How to import / export FTP/SFTP account settings?

[GrandOak]

I am trying to find out if it's possible to Export/Import settings to the FTP Account Manager?

I tried searching the help and only found export information for CVS and this forum did not provide any hits for this topic too.

[Mofi]

I'm not using the FTP feature of UltraEdit and therefore have no FTP accounts setup. So maybe there is a better method than what I can suggest.

The FTP account settings are stored either in the INI file - full name displayed at Advanced - Configuration - Application Layout - Advanced - or in the file you have specified for the account settings at Advanced - Configuration - FTP. Both are text files which you can open in UltraEdit and copy/paste groups (= accounts) to/from another file.

[GrandOak]

Interesting as I added FTP accounts using default INI file, and did not see the account information appear in the INI file, even after exiting. If I redirect FTP setting to a file other than deault INI, using Advanced - Configuration - FTP, then more information appears in the file under what appears to be GUID catagories.

It also appears that the "password" information is encrypted in the text file, which begs the question as to whether the cut/paste solution indicated would transfer that data?

[fgeurts]

I have UE and UES configured to store the FTP settings in a file rather than the default ini. That way I only need to define all the FTP accounts once, and both UE and UES are set to use that file to obtain the FTP account information from. This is effectively an export/import of the settings. Hope this helps.

Cheers...

Frank

[bauerkr]

I recently upgraded from UE 10.xx to 15.20 (running on Win XP SP3).

I use UE in part to support 135 locations. In v10.xx, I used to build a list of FTP sites from our internal systems. Being able to have a separate FTP file will make the process simpler, but I have a question about some of the values necessary for the FTP accounts.

Version 10.xx had an [FTP Accounts] section that contained one record for each FTP site defined. It assigned a sequential number to each site. For example:

Code: Select all

[FTP Accounts]
0=arachne
1=gator
...

There would then be a section for each site that provided the details. The header was:

Code: Select all

[FTP Account - arachne]
Account Address=...
User Name= ...
...

In version 15.20, the format and options are slightly different. When I define a new site within the application, it creates the following section header (plus the first couple additional lines):

Code: Select all

[{35AEA30C-57AA-4ec9-B4F6-F184D4A9BB52}]
Account Name=arachne
Account Id={35AEA30C-57AA-4ec9-B4F6-F184D4A9BB52}
...

The long string in curly braces is used in the account list and is obviously different for each site.

My question: Is there significance on this string (either the string itself OR the curly braces) that I need to be concerned about or can I simply use a sequential number as I have before? Some preliminary testing shows it appears to be working, but I'm not familiar with all the changes in UE since 10.xx.

Thanks
Ken

[sicnarfnorw]

Mofi's suggestions of copying the section from the ini file worked great for me. When it first came up, the default was some kind of blank account (no name, etc). Probably something else needed to be copied or copied over. I just chose an account from list, set it as default and then deleted the blank account. All my accounts were there, including passwords.

[kreed]

I am attempting to do this without much success. I have about 300 hosts setup. I see them on the old workstation in the uedit32.INI file.

There is no clear ftp section. Instead there appear to be entries that start like:

Code: Select all

[{CC21A0BB-6FD8-4b05-87F4-25488B9A0B13}]
Account Id={CC21A0BB-6FD8-4b05-87F4-25488B9A0B13}
Account Name=CK - PBOX
...

then there appear to be other non-related sections in between some of the host sections.

Moving it to the new server there are two files (it is a newer version)

Uedit32.in0
Uedit32.ini

They appear to have the same info in them.

If I copy over the sections that contain the host entries, I end up with nothing in the accounts section.
If I add a new host, it shows up above where other hosts exist and looks the same.

I need to move off the old computer fairly quickly. Most programs have simple export/import abilities for moving account info. Not sure why UltraEdit doesn't as well.

Is there a step by step procedure for doing this. It would take days to reenter this information manually.

[Mofi]

Well, UltraEdit is a text editor and not an FTP client application. Therefore it does not have functions to import / export just the FTP account settings as an FTP client application has.

But UltraEdit has in menu Advanced the commands Import Settings and Export Settings for transfering all user customizations from one account or computer to another account or computer. But these 2 commands are mainly for transfering the settings between same versions of UltraEdit and not for settings of completely different versions of UltraEdit.

