Mastercook Cookbooks Download
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What do we mean by back up? Copy your files from your hard drive to another location. If you can, it is better to copy them to a floppy disk or other media you can remove from your computer (zip disk, super disk, CD-RW, etc.). If your group of files is too large to fit on one diskette, you can copy one or two cookbooks on one diskette, then go to the next set. Still too big? Divide a large cookbook into two or more cookbooks or use file compression, like WinZip.
By backing up to removable media like floppies, your cookbooks will survive even a hard drive crash. If you would rather not do this, you can move them to another folder on your hard drive, preferably a folder you have created for just this purpose.
Generally, you only need to back up those files you have added to the program, like cookbooks to which you have added recipes, or customized in some way. Be sure to back up these files regularly, especially when you are about to uninstall or install another MasterCook product or patch your MasterCook. Here is a checklist of many kinds of files you might have customized:
Let's take backing up your personal cookbooks as an example: To back up your personal cookbooks, first exit MasterCook. Then use Windows Explorer to go to your cookbook folders. The default installation folders are:
To reinstall them, again exit MasterCook. Use Windows Explorer to copy them back to the same MasterCook folder they came from. Then start MasterCook. While viewing your list of cookbooks, press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the file list. If you added new collection folders, use Tools > Manage Collections to ADD these folders.
To be absolutely safe, you should back up any file after you have made a change in it. If you just added a lot of recipes to one particular cookbook, you don't need to back up "all" of your files, just that one cookbook. Many people just set an arbitrary schedule for themselves, like once a week or once a month, depending on how frequently they work with their cookbooks. Routine backups are totally your decision.
[ Top of Page ]2. Version 5.x/6.x Combining SierraHome ProductsQ. What if we buy more than one set of cookbooks with MasterCook 5.x/6.x? Do we use the "install" application for each one? Is this the only way to get the glossary links and movie tips. (See the mastercook.ini file and sections for [PicturePacks] and[VideoLists])
1. You will have a new collections folder with the content that belongs to that release.
2. You will have a merged tips file with new videos/etc.
3. The Cookbook Browser screen will have all cookbooks from all products displayed.
4. Your branding (Splashscreen, watermarks, etc.) throughout the program will change to the last installed product. For example if at first you had Betty Crocker installed then later installed Cooking Light then you will have all the artwork for Cooking Light instead of Betty Crocker.
5. New Menus and Meal plans should be present.
If you need to apply both the 5.03 patch and the 5.05 patch, you can open MasterCook after applying the first patch to make sure it "took." Check the version number shown in Help>About MasterCook. The version number in Help>About MasterCook should show version 5.0.3. Can you open cookbooks? Can you search? Then close MasterCook and follow the same procedures to apply the second patch. Don't forget to turn off all those extra programs again.
[ Top of Page ]5. Version 6.0 (SierraHome) Uninstall and ReinstallBACK UP YOUR FILES!SeeBacking Up Your Files above. It contains instructions on how to back up your cookbooks and other files. If you are uninstalling MC 6.0 because of a problem with a particular cookbook or other customized feature, do not overwrite any backups you had made of that file before you started having the problem.
When you have completed the installation and patching and have tested to make sure your MasterCook is working properly (can you open cookbooks? add a recipe? search?), close MasterCook and, using Windows Explorer, copy your backed up cookbooks and files to the appropriate folder (see the How to Back Up FAQ). Then open MasterCook to the cookbook browser window (where all the cookbook titles are listed) and press F5 so MasterCook can refresh its file list. If you added collection folders, you will need to use Tools>Manage Collections to add them to MC.
If you are restoring cookbooks and files you have backed up on a CD-R or CD-RW, the files and cookbooks may have the read-only attribute. This means that you will not be able to edit or otherwise alter them, even when you copy them back to your program, unless you change their file attributes. Just so you don't lose track of which files are involved when you want to restore them to your program, use Windows Explorer to copy them to an empty folder on your hard drive. Highlight all the file names, choose Properties from the File Menu, and un-check the Read-only box. (You can select many files at once and then change their properties at the same time.) Then you can move them to the proper place in your MasterCook folder.
Useful Tip: If you are converting a lot of MC 2/3/4 cookbooks, it would be a good idea to make a backup copy of the new *.mc2 files. Then if you should later need to reinstall, you won't have to go through the conversion process again; you can restore the converted files just like any other *.mc2 cookbook file.
