File management and storage

[craigbut]

My delema is this, I currently use my computer in my office as my primary workstation, but because of geographic concerns, sometimes I need to take the plan to the customer. This involves deactivating on my home computer, reactivating on my laptop, transfering files, then when I am done reversing the process ( time comsuming and frustrating if you forget to transfer a file, ect.). I know, what about mobile option, cost $100, but still leaves the file tranfer and management issues. I had what I think is a brilliant idea, but would like your opinions and feedback. I thought that the easiest way to get around all this was to purchase a removeable hard drive and to put all my chief plans and possibly the program itself on the removeable hard drive, no more deactivating, no more reactivating, no more file tranfers or purging of old plans, no more " which version was the updated one". Please let me know what you think. By the way, I can purchase a USB removeable 20 gig hard drive for about $200.

[Tim O'Donnell]

For the files this would work but I doubt that it will work with the program itself being on the removable disk....it is my understanding that the password uses info about the MB and other system specific information when it is generated, so I think you would still need to activate/reactivate...a removable cd-r/rw drive or a zip drive could also be used, as it is good policy to have backups of data anyway....

[Clark]

I have hade Chief 97 installed w/ password on a Zip disk to isolate the program from my many Windows crashes. This disk has been used in three different computers as I have upgraded over the years and has not failed to open on any of them. At the time I asked Chief tech support if it would be alright to install it that way to prevent needing to call them for new passwords every time I crash windows and re-format my hard drive. I was having a lot of problems back then with windows 95. I now have Chief versions 97, 6, and 7.01 on the same computer and can run any of them.

Clark Johnson
Laurel Mt.

[john rhodes]

Chief will lose the password info if you remove the drive. I made an upgrade on my computer which required disconnecting the drive and I had to reactivate the software.