How do I install Excire Foto on a new computer?

How do I install Excire Foto on a new computer?

If you want to move Excire Foto to a new computer, there are different scenarios - depending on whether you only want to reinstall the program or also take your existing database with you.

Scenario 1: Reinstall program only (without existing database)

If you want to create a new database on the new computer:

1. Download the software

Option A: Via purchase confirmation

  • The purchase confirmation is the email you received automatically right after purchase
  • It contains the download link for the software
  • Click on the link and download the software

Option B: Request download link again (if email is no longer available)

Option C: Download section of the Help Center

  • Visit the download section of our Help Center
  • Important: Download the version that matches your license

2. Install the software

  • Install Excire Foto on the new computer
  • Your license is valid for one program version for both Windows and macOS

3. Activate license

  • Sign in with your Excire user account
  • IMPORTANT: Do NOT enter the activation code again - signing in is sufficient

4. Activation limit

  • You can activate the program on up to 3 computers
  • When this number is reached, a message appears with the option to delete a previous activation

5. Create new database

  • A new database is automatically created at first launch
  • Add your photos and let them be analyzed

Scenario 2: Move program + database

If you want to take your existing database to the new computer:

IMPORTANT: Check platform compatibility

The database is only compatible between the same platforms:

✓ Windows → Windows (works)
✓ Intel Mac → Intel Mac (works)
✓ Apple Silicon Mac → Apple Silicon Mac (works)
✓ Intel Mac → Apple Silicon Mac (works)

❌ Windows → Mac (does NOT work)
❌ Mac → Windows (does NOT work)
❌ Apple Silicon Mac → Intel Mac (does NOT work)

If you switch between incompatible platforms, you must create a new database.

Case A: Database is on external drive

Simplest case - no copying necessary:

  1. Install Excire Foto on the new computer (see Scenario 1, steps 1-4)
  2. Connect the external drive to the new computer
  3. Open the database: File → Open database → Select database folder → select the database folder on the external drive (in Excire Foto 2025 and earlier: File → Open database folder)
  4. Done!

Requirement: Your photos must be accessible from the new computer (same drive letter or same path).

Case B: Database is in the default folder

The default folder is a hidden system folder:

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Excire Foto (in full: C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Excire Foto). The easiest way is to type %APPDATA%\Excire Foto into the address bar of Windows Explorer.
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/excire-foto. In Finder, open it via "Go" → "Go to Folder…" (Shift+CMD+G) and enter the path.

Important: Besides the database, this folder also contains program files (logs, cache, settings). There is no separate subfolder for the database. Therefore copy exactly these files and folders:

  • 1to1.exfoto (folder)
  • previews.exfoto (folder)
  • thumbnails.exfoto (folder)
  • excire_foto.local.db plus excire_foto.local.db-shm and excire_foto.local.db-wal (if present)
  • backend.db plus backend.db-shm and backend.db-wal (if present)
  • database_os (if present)

On the old computer:

  1. Close Excire Foto
  2. Copy the files and folders listed above together into a new folder on a USB stick or external hard drive, e.g. Excire Database

On the new computer:

  1. Install and activate Excire Foto (see Scenario 1, steps 1–4)
  2. Copy the folder Excire Database to a location of your choice on the new computer, ideally a fast internal drive (e.g. your Pictures folder)
  3. Open the database: File → Open database → Select database folder → select the copied folder (in Excire Foto 2025 and earlier: File → Open database folder). Excire Foto restarts briefly and opens your database.

Case C: Database is in a custom folder

If you created the database not in the default folder, but in a custom directory:

On the old computer:

  1. Close Excire Foto
  2. Copy the entire database folder (contains, among others, the folders previews.exfoto and thumbnails.exfoto and the files excire_foto.local.db and backend.db)
  3. Save it on a USB stick or external hard drive

On the new computer:

  1. Install Excire Foto (see Scenario 1, steps 1-4)
  2. Copy the database folder to any location (e.g., D:\My Photos\Excire Database\)
  3. Open Excire Foto
  4. Open the database: File → Open database → Select database folder → select the copied database folder (in Excire Foto 2025 and earlier: File → Open database folder)

Photos have moved or paths have changed

If the paths to your photos have changed (e.g., different drive letter, photos in new folder), you need to reassign the paths:

Requirement: The folder structure must have remained the same (only the parent path has changed).

Example:

  • Old: D:\Photos\Vacation\2024\
  • New: E:\Pictures\Vacation\2024\
  • ✓ The structure Vacation\2024\ has remained the same

How to reassign paths:

  1. Open the database in Excire Foto
  2. Missing folders appear in the folder list with a red cross
  3. Right-click on the missing folder → "Relocate"
  4. Navigate to the new location of the folder
  5. Excire Foto automatically reassigns the photos

IMPORTANT: "Relocate" only works if the folder structure is identical. If you have completely reorganized your photos, you must create a new database.

Version upgrade during migration

You can upgrade to a newer Excire Foto version at the same time when moving to the new computer:

Example: Old computer has Excire Foto 2025, new computer gets Excire Foto 2027

How to do it:

  1. Copy the database as described above
  2. Install the newer version on the new computer
  3. Open the old database with the new version
  4. The database is automatically updated on first opening

IMPORTANT:

  • ✓ From older to newer always works (e.g., 2025 → 2027)
  • ❌ Going back to older versions does NOT work (e.g., 2027 → 2025)
  • Create a backup before upgrading!

Migration checklist

Before migration:

  • [ ] Platform compatibility checked (Windows/Mac/Apple Silicon)?
  • [ ] Excire Foto closed on old computer
  • [ ] Database folder identified (default folder or custom)?
  • [ ] Database backup created
  • [ ] Where are your photos? (local, external drive, network?)

On the new computer:

  • [ ] Excire Foto installed and activated
  • [ ] Database folder copied (if not on external drive)
  • [ ] Database opened
  • [ ] Photos accessible and paths correct?
  • [ ] If paths changed: "Relocate" performed

Need further help? Contact our support!