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dk_drums
05-24-2009, 04:50 AM
Hi,

I have recently replaced my old computer that broke (fried motherboard & video card..) with a new laptop, and I want to get my data off of the hard drive. I had one HEM database that I really would like to recover since I don't think I had exported the hand histories all that recently.

I have an eSATA hard disk enclosure that I can attach to my new laptop with the old hard drive inside, but I don't know how to go about accessing the old database. (I have already installed Postgre and HEM on the new comp running Windows 7 RC1).

Thanks for your help.

-dk

morny
05-24-2009, 11:04 AM
If you do want to try the copy and paste method heres the instructions:

Go to the following folder X:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\PostgreSQL8.3\Data you need to copy all the files from that Data folder.

Then reinstall PostgreSQL 8.3 to the same location on the new drive, stop the postgerSQL service by going to Start > All Programs > PostgreSQL > Stop Service then go to X:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\PostgreSQL8.3\Data and delete the contents on the new drive and copy the data folder contents from the old drive to this location. The restart the PostgreSQL service Start > All Programs > PostgreSQL > Start Service and if all goes well it will connect without errors however this is the least succssful method to recover your hands so it might not work

dk_drums
05-24-2009, 09:57 PM
Thank you for your help, I am trying this right now. If this method fails, do I have any other options? There's no way I'm going to be able to boot from this hard drive any more in the old system.

Hopefully the copy and paste will work though. Thanks again.

-dk

dk_drums
05-25-2009, 04:37 AM
I tried your instructions a couple times, once in my current Windows 7 configuration, and once in XP running inside VirtualBox. Both times, I got the same message when I tried to restart the service after copying the Data folder:

"The PostgreSQL Server 8.3 service could not be started.

The service did not report an error.

More help is available by typing NET HELPMSG 3534."


I'm not really sure what to do next. I googled "'NET HELPMSG 3534' postgresql" and I found some suggestions which I tried, but nothing helped.

dk_drums
05-25-2009, 05:41 AM
Nevermind!

I needed to use Postgres 8.3.6 running in Windows XP 32bit instead of trying to get this to work in Windows 7 64bit with Postgres 8.3.7. I ran XP inside VirtualBox on my new comp and now I just need to export the hands and move them over and I will have all my data back.

Hopefully this is helpful to someone else in my situation. I think one of the most important bits is to use the same version of Postgres that you had previously installed in your old system. Also, it helped to simply move the data to a folder called .../postgresql/8.3/data and then run the installation instead of installing it then emptying the data folder.

Thanks again

-dk