Sharing Files With Macintosh and Windows:

(Also A Way To Save To A Floppy)

First, remember, you are licensed to use PGGP at home and school for your student grades.   (Your spouse can also use PGGP... hope you have a long and happy marriage.)

PGGP can exchange files with Macintosh computers. Two things must be in place for this to happen.

1. You must use a copy of the Windows version of PGGP (Version 5 or better) and the Macintosh version of PGGP (Version 5 or better). PGGP 5 will convert old PGGP files and read and write PGGP 5 files for Mac and Windows.
2. You can use a floppy disk but the "Key Chain" USB flash drives are very quick and handy.

Overview

When file sharing between Mac OS and Windows, think of the following:

1) You are going to start on one platform or the other. It makes no sense to enter information twice. We will call this the starting platform.

2) You are going to be moving files back and forth between the two platforms, but you will always save the information on the hard drive of each computer.

Here's a typical scenario. Please read all of the following.


Windows

a) Start PGGP
b) Put the USB flash drive in a USB port
c) Go to the Open menu Item in the File Menu.
d) Select the file and Open it.
e) Immediately save the file on the hard drive. (This is the tricky part.  You must be sure you are saving to the C: drive again in your grades folder. PGGP will try to switch but please check.)
f) Work with the grades until your heart's content.
g) Save the File on the Hard Drive.
h) Put the USB flash drive in and Go to the Save As item in the File Menu. Navigate to the desktop and to the USB disk.
i) Carefully carry the USB drive to the Mac.

Macintosh

a) Load the class from your hard drive into the grade screen with Open File under the File Menu. This helps PGGP know where you keep your grades on the hard drive. (Of course the first time you can't do this. You could load the Demo Class file.)
b) Go to the Open Menu and put the USB flash drive. Navigate to the desktop and then to the Flash Drive and contents will be displayed.
c) Select the file from Windows and click on Open.
d) Immediately save the File back to the Hard Drive. This is the tricky part.  You must get the file saved on the hard drive in the correct place. In certain conditions you may have to click on desktop and then find the Pretty Good Grading Folder. Unless you are bringing a class for the first time I suggest using the same name as was used moments ago to get the file from the hard drive. (As in a.) The Mac will ask if you want to replace the original hard drive file. The answer is Yes.
e) Work with the grades until your heart's content.
f) Save your file using Save in the File Menu.
g ) Go to Save As and slip in the USB. (It will take a second for the files window to refresh) If it is already in, click on Desktop and then the USB drive.
h) Save the file on the USB drive.
i) Carry the flash drive carefully to the Windows machine.



Notice that the above cycle will assure you that your files are saved three places: At home on one machine, at school on another and on the flash. (Which will die some day unless you loose it first.)

There are two kinds of computer users who have not lost information. There are those who have not lost any information because they have backed up their files, and there are those who have not lost any information...yet.

Well, that took a while. This does work. You can do it other ways, I am sure, but please, please do not carry all your grades around on one floppy or flash drive that is going to quit. Say it with me, "All Floppies and Flash Drives eventually Quit". Of course they usually fail about two seconds before report cards are due.