Further the menu Advanced contains also the command Backup/Restore User Customizations for saving and restoring user customizations for an account. For further details see also Export/Import Settings vs Backup/Restore User Customizations.

Long time ago (before above commands were available) I have written how to transfer settings from one PC to another PC, see How to transfer / copy / move configuration settings to a new PC?


But back to your problem. You have not written which version UltraEdit has on the old computer and which version UltraEdit has on the new computer. That's bad because now I must shoot in the sky and just can hope I hit something and what I describe now really works. As you have already noticed, how the FTP account settings are stored in uedit32.ini has been changed in the past and is not equal for all versions of UltraEdit. I write a very complicated step by step introduction because not knowing the versions of UltraEdit.

1. Locate uedit32.ini on your old computer while UltraEdit is not running. The default location is %appdata%\IDMComp\UltraEdit. Copy that string into the address bar of Windows Explorer and hit key RETURN. If you see in the opened directory the file uedit32.ini, this is the file to copy. Depending on your version of UltraEdit the full name of the used INI could be also displayed in UltraEdit at Advanced - Configuration - Application Layout - Advanced. If your uedit32.ini is not in the application data directory of UltraEdit, open in help of UltraEdit the page INI File Selection and Advanced Settings and check all possible directories for uedit32.ini as explained on this help page.
   
   
2. On the new computer with new UltraEdit locate also the directory of uedit32.ini. Again %appdata%\IDMComp\UltraEdit is the first choice. While UltraEdit is not running. Rename this directory for example from UltraEdit to UltraEdit_new. Next create a new directory UltraEdit in %appdata%\IDMComp and copy into this directory on the new computer uedit32.ini from the old computer.
   
   
3. Start now UltraEdit and accept the updates of the standard profiles, wordfiles and tag list file. UltraEdit must think here that you just upgraded your version of UltraEdit and this is the first start of UltraEdit after installing the new version.
   
   
4. After UltraEdit made all the "upgrade" conversions, open Advanced - Configuration - FTP.
   
   
5. Check Share FTP Accounts, click OK and click on Yes on question Would you like to merge your current FTP accounts into shared FTP account lists?
   Then exit UltraEdit.
   Your account settings are now stored in %appdata%\IDMComp\Common\FTP Accounts\IdmFTPAccounts.txt
   This file is used also by UltraCompare Professional when using shared FTP accounts.
   
   
6. You can now just keep that file or copy it with a name you like to another directory where you have write permissions with your account.
   
   
7. Delete now in %appdata%\IDMComp the directory UltraEdit completely and rename UltraEdit_new back to UltraEdit.
   
   
8. Start UltraEdit and open Advanced - Configuration - FTP. You have now 2 options:
   
   a) You check Share FTP Accounts and use %appdata%\IDMComp\Common\FTP Accounts\IdmFTPAccounts.txt just created before.
   b) You check Store FTP accounts and settings in user selected file and select the before copied (and renamed) IdmFTPAccounts.txt.

I hope this works for your special need of copying the FTP account settings from UE version X on old computer to UE version Y on new computer.

[kreed]

Sorry about the version numbers, I included that in my support ticket to IDM but apparently not in this post.

Old = 16.00.0.1029
New = 17.10.0.1015

I had to do the process twice since the first time round, the new system didn't do the update part for some reason...

After the second time it worked.

I ended up using using the external file when complete so exporting is easier.

Thanks.

BTW... very thorough instructions.

[kreed]

IDM support responded this morning to my inquiry. Their response was much more complicated than what you posted. I sent back a note pointing to your response.

[mitcrellim]

This is great. I have version 18.00.0.1034 and just changed computers. All I had to do, since it is the latest version as of this posting, is:

1. On the new computer, open Advanced - Configuration - FTP and check Share FTP Accounts. This tells UltraEdit where to get the data from for your FTP accounts, but it is empty right now.
2. Exit UltraEdit on the new computer.
3. Copy the IdmFTPAccounts.txt file from the old computer to the new one in the directories mentioned above, i.e. %appdata%\IDMComp\Common\FTP Accounts\IdmFTPAccounts.txt
4. Open UltraEdit on new computer, voila, all your FTP accounts are there.

I have been an UltraEdit customer since the beginning and the last time I had looked into this I found the data in the registry settings with very weak password encryption. I figured out the pattern, . Looks like it has come a long way since then. I am happy to see that.