In general, the best way to move FinePointe Studies between computers is to use the built-in Archive and Restore functions as described in the manual(s).  However, there may be times when this is more cumbersome or impossible to achieve, such as moving a large number of studies or a hard drive failure.  In these cases, it is possible to take the root Microsoft SQL Server Databases and re-attach them to the other computer without using the FinePointe software’s Archival functionality.

Assumptions:

1. FinePointe is already installed on both computers (the one with the data and the new one onto which the data will be moved)
2. You are logged onto both computers as a Windows Administrator
3. The Microsoft SQL Management Studio is installed and accessible on the “new” computer (done automatically when installing FinePointe with SQL Server), with the SA account active (FinePointe versions 2.4.6 and above do this automatically)
4. You have a means of moving the database files to a new computer (external storage media)

Process:

1. Go to folder where the Microsoft SQL Server databases are stored. For most installations, this will be ”C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL12.FINEPOINTE\MSSQL\DATA”
2. Copy all the files here that correlate with the names of FinePointe studies. These files will all begin with “bms”
   1. Do not copy files that are not related to a FinePointe study (such as bmc Meridian Controller, master, model, MSDBData, and tempdb)
      
      
3. Put these files into the same SQL Server DATA location on the new computer (usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL12.FINEPOINTE\MSSQL\DATA).
   1. Do not delete any existing contents of this folder on the new computer.
4. Launch the SQL Server Management Studio program
   1. Run the program as an admin by right-clicking and selecting “Run as administrator”.
   2. Change the Authentication to “SQL Server Authentication”.
   3. Use the Login SA
   4. Use password Buxco.DSI%1112 for FinePointe version 2.4 and above, or buXco%!79 for earlier versions.
   5. Click Connect.
      
      
5. Right-click on the Databases subfolder and select Attach…
   
   
   
   
6. Click the Add button.
   1. Navigate to the folder where you put the existing study databases from the previous computer (step 3 above).
   2. Select a study database.
   3. Click OK.
      
      
      
      
7. Repeat Step 6 until all the study databases have been Added, then click OK.
   
   
   
   
8. Launch the FinePointe Control Panel program (Start | All Programs | FinePointe).
   1. Log in using Windows Administrator username and password.
9. Click the Manage Studies and Laboratories button.
   
   
   
   
10. Click the  button next to Upgrade All Studies.
    1. Check all of the studies you want brought into FinePointe.
    2. Click OK.
       
       
       
       
11. If the version of FinePointe on this computer is different than the version on the previous computer, you will also need to click the Upgrade All Studies button.
12. All of the studies and their collected data and reports should now appear in the normal FinePointe program.