Moving Great Plains Accounting to New Server or Computer

If you are still on GPA versions 9.5, 9.2, 9.1, or earlier chances are high that the volume of transactions is moderate or low or even chat you are keeping it for potential future audit for inquiries only.  Unfortunately from time to time you can expect unwanted events from computer hardware and viruses, such as Hard drive dies or becomes hit by viruses, or you are short of disk space, walking away from Novell, WindowsNT 4.0 or other old operating system, where GPA was hosted.  This publication is to give you the idea on how to move Great Plains Accounting and redeploy it on new computer.  We do not recommend you to do it internally, better way is to call Great Plains Consultant, but to give you some feeling on what it is and what is involved:
1. Operating System.  Please, when planning on purchasing new computer for Great Plains Accounting, be aware that it is not compatible with 64 bit operating systems, and most if not all the new computers sold in stores are 64 bit Windows 7, or Vista 64 (except probably for tiny notebooks, if they are still available while you are reading these lines: Netbooks – these are typically coming with Intel Atom processer and Windows XP Home edition).  To our observation GPA could be deployed in single user environment on 32 bit versions of Windows XP Home/Pro, Vista, Windows 2000, and earlier.  We didn’t test Windows 7 32 bit (I would guess it should be fine, but I cannot be positive yet).  If you plan to deploy GPA in multiuser environment, we recommend Windows 2003 Server 32 bit edition
2. Install GPA on new computer or server.  If this is just single user workstation, install it from GPA CD, accepting all the defaults.  If this is multiuser environment, then on the server you should install either original version of Btrieve (coming on diskettes, so be sure to have floppy drive or work around) or even better install Pervasive SQL 2000 Server (usually recommended SP3, but earlier versions are also acceptable, you will also need to deploy Pervasive SQL 2000 client on each user workstation, server slide Pervasive SQL requires custom settings, outside of the scope, call us for details), then simply rename C\GPS folder into something like C:\OrigGPS, as we will copy GPS folder from your old Server 
3. GPA data copy and pasting on new computer.  Typical configuration of GPA is this – everything, including one or multiple companies, code and modifications are in the subfolders of C:\GPS (Great Plains Software abbreviation).  However it is possible to have companies to be hosted on separate drives – so please review the content of the GPS folder, if you have more than one company and try to recognize that all companies abbreviations are present with one exception – you first initial company should be in GPDATA subfolder.  Now copy C:\GPS on USB hard drive (or if you are on archaic computer with Novell or NT, connect to old server hard drive partition via TCPIP or UNCPath, something like 192.168.0.15\c$ or NTSERVER\c$).  If your computer crashed and you cannot bring it back alive, try the approach, where you open computer case, take off hard drive and mount it on another computer (IDE Pata technology should be still available on one of your pre 2008 purchased user workstations) and copy it from there.  Now on the server (or workstation if single user mode is desired) rename C:\GPS folder, created in default installation steps (as suggested, see paragraph #2) and copy GPS folder from your old good days computer hard drive.  If you are using Great Plains Accounting for DOS, this should conclude the process (assuming that you are launching GPA from the server hosted GPS.BAT file – just create shortcut for your users to launch it from the server)
4. Great Plains Accounting for Windows.  By whatever reasons GPA for DOS seems to be more popular among the funs of antiquity Corporate ERP platforms, but there are chances that you have already skills and training to use Windows interface.  You may expect problems if you have several companies in GPA and you want your default company to different from historically first company implemented.  Please, open C:\Windows folder and locate the file GPAWIN.INI, open it.  Change DefaultCompany=GPDATA to DefaultCompany=Your default company folder
5. How to request help?  Please call us 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@albaspectrum.com  We are helping businesses locally in Michigan: Saint Joseph, Benton Harbor, Holland, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, Ludington, South Haven, Grand Haven; Illinois: Chicago Downtown, Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook, Schaumburg, Downers Grove, Lisle and other areas of Chicagoland; Southern California: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County; Houston Texas.  We are serving you USA, Canada, Mexico nationwide and this is our preferred method of service – via web sessions, short visits onsite and following remote support