Upgrading from Personal to Pro on an indexed database?

DEVONthink Tips
1

Hello.

I would like to try moving from Personal to Pro, and instead of just moving the whole thing as one database, splitting it up into the logical databases by exporting before I do this. I read through the suggestions to Export to Finder and then import, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to export just the metadata of indexed files and have that be imported back in. Unless I’m missing something…

If I can’t do that, I’m guessing I will have to re-create the new indexed databases when I upgrade. It would be nice to preserve the tagging though.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

2

You could split the database after upgrading by moving the indexed material (e.g. via drag & drop or the contextual/action menus) to new dedicated databases. That’s probably the fastest and easiest approach.

3

That makes sense.

So then, what’s the best way to upgrade the entire database? I have seen many options in the forums.

Thanks.

4

After starting DEVONthink Pro for the first time it will automatically copy your existing Personal database to your Documents folder and open the copied database. That’s it.

5

Perfect. Thanks.

6

OK, I’ve upgraded from DT Personal (1.9) to DT Pro 2.0.6. The first time I opened it, a dialog DID ask to create a database in the Documents folder, but I didn’t understand why so cancelled.

Anyway, I tried re-starting but can’t get it to automatically copy my data over to Documents, and whatever else it needs to do. So how can I get it to access my old data?

7

Upgrading to version 2 and from Personal to Pro at the same time isn’t automatically handled. But there’s a simple workaround:

  1. Install DEVONthink Personal 2, launch it. This should convert your 1.x database.
  2. Deinstall DEVONthink Personal 2 again.
  3. Copy the folder ~/Library/Application Support/DEVONthink 2 to the desktop or the Documents folder. Remove the subfolders “Plugins” and “Templates.noindex” from the copy and append the extension .dtBase2.

Afterwards double-clicking on it should open it in DEVONthink Pro 2.

8

Thanks for the help, it seems to be working fine now. Already discovering helpful new features in DT Pro 2!