If you have any existing MasterCook 5 or 6 programs on your computer, you can use the MANAGE COLLECTION window in MasterCook 6.2 to ADD those collections to MasterCook 6.2. Open the MANAGE COLLECTION window and navigate to the collection folders in your other MasterCook directories on your computer. Highlight each collection folder and then press the ADD button to add them to MasterCook 6.2. (Note: MasterCook will not add a collection if you already have a collection by that same name added to MasterCook. For example, if MasterCook 6.2 has a DELUXE collection, it won't allow you to add the one from a previous title.)
If you don't have your previous versions of MasterCook installed on your computer, don't worry. You can do the following instead.
NOTE: Perform the following with your MasterCook program closed and virus scanner disabled.
1. Use Windows Explorer to create a collection folder for each of your other products or your own cookbooks (such as Food & Wine, and Cooking Light). For example: C:\Cookbooks\Food & Wine Collection and C:\Cookbooks\Cooking Light Collection. (You can name the folder what you wish and put them where you wish. You don't even have to use the word "collection" in the title.)
2. Manually copy the cookbook files, cookbook picture files and menus to the collection folder(s) you created in the previous step. With the Food & Wine CD inserted into your CD drive (assuming it is assigned to the letter D) you will find the cookbook (*.mc2) and picture files (*.mcx) located here: D:\system\cookbooks. You will find the menu files (*.mnu) located here: D:\system\menus. Copy/paste all the *.mc2, *.mcx, and *.mnu files to the collection folders you created in the previous step.
3. Remove the read-only attribute from all these files. After they are pasted into the folder you created in step #1 above, SELECT ALL the files and choose PROPERTIES from the File menu in Windows Explorer, remove that checkmark for READ-ONLY, and place a checkmark in the box for Archive. (If you leave the setting read-only you will not be able to make changes to these files while using program.)
4. Now you can launch the program and use the Collection Manager to ADD the collection folder to your MasterCook program. Launch MasterCook and choose MANAGE COLLECTIONS from the Tools menu. Navigate to the collection folder you created in step #1 above, highlight it and select the ADD button. Now that folder will be registered with MasterCook, and the content will be available to you inside the program. Do this for each collection folder you added. (From now on MasterCook will check these folders to see what you added/removed outside the program when you press F5 or select Tools > Refresh File List.)
Perform the same steps using your v5.x or v6.0 Cooking Light CD. If you are using v6.0 you will also find search index files (*.mcz) to copy over for each cookbook.
For adding cookbooks from MC 4 and below, see Installation - Merging MasterCook Versions 4/3/2/1 Products into ValuSoft MC6.2.
To convert cookbook files: Locate your previous MasterCook version cookbook files on your computer (*.mcf). Then right click each *.mcf file in turn and choose Convert MasterCook 4.x Cookbook. The cookbook will be converted and placed in the My Collection folder of your MC 6.2 installation.
NOTE: Cookbooks in the MC 2/3/4 *.mcf format can also be converted for use in ValuSoft MC 6.2 by opening MC 6.2 and choosing File > Open from the main file menu. Direct MC to the folder where your *.mcf cookbook files are located. You will be asked if you want to create a new cookbook. MC 6.2 will convert the cookbook, leaving the original cookbook unchanged.
To convert the MC 4.x user.ing file: Locate your previous MasterCook version USER.ING file. Then right-click on user.ing file and choose Convert MasterCook 4.x Ingredients.
To merge MC 1/2/3 program content:
Cookbooks in the MC 2/3 format can be converted using the same procedures described for MC 4 cookbooks, above. Cookbooks in the MC 1 format must first be converted to MC 2 format (opened into MC 2); then the resulting MC 2 cookbook can be converted as any other MC 2/3/4 cookbook.
The user.ing files from MC 2/3 can only be converted if they are first converted to MC 4 format; then the amended MC 4 user.ing file can be converted as described above. [To convert to MC 4 format, place the user.ing file from the MC 2/3 installation in the MC 4 directory (C:\SIERRA\MCOOK4, C:\SIERRA\CKLT4, etc.), then reopen MC 4.] The user.ing files from MC 1 can be converted to MC 2 format only by installing MC 2 on top of MC 1; the resulting MC 2 user.ing must then be converted to MC 4 version, as above.
Useful Tip: If you are converting a lot of MC 2/3/4 cookbooks, it would be a good idea to make a backup copy of the new *.mc2 files. Then if you should later need to reinstall, you won't have to go through the conversion process again; you can restore the converted files just like any other *.mc2 cookbook file.