odbc-migration-kit/README.md

🚀 What this does

This kit:

• Saves all ODBC drivers, DSNs, and registry settings
• Builds a single .zip backup package
• Automatically lists vendor download links (Microsoft, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)
• Recreates everything on a new computer in one click

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🖥️ Requirements

• Windows 10 or 11
• Administrator permissions
• PowerShell 5.1 or higher

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🧰 Files Included

File	Purpose
export-ODBC.ps1	Run this on the old computer to export settings
restore-ODBC.ps1	Run this on the new computer to import everything
ODBC_Backup.zip	The automatically created backup package
ODBC_Migration_Report.md	Report with driver download links

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📤 Step 1 — Backup (Old Computer)

1. Create a new folder anywhere on your computer, for example:
   C:\ODBC_Migration_Scripts

2. Save both of these files into that folder:

   • export-ODBC.ps1
   • restore-ODBC.ps1

3. Right-click the folder in File Explorer and choose:
   “Open in Terminal” or “Open PowerShell window here”

4. In the PowerShell window that opens, type:

   .\export-ODBC.ps1
   

   (If PowerShell asks about permissions, allow it by typing Y when prompted.)

5. When the script finishes, you’ll see a message like:

   Export complete. ZIP created at: C:\ODBC_Migration\ODBC_Backup.zip
   

6. Copy that ODBC_Backup.zip file to a USB drive or cloud folder.

🟢 Tip:
Running the script this way keeps the PowerShell window open —
so if anything goes wrong, you’ll see the exact error message.

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📥 Step 2 — Restore (New Computer)

1. On the new computer, create a folder again (e.g. C:\ODBC_Migration_Scripts)
   and place both files inside:

   • export-ODBC.ps1
   • restore-ODBC.ps1

2. Copy your ODBC_Backup.zip file from the old computer into:

   C:\ODBC_Migration\
   

3. Right-click the script folder → choose “Open in Terminal”
   or “Open PowerShell window here”

4. In the PowerShell window, type:

   .\restore-ODBC.ps1
   

5. The script will:

   • Extract your backup
   • Import registry settings
   • Recreate DSNs
   • List missing drivers (with download links)

🟢 Tip:
Keep the PowerShell window open until the script finishes —
you’ll see messages like “Added DSN…” or “Missing ODBC Drivers Detected”.

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📦 Files Created During Backup

C:\ODBC_Migration\
 ├── ODBC_Backup.zip
 ├── export_log.txt
 ├── export\
 │   ├── ODBC_Migration_Report.md
 │   ├── odbc_driver_product_map.csv
 │   ├── odbc_installer_hits.csv
 │   ├── odbc_drivers.csv
 │   ├── odbc_dsns.xml
 │   ├── ODBC_System.reg
 │   ├── ODBC_User.reg
 │   └── ODBC_System32.reg

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🛠️ Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
PowerShell says “script execution disabled”	Open PowerShell as admin → Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
ZIP not created	Ensure there’s enough space on C:\ and that PowerShell ran as admin
Missing driver link says “Search manually”	Use the Markdown report to see full list of known download sites
Restore errors out	Run again after installing missing drivers

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🧑‍💻 Technical Details (for advanced users)

• Uses Get-OdbcDsn, Get-OdbcDriver, and registry exports
• Detects installed products from HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
• Generates CSV and Markdown reports with official vendor links
• Compressed using Compress-Archive built into PowerShell
• Logs stored in C:\ODBC_Migration

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🧡 Credits

Created by Gene Amos for easy ODBC migration between home or work PCs.
Licensed under MIT.
Feel free to fork and improve.

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