Knowledge base

AdMaster offers a simple procedure to transfer the database file to the new computer. While on the Login screen, hit the Ctrl+Shift+S simultaneously on your keyboard. You will be prompted to save the AdMasterTransfer.adm file somewhere on your computer. Save this file and have it copied on the new computer. Start AdMaster on the new computer. While on the Login screen, hit the Ctrl+Shift+L simultaneously on your keyboard, and locate the copied AdMasterTransfer.adm file. Hit the Open button, and AdMaster will transfer the data automatically.

Please note that this procedure will not transfer the spots, and will not create any new folders on the new PC. You would need to create the (traffic) playlists, spots and backup folders on the new PC, at the same locations as on the old machine, and to copy the spots manually. 
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Manual database transfer to the new computer

AdMaster stores all its data in a single database file db.mdb, located in C:\ProgramData\AdMaster folder. Copying the database file to the same folder on the new computer will transfer everything you need to continue your work exactly where you had left it. 
To transfer the database file manually, you need to follow these steps:
1) Install AdMaster on the new computer, but do not start the program;
2) On the new PC, create the (traffic) playlists, spots and backup folders at the same locations as on the old PC. Copy the spots to the new PC.
2) Copy the db.mdb database file from the old computer, to the new machine. Overwrite the existing db.mdb file. 
3) Start the new AdMaster installation.

AdMaster will warn you in case it cannot find the spots, playlists and backup folders at the same locations as on the old computer. 

Please note that the ProgramData folder may be hidden in Windows settings. To unhide it, open File Explorer from the taskbar. Select View > Options > Change folder and search options. Select the View tab and, in Advanced settings, select Show hidden files, folders, and drives and hit the OK button.


If the data on the hard drive on the crashed computer survived the crash, look for the C:\ProgramData\AdMaster folder, and copy the db.mdb file to the safe place. Make the clean installation of AdMaster on the new computer, but do not start the program. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\AdMaster folder on the new computer, and overwrite the existing db.mdb file using the file with the same name, copied from the old computer. If the db.mdb file has not been corrupted, you would be able to continue your work exactly where you had left it.

In case the C partition of the crashed hard drive is not accessible, try to access the AdMaster backup folder location. If you can access the backup files, copy the mdb file with the latest date in the filename to the safe place, rename it to db.mdb, make the clean installation of AdMaster on the new computer, but do not start the program. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\AdMaster folder on the new computer, and overwrite the existing db.mdb file using the file with the same name, copied from the old computer. If the db.mdb file has not been corrupted, you would be able to continue your work exactly where you had left it.

In case the crashed hard drive is dead, your only option to recover the campaign data is to use the AdMaster's backup files, if you had them copied to the cloud backup.

Important information: 
Scheduling the sponsorship campaigns in AdMaster requires creating and maintaining the additional commercial breaks per hour. Not a big deal at all, but it would slow you down in setting up and maintaining all other campaigns, because you'll need to carefully specify the breaks for each and every spot. Scheduling a spot to "randomly chosen break" would, among other breaks, have it sent to the sponsorship slot too.

THE PROCEDURE for two most common examples

EXAMPLE 1> You broadcast two regular commercial breaks per hour, and you want to add the Weather sponsorship with one spot (e.g. The Weather info is brought to you by Gianni's Pasta and Pizza. Call now at 234-5678, order two XL Special Pizza's and get another one for free.)

Step 1: Activate the additional commercial break (Break 3) in Settings>Output format settings>Configure the commercial breaks.
Step 2: Re-arrange the breaks order if necessary. If the Weather sponsorship appears first in the hour, assign the Break 1 for the Weather sponsorship. Re-schedule all active campaigns using the Edit campaign menu. Check each and every campaign segment, and make sure that the "randomly chosen break" option is unchecked, and that the break selection is restricted to Break 2 and Break 3.
Step 3: Create a new Weather sponsorship campaign, using the Static schedule. Select the dates, hours and the spot for the sponsorship. On the Spot positioning step, make sure to uncheck the "randomly chosen break" option, and select the Break 1 only.
Step 4: Create/Update the traffic playlists, and use the Traffic Log Editor to make sure that no other spots than Weather sponsorship are scheduled to the Break 1. In case any other spot appears in the Break 1, double check the campaign properties to make sure that the spot(s) are not configured to be scheduled to randomly chosen breaks.
Step 5: Rearrange the main program playlist (in your main program scheduler). The Break 1 should be inserted as the follow-up event to the Weather info voice track (or live host announcement), while the Break 2 and Break 3 should be inserted to the regular commercial break positions.


