Master Cook importing cookbooks from disc?

[LauraBL]

Hello Old Chums-

It's been a while. I've lurked occasionally but mostly I've been slugging away through library school. You can now call me Mistress Librarian.

So in an attempt to reclaim my life before school.......I wanted to put my saved MasterCook cookbooks back on my C drive. I had to clear everything off about a year ago for a much needed computer clean-up virus clean-up. I can open the cookbooks and the recipes from the disc.

I've tried to use the import feature but it just comes up with the message that "No MasterCook files are found."

I just don't get it at all. This is an older version. I think it's 6.0. I know it's not as sad as completely losing all the recipes but I don't want to have to keep going back and forth between the C drive and the disc to find things.
Nor do I relish the thought of trying to use the import assistant to pull in 1,000's of recipes.
I've looked through the BB archives and have found lots of mixed feelings about MC but not my exact problem.

Help Help!

Laura

[Joyce]

It's been a while, but if I remember right, I copied the cookbooks from the disk to the "cooking Light collection" subfile in MC. I then opened MC, hit "open", clicked on one of the cookbooks I added, and it was fine from then on. I needed to do this with every cookbook. Maybe there is a better method...but let me know if you use this and it works.

[wintersummer]

Laura - I get all my Mastercook advice over at the Mastercook boards on Yahoo. There are a few people on those boards who seem to know absolutely everything about every version of Mastercook ever released + how to fix any problem. They certainly have helped me in the past. Here's the link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MastercookDiscussion/messages

[PamN]

Laura,

With MasterCook closed, use Windows Explorer to copy your cookbook files (*.mc2 and *.mcx) from the CD to an active collection folder in the MasterCook folder on the hard drive. The MY COLLECTION folder is always "active" (you'll always be able to see the cookbooks in it).

You'll now need to check and see if the files you copied over retained the Read-Only file attribute from the CD (XP usually removes it, but you should check). So, in Windows Explorer, click on the name of the collection folder where you copied the files (My Collection) so you see the names of the files inside it. Select (highlight) all the filenames. Right-click the highlighted list and choose Properties. If there is a checkmark in the box beside Read Only, click in it as many times as necessary to completely remove any checkmark.

Now open MasterCook.

From the cookbook browser window, where all your cookbook names are listed, press F5 to refresh your file list. The cookbook names will appear at that time.

Be sure to keep your cookbooks backed up! For reference, see the online FAQ, especially Topic 1 "Backing Up Your Files" on the following webpage. It will give you a checklist of files to back up and explain how to restore them if you should reinstall your MC program in the future:

http://mastercook_cupboard.tripod.com/mastercook_5+_installation.htm

[wintersummer]

Pam - Are you the Pam from the Mastercook boards on yahoo? If so, you are one of the ones that I made reference to in my earlier post about where I mentioned people "who seem to know absolutely everything about every version of Mastercook ever released + how to fix any problem." If so, I think you've come to my rescue several times. Good news is that I've had no MC issues for about a year now!

[PamN]

There are several pams at the yahoogroup site, and I am one of them. PamE and I used to be moderators of the Sierra/VUG message boards, now sadly departed, so we both tend to post . . . a lot. :o

I try to keep up with the conversations on this board, but there are so many! I miss a lot of MC questions, I'm sure. Thanks for directing folks to that yahoogroup -- there are many answers waiting in the online archive there, and a large group of users to help with new questions/problems.

[LauraBL]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I can't wait to give them a try.

[tholbrook]

There are several pams at the yahoogroup site, and I am one of them. PamE and I used to be moderators of the Sierra/VUG message boards, now sadly departed, so we both tend to post . . . a lot. :o

I try to keep up with the conversations on this board, but there are so many! I miss a lot of MC questions, I'm sure. Thanks for directing folks to that yahoogroup -- there are many answers waiting in the online archive there, and a large group of users to help with new questions/problems.
Just wanted to pop in and say that PamN helped me recently to recover a very large Mastercook file that had somehow been corrupted and thus saved me hours and hours of pulling my hair out. (I haven't had any problems since then!). I wholeheartedly agree with wintersummer's assessment: Pam knows "absolutely everything about every version of Mastercook ever released + how to fix any problem". THANKS AGAIN PAM!!! :D :D :D

[LauraBL]

PamN

Thank You! Thank You!

It took me a while to get back to it. Wonderful! Your directions worked like a charm.

Now to get caught up on all the things I've cooked and haven't plugged into Mastercook................................... :)

Laura

[PamN]

Hey Laura --

Glad to help! I'm sure you'll enjoy having your recipes back. :)