I want to move the location of the app data file but am having difficulty finding it on my macbook. The file path shown in preferences is: /Users/Martin/.local/share/Manager but there doesn’t seem to be any way to navigate this path in Mac. I have tried search for ‘manager’ but cannot locate a file with this name. Any clues would be very welcome!
Thanks
The application data folder on Mac, like some other operating systems, is hidden. So to navigate to it in the normal way, you need to show the hidden files in the Finder. Press Command + Shift + . (That’s a period.) This toggles the hidden files on and off sequentially (they show in gray, with a . ahead of their names):
The other way is to copy the data path from the Preferences page and paste it into the window in the Go to Folder… command:
Bingo! Many thanks for the quick response Tut…
This topic, although not the Mac-specific instructions, is also covered in the Guide: Manager Cloud.
Thanks Tut - so I now have the data files synced to the cloud - which in turn syncs to my PC. On my PC I try to redirect Manager to these files from Preferences/Application Data - but it doesn’t recognise the files which are in the folder. If I go to the folder and click on one of the business files, it opens fine but does not have the business name above the summary tab, and does not show any of the menu bar along the top of the screen - i.e. no businesses/users/preferences/support buttons.
Do you know if there is a step I am missing to have both my Macbook and PC read share these files successfully?
M
Actually - sort of ignore the last one - I now have the files behaving properly on the PC but now when I open Manager on the Macbook it doesn’t display either of the businesses - even though their files are visible in Application Data. I have closed the app on the PC before opening on the Mac and vice-versa…
What you are doing is going to cause you problems. Based on your description, you have multiple, separate, and distinct versions of your data files: one in the cloud, one on your PC, one on your Mac. You need to use only one location for your application data, and not set it up to sync back to your computer. All those files will be functional, but they will not index properly. You will get into situations where you update one version, but not the other. And the installations on your computers may not be aware of of the full list of businesses. Plus, when they are, you may be generating blank versions of businesses the computer thinks are supposed to be there.
Did you read the Guide I linked you to? If not, please do. That explains the purposes of all the different files in the application data folder, particularly the index file.
As for files opening without the top menu bar, that is by design. Manager files can be opened directly within the operating system on a local computer. But you are opening only that file and bypassing the index file. Data entered while it is open is saved. But you cannot manipulate global properties or select other businesses. More importantly, data saved in the version you open does not automatically update other instances of that business stored elsewhere.
In short, you will do better, if you want your data in the cloud, to leave it in the cloud and not bring it back onto your computers for operation. Also, avoid using the cloud data from multiple locations at the same time, since you are using the desktop edition. If you want to sign in from both computers at once, you should use the cloud edition, which is intended for multiple users.
Got it - thank you. I will set it up in dropbox instead then. It will only ever be me accessing this data so no chance of simultaneous access from both computers. Really appreciate the feedback…many thanks.
Martin
This statement is misleading as it implies that the Desktop edition can function without having a data file installed on the local computer.
With the Desktop edition your data file is “always” on the local computer regardless of using a cloud service or not. If you use a cloud service, then the cloud data file is “only” a sync backup of the data file contained within the cloud service folder on the local computer.
Hence, when using this structure:
1 - You can use Desktop offline, but must go online to allow the cloud service backup to occur.
2 - When starting either computer you must go online and allow the cloud service folder to sync any file changes before opening any applications.
@MartinL, since you announced your intention of using Dropbox, @Brucanna’s comments are germane. That is a particular implementation of cloud storage. I was referring to a more general concept of remote data storage, that is, storage not on the local machine. You originally described a scenario that was confusing to you; it sounded like one in which the local files and the one in cloud storage were independent and potentially unique.
If you can set things up so a file stored on your local machine is brought into conformance with the “master” version in the cloud every time you launch and updates the cloud version in real time, or at least as you shut down, you should be all right. What I was trying to make you aware of is the possibility of having multiple versions of your data file in various locations that are not being simultaneously updated, or even recognized.
You should also be aware that Dropbox’s sync activity has caused some errors in the past. You can find discussions about this on the forum. Changes to the program were implemented to attempt to remedy the problems, but remote locations always involve some amount of data latency, so the potential exists for software conflicts to arise when timing is off. The fact is, Manager exchanges relatively little data between the program and data file, so even a narrow bandwidth connection to an exclusively remote data storage site is unlikely to be objectionable. Personally, I see little need for continuous syncing to a local machine. Think of such a situation as being like running a program on an office network that accesses data from the company’s server. The cloud server is just farther away.
Thanks for the clarification Tut - I have moved it onto dropbox and all seems to be working fine. For the most part I will access it all from one machine anyway - and make sure I close the programme on one machine before opening on the other…
Yes, but to get clarification, does this remote data storage which you refer to, belong to the Manager user or a third party provider ?
Incorrect. Dropbox used as a standalone backup has never caused sync activity errors. If you do the research you will find that when a user simultaneously used both Dropbox and a competing / duplicating backup process such as “Memeo Backup Professional” simultaneously then errors occurred, but once Dropbox was removed from the competing backup process then the conflicts resolved themselves, read this topic:
I was envisioning a third-party provider. I don’t personally use Dropbox to any great degree, so I don’t know, but it may be possible to set it up this way, in addition to the way you described. Certainly different cloud storage products function differently.
That may be true, but my comment was not specifically limited to standalone use. The fact remains that Dropbox’s sync activity was part of the cause of the errors.
So you were instructing the user with a solution which you didn’t even know if it worked.
“if you want your data in the cloud, to leave it in the cloud and not bring it back onto your computers for operation”
Thanks for your interest Brucanna - but I can confirm that my problem was solved with Tut’s directions. The problem I had initially was keeping the data file on both computers and synced to WD MyCloud. I have moved them to dropbox as suggested and this all works fine…
Cheers
Martin