Moving AHP to a new PC

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Greetings, folks. It's been a long time since I've posted here, meaning AHP has been working for me and I don't have any problems.

I am currently running AHP 3.296 (last update 11/3/10) on an old Windows XP machine. I know there are later versions, but in the distant past it seemed that 3.296 was the recommended version despite the existence of later releases. I never updated it because the "Check For Update" command always has and continues to tell me that 3.296 is the latest version. My interface is a CM15A (right? the USB/PLC box).

Soon I will be upgrading my PC to a new Win7 machine. I'd like your recommendations on how to move the AHP software smoothly to that machine.

What version to install?

How to transfer my valid registration to a different machine? (I can't find anything resembling a registration number after all these years.)

Any other tips for migrating X10 to a new machine?

Thanks!

[Dan Lawrence]

Firstly, back up ALL your .ahx files to separate media before you scrap your old XP machine.  Secondly if you want to keep 3.296, back up everything in the AHP folder to separate media.  Also you should back up your AHP license as well. If you don't have it, X10 should have it on file, contact then for it and keep it.

Also say hello to Bullwinkle J. Moose for us here.

[Brian H]

If you use the latest AHP 3.318 and your modules are the older dimmers that do not soft start {ramp On and Off}. You will have to redefine them from the Old lamp (Before Soft Start) module list and not the Lamp Module List that is soft start versions.

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Thanks for the responses. I can handle transferring data files and setting up modules.

I was more interested in learning how to transfer my license. It has been so long, I don't remember how AHP licensing works. Was I given a secret code? Any idea where it's stored? File? Registry?

[Brian H]

It was in an email sent to you when you purchased it.
Most times your order number with a -01,02,03 etc. For AHP and each plug in you got in the purchase.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Getting_Your_Software_Registration_Code

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Thanks, Brian. That's the pointer I was looking for. Now to see whether the X10 folks can track down this ~10-year-old registration. I have emails going back only to 2003. My email address has changed, my computer is different, only my name is the same. 

[Noam]

Thanks, Brian. That's the pointer I was looking for. Now to see whether the X10 folks can track down this ~10-year-old registration. I have emails going back only to 2003. My email address has changed, my computer is different, only my name is the same. 

they should be able to look it up using your name and your old e-mail address.

[Rocket J Squirrel]

Hokey Smoke! I found the email with the registration code! I had cleverly filed it along with my X10 installation files on my old computer. Thanks for the prompt as to what I was looking for.

[Noam]

Hokey Smoke! I found the email with the registration code! I had cleverly filed it along with my X10 installation files on my old computer. Thanks for the prompt as to what I was looking for.

That's great news!

[Dan Lawrence]

Hokey Smoke! I found the email with the registration code! I had cleverly filed it along with my X10 installation files on my old computer. Thanks for the prompt as to what I was looking for.

That's great!!  Now back up what's in your old computer to a USB device strictly for X10 info and AHP .ahx files.

[Noam]

Hokey Smoke! I found the email with the registration code! I had cleverly filed it along with my X10 installation files on my old computer. Thanks for the prompt as to what I was looking for.

That's great!!  Now back up what's in your old computer to a USB device strictly for X10 info and AHP .ahx files.

USB flash drives can fail over time. You might want to think about backing up to more than one location (perhaps a USB drive, a CD, and/or something online), as well as copying to your new machine (for easy access).

[Dan Lawrence]

I've never had a USB flash drive fail, I have several that are 8 to 10 years old.   As the flash drives increase in size and decrease in price, they are never going to fail.

[Rocket J Squirrel]

USB flash drives can fail over time.

I hope the failure time for flash memory is long. Both my newer Windows 7 computers have solid-state drives and no hard disks. Spinning magnetic media are so 20th century.

[Brian H]

Hard drive prices are soaring so solid state is looking better every day.
Seems the weather related problems in Thailand wiped out a large portion of hard drive manufacturing and what is left is going at a premium price.

[Rocket J Squirrel]

My 'puters both have 256 GB SSDs. They are satisfyingly fast compared to pokey magnetic disks.

Seek time = 0, latency = 0, fragmentation = "don't care".

But they're not cheap. Dollars per gigabyte is still an order of magnitude higher than spinning disks.