Mega Database 2010 tutorial - Part 2

Keeping your Mega Database up-to-date

If you are one of the fortunate owners of either Mega or Big Database 2010, you may not be aware that you also have an automated update system to keep the database up-to-date throughout the whole of 2010. In other words, when you purchase one of those packages, you aren't simply getting a DVD with a ton of games, you are getting an assurance you will always have a cutting-edge database throughout the year.

In the past, keeping one's database up-to-date involved searching for good places such as TWIC, or others, and constantly downloading and adding the databases to one's main one. If you didn't want the magazine report, you would also have to manually delete it and clean the database beforehand, and depending on the sources, one had to also ensure the names and references were consistent. However, with the arrival of ChessBase 10, a new easy-to-overlook function was added to the Help menu, called Download Games.

What this function does, is call upon ChessBase's professional update service that will provide a total of roughly 200,000 games in the year. The serial number that comes with Big Database 2010, or Mega Database 2010, will allow you to use this service throughout 2010 at no extra cost.

Let's take a look at how to make use of this time-saving service.

Setting the Reference database

In order for ChessBase 10 to properly update the database, you must first establish the Reference database. If you have not done this already, please see Part 1 of the tutorial for easy instructions on how to do this.

Setting up an account

When you first start this function, the first thing it will do is connect to the online server with your account. If you don't have one, you can create one on the spot simply by filling in your e-mail address, a password of your choice, and clicking on Create New Account. Be sure to check the Remember Password so you don't need to fill it out again for future updates.

After doing this, it will open a pane offering the various updates you can use for your database.

For this step, you will need your Big/Mega Database 2010 DVD case, inside of which you will find the serial number. In the pane, you will click on activate as above, and then it will ask you to enter your serial number and verification code.

Do so, and click OK.

If all went well, you will now return to the previous pane, with the Year 2010 grayed out.

Click on Download Now, and let it do the rest. If you never did it before, this will take some time, and a number of screens such as

will stream by, so feel free to grab a coffee or tea. Once done, it will open a last pane asking what you want it to do with the downloaded games.

Select Append to reference database, and let it now add the new games automatically to your Mega Database 2010 (or Big Database 2010).

Conclusion

Although it may seem like a lot of instructions for what was described as a simple update system, bear in mind that the largest part is setting up the account and subscription.

For future updates, all you will need to do is:

• Select Help -> Download Games
• Click Ok at the Account login pane (your info should be filled out already)
• Click Download Now at the Download Games pane. Let it download, then
• Select Append to reference database, and again let ChessBase 10 do the rest.

We hope you enjoy the service and never find yourself wondering again whether your database is up-to-date. Let that be your opponent's concern now.

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