There are times in your life when things just seem to go wrong...and that's usually when your computer crashes. So there's my collection I've catalogued for the last 2 years, right? Not necessarily.

I've gotten lots of calls and posts from members that are trying to get back their collection after their computer crashes. Since your private CCL data is held locally on your system, YOU are the only person that can access that information. But it's a relatively painless matter to get that CCL data back (IF you still have access to your old computer's information) and loaded onto your new system.

The following is a brief (and possobly oversimplified version of how you can retrieve your comic data and move it from your old system to your new one.)

**(NOTE: AGAIN, YOU MUST HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON YOUR OLD SYSTEM'S HARD DRIVE FOR THIS TO WORK. COMIC COLLECTOR LIVE DOES NOT KEEP YOUR INFORMATION ON OUR SERVERS)**

STEP #1) Fire up your old computer and find your most recent back-up.

When you closed your CCL down on your old system, usually most have their system prompted to automatically keep a back-up of their CCL info. This could be held anywhere on the system, so try to remember where your told the information to go. I usually tell mine to back up to my desktop. I can hover over it if I have more than one and see the restore dates and I know to just get the most recent. Either way, you need that back-up and/or your comicdata.sdf, which is found in your "MY DOCUMENTS" from your start menu

MY DOCUMENTS -----> MIDTEN MEDIA ------> COMICDATA.SDF.

STEP #2) Save your back-up on removeable media.
If you have a thumb-drive, this is the easiest method in my opinion of moving it. Just insert the thumbdrive into your USB port and let the drivers for the drive load. Find the comicdata.sdf file and drag it into the removeable media folder...possibly showing as an ":E" drive on your system. When it's there, double-check to make sure it IS there, and then go through the steps to remove the thumb drive. Once this is done, put your thumb drive in your new computer, find the file you JUST uploaded to it and save it to your desktop on the new system.

STEP #3) Download CCL onto your new computer and launch it.

Just like normal. You'll be prompted to log in again, and when it opens, it will be empty...like an empty glass just waiting to be filled up. (Subscribers aren't charged over again for this download. You can have the CCL software on multiple systems and only pay the one fee.)

STEP #4) Find the "Planet" icon in the upper left corner of the software. Left click your mouse on it and you'll see some options. Choose this pathway:

DATA----> RESTORE DATA

When you choose this, a box will open up.

STEP #5) Look under "DESKTOP" in the new box and find the comic data file you moved over from the thumbdrive. Choose it and then hit open. But that's not the end of it. Your info still won't show up until you close and relaunch the software. (Note: Some people have experienced a strange box full of code when you close the software. Ignore it, and continue to close it down.

STEP #6) Relaunch the software and let it run it's cycle. As it's running, you should notice it checking titles from your old CCLdb. When it's done, viola! Your information from your old system is safely into your new one.


Again, this might be a little oversimplified, but it's really the quickest way I've found for the process.


If you have any other questions, you're more than welcome to call our offices at 615-264-4747 and hit ext 101.