It's a Good Journaling Day

Published October 10, 2020

Oh, Happy Day!  Queue the Edwin Hawkins Singers!

I am thrilled to pieces that I was finally able to install my old FrameMaker version 6 software on my new mini PC! If you’ve read my recent blog post, you’d know that I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time searching for a new journaling software program.

No matter how many times I tried to convince myself that getting used to a new program after 20 years of using an old program is just the way it had to be, it just didn’t sit well with me. I kept trying to get the new journaling program (review on the new program is forthcoming) to do things the old program could do and that was unfair. The only new program that could accomplish the tasks of the old program is a newer much more expensive version of the old program. That was a no can do option. The new program was too expensive to use just for journaling. BTW, I’m not knocking the replacement program, it’s just that there are apples and there are kumquats, and never the twain shall meet.

How Did I Solve the Issue?

I went old school. Well, not really old school, but I took several steps backward. You see, when I attempted to install FrameMaker on the new computer, I used a digital download. The new PC does not have a CD Rom drive so I copied the files from the FrameMaker installation disk to my hard drive. I then uploaded the files to my Google Drive (didn’t have a USB or SD card at the time). Once I had the new PC set up, I downloaded the installation files and attempted to install the program. This process had worked so many times before, so I assumed it would work with FrameMaker. Au contraire.

One symptom of the failed installation was the program would hang at the installation splash screen. Desperate to install the program, I’d let it sit thinking the software was trying to get familiar with its new surroundings. However, after 20 minutes, I had to come to the realization it just wasn’t going to happen. Believe me, I went into Task Manager to see what was causing it to hang. I found the culprit, but couldn’t find the answer. So, crestfallen, I realized it was a no go.

Fish Don’t Climb Trees

Over time I started to think. Maybe it's not a conflict between the old software and the new computer, but rather a conflict with a non-CD vs CD installation. Maybe I had to install the program using a CD drive. It’s like asking a fish to climb a tree. It just won’t happen.

As such, I ordered a portable CD drive (affiliate link) from Amazon. I was amazed at how cheap these things have become. For $27 I got a plug-and-play USB CD Rom Drive.

I plugged the USB into the computer and the computer recognized it immediately. Without hesitation, I put the FrameMaker installation disc into the CD drive. And, lo and behold, the installation started. I don't think I took a single breath throughout the entire installation process. And I'm not sure if it was my lack of fresh oxygen or the sheer joy of success that made me feel lightheaded.

The bottom line is, I have my old journaling software and I could not be happier.

Yep, that's me bustin' a move. My family wishes I would just sit down and be happy, but where's the fun in that. This is why I love hanging with my grandkids. They love bustin' a move with grandma!

Last Modified: 20 June 2023

Comments

• Ignatius
  October 15, 2020

  Congrats on getting the old software up and running! The CD drive will most likely come in handy for some other things as well.



• Felicia
  October 16, 2020

  Thanks! I just picked up blank CDs to transfer my software programs from Google Drive to disc. This situation taught me a lesson that sometimes old school is the way to go. 🙂