Your Company File Overview - Backing up company files

Some facts about making backups

Your Company File Overview > Backing up company files > Some facts about making backups

The process of making a backup of your MYOB AccountEdge company file is usually as easy as copying the company file to another location-a standard task that's quickly performed on any computer.

The time you spend making backups of your company file pales in comparison to the amount of time you may need to spend reentering data lost as a result of a damaged company file.

If you use the Backup command, you'll back up your company file only. Any custom forms, reports, spreadsheets and letter templates you've created won't be backed up because they aren't stored in your company file. You don't have to back up custom information as often as your company file, but you should keep a copy of your FORMS, CUSTOM, SPREADSHEETS, GRAPHICS and LETTERS folders in another location. These folders are in the location where you installed AccountEdge.

A location for your backup is displayed automatically in the dialog box that appears when you choose the Backup command. You can change the location, if you wish.

Make a note of the name and location of the backup so that it will be easy for you to find the file if you want to restore it at a later time using MYOB AccountEdge

If you don't want to use the AccountEdge Backup and Restore commands, other software programs are available that automate the entire process of making backups-not only for your AccountEdge company file, but for your entire hard disk, as well. If you don't want to take the time to make backups yourself, consider purchasing such a product.

(If you decide to use another software program for making backups, be sure to use the MYOB AccountEdge data verification feature to ensure your company file isn't damaged before you back it up. If you use a backup program other than the AccountEdge backup program, you won't receive automatic reminders to verify your data, so it's very important that you remember to perform this important task regularly. See Verifying company files to learn more about using the data verification feature.).

The MYOB AccountEdge Backup command creates a backup of the company file you're currently using, and compresses it to a smaller, more manageable size.

Making a backup requires single-user access to the company file; in other words, only one person can use this company file when this task is being performed. If other people are using the company file, they must close the company file -- either by exiting AccountEdge or by opening a different company file -- before you can continue. To see which users currently have the company file open, choose Active Workstations from the File menu.

We also recommend that you make multiple backups of your AccountEdge company file -- that is, more than one copy of your company file -- and store them at different locations. The purpose of multiple backups is simple: Backups can fail as easily as computers can. If you've made one backup of your company file and a computer problem damages the company file on your hard disk, your sole insurance is the backed-up file. If the diskette containing the backed-up file is damaged, as well, you're in just as much trouble as you would be without any backup at all.

Warning: We usually can't help if you don't have a backup

Not everyone makes backups of their AccountEdge company file, and we at MYOB often hear from these people as they attempt to recover from damaged company files. As much as we'd like to help, the most common way to regain lost data-if a backup doesn't exist-is to reenter the lost data, which may take hours, days or even weeks. Since you don't have time to waste, we suggest that you strongly consider making a commitment to making regular backups of your company file.

Some facts about backups

Following a system of making backups

Click below for the step-by-step procedure:

To make a backup

Your Company File Overview - Backing up company files - Some facts about making backups