If you have an older version of the starmessage diary software, you can benefit by the free upgrade we offer to the newest version.

1. Open the starmessage diary software and back up all your diary files.
2. Download the newest (trial) version from http://www.DiaryProgram.com
3. Install the new version on top of the old version, by selecting the same folder for installation.
4. Your registration should be automatically recognized in the new version.
5. Your existing diary files should also be recognized. If not, you can import them from the backups you did at step 1.
6. Enjoy your diary keeping.
   

This version of the diary program is compatible with:

• windows ME (requires unicode support pack)
• windows 2000
• windows 2003
• windows XP
• windows Vista
• windows Vista 64 bit
• windows 7
• windows 7 64 bit

This is the last version of the diary software that is compatible with older windows systems (windows 98, windows Me).

Versions after v3.4 will not support those older systems.

A computer diary file contains a lot of personal information. We should be extra careful when save online personal information as this can be used against us.

Using online free (or paid) diary services poses a risk for your private and sensitive data. If you consider your diary file private and secret, its better to avoid using online services.

People underestimate the importance of security and privacy on the online world. When using online diary services you are facing the following risks:

• Internet companies often go broke and then sold to another company. If this happens you do not know to whom your private data will end up with.
  
• A fired or disatisfied employee may want to do damage to the company by exposing or giving to someone else all the private data.
• A curious employee can also see your sensitive data.
• A hacker can break the system and either delete completely your data (but the companies usually keep a backup) or take your data and see how he can exploit them.
• Damaged hard disks (containing diary data) are also sent for repair without being wiped out first. Sometimes the damage does not allow them to be erased first. In those cases, technicians working in repair companies can also grab your data.

For these reasons it is highly recommended NOT to store personal data online on the web.

If you like to keep an electronic diary, we recommend you try the StarMessage diary program. It runs only on your computer and uses an encryption algorithm, that even if you send your computer for repair, no one can open your diary without knowing the secret password.

The diary backup file is a "special" encrypted file. You cannot just double-click it and open it with a text processor.

The backup is an ecrypted failsafe. If you loose your diary, your entire hard disk or even your PC, nobody can use this backup as it is scrambled.

It is advisable to make backups to CD/USB from time to time, but not that ofter as you'd get dozens of backups and you would have trouble finding the latest one.

If you store a backup file to a CD, to restore it, you have to do if FROM INSIDE THE DIARY program.
To restore a diary backup to a new computer you must:

- Install the program (Starmessage diary)
- Create a new empty diary WITH THE SAME PASSWORD as the backup
- Go to [TOOLS]->[RESTORE] and restore it

If the passwords dont match, IT WILL NOT GET RESTORED

Currently thats the only restore method - due to security reasons (ecptyption). For the next versions we are planning to make a more easy restore procedure without compromising security of your diary entries.

You can install the StarMessage diary program on a USB drive, and the diary (the program and the contents of the diary) will be actually stored inside the USB.

But note: the program shortcut in the "start menu" will be pointing to a removable device that its drive letter changes when you connect to another computer.
Make sure that the drive letter stays the same when you connect your USB to different computers.
Otherwise, you have to start the program manually from the folder where it is installed on the USB drive, instead of using the start menu shortcut.

Use windows explorer to go to the folder (on the USB) where you installed the program and start StarDiary.exe

Your diary file(s) will be there on the USB drive also.

We are planning of making a U3 and "portable applications" compatible diary program version soon.