nothing else needs to be installed on the new laptop for DanceWizard to work.

You might find two videos I uploaded to the DanceWizard website useful:

1. There is a video showing DanceWizard being installed on a laptop where there is an existing DanceMaster installation (under C:\DanceMaster). You can find that on this page: https://dancewizard.net/presentations/training.html
2. There is also a video from the DanceWizard User Group meeting held before this year's ROUNDALAB. The first part of the video also covers installing DanceWizard on a laptop with an already existing dance database. You can find that on this page: https://dancewizard.net/presentations/usergroup.html

Bill