Basecamps on PC and laptop

[twowheelstom]

I have Basecamp on PC and also Basecamp on laptop, both windows 11, and i make some waypoints and routes at different times on both, but now run into a problem, some waypoints and routes I make in Basecamp on the laptop are not on the PC, how to i set things up so that when I make a change on the PC Basecamp it also shows on the laptop Basecamp? I have an external usb drive, can I put all my waypoints and routes stored on that usb drive and just use that as the 1 stored Basecamp waypoint/route source? dunno, any idea? I hate duplicating the effort of what changes I do on the laptop to also do the same on the PC.

[colirv]

Use somewhere in the cloud (I use dropbox) for your Basecamp database. Both PC and laptop can link to that.

[Peobody]

I have an external usb drive, can I put all my waypoints and routes stored on that usb drive and just use that as the 1 stored Basecamp waypoint/route source? dunno, any idea?

In Basecamp's Options > General there is an option that allow you to specify the database it should use. I don't see any reason why that database couldn't reside on a usb device. The only thing you would need to insure is that the drive letter assigned to the device is the same on both the PC and the laptop. I don't know how Basecamp would behave if you start it without the usb device connected though. It may just resort to its default location database. If so, you might do work without realizing that the usb device isn't connected. This is something you would need to test unless someone responds with answer.

[lkraus]

Details on how to export your database to a cloud account are here:
Transferring BaseCamp Data to New Database or Computer on Windows
Should be similar for Mac.

If you don't have a cloud account already, Google users have 15GB of Google Drive storage for free.

I set my cloud folder so that it saves changes to both the cloud and my local drives (syncs). That lets me use Basecamp on my laptop without internet access. Any changes in the database will update the next time I do have access.

My Basecamp data has been in my Dropbox since about 2016, no problems. With copies on each computer and in the cloud, my data is effectively kept in triplicate, in addition to my usual computer backups. No need to risk losing or breaking a USB stick, or to try keeping it on the same drive letter.

[twowheelstom]

thank you guys for replies, and it looks like based on the replies that I can't count on an external USB device used in both the PC and also on the Laptop from having the same disk drive letter, so my idea to use a USB device for Basecamp data source might not work, unless there's a way to force the same dedication drive letter for both PC and Laptop

[Peobody]

... my idea to use a USB device for Basecamp data source might not work, unless there's a way to force the same dedication drive letter for both PC and Laptop

There is. You can do it through the right-click "Disk management" start menu option. Once in there, right-click on the Volume associated with the usb device and select the 'Change Drive Letter and Paths" option. Do it on each computer. I use a usb drive to do backups on two laptops. I have created scripts that execute the backup. The scripts are dependent on the usb drive having the same drive letter each time it is connected, and it does, on both laptops (one Win10 & one Win11). I have assigned drive F: to it so that it doesn't conflict with some usb flash drives that I use that will take D: and maybe E: if two are connected. When no drive letter is assigned they just take the next available letter.

The risk of losing, breaking, or a failed usb device should be taken seriously so be sure to maintain a copy of the data on another device.

[sussamb]

Yes I do that, works well. I prefer using a memory stick as have an aversion to putting my stuff somewhere unknown like the cloud!

[Oop North John]

Yes I do that, works well. I prefer using a memory stick as have an aversion to putting my stuff somewhere unknown like the cloud!

Or the "delightful" OneDrive!

[colirv]

Yes I do that, works well. I prefer using a memory stick as have an aversion to putting my stuff somewhere unknown like the cloud!

I have an aversion to having to carry and plug in a memory stick every time!

[sussamb]

Yes I do that, works well. I prefer using a memory stick as have an aversion to putting my stuff somewhere unknown like the cloud!

I have an aversion to having to carry and plug in a memory stick every time!

I rarely have to so it isn't a problem