How to add new folder locations for cases

To store cases in folders outside the default Notes or Domino data area, MasterFile uses a special .DIR file which tells Notes to treat that folder as part of its default data area. This article explains how to set that up for both Windows and macOS workstations. You create the .DIR file in Notepad or TextEdit. It contains one line: the path to where you want to store your case files.

This article does not apply if you are using MasterFile Cloud Services.

If you are using your own on premise MasterFile Domino server, you will need administrator access to your Linux or Windows server to navigate to the Domino data area.

Windows platforms

Creating the .DIR file

To create databases in subfolders of MF\ in the default Notes data area simply prefix the file name with a folder name or select one using the folder icon. For example, "MF\anewfolder\A vs B" will create database A vs B in subfolder "anewfolder". The .DIR file is used for other locations - a new disk for example.

  • Make sure you have file name extensions visible in Windows 10, or set that here.
  • Navigate to a the root of your C:\ drive and create a folder called "MoreCases". You can name it whatever you want, but for this exercise, we'll use that.
  • Open Notepad and type the full drive and path to "c:\morecases" without the quotes. The file contains just one line.
  • Save the file in the MF subfolder of your Notes data folder naming it morecases.dir (by default at C:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\Notes\Data\MF).

Setting the .DIR file

  • In MasterFile, click on [R+ Administration > User Settings]
  • Change "Default database directory" path to "MF\morecases\" without the quotes. If you delete "MF\" it will be added back.
  • Click "OK" to save and close the form.

Using .DIR files

You can now move any databases you want to the new location.

  • Exit Notes.
  • Use Windows Explorer to move the databases.

When you next open a case you've moved, Notes will first say it is unable to locate the case (where it was), then search its data areas to find it and open it, updating the case icon on the Workspace.

You must move databases. You can not keep copies lying around both in the new and the original locations or they will get corrupted.

New case databases are now created at "MF\morecases" by default.

Deleting "morecases\" will cause the database to be created in the "\MF" subfolder of the default Notes data location.

3. When you browse for cases in MasterFile, any .DIR files you've set as above appear as folders you can navigate to.

macOS

To create databases in subfolders of MF\ in the default Notes data area simply prefix the file name with a folder name or select one using the folder icon. For example, "MF\anewfolder\A vs B" will create database A vs B in subfolder "anewfolder". The .DIR file is used for other locations - a new disk for example.

In this article, we create a .DIR file pointing to a NAS drive, the 'S_Drive'.

Pointing to the folder

  • In Crossover, click on 'Wine Configuration'.

The dialog box below appears in a second or two.

  1. Click 'Browse' and choose an unused drive letter from the list.
  2. I chose 'S' as shown below.

Choose a target folder on macOS. Since my NAS drive is 'S_Drive', expanding 'Volumes' takes me to macOS volumes  you typically see in Finder.

  • Select the volume or folder (I'm selecting S_Drive).
  • Click 'OK'.

'S:' is updated to point to '/Volumes/S_Drive/'.

Creating the .DIR file

Now that we've set the drive letter, we can create the .DIR file.

  • Open TextEdit and type the line "S:\" without quotes.

This tells Notes and MasterFile cases are also on the NAS server. Although we selected the root of the NAS server, we could have selected one of its subfolders in the step above.

  • Save the file as "nasserver.dir" without quotes to the Desktop for simplicity.

Moving the .DIR file to the right place

  • 'Open C: drive' from Crossover.

Finder will open at ".../CrossOver/Bottles/MasterFile/drive_c/"

  • Navigate to Program Files > IBM > Notes > Data > MF.
  • Copy the .DIR file from the Desktop and paste in "/MF".

For reference, the full path is
/Users/<yourhomefolder>/Library/Application Support/CrossOver/Bottles/MasterFile/drive_c/Program Files/IBM/Notes/Data/MF

Setting the .DIR file in MasterFile

  • In MasterFile, click on [R+ Administration > User Settings]
  • Change "Default database directory" path to "MF\nasserver\" without the quotes. If you delete "MF\" it will be added back.
  • Click "OK" to save and close the form.

Using .DIR files

You can now move any databases you want to the new location.

  • Exit Notes.
  • Use Finder to move the databases. In macOS, your cases are found here.

When you next open a case you've moved, Notes will first say it is unable to locate the case (where it was), then search its data areas to find it and open it, updating the case icon on the Workspace.

You must move databases. You can not keep two copies lying around both in the new and the original locations or they will get corrupted.

New case databases are created at "MF\nasserver" by default.

Deleting "morecases\" will cause the database to be created in the "\MF" subfolder of the default Notes data location.

3. When you browse for cases in MasterFile, any .DIR files you've set as above appear as folders you can navigate to.