Error importing data into V2

[Ian]

I have downloaded and installed V2.
I chose to install as a fresh database.
I can’t seem to import the .bcm file which was my backed up data.
I just get a message saying “Some errors occurred while your data was being
importedâ€. “Error importing dataâ€

Any ideas?

 

[Luther]

What's in the import log file?

 

[Ian]

a full back up of bcm (all accounst, business contacts, history etc).

It was backed up as a .msbcm file, but i get the error if i try to import
this file. also the same error if i change the name extension to .bcm

 

[Ian]

There is no option to view the log that i can see. the reason i was importing
was to look at the data merging capabaility. Restore seems ok but of course
overwrites.

 

[Luther]

A .msbcm is a SQL Server database backup file inside a ZIP file.
A .bcm is an XML generated by a BCM export.

You cannot import a .msbcm, not restore restore a database from a .BCM
file. They are completely different file types.

You can restore a database from a .msbcm file form inside of BCM.

HOWEVER, BCM v1 and v2 database have different schemas, so the only
viable answer (unless you want to strart running their SQL scripts
manually) is to let BCM v2 upgrade the database from v1 to v2.

If you want to experiment, you can make a copy of your v1 database and
move it to another machine and create an Outlook profile to use that
database. Then shutdown Outlook, run v2 setup, restart Outlook, and BCM
will then update the database to v2.

 

[Luther]

The reason you didn't get a log is that the import failed immediately
because the file was the wrong type. The log is for detailed messages
during the import: e.g. the date format of the anniversary is not a
valid date.

 

[Ian]

I have now upgraded the database to v2
Exported all data
Imported the same data (no changes) marked it "update duplicates". This was
to test the function, appreciating that there were no real changes.

Data totals - around 1200 accounts and 4,000 business contacts

Errors from the log file are:
about 150 x "Account,String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.,Activity,"
about 100 x "Contact,String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.,Activity,"
I guess these are because of the fact that there were no real changes at
this time?

I also got activity errors on all meeting acceptances from customers but I
can live with these.

I am thinking to get the remote workers using V2 for a week or so, then try
the routine again, when some new accounts, business contacts and history has
been added / ammended.

What do you think?

 

[Luther]

I haven't run into those problems, but on the beta feedback bulletin
board there was some chatter about date format import problems in some
locales--I have everything in plain old en-US locale. I'd understood
that most of those problems were resolved.

I believe having everything in the same locale helps; i.e. the Windows
system locale is the same locale as the version of BCM and MSDE; e.g.
don't install the Greman version of BCM if your PC is set to French.

If you have the same locale setting everywhere, then you should report
the problem to Microsoft. Sending files that repro the problem helps
move things along.

I haven't come across "meeting acceptance" problems. Are these
different from simple Calendar appointments/meetings? Import creates
Outlook Calendar items for new appointments, but does not update the
Outlook Calendar when you merge ("update dups") BCM activities.

Updating other BCMs is one of the main reasons for the export/import
feature, although as far as I can tell they haven't added a "export
everything that's changed since the last export" feature to this
version, so you end up having to export everything. But it should work.

By the way, because BCM files use XML they compress quite a lot as ZIP
files. Something to consider if you'll be mailing updates to the remote
workers.

 

[Ian]

I’ll check, but I believe everything is set to UK time.

The calendar items are where we have entered a new appointment with the
account from within contact history, sent it to the customer as an invitation
request and the customer has accepted. In this sense, I guess this is the
same as a standard outlook calendar item.

Exporting the entire d/b is OK as it doesn’t actually take too long. I’ll
check out zipping it as you suggest and see how big the file is and try out
the extract and import routine. Fortunately all remote workers meet once a
week so we could swap CDs etc if needed.

Over the next few days we’ll make some changes proper to the data and do the
routine and post some results – here’s hoping!

I’ve still got the reports issue - I cannot get any reports to function. I
just get “the report
could not be generated, please try again†– any ideas?