This tech tip details the steps to install, transfer data, and license TOTAL Planning Suite – Easy Money and Golden Years (desktop edition) to a new computer. If you use TOTAL Online, no action is required – simply will open a browser and login and start planning.
Step 1 – Install:
Download and install from our website, www.moneytree.com. Click the “Update Now” button for current users on the lower right hand side of the homepage. Choose to update Easy Money or Golden Years.
Note: If you use both Easy Money and Golden Years, choose either, both lead to the latest version of TOTAL Planning Suite.
Step 2 (a) – Transfer Data:
Database on Network:
If your client database is stored on a network drive, you will not need to make any data transfers, but you will need to know the location of your database. If your old computer is up and running and TOTAL Planning Suite is still installed, open the program. You will see the location of your database in the top title bar of the screen. If the location starts with the file:///C:/ it is a local database.
Database on Local Computer:
If your old computer is up and running and TOTAL Planning Suite is still installed, open the program, go to Tools, and choose Backup Database. This will allow you to save a copy of the database. Be sure to save the file in an easy to find location, like your Desktop, and enter a file name. The default file name is data.vdb4.
The backup database will be saved with a .bak extension. You will need to edit this extension to use the database. Navigate to the location of the backup database you saved. If you saved somewhere other than your desktop, you may need to click on the Start button in Windows, select Computer (or My Computer) to navigate to the file. Right-click on the backup database, and select Rename from the menu. Change the file extension from .bak to .vdb4.
If TOTAL Planning Suite is no longer running on the old computer, perform a search on the old computer for files including *.vdb4 in the filename.
Note: TOTAL Planning Suite uses .vdb4 for our latest version (5.x). Our previous version (3.x) had a file extension of .tpsdb. If your old computer only had version 3.x installed, please contact technical support for additional assistance.
Once you have the database file, transfer the file to the new computer using whatever means you are most comfortable with. USB drive, CD, and email are common methods. Transfer the file to a location of your choice on the new computer.
The default location for the database is: Documents\Money Tree Software\Total Planning System
Step 2 (b) – Connect to Transferred/Network Database:
The Welcome Screen to TOTAL Planning Suite will help you connect to your database.
For step 1, select Connect to Database. Navigate to your transferred or network database from the last step.
Once you have connected to your database, Step 2 will allow you to login to the database, using the same login information as you used previously. A password is not required, so if you are not sure of your password, try entering your email address and leave the password blank. After you have logged into your database, your contact list will display the clients from the old computer. Once this connection has been established, you will no longer see the Welcome Screen upon opening the program, and the program will automatically display the contact list when you open it.
Step 3 – License:
After the program is installed and opened, and you have logged into your database, it will say it is a “fully functional unregistered” version. Click the “Register Your Copy” button, or go to the Help menu and select Activate Components. The registration wizard will lead you through registration. The last step will require your license key. Click [Finish] to activate.
If you need your license key, it can be located in the original installation of TOTAL Planning Suite on your old computer. From the Help menu, select About TOTAL Planning Suite.
If you no longer have access to your old computer and do not have your license information, or if entering your license key causes an error, contact technical support for help.
Step 4 – Custom Report Templates (optional):
If you created custom report sets and would like to move those to the new computer rather than re-create them, you will need to copy an additional file, TPSX.mtconfig, from your old computer and move it to the new computer.
Browse to: C:\ProgramData\Money Tree Software\Total Planning Suite 5.0.
Here you will find the TPSX.mtconfig file. Transfer this file to the same location on your new computer, replacing default TPSX.mtconfig file.
Replacing this file on the new computer with the copy from your old computer will transfer all custom print templates.
After completing the steps above, your new computer will be up and running with TOTAL Planning Suite (desktop edition).
