Accordance Module Backups - Windows

[macropod]

Here's some information Windows Accordance users might find helpful. Of course, I realise most users won't read it before installing Accordance for the first time, but it might prove useful when they come looking for a means to avoid having to download all the modules if Accordance needs to be reinstalled on a new or refreshed Windows installation.

 

As anyone who has installed Accordance will know, installation also means installing all the modules. Before installing them, Accordance downloads these to:
C:\Users\%Username%\AppData\Local\Temp\AccordanceDownloads

You can access the AccordanceDownloads folder, simply by putting the above into the Windows Explorer address bar.

 

If you make a backup copy of the downloaded modules before Accordance installs them, you won't have to download them again should a complete Accordance reinstallation become necessary (e.g. when moving to a new computer or refreshing the Windows installation on an existing computer). For Accordance Ultimate, that saves you a 3.5GB download. A backup can be made between when the modules have downloaded and installation begins. Once the Download has finished, Accordance prompts to Install them. That is when you can make a backup of the entire AccordanceDownloads folder, simply by copying it and its contents to a different drive (e.g. a USB stick). If you don't make the backup copies at this time, you will later find that Accordance has deleted the downloaded zip files containing all the modules during their installation.

 

Should reinstallation of Accordance ever become necessary, simply install it and, when you get to the point where EasyInstall prompts you to download the modules, copy them from your backup to the AccordanceDownloads folder. EasyInstall will skip over any current module files it finds there.

 

New modules and updates to existing modules are also downloaded to the AccordanceDownloads folder before being installed. If you copy them to the same folder as your backups from the initial installation, overwriting any older downloaded modules in the process, you won't need to download those modules either, should Accordance reinstallation become necessary.

[macropod]

Update: Apparently starting with Accordance 11.2, Accordance downloads now go to:
C:\Temp\AccordanceDownloads

[SimpleTheist]

Is there a particular reason that copying the files form the Accordance folder after installation doesn't work?

[Helen Brown]

The location of downloads in Windows does vary with the system.

 

I don't know where or why Simple Theist wants to copy the files. Files need to be installed in Accordance. You can install them by opening them elsewhere, and Accordance should copy them to the right location, but the cleanest and simplest is to download through Easy Install.

[SimpleTheist]

The location of downloads in Windows does vary with the system.

 

I don't know where or why Simple Theist wants to copy the files. Files need to be installed in Accordance. You can install them by opening them elsewhere, and Accordance should copy them to the right location, but the cleanest and simplest is to download through Easy Install.

Hypothetically. I don't think I would ever have the need, but I was wondering why you had to backup the files prior to accordance installing them (i.e the instructions presented), and couldn't just locate the files after they were installed and make a backup of those.

 

The real reason for this would be if you didn't have internet connection or the connection was prohibitive to large files (hotel room, etc).

 

So would it be necessary if you wanted a backup of the files for offline installation that you would have to do so immediately after downloading the files, but before installing them, or is it actually possibly to retrieve them after install from their folder? 

[macropod]

Is there a particular reason that copying the files form the Accordance folder after installation doesn't work?

If you're referring to the AccordanceDownloads folder, that's because the installer deletes them from there when you do the installation.

If you're referring to the C:\Users\All Users\Accordance folder, that's because I'm not sure it contains everything Accordance needs to register the modules properly. Reinstalling them from the AccordanceDownloads folder via EasyInstall ensures that happens. Besides which, as downloaded to the AccordanceDownloads folder, they take up less than 60% of the space used up in the C:\Users\All Users\Accordance folder.

 

Another important consideration for me is that I have a 9Gb/month download limit. Installing Accordance from scratch would cost me 4.3Gb (Ultimate licence + Theological Journal library) - almost half my monthly limit in one go. An internet connection is still needed to get the licence details, etc., but having the files in the AccordanceDownloads folder means I'm spared the overwhelming bulk of the download cost (and time).

Edited September 10, 2016 by macropod

[Helen Brown]

The way to save the downloaded zip files is to find the folder BEFORE you click Install in Accordance, and make a backup of it. This can be restored or transferred to a new computer, in the same location. Then when you do your Easy Install again, it only checks online for what you own, but will not need to download the files again.

[SimpleTheist]

Thanks for the clarification. I have no idea how you survive on a limit of Internet, I would have that used up in less than a week.

[macropod]

The way to save the downloaded zip files is to find the folder BEFORE you click Install in Accordance, and make a backup of it. This can be restored or transferred to a new computer, in the same location. Then when you do your Easy Install again, it only checks online for what you own, but will not need to download the files again.

That's exactly the process I detailed in posts #1 & #2.