Before answering this question, it is wise to consider another question: If I upgrade my computer, will my current version of XMap install and run on its operating system? Given that a new computer is likely to be running Windows 7 and the only versions of XMap that are supported on this platform are XMap 6.2 and XMap 7, a new computer may also necessitate an upgrade to the latest version of XMap. For more information on which versions of XMap can be installed on current and past editions of Windows, refer to the online compatibility chart.
Installing the Software
Assuming your copy of XMap is compatible with your new computer’s OS, you are now ready to replicate your XMap setup on the new computer. The first step is to install the software. A frequently asked question is whether a previously installed copy of XMap can be reinstalled on a different computer using the same license number. Each license number is assigned to a single user of the software, not to a specific computer. It is not a violation of the license agreement to reinstall XMap using the same license number on a different machine, with the understanding that, after the new version is operational, the original copy will be uninstalled from the old computer.
After installing the software, base map datasets such as XMap North America Topographic Data, can be installed from the original DVD. By installing the software and the data in that sequence, XMap will automatically register the data and the map features will be automatically displayed at every zoom level. If the software is installed after the data or if the data resides on a network location, you may need to manually point to the location to where it was installed using the Base Data function on the Map Data tab in the software. If required, the Phone Data can also be installed from the original disk.
Copying the DeLorme Docs Folders
During the installation of XMap, a series of folders is created within which all of the files generated by the software are stored. In older versions of the software, prior to version 6, these folders are located in the DeLorme Docs folder directly on the root of your local hard drive (typically the C drive). 
Newer versions of the software, in compliance with Microsoft® Windows® file management protocols, place a DeLorme Docs folder containing personal files, such as projects and draw layers, under My Documents, while shared files, such as symbol sets and certain imagery datasets can be found in a second DeLorme Docs folder under All Users or Public. This is an important consideration given that the transfer of data to your new computer may require you to copy files from both locations.
The easiest way to transfer this data to your new computer is to simply copy the entire DeLorme Docs folder or folders to a transferable drive or network location and from there, paste it into the same location on your new computer overwriting the existing DeLorme Docs folder and subfolders. After you launch XMap, you should be able to open all of your previously created projects. If you receive an error message while trying to open a project, it may be because a previously established data path has not been replicated in the new computer. If this is the case, you can rebuild a project by manually adding the required components using the Data > Add function in the Map Data tab. Note that GIS layers will be addressed separately (see below) and, initially, any project that refers to a GIS layer will not display this data.
Transferring Third-Party Imagery and Other Raster Files
If you stored any GeoTIFF or MrSID files on your old computer and these were referenced in your project files, you should try to copy them to the same location on your new computer. This ensures that the data will be automatically displayed when the project is opened. If this is not possible, or if you want to move these files to a new location, you will have to reestablish the data connection in each affected project using the Data > Add function as previously described.
Copying GIS Layers
This is the most challenging aspect of the data transfer process and the level of difficulty is dependent on the version of XMap being used and the volume of data to be transferred. Note that if GIS data resides on a central server or network database, the layers do not need to be copied. Instead, the newly installed version of XMap can be configured to connect to this database using the Manage function in the GIS Workspace. In the Manage Layers dialog box, choose Other from the Source Database dropdown list and enter your server details. After this connection has been established, the appropriate GIS layers will be automatically displayed in the projects to which they were assigned in the old computer.
Manually Copying Data from XMap GIS Enterprise or XMap GIS Editor
The most straightforward method for duplicating your GIS layers on your new computer is to manually export each layer in OpenSpace transfer format using the export function in the GIS tab Workspace. OpenSpace is the preferred format for this type of data transfer operation as it retains all of the characteristics of the original layer, including its symbolization, Z-level value, and so on. After the files are copied to the new computer, they can be manually imported into the local database using XMap’s import layer function. Alternatively, a command-line importer and exporter is available to streamline the export and import of the data. This tool is accessed from the Windows Start menu under Programs > DeLorme > XMap > Tools > XMap Bulk Importer-Exporter. Note that exporting GIS layers is not an available option in XMap Professional; see below for an alternative transfer method using Microsoft SQL Studio Management Express.
Transferring Layers Using a Direct Database Connection
Instead of manually exporting, transferring, and importing each layer, a direct database-to-database connection can be temporarily established if both the old and new computers share the same network. This allows layers to be quickly copied from one database to the other. 
The process of connecting databases can be carried out using either the old or the new computer. In either case, open the Manage Layers dialog box by selecting Manage in the Layers menu above the GIS Workspace. Under the Source Database drop-down list, select Other, and in the resulting dialog box enter the server details for your other installed version of XMap. A list of databases will appear and, after selecting the database containing the required layers, click the OK button. Back in the Manage Layers dialog box, a list of all of the layers in that database will be displayed on the left. Use the arrow buttons to add the required layers to the Workspace.
Now each layer can be copied into the database on the new computer. To do this, select the layer in the Workspace, click the Layers button, click Create, and select Copy Layer. Under the Target Database, choose the database on your new computer, delete the word “copy” from the default name for the new layer, and click OK. After completing the transfer of all of the required layers, the connection to the other database can be broken using the Remove Database button in the Manage Layers dialog box.
Transferring an Entire Database using Microsoft SQL Studio Management Express
For users of XMap Professional, this is the only viable option for transferring GIS layers from one computer to another. Before beginning, install SQL Studio Management Express on both the old and the new computers. This application is can be accessed from your XMap install disk or from here.
First follow these steps in your old computer to detach any required databases:
- Launch the application by clicking the Start button, All Programs, Microsoft SQL, SQL Studio Management Express. The connection window should show your local server.
- Click the Connect button.
- After connecting to the local server, expand the databases on the left side.
- Locate the database containing the required layers, right-click the database name, and select Task > Detach.
- After the Database is detached, navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data and copy both the .mdf and .ldf files that correspond with the detached database.
- Paste these files onto a removable drive or portable file transfer device.
- Repeat this process for any additional databases.
Follow these steps on the new computer to attach the previously copied databases.
- Transfer the previously copied .mdf and .ldf files from the removable drive into a folder on the new computer. It is a good idea to create a dedicated folder on the C:\ drive for this purpose.
- Launch SQL Studio Management Express as described above.
- Click the Connect button.
- Expand the databases on the left side, right-click, and select Attach.
- Navigate to the location of the previously created folder containing the .ldf and .mdf files
- Select the file corresponding to the previously detached database and click OK.
In XMap, the Manage Layers function can now be used to access all of the layers from your transferred database.
Reactivating a Map Pack Subscription
Your MapPack subscription can be activated on two computers, so if you haven’t already reused your subscription number, you should be able to simply enter the same number as before in XMap’s NetLink tab. If you have already used this number twice, for instance on your previous desktop and laptop computers, or if the number is not accepted on your new computer, contact XMap support for a replacement.
A new computer brings with it both good and not so good. While your new machine will likely perform better than your old model and will offer more bells and whistles, the transition is seldom easy. All of the work that you have done in your old computer—the files you have created and organized and the personal configuration settings you have established—will all have to be recreated. Often a new computer means a whole new operating system and a steep learning curve to navigate. Using some of the steps outlined above, you should be up and running with XMap in no time and able to pick up right where you left off.
If you have a question that you would like to have answered in the DeLorme Professional Newsletter XMap Q&A section, send it to newsletter@delorme.com with XMap Q&A in the subject line.
