Tutorials > Import/Export > What's the best way to transfer data between my home and work computers?

NOTE: Do not use the export facility to transfer a database from one machine to another.

The best way to transfer your data from your home to work computers or vice versa is to transfer your data to disk and then copy the disk to the destination computer. You can use one of the following methods to save the data to disk:

•Perform a backup or

•Use a zip drive to save the database.

Performing a backup

Performing a backup will create a single compact file containing all the information in your database. Once you have a backup of your database, you can use the file to transfer the database to another computer. You will then have to use the restore facility to recover the file to the destination computer. For help on performing a backup, see the topics on Backup and restore data.

NOTE: You are only able to recover a backup using the same backup/recovery program that produced the initial backup. i.e. If you used the Windows 98 Microsoft backup program to create the backup, you will need to have Windows 98 Microsoft backup on the computer you wish to recover the backup to.

Using a zip drive to save your database

To transfer data from one machine to another using a zip drive, you must save the database to the zip drive. You can do this by using Windows Explorer to locate the database and then dragging and dropping the database into the zip drive directory. You can then take the zip disk out and place it in the destination computer's zip drive and drag and drop it to the destination folder on the new machine.