How to Move LimsData to a New Folder

Whether you have an LIMS multi-user installation or a single-user installation, there may come a time when your LimsData database must be moved to a new location. For example, with a single-user installation you may decide to move the database from your local hard drive to a server folder to take advantage of the server’s automatic overnight backups. In a multi-user installation, you may need to move the database to a new server when an older server is retired. Whatever the reason for the change, simply follow these steps to move LimsData:

1. Determine the name (normally, LimsData4.mdb) and location of your LimsData database file. You can find the file listed at the lower left of the LIMS main menu. Alternatively, check the LimsData option on the System Info tab of the System Configuration screen for the file’s name and location.

2. Copy your existing LimsData4.mdb and LimsUser4.mdw files from the current folder to the new location. If a Setup folder with the LIMS software installation files exists in the folder where your LimsData database currently resides, copy the Setup folder to the new location as well.

3. Move or rename your existing LimsData4.mdb and LimsUser4.mdw files to prevent their further use.

4. On each LIMS workstation, uninstall the LIMS software. Note that your Workstation Configuration screen settings, user login accounts, and your LimsData database remain intact after uninstalling LIMS. There is no need to uninstall the Microsoft Access 2010 Runtime. Now run application Setup.exe in the Setup folder to re[1]install LIMS and be sure to select the new location for LimsData in the “Select the location for the LIMS database” screen.

5. Start LIMS on each workstation. Following the warning that LimsData could not be found in its previous location select your LimsData4.mdb file in its new location.

Although not a permanent solution, as an alternative to step 4 above, you can edit the location of file LimsUser4.mdw in the Target property of the LIMS shortcuts. However, please note that the shortcuts will be restored to their original state if you run Setup.exe again to update or repair your installation. For this reason we recommend uninstalling then re-installing LIMS and selecting the new LimsData location as described in step 4 above.

To edit the shortcut, right-click the LIMS shortcut on your Windows desktop and choose Properties from the popup menu. Find file LimsUser4.mdb in the shortcut’s Target property then replace the file’s current location with its new location. Repeat the edit for the LIMS and Version Update shortcuts on the All Program’s LIMS menu.