ANSWER ID:13367

Backing up your RetailBasics shopfront data is an important process that you should perform on a regular basis.  Familiarising yourself with RetailBasics backup process will ensure your valuable data is secure and can be quickly restored if needed.  Backups are also crucial for the purpose of a safety net in the event that a computer may be stolen or damaged.

Solution Summary

Backup

1. Open RetailBasics.
   
2. Go to Alt+A Admin.
   
3. Go to the File menu and choose Backup.
   
4. Select a destination for the backup file then click Save.

Restore

1. Open RetailBasics.
   
2. Go to Alt+A Admin.
   
3. Go to the File menu and choose Restore.
   
4. Select the backup file to restore from then click OK.

Before you begin

For added security, the following is recommended:

1. Consider the storage media being used to store your RetailBasics backups. Due to the reliability and efficiency of the various high capacity storage media now available, we no longer recommend you use floppy disks for secure backup purposes. CD/DVD burners, Zip Drives and USB keys are a better option.
   
2. Make multiple copies of your back up data and store one or more copies of it off-site.
   
3. Setup your RetailBasics software so that when closing, you are prompted to backup your Shopfront data.  You can access these preference options by going to Alt+A Admin, click Customise Settings then click Prompts.

How often should I backup my RetailBasics Shopfront Data?

Ideally, your RetailBasics shopfront data should be backed up after each Count Takings procedure or at the end of each day. Should something happen to your RetailBasics shopfront data, you will be able to restore the backup of the last session.

Backing up RetailBasics

1. Open RetailBasics.
   
2. Go to Alt+A Admin.
   
3. Go to the File menu and choose Backup. The Save As window is displayed. This allows you to specify the location of the backup file that will be created.
   
   

   
   
   Note: The Backup window may appear slightly different to that shown depending on your version of Microsoft Windows, but the principles of specifying the file name and its destination drive/folder are the same.
   

4. By default, the file name will use the system date with the RB prefix) to name the backup, in other words rbYYMMDD.rb  This name can be changed if required. 
   

5. The location of the backup will be the path that is specified in RetailBasics (go to Alt+A Admin click Customise Settings then click Prompts). This can be changed using the Save In menu along the top of this screen, select the destination drive for your backed up data.  After selecting the drive, the folders of that drive will appear in the main panel.  Double click the folder icons to navigate to the folder where you would like your backup data to be stored.
   Note: If using CD-RW type CDs, and the software supplied with your CD Writer allows this type of CD to simulate a computer drive you should be able to select the CD writer when clicking the Save In menu.  Refer to the operating instructions of your CD writer software.
   

6. Click Save. RetailBasics will begin to backup your RetailBasics data to the destination drive/folder.

What happens when my RetailBasics Shopfront data is restored?

When restoring, RetailBasics reads the backup file and then creates a duplicate of the RetailBasics shopfront data as it was when it was backed up.  Once restored, it will overwrite any existing data within RetailBasics.  Only one Shopfront database may exist in RetailBasics at any time.

Restoring RetailBasics

1. Open RetailBasics.
   
2. Go to Alt+A Admin.
   
3. Go to the File menu and choose Restore. The Select File To Restore window is displayed. This allows you to locate and specify the backup file which is to be restored.
   
   
   
   Note: The Select File To Restore window may appear slightly different to that shown depending on your version of Microsoft Windows, but the principals of specifying the file name and its destination drive/folder are the same.
   
4. Select the location of the backup using the Look In menu along the top of this screen, select the destination drive for your backed up data.  After selecting the drive, the folders of that drive will appear in the main panel.  Double click the folder icons to navigate to the folder where your backup data is stored.
   
5. Once the backup file appears, click to highlight it and click OK.
   
6. At the following prompt, click Yes. Only one Shopfront database may exist in RetailBasics at any time.
   
   

Can RetailBasics data be restored using another method?

Retail Manager s backup function uses a common industry compression technology commonly known as ZIP, so your RetailBasics data can be restored by using most third party utilities including Pkzip and WinZip.  Please refer to these third party applications documentation for procedures on decompressing or "unzipping".  Please note that the backup file may need to be renamed from rbYYMMDD.rb to rbYYMMDD.zip