Backup Data Files

It is important to have a regular backup routine for all of the information on your computer. Most companies will have a backup created at least once a week. This is an essential safeguard against complete loss of data.

Backing up your computer is not specific to our software, so we will not address all of the available ways to do this. If you are not familiar with backing up data, then you really need to consult a local IT person that can help you setup a process.

In regards to the SherWare software, we recommend keeping a copy of the "Rpts" folder, "Checks folder", and the the data folder for any companies that you have setup within the software. By default, all of these would be located within the installation folder. If you used the default paths when installing and creating companies then you can simply create a backup of the "AMPRO" folder and it would include everything you need. To validate the location of the folder that stores the data for any given company, you can go to the Maintain menu and choose Company Information, then reference the "Data File Path" that is specified.

Apart from your normal computer backup routine, you can create individual backups of each company from within the software. This allows you to create a simple backup file that can be transferred to a different computer

Local Backup

All versions of SherWare software include the ability to backup data files to a location that you specify, whether that’s on your local computer, a network location, or removable media (ZIP drives, flash/jump drives, etc.). You can specify the location to create the backup, instead of just a drive letter, which adds flexibility to your backup procedures. The backup created from our software contains all the data for your company, and allows you to restore this backup on a separate computer. This is the bare minimum type of data backup that we recommend performing. This gives you the data created by our system and the ability to restore it onto a new computer in the event of catastrophic data loss.

You are not able to create a backup directly onto a floppy disk or CD. If you need to store your backup on either of these you will need to create the backup on your computer first, then copy it one of these outside of SherWare.

Send Backup to SherWare Support
When this option is marked the backup that is created will be sent to SherWare's secure server instead of being stored on your computer.
This should only be marked if you were asked to send your backup by a support representative. If you send a backup that was not requested it will be deleted. This is not a way to store a backup for your use, but a way to allow SherWare to look at your data when assisting you with a support issue. For additional security, the tax ID's for each owner will not be included in backups sent to SherWare. We delete all of these backups once we are done with them. They are not archived. Be sure to notify SherWare support if a backup is sent.

Include Check Formats in Backup:
Any modifications made to your check formats will be included in the backup if this option is marked.

Include Report Formats in Backup:
Any modifications made to your report formats will be included in the backup if this option is marked.

Backup Location
If you would like the backup stored in a location other than default path specified then you can browse to a different location. Once you click on the browse button you will be able to select the location where you would like the file to be saved. When the location is highlighted you can press the ok button to select it.
If you are not comfortable navigating the folders on this window then you do not have to use it. Let the backup be created in the default location.

Backup
The backup process will start when this button is clicked on.

Exit
This button will close the window.

VFPCOMPRESSION Message
The first time that you include the check or report formats you may receive a message indicating that "The required version of VFPCOMPRESSION.FLL is not installed". If you purchased the software before these options were added you will need to download an updated version of these files before you will be able to include these formats in your backup. The message explains to you procedure that you need to follow. You will need to "exit the software and copy the files from Datafiles\Update. Then try the backup again."

A Note about CD Burners
The most common method of backing up our software is on a CD or DVD. A common question that we get asked during technical support calls is why it can’t create a backup to a CD/DVD drive. Windows doesn’t support direct writing to CD/DVDs, the same way you would save a file to a floppy diskette, or to a hard drive. Because of that, our software can’t write directly to CDs or DVDs. Specifying a drive that is a CD/DVD drive will cause an error, since our system isn’t able to create the backup file directly. A simple solution to this problem is to create the backup to your c:\ drive, and then use your CD/DVD burning software to copy the backup file created onto a disc. This method does require an extra step, but allows you to use CD/DVDs as storage media for our software. As mentioned above, the best backup solution is to copy the entire directory to your choice of backup storage device.

Regardless of the choices made about how you will backup the software, the important thing is that a backup plan is in place, in the event of data loss. A backup is only as secure as the location it’s stored in, however, which is why an off-site backup is the safest type available. In the event of a fire or other catastrophe, it’s unlikely that both the original data and the off-site data will have been destroyed. This can mean simply having someone in the office take the backup home each day, or by participating in a paid offsite backup program.