This page informs you about

// the storage of your files
// possible configurations for advanced users
// backup

Where does meineZIELE put your files?

meineZIELE gives you complete freedom in the choice of the place where your data is stored. But of course, there are the typical user advantageous recommendations proposed by the program automatically.

The complete information about an outline is combined in a single file (extension ".xml"). This file can be saved in an appropriate folder by the "Save as" command that you know from other programs. meineZIELE automatically provides a folder in the directory "My Documents", the recommended place where you should put your file. If you want to work with multiple files, it is recommended, as shown in the screenshot, to create an appropriate sub folder.

The main file with your objectives should be given a proper name. If you are Angela Merkel, you could call it "GoalsAngela.xml".

If you use meineZIELE intensively, there will be additional files, such as address files or scanned documents. The program will create appropriate folders automatically, as shown in the screenshot.

We recommend that you leave the automatic settings of the program unchanged. Of course, advanced users will apply their custom settings and thus may want to change the program paths.

Where the program should be installed?

meineZIELE does not need to be installed. Therefore, it does not really matter where you put the program file you have downloaded from our website. Perhaps you have saved it on your desktop or in the "Downloads" folder for test purposes.

A folder called "meineZIELE_mZ" will automatically be created at the place where the program is started. It is necessary for the proper function of the software. If this folder disturbs you on your desktop, then you should move the file meineZIELE.exe to the folder meineZIELE in "My Documents". Create a shortcut with the right mouse button and move it to the desktop. So you can still start the program from the desktop.

(The utilization without installation has two major advantages: Firstly you can easily use the many interim updates by just replacing meineZIELE.exe with the latest version from our site. Secondly it is possible, if necessary, to start the program from a USB flash drive. That is even possible if you don't have access to the directory "My Documents".)

Create backups!

Rapidly you will have put a lot of work and many important ideas into your overview. Therefore you should create backups regularly.

Additionally, meineZIELE creates interim backups as backup files. This happens whenever you save and the last backup is more than 10 minutes ago.

Example: Your objectives file is called "Goals_Angela.xml". Then, in the same folder there will be a file called "Goals_Angela.bak" and further files with the appendices ".ba2", ".ba3" etc. These are backup versions to which you can return in case of a technical problem or if you want to undo changes in a larger scale.

meineZIELE helps you restore these backup files, see the figure to the right. You can select backup files after clicking on "Read backup file". meineZIELE creates a copy of the selected backup and opens the respective file. If you decide to continue with the use of this file, save it with "Save as" and give it a proper name.

If you have encrypted the file, there will be two files for each backup. These have the appendices ".bck" and ".bik", ".bc2 and ".bi2" and so on.

For advanced users: Creating a file structure

You may want to put all your data on a USB drive for easy transportation, including the program itself. meineZIELE can create the necessary structure and adjust some settings automatically.

Go to the "File" menu and choose "Establish usb stick configuration". Then click "Establish usb stick configuration new file + structure". Confirm the following dialogue. Then you get a structure like this:

The default file name is derived automatically from the name which you specify in the license window. A basic list of meineZIELE is applied to a subdirectory "mz" for the event that more projects follow on this level. Within mz then lie the main file and the directories for scanned documents.

The function "New file + structure USB mobile" avoids that a folder of meineZIELE be created in "My Documents". Recent program versions of meineZIELE are automatically copied from meineziele.info to the USB drive. This may cause a little waiting time.

However, it is easiest to use the automatically suggested directories in "My Documents".

For advanced users: Dropbox

Team directories can easily be organized on the internet by using free cloud services like Dropbox.
Then you can share tasks with colleagues at any location on Earth.

This may also be a good solution if you want to transport your files "from home to office". However, these files are often quite large and there are also generated backup files which will also be synchronized on the internet. With a fast internet connection, it is very useful, though.

For advanced users: Configuration

If you choose the name "Administrator" in the info/license window (Help) you can create a configuration for users who need only a part of the menu items and functions. Click "Options" and then "Create configuration file". The procedure is described there.

In exceptional cases, the user rights on a pc are so limited that there is not even granted permission to access the directory "My Documents". In that case, meineZIELE can be used from a USB drive. Put a text file called "ini2.txt" next to "meineZIELE.exe". This text file can be empty or just a copy of an existing "ini" file. The "ini file" contains the license number. Then, neither "ini files" nor proposed directories will be put to "My Documents" of the PC.

For advanced users: Change of environment

Often meineZIELE users transport their meineZIELE data on a USB stick or store them on the internet. Rarely one changes the computer or the operating system. And in many special applications someone created a complete file or a template which other users read or edit in a different environment. In this case, it is sometimes unavoidable that the files be located in the new environment in completely different access paths. In such cases, the question arises how any additional files or scanned documents, for instance, can be brought to a different environment in a manner that the paths remain correct.

meineZIELE is able to accomplish such a change of environment automatically, even in complicated situations.

The most important option would be to move all files related to meineZIELE in the same arrangement, but elsewhere on any PC. The program remembers only the constant part of the path, for which reason it is necessary to implement an automatical path completition setting in Options -> Paths -> Umgebungswechsel. By this means, meineZIELE has enough information to know how a path must be completed. All linked files could be put to the same place within "My Documents" (2) or to the folder of the open file (1) or to the same position relative to the program file meineziele.exe (3).

"Transfer paths"

If necessary, you may also want to define any "transfer paths" (4). For instance, if you have two computers, on the first computer a certain directory in the local area network could be called "\\Fujitsu\SharedDocs". However, on your second computer the same directory could be called "K:\Common Files". It is now necessary to inform meineZIELE about the analogy of these paths. Otherwise it would not be able to find the files on the second computer. In our example you should thus provide the directory of computer 1 on computer 2 and vice versa.

While saving a file, meineZIELE recognizes if a file lies on such a transfer path. meineZIELE collects the necessary information about the path and the file name. On the second computer, the information is reconstructed to a valid path. Note: Transfer paths already have to exist on the second computer before the file is opened on it. (Open e.g. a sample file, then set a transfer path and save it.)

Next: Reach goals