How to Send Us Your MainBoss Database

Note: These instructions are for MainBoss. For sending us a MainBoss Basic 2.9 database, click here.

First, create a SQL Server backup file containing your database. Make sure the name of the backup file contains no spaces or other odd characters (anything other than letters, numbers, underscores, or periods). For instructions on how to create a backup file, click here.

Transmitting your database is usually much faster if you compress it into a ZIP file first.

1. Use Windows Explorer to locate the backup file you just created. (You specified the location of this file when you performed the backup procedure.)
2. Right-click on the name of the file. In the resulting menu, select Send To and then select Compressed (zipped) folder.
3. Windows will create a single ZIP file that contains a copy of the backup file. This file will have the same name as the backup file, but will be labeled as a ZIP file. For example, MainBoss.bak will produce MainBoss.zip.

Once you have created a ZIP file containing your database, you can sent it to Thinkage. The easiest way is by using HTTP (described in the next section). However, if the file is large, you may prefer to use FTP (described later in this web page).

Whether you send your file by HTTP or FTP, please notify Thinkage when your file has been sent (e.g. by emailing support@mainboss.com).

Sending a File with HTTP

Once you have created a ZIP file containing your database, you can send it to us using the form below:

1. Click the Browse button below and use it to locate the ZIP file you've just created. You'll see the name of the file appear in the accompanying box.
2. In Your email address below, type your email address. This will let us identify who submitted the file.
3. To set things in motion, click Submit. This will transmit your ZIP file to MainBoss support. Note: The speed of your web connection determines how fast the ZIP file is sent.

Please fill out this form to submit the ZIP file containing your database. Note: The upload begins when you click the Submit button. You won't see any response until the upload is finished; that may take a long time, depending on the size of the ZIP file and the speed of your Internet connection.

If you try to send a very large file (e.g. more than 1 GB), the operation will not succeed and from our end, it will look like no data was sent. If so, you'll have to use FTP (described later in this web page).

Sending a File with FTP

To send us a file using FTP, you must use Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer or some other web browser). Follow these steps:

1. Using Windows Explorer, locate the file you want to send.
2. Right-click on the file; in the resulting menu, click Copy.
3. In the Windows Explorer location bar, type in the following:

   ftp://ftp.thinkage.ca/incoming
   

   (Don't copy the address from this page, or else Windows will forget the name of the file you want to send.)
   
   Note: Explorer will display an icon saying "Permissions Denied". This is because Explorer tries to read what the incoming folder already contains, and we've set up permissions so that the folder is write-only. You can copy anything into the incoming folder, but once the data is there, Explorer won't show what the folder contains. This protects you from other people on the web looking at your data.
4. Right-click in the Explorer window; in the resulting menu, click Paste and the file will be transmitted to Thinkage.

Since the incoming folder is write-only, you won't see your file in the folder after it's copied. However, Windows will tell you that the file has been copied.