Moving Files from Windows to Macintosh

How do I move my company file from Windows to Macintosh?

Goldenseal accounting software files are "binary compatible". You can open the same file on either a Windows or a Macintosh machine.

Goldenseal Program (Tree Icon)

To open a Goldenseal file on both Mac and Windows, you'll need the Windows version of the Goldenseal application on the Windows machine, and the Macintosh version of Goldenseal on the Macintosh.

NOTE-- The Goldenseal application is not binary compatible. You'll need to use separate copies of the Goldenseal application for each machine

Moving the File

You can move your company file from the Windows computer to the Mac by any of several means:

• Put it on a USB Flash disk, move it to a USB port on the Macintosh, and then install it there.
• Burn a CD on the Windows macine, put it into the CD drive on the Macintosh, and move the file onto your hard drive.
• Attach the file to an email, and send it from the Windows machine (and then read it on the Mac).
• Link the two computers via Ethernet cable or a wireless router, and move the files over the local network.

Converting the File to Macintosh Format

Our Macintosh business software uses some special info in each file to identify which program it "belongs" to. Windows erases this information, so you'll need to add it back into your company file before you can use it with Goldenseal.

You'll need to set the file type to GLDS and the file creator to TRTL so it will open properly. You can make that change with a file utility program such as one of the following:

• ResEdit-- available for Mac OS 9 only. Free software from Apple, available for download from www.versiontracker.com and www.apple.com
• InfoDrop-- available for Mac OS X. Shareware program available from mac.sofotex.com.
• iLikeYouMore-- available for Mac OS 10.2 and later. Free download available from mac.softpedia.com and other sources.

Click here for more about Macintosh file formats (external link).

Using the File on Macintosh

Once you have moved your company file to the Macintosh computer and set up its file info, double-click on the file icon to open it.

NOTE-- You'll need to install the Goldenseal application for Macintosh first, if you haven't already done so!

Using a Network

If you have the multi-user version of Goldenseal, you can also use a network to share the same file between a Windows and Macintosh computer. Follow these steps:

1. Connect both machines to a LAN using Ethernet cable and a wired router, or wireless cards and a wireless router.
2. Put the Goldenseal file on any machine, and open it as a server.
3. Open the Goldenseal program on the other machine, and sign on as a client.

Technical Details

There may be a very slight delay in opening records, if you switch between a Windows computer and a PPC Macintosh. That is because the two platforms use a different byte ordering, and the data needs to be inverted. Newer Intel-based Macintosh computers use the same byte ordering as Windows, and will not show this delay.

Click here for instructions on moving files from Macintosh to Windows.

Click here for more about sharing files between Mac and Windows.

Click here to return to Macintosh software topics.
Click here to return to Windows topics.

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