SNAP-Plus Installation details
June 3, 2009There are major installation changes starting with Snap-Plus version 1.126. These changes are needed to handle problems with saving data when using Microsoft Windows Vista® operating system. To make the upgrade as smooth as possible, it is useful to know where to find existing databases and how to protect them from potential problems during the upgrade.
If you are running version 1.125 or earlier of SnapPlus, you should not uninstall before installing 1.126 and later versions. Doing so will prevent migration of data to its new default location in C:\SnapPlus. If you are currently running 1.126 or later, then uninstalling before upgrading is fine, but not necessary.
Some users have reported problems with the upgrade data migration from the Program Files folder which is described below. If you believe that your data was not moved properly, you can copy and paste the MySnapPlusData folder from Program Files to the new C:\SnapPlus folder. Vista users may need to compress the folder to get the data copied correctly.
Snap-Plus installation for version 1.126 and later
In previous Snap-Plus versions, the program and all associated files were installed in a single directory. The default location was "C:\Program Files\SnapPlus", although users could choose to install it in any folder on the computer. Unfortunately, the "Program Files" folder is restricted for writing files, and this is strictly enforced in Windows Vista®. In order to deal with this restriction, Snap-Plus is now installed in three different folders as follows:- C:\SnapPlus - This is the default folder for farm databases, reports and import files. The installation will make this folder and place the SampleFarm database in it. Users can still save their farm databases, reports and soil test import files in any writable folder on their hard disk. After installation, users can change the "favorite" database folder path by using the Snap-Plus Options menu. At startup, SnapPlus will open the last database used regardless of the default database path setting.
- In Windows XP, C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\UWSoils\SnapPlus. In Windows Vista, this path is C:\ProgramData\UWSoils\SnapPlus. This is a writable folder used by Snap-Plus for files such as the log file and configuration file which change when the program is run. It also contains the reference documentation and some program files. You should never have to find this folder in normal program usage. The log file can be accessed from the SnapPlus Help menu. On some machines the "Application Data" folder (or in Vista, possibly the UWSoils folder) is hidden. To see this folder, choose "Tools/Folder Options" from the File Explorer menu (In Vista, choose "Organize" and then "Folder and Search Options" from the window menu) and click the "View" tab. Choose "Show hidden folders and files".
- C:\Program Files\UWSoils\SnapPlus This contains the program executable, the RUSLE2 model code and any other program files which never change. You should never have to find this folder in normal program usage.
Although SnapPlus data can still be stored on any writable folder on the computer, the install program will no longer allow program installation into any location other than these folders. All three of these folders must be present on the computer for SnapPlus to run properly.
Data Migration
If the last Snap-Plus version you installed was version 1.125 or earlier, then the first time the new program is run, SnapPlus will attempt to copy your data from the old installation folder to the new C:\SnapPlus user data folder. The data in the old location is not deleted. If it finds the last installation folder, the program will zip up everything found in the child folders "MySnapPlusData", "reports" and "import" and then try to unzip those files into the new default data location, C:\SnapPlus. If folders with the same name already exist, then the program will create a new folder called OLD-Files inside the C:\SnapPlus\MySnapPlusData folder. The old configuration file with the last database path will also be copied to its proper place so that you should see your current farm database at startup without having to do anything.If there are problems copying old database files during the upgrade, no farm databases should be lost because those database files are still in the old install folder. In addition, the zip files containing each database are saved to the new "C:\SnapPlus\export" folder.
Only data stored in the MySnapPlusData folder in the previous Snap-Plus installation directory is moved. Data stored elsewhere is unaffected.
If data migration fails, then you can copy the folder C:\Program Files\SnapPlus\MySnapPlusData to C:\SnapPlus\MySnapPlusData using the Windows File Explorer. Data outside of C:\Program Files does not need to be moved.
Uninstalling SnapPlus
Snap-Plus can be uninstalled by opening the Windows Control Panel and selecting "Add or Remove Programs". In Windows Vista, you get to this by clicking the "Computer" icon on the desktop, or the "Start" button and then choosing "Computer" from the right side. Choose "Uninstall or change a program" from the top of the window that comes up. As with previous Snap-Plus versions, uninstalling does not remove any user data or other files that the user may have in the Snap-Plus folders. Pre-1.126 Snap-Plus versions are not uninstalled automatically, and do not interfere with the operation of new versions. However, once old data has been copied over and verified, it would be good (but not required) to delete any files left in C:\Program Files\SnapPlus.Data updating
Each time a Snap-Plus database is opened, it is checked for what version of Snap-Plus opened it last and updated if necessary. A backup of the database is made before updating, and can be found in the "backup" folder inside the database folder. If updates are made, a description of the changes is written to the Snap-Plus log file. You can view the log file from the Snap-Plus menu.
If the database was last used with a prior version of Snap-Plus, then any information in the database that needs updating is searched out and fixed. Data updating is attempted with databases from any public version of Snap-Plus, however the older the database the more likely there could be problems. In version 1.126, these database updates include a few soil symbol changes, changing "Corn grain, baled stalks" to a dual crop yield goal, and changing table structure to handle lime recs. When changes are made, a line is added to the Snap-Plus log stating the change. If the change invalidates any Snap-Plus calculation results, then the results are cleared. When changes are complete, the nutrient recommendation model is run for all fields and farms in the database. This can involve a lot of calculations, and is the reason opening a database in a new version of Snap-Plus can sometimes take so long. It is one of the many reasons to have only one farm per database. Phosphorus Index and rotational soil loss calculations will be cleared and must be updated manually. The easiest way to do this is to use "Update all fields" from the Snap-Plus "Tools" menu, but these calculations could also take a long time on slower computers.
Snap-Plus and networks
Snap-Plus will open any of its databases which show up in the Windows File Explorer, including those stored on a server. Snap-Plus cannot have two users working on the same database at the same time (as in a client-server setting). Snap-Plus does not support terminal server operation.
Snap-Plus and flash drives
Snap-Plus should be able to read and write data directly off of a flash drive, however some flash drives work better than others because of differences in speed and reliability. Unless you have done some testing with your flash drive, it would be better to copy the databases to a hard disk and use them from there.
