Converting from the DOS Residential Estimator

If you saved estimates in the DOS version of Residential Estimator, use the following steps to load these estimates into Residential Estimator 7.

  1. Click on graphics/Re7help00000003.gif, then click on Programs in the Start menu:

    graphics/Re7help00000004.gif

  2. Click on Marshall & Swift in the Programs menu, then on RE Conversion in the sub-menu that displays:

    graphics/Re7help00000005.gif

If you have not installed any other Marshall & Swift programs (such Commercial Estimator 6 in the example above), Residential Estimator and RE Conversion will be the only choices in the sub-menu.

  1. The following displays:

    graphics/Re7help00000006.gif

The conversion program tries to find where you have the Residential Estimator for DOS installed. This is typically in the folder ESTR on your hard drive. If it finds the DOS version, it displays its location at the top of this screen. If this is not the correct location, click the Browse button to search for the folder containing the DOS version. The following screen displays:

graphics/Re7help00000007.gif

Use standard Windows navigation techniques on this screen to locate the folder with the DOS version (which must contain the DOS configuration file ESTRCONF.DAT), then click Open.

  1. Once you have located the DOS version, the conversion program reads the DOS customization for the General Information (GI) lines and displays its best guess on how to move this information from the DOS version to Residential Estimator 7. For example, in the following, it will move the GI1 information to the RE 7 Property Owner field, the GI2 information to the Address field, etc.

    graphics/Re7help00000008.gif

To change any of these, click the button on the appropriate RE 7 GI Field, then select a new RE 7 field from the list that displays. Click the "Apply Effective Age Adjustment" box if you wish to convert the Effective Age value that was entered in the DOS version.

Click Continue to contunue.

  1. The following displays:

    graphics/Re7help00000009.gif

Set the following on this screen:

Click on the name of the database to import (using standard Windows navigation techniques to move to different folders or disk drives if necessary), then click Open to continue.

Select one of the following options for the log file:

  1. Click Start to start the conversion. The conversion program displays a status of its progress in the lower right side of the screen:

    graphics/Re7help00000012.gif

  2. If there were any errors during conversion, click View Log to view the log file.