EXAMPLE 2> You broadcast two regular commercial breaks per hour, and you want to add the Weather sponsorship with the intro and outro spots (intro spot + Weather voice track + outro spot)
Example given below:
Intro spot: The Weather info is brought to you by Gianni's Pasta and Pizza.
Voice track: The sun is shining in London, and the temperature is around 22 degrees. In Newcastle, it's rainy and a chance of snow.
Outro spot: Order two XL Special Gianni's Pizza's online, and you'll get another one for free. Gianni's Pasta and Pizza. Order now on pizzapizza.com

Step 1: Activate two additional commercial breaks (Break 3 and Break 4) in Settings>Output format settings>Configure the commercial breaks.
Step 2: Re-arrange the breaks order if necessary. If the Weather sponsorship appears first in the hour, assign the Break 1 and Break 2 for the weather sponsorship. Re-schedule all active campaigns using the Edit campaign menu. Check each and every campaign segment, and make sure that the "randomly chosen break" option is unchecked, and that the break selection is restricted to Break 3 and Break 4.
Step 3: Create a new Weather sponsorship campaign, using the Static schedule in two campaign segments (the first campaign segment with the intro spot, and the second one with the outro spot). The dates and hours selection should be identical for both campaign segments. On the Spot positioning step, make sure to uncheck the "randomly chosen break" option, and check Break 1 for the intro spot, and Break 2 for the outro spot.
Step 4: Create/Update the traffic playlists, and use the Traffic Log Editor to make sure that no other spots than Weather sponsorship intro spot are scheduled to the Break 1, and Weather sponsorship outro spot to the Break 2. In case any other spot appears in these breaks, double check the campaign properties (of the wrongly scheduled spot) to make sure that it is not configured to be scheduled to randomly chosen breaks.
Step 5: Rearrange the main program playlist (in your main program scheduler), so that the Weather sequence is as shown below:
Commercial break 1 (will always contain only one spot = the Weather sponsorship intro)
Weather voice track (or live host)
Commercial break 2 (will aways contain only one spot = the Weather sponsorship outro)
(next playlist event)

We do not have the access to your Username and PIN, but you can contact us anytime to send you the reset code. Please note that the code needs to be generated, verified and sent you back by a live human. Mind the time zone differences when waiting for the response, as our support team is available in daytime hours only. We are located in Central European Time Zone.

One station, one person takes care of the entire traffic scheduling:
Use a remote desktop application of your choice to access the AdMaster computer at the station. In case AdMaster is installed on the broadcast PC, make sure that the remote desktop application is set to leave the audio playback on the remote machine.

One station, two or more persons are sharing the traffic scheduling duties, and each one is responsible for the specific clients:
The sales agents should use the AdMaster Workstation (one installation per person). The agents can only see and edit their own campaigns. The head of sales department is granted the access to the full version of AdMaster, and can see and edit any campaign.  

One station, two or more persons are sharing the traffic scheduling duties. Any AdMaster user should be able to edit or stop any active campaign.
Use the separate computer (or a virtual machine) to host AdMaster, and grant the remote access to everyone. 

Two or more stations (channels), one person takes care of the entire traffic scheduling:
It is up to you to choose if you would like to use one AdMaster installation to manage the traffic for the entire network, or the separate installations per station/channel. In both cases, use a remote desktop application of your choice to access the AdMaster computer at the station. In case AdMaster is installed on the broadcast PC, make sure that the remote desktop application is set to leave the audio playback on the remote machine.

Two or more stations (channels), the traffic is scheduled by one person per station:
Typically, each station would run a separate installation of AdMaster, set to automatically accept, process and execute the campaign set from the sister station. This way, anyone from the network can easily set up a campaign to be carried on the selected stations, or on the entire network.

Multi-station broadcast business, the sales department spread across the offices in different cities:
Contact us with your requirements, and we'll recommend the solution that suits your needs.

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