Classic V4 - Manually retrieving System Manager Settings

Note: These instructions are for BlueNote Communicator Versions 4.1 through 4.11.

If the System Wide Changes option is greyed out, then it means that there is not a System Manager online that can be detected by that Endpoint. When the old System Manager is no longer on the network, you will need to manually migrate the data file. Please follow one of the paths below depending upon where you'll be retrieving the data.

First Option: Manual retrieval from the old System Manager

1
Open the old System Manager, then choose Options > Show Data Files.  Locate the file called SystemManager.dat and copy it to a network location or to a USB drive that you can take to the new computer where you'll install a new System Manager. Then uninstall the old System Manager to prevent it from connecting to your network in the future.

2
Install a new System Manager by downloading it from our website. Go to bluenotesoftware.com and choose the menu in the top left > Communicator Classic > Try BlueNote Classic and download from that link, or simply click the link below to go to that page directly. 

Download BlueNote Classic System Manager

3
Once your new System Manager is running, choose Options > Show Data Files. You'll delete the existing SystemManager.dat file and paste the copy of SystemManager.dat into Options > Show Data Files.   Without closing the file where you pasted the license in, shutdown and restart the System Manager.This should restore all your system-wide settings.


Second Option: Manual retrieval from an Endpoint

If the original System Manager computer has crashed or is otherwise not functional, you'll need to manually retrieve a file from a BlueNote Endpoint that has not connected to another System Manager since the original SM software computer shut down.  IMPORTANT! Be sure to follow these steps before installing a new System Manager.

1
Make sure that the original System Manager is shut down and does not have the ability to reconnect to your network in the future.
2
Locate the file called smdata.dat on an Endpoint and copy it to a network location or to a USB drive that you can take to the new computer where you'll install a new System Manager. You'll find this file on the BlueNote Endpoint by choosing Menu > Options > Advanced > Show Data Files.

3
Install a new System Manager by downloading it from our website.  Go to bluenotesoftware.com and choose the menu in the top left > Communicator Classic > Try BlueNote Classic and download from that link, or simply click the link below to go to that page directly. 
Download BlueNote Classic System Manager

4
Once your new System Manager is running, you'll delete the existing SystemManager.dat file and paste the copy of smdata.dat into the System Manager files under Options > Show Data Files.  Then rename your smdata.dat file to SystemManager.dat. Without closing the file where you pasted the license in, shutdown and restart the System Manager. This should restore all your system-wide settings to all the workstations that were connected.


Final Step after Migrating System Manager Settings:

If you have verified that your system wide settings migrated successfully, you'll be ready to license your new System Manager. To be sure all of your permissions are elevated, shut down the System Manager, then right-click on the SM icon or .exe file and choose "Run As Administrator" to restart the System Manager. Choose Help > Activation and send us the two user codes. These codes are time sensitive and will expire. We'll use those to generate a permanent unlock code for the new System Manager. You can fill out the form at this link with those codes:

Activation Code Request


Be sure not to shut down the System Manager until the activation code that you receive from us is entered into the program.


Is the System Manager online, but all of the previous layout is missing? In this case, all of the Endpoints connected to it have had their System Manager data wiped when the Endpoints connected to a different System Manager. In this state, the original data files can now only be retrieved from the original System Manager. Follow the First Option above if the previous System Manager is still available; otherwise, users will need to open System Wide Changes and manually re-create the layout from the default settings in the NoteBoard Location and BlueNotes tabs.

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