Best way to transfer files?

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fishdrzig
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Best way to transfer files?

Post by fishdrzig » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:29 pm

I am presently running a Dell Precision 370 32-bit for my peer to peer RAID 1 configuration. Been using this problem free since 2005. Windows XP and Open Dental
I just bought a Dell Precision 1650 with Windows 7 preinstalled 64 bit, RAID 1.
I also use CrashPlan

When it gets here, how is the best way for me to transfer everything to the new computer and set it up as my new peer to peer server? Would love some suggestions, has been a while since I have done this. I will also need to upgrade my OPtiplex 170's next in my 3 ops.

Thanks for the help

bpcomp
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Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by bpcomp » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:35 pm

Which files do you mean when you say everything. You should transfer your data only and install all the programs from scratch on the new server. If you have a lot of patient data to copy can can do it over the network or with a portable hard drive. If you are asking for guidance on the mechanics of copying the files please ask. I would just like some clarification on what exactly you are asking before I go into more detail.

fishdrzig
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Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by fishdrzig » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:42 pm

Sorry
I know I can use Windows Easy Transfer to do it, but I guess I was wondering if I should do a clean install or not and why?

bpcomp
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Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by bpcomp » Thu Jun 13, 2013 8:01 am

Definitely stay away from windows easy transfer. Do a clean install by all means. I would even go so far as to recommend that you do a clean install of windows 7 to try and remove as much of the crap they send computers out the door with these days. Any chance you get with windows to have a clean installation should be taken advantage of. A system that has migrated with windows easy transfer will often run excruciatingly slow and have other weird and hard to track issues. It is not always the case but it happens often enough that any computer tech will tell you it's better to do a clean install then bother with the transfer attempt.

I would recommend that you do a fresh install of windows 7 on the new server (do not hook it into the network at work yet) and then install all your software (I.E. Open Dental, xrays, etc). This should probably be done at home so you have access to the internet without having both your servers on the same network at the same time. Then you would backup the patient data from the old server to an external HD and then shut it down to remove it from the network. At this point turn off all the workstations. You can now connect the new server to the network and restore the backed up data from the external HD to the new server. The next step it to test that everything works on the server. I.E. can you access your patient data and everything looks good. Next you will go to the workstations and turn them on. Open your software on each one and go through any steps to point them to the new server.

Spend as much time as you can now, trying everything out. You would probably rather find out that there is a quirk with the xrays then while you have a patient in the chair.

Now you are done. Go out for drinks.

fishdrzig
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:46 pm

Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by fishdrzig » Thu Jun 13, 2013 8:18 am

Thank you for the advice but....

The Dell computer I ordered will have Windows 7 preinstalled already.
I do not use digital xrays (is this the xray software you were referring to?)

Could I just call CrashPlan and have them download all the open dental back up information to the new server after I take the old one off the network?

I owe you a drink, thanks again

bpcomp
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Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by bpcomp » Thu Jun 13, 2013 8:50 am

Yeah, I was referring to digital xrays. As for restoring the backup from Crashplan, you will have to look at your internet speed and the size of the data set to restore. If you don't have any scanned documents or patient images in your database then it might work to pull the back up data from Crashplan in fairly short time frame. If you have a lot of data and slow internet then it could take a VERY long time. My best estimate for our office to do a full upload or download of all our data is approximately 8 to 10 days.

fishdrzig
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:46 pm

Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by fishdrzig » Sat Jun 15, 2013 8:58 am

Ok, I found out the information

I am backing up three folders to CrashPlan +
Opendental
Opendental images
Program Files
Total 30GB

So, Crashplan told me all I need to do is ADOPT the new computer for the old computer. I am going to read about what this means first though.

bcpayne
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Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by bcpayne » Sat Jun 15, 2013 1:20 pm

bpcomp is right, even if the pc shows up with fresh windows 7, often times it is packed full of "bloat ware" from the manufacturer like games and media software that you don't need but will destabilize and slow the computer. Unfortunately if you use the factory image to reinstall, that stuff will still be there. Best thing is to just go through and uninstall all unnecessary software first.

Barring a catastrophic data loss, with no onsite backup, I wouldn't ever try to restore everything from an online backup. I think you are on the right track using the crashplan recommended method for moving the data, so you don't have to do a complete new upload. I wouldn't transfer your Program Files directory, that would really mess the new computer up. Rarely does any program store any important data in the program files directory and you have to reinstall the programs one by one anyway. But you will find your user folder is the one with a lot of data that could be lost so make sure you look through there.

Last bit of advice. Set up your server as if you were doing it how you want for the first time, then after it is up and running, transfer your data over.

fishdrzig
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Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by fishdrzig » Sat Jun 15, 2013 2:01 pm

"Last bit of advice. Set up your server as if you were doing it how you want for the first time, then after it is up and running, transfer your data over."

Thanks for the response, could you elaborate on the above sentence a bit more please. Do you mean just put on Open Dental first without any data in it, then transfer it over?
What would you use to transfer the data, an external hard drive?

fishdrzig
Posts: 433
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:46 pm

Re: Best way to transfer files?

Post by fishdrzig » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:24 am

The new computer is here, what would be your first step in making this the new Peer to Peer server?

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