Data Backup & Restore
This webpage describes how to use EasyAs to backup your Accounting Data, if you are looking for information on how to implement a strategy of regular backups, please see our our information page regarding regular data backups
Data Backup can be one of the most important, if not THE Most important thing you can do.
Basic Backup Principles are the same no matter what you are applying them to, and backing up your Accounting Data is NO different.
But having a backup of your data is no good if the backup is out of date or corrupted. This is one of the most fundamental mistakes many businesses make.
We have personally seen many businesses make the mistake of backing up at irregular intervals, or maintaining only one backup.
You must ask yourself this question:
If I was to have a pc crash today, will I be in trouble?
If you answer YES, then your priority before you do anything else today should be to Backup your information. Not just the accounting data, but any other files you have about your business which could cause you problems with your business if you lost them.
We have found that many people are scared about this topic. Either they feel that they are tempting fate by putting attention to it, or they just have no idea how to go about it, so they do nothing.
What Do I Do ?
My Main Pc in my office has 2 separate hard drives. Drive C and D
Once a week I backup all my Data from Drive C to my other hard drive. I copy the contents of "My Documents" Folder and perform the accounting backup using the facility provided (as these files ARE NOT contained in the My Documents Folder)
If my pc crashes I have all my data backed up to the other drive.
But I don't stop there... Because I have seen too many people (myself included) loose too much stuff, I have a 2nd Pc in my Office, and once every other week while I am doing my normal backups I backup ALL my data to the other pc.. So I am backed up Twice.
I do this second backup to my other pc every 2nd time I backup just incase for some unforeseen reason the EasyAs data files become corrupted. Backing up a corrupted data file is useless to us as its corrupted and can never be used anyway. I have never had a data corruption with these files, but I have with other files so I know anything with computers can happen.
I lost 5 years worth of data some years ago, and I will never get caught out again. I have never had to rely on the other machine, but at least I feel 100% safe that I can handle anything.
You may not have a 2nd PC and you don't need to go as far as having additional pc's, but it is advisable to at least have your data backed up to an external device (a usb thumb drive or external portable harddrive) or even burning your data to a cd in case you experience some catastrophic pc failure.
Corrupted Data Files
Remember that if you backup data files which are corrupted then they are as good as having not files backed up, as they cannot be used.
Data files can get corrupted by power fluctuations, viruses, or simple problems with the operating system at the time you are running the software.
You will NOT usually know if your files are corrupted, as there is usually no way of knowing. So when you are backing up your data files you will not know if you are backing up files which are corrupted until you have to rely upon them. At this point it is usually too late and you are usually in a whole world of pain.
Hence the need to always have at least two backups, days or weeks apart.
So if for example for some reason 2 days ago when I last used the Accounting System an error occurred and the data files corrupted themselves, then when I performed my backup yesterday I subsequently backed up corrupted data files.
So the next time I go to use the software I start experiencing unexplained problems or half my data is gone. I think to myself "great" I'm glad I did my backup yesterday. I restore the data only to find that the same problem exists. Why? because I had backed up corrupted data files.
But if I had also kept a copy of the data files that I had backed up from days or weeks prior to this latest copy then I can at least restore them and only be down part of the information.
I can enter the income and expenses from the receipts etc and be back on track. This is obviously a problem if you issued quotes etc and you do not have a copy of this quote as its a bit hard to enter them again without the original copies.
Hence the importance of regular backups, and maintaining several copies of data files at regular intervals.
A great hint:
I also go as far as pulling out the internet connection if lightening storms are around. I have seen pc's fry themselves, and hard drives electronically fail due to lightening strikes sending excessive charges down the cable or telephone lines, into the modem, into the router, and back into the pc.. The last thing I want is to fry both systems of once.
Of course if you have a wireless connection to your pc then this is not a problem. I use hard wire setups between my pc's as I have more security this way.
Also if you have some form of surge protection installed and you believe it will save your day, it may not... I have seen cases where nature seems to have forgotten that us humans have figured out a way to stop it, and it surges the pc anyway, thus giving grief.
Backing Up and Restoring Your EasyAs Data
To backup and Restore your Data click on one of the following links and follow the instructions on each page.
We suggest that you read the whole page specific to your Version Series prior to attempting any Backup and Restore so you have a complete overall picture of the process prior to commencing.
Data Backup and Restore Instructions For Series 5
Data Backup and Restore Instructions For Series 4
Find out your Version Number by following the details below
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