Splasm Software Discussions

My MBP died last week 10.7.4 .... OK new MBAir, up to date time machine back up in hand. Set up new Mac all working OK but.....
Checkbook Pro opens and complains it cannot see the backup file in the standard Library spot. I can see them but nothing would get Checkbook Pro 2.3 to see them, kept opening the correct folder but was blind..
All CB records lost, have now set up all seven accounts again plus multiple schedules with opening balances from the bank.

Hopefully there's a simple fix ... for others..
I'm starting again with a clean slate.

A backup file must be renamed Accounts.plist

The file ending in plist.Z won't work.

If this is correct, you'll have to wait for Splasm support to answer.

Also, the "standard Library spot" was recently changed from Applications Support > Checkbook to Application Support > Splasm, and the file is now invisible in Lion. This has been noted in other threads. Perhaps you are looking at the old Checkbook folder??

Thanks for the reply.
Library > Application Support > Splasm... Just checked the new backup on new Mac.. it ends with a Z so CB. backups in OSX10.7.4. are zipped.. The account plist isn't and wasn't in the TM backup.

Quick note: It's easy enough to put the library file back on the finder side bar in Lion
Finder > option key > Go.> open user Library from the list.
While the Library is open > Option drag library icon on top of finder window to the side bar..
There's a simple terminal fix too.

FWIW, I also make a SuperDuper! bootable backup, which makes a full clone of my HD, weekly. I prefer it, usually, but have used TM with a lot of success.

I don't think you have to unzip anything, just change the name and you should be good to go.

So, were you using your Time Machine Backup to restore with or one of CheckBook's automatic Backup files?

The Backups in the Backup folder at the Accounts file save location will end in a .z, meaning they are compressed/zipped, but you'll need to drag one straight into the CheckBook 2 folder on the new MacBook Air and then remove any new Accounts.plist file that may be in there in order to get CheckBook to use it as your Accounts data file.

As for restoring from a Time Machine Backup for a computer other than the one it was created for, there is a special procedure to be followed. Did you happen to navigate through the File System on your Backup drive to locate your backed up Accounts.plist file or did you try to launch Time Machine and treat your Time Machine backup from before as if it were created from your new computer?

If the latter is attempted, Time Machine gets confused and only looks at backups made for the computer in use. This can lead to a restoration of a blank Accounts file that only just got created, rather than the one you were using on the old computer. Here's what to do to get to an Accounts file in a Time Machine backup and use it on a new computer:

1. Open up the external drive used with Time Machine from where it shows on the Desktop or listed under the Devices in a Finder window.

2. Go into a folder named "Backups.backupdb".

3. In Backups.backupsdb, you'll see a list of folders that correspond to whatever Macs were backed up at some point using the drive. Choose the one that's named for your old computer.

4. Now, you'll see various folders named for the dates that backups were created by Time Machine. Choose one that you know would be from the appropriate time period.

5. Go into the folder named for the old computer's Hard-drive, then go into the Users folder, and then into your User-named Home folder.

6. From there, you'll need to find a Library folder that's hidden if you were running Lion on the other computer. To access it, hold down the Shift and Commands keys with one hand and then hit the letter G key with the other hand. In the go-to-folder on the sheet that slides down, type in "Library" (without the quotes) and click the Go button.

7. You'll see the Library folder show up as the currently selected folder. From there go into Application Support -> Splasm Software, Inc. -> CheckBook 2. (This should all look pretty familiar at this point)

8. In that CheckBook 2 folder, you should see an Accounts.plist file. This version of the Accounts.plist should definitely be from before. So, drag it onto the Desktop.

From here on in, you can avoid launching Time Machine by restoring from within CheckBook. So, let that Accounts.plist sit on the Desktop and open up CheckBook. Then, go up to the CheckBook menu and click on 'Preferences…'. Next, go into the Advanced section, click on the Restore Accounts button. Hit Continue and navigate to your Accounts file on the Desktop. Select it and hit Restore. This should add the Accounts data to the register.

Alternately, the restore can be done while CheckBook isn't running by replacing the Accounts.plist in the CheckBook 2 folder with the older one.

_________________
Allan Woodall
Phosphorescent Phage
Splasm Software
http://www.splasm.com

The TM drive was erased and cleaned up for the new Mac via disc utility when the set up was finished and all apps, docs etc were on the new Mac. I needed the space. Checkbook was started as usual, CB opened the library file but couldn't see the backup plist that was there.
Thanks anyway..

Again, I recommend an additional external HD under SuperDuper. Do an incremental backup as often as you want. If a drive fails, just boot from the SD! drive and copy to the new HD. EVERYTHING is there, in place, ready to go. No muss, no fuss, no digging. SD! has saved my butt several times since I have owned it. SuperDuper is cheap, and the crew there is quick to answer questions, just like the gang here. These are two of my favorite applications, and the people are just great. I have no affiliation with SD!, BTW.

I guess you could also use Carbon Copy Cloner to do the same thing, but I am not familiar with it.

Thanks: I'd use either too if we were living in a house with spare space & mains power.
We live in a 7 metre Motorhome exploring & traveling around New Zealand, no spare space. No None.. Solar power, secondry motor alternator/inverter or petrol generator > Bank of house batteries > Syne wave inverter > 230 > MacBook Air, iPads and everything else when there is spare power There is gas but I haven't found any computer gear that runs on it.. yet

If your TM drive is really big, you can partition it to run both TM and SD!. TM will only use the space available and then reuse it, so you would just need a partition for SD! as large as your HD. Or, just get a bigger external drive for TM . FIFY.

White 500GB portable Formac drive about the size of two packs of cards side by side..
It will cover TM OK but nothing else. Maybe I'll have other/better options in a couple of years.