[moneydance] Installing multiple versions of MD

[Bill Bass]

Keith Bates wrote:
> On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:32:40 -0400
> Bill Bass <bill at bassackwards.net> wrote:
> 
>> I am currently running a rather old version of MD (2005r3 build
>> 412).  

<snip>

>> I would like to install the current stable
>> version and create a copy of my data file so that I can use both
>> versions in parallel for a while.  Does anyone here know what I would
>> need to do so that the different versions do not conflict with one
>> another?
>>
> There was an issue that the data file changed format at one stage. It
> may have been after your version though. The issue was that the new
> version of md would read the old data files ok, but once saved older
> versions couldn't read the updated data.
> 
> If you back up your data and your old .jar file you should be right. Or
> install it into a completely different directory to the older
> version(and back up your data file).
> 

I already have MD create backups at every save.  These backups are on another 
machine on my network and are copied to off site backup nightly.

My intent is to copy my existing data file to a new location and install the new 
version of MD in a different folder as suggested above.  (I guess I should have 
mentioned that this is on Windows 2000 sp4.)

For example:

Existing (build 412) install location:
   C:\Program Files\Moneydance\
Existing (build 412) data location:
   C:\Documents and Settings\MyUserName\My Documents\Moneydance\mydata.md

New (build 412) install location:
   C:\Program Files\Moneydance 2006\
New (build 412) data location:
   C:\Documents and Settings\MyUserName\My Documents\Moneydance 2006\mydata.md

I would then be able to run both versions for a while until I was confident with 
the new MD.  My only concern with trying to install into a different folder was 
the possibility that existing dll files or registry entries might be overlayed 
with new versions that would break the old version.

I was hoping someone here had already done this exercise.

I will also ask moneydance support.  Maybe Sean can tell me how to proceed.

Thanks,
Bill Bass