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Store Your Data Remotely on the BCSS Server

Version 5.1.3320 of BCSS dated 8/24/09 adds a button to the Main Menu named 'Send Data'. When pressed your data files are automatically uploaded to the BCSS server for an additional backup copy of your files. (details)

The Importance of Data Back Up

By default data for your shop is stored in files located in the BCSS folder (C:\Program Files\BCSS). These files are worth the cost of having to reenter all data lost since the last backup of data.

It is imperative that data be stored off your computer. In the event of fire, theft, water damage, electrical surges, power failures, crashed drives... data can only be recovered if it saved on an external storage device like a floppy disk, CD, tape, memory stick, or online storage service. It is also a good idea to backup data each time using a different filename to avoid overwriting good data with bad data.

Idea: Have a backup for every day of the week.

Please do the following to have at least 2 copies of your data at all times.

Copy One:

  1. Right click on Start.
  2. Select Explore.
  3. Click on C:
  4. Click on Program Files.
  5. Right click on the folder named BCSS and select Copy.
  6. Go to the Desktop.
  7. Right click in a clear space and click Paste.

Copy Two:

  1. Plug a flash drive (pen drive, thumbnail drive, external storage device) into the PC's USG port.
  2. Click on Start then My Computer.
  3. Double click the drive for the flash drive.
  4. Right click in a clear space and click Paste.
  5. Right click on the new folder, select Rename, and give the folder a name, like data-4-8-10.

Back Up to the Hard Drive

Note: The back-up procedures below assume you can access the BCSS program. If that is not possible then back up data simply by coping the entire BCSS folder (C:\Program Files\BCSS) and pasting it in other locations (like the desktop or a flash drive). Note that files cannot be copied to a CD. To 'burn' files to a CD use Windows Media Player.

Create a folder on your PC for storing the BCSS back-up files. The folder can be on your computer's desktop for easy locating.

To create the folder -

This folder will contain the data back up files. Remember its name and where it is located - on your Desktop in the folder named 'data-[date]' (where 'date' is a the date of the file). You will be asked for this location when backing up and restoring data.

Next, open BCSS.

On the Main Menu select Utilities then Backup Database.

A window will open. It's appearance will vary from one version of Windows to the next, but the action will be the same, which is to click on Desktop:

then double click the folder named 'data-[date]' to open that folder. It will be blank because nothing has been added to the folder yet.

Select Open.

BCSS will go off screen for a moment then reset with your data now stored in the new folder.

Confirm the Backup

Verify that your files have been added to the new folder. Right-click on Start then click on Explore and select Desktop. Double click on the new folder and verify that files ending in .cdx, .dbf, .fpt and so on are present

Back Up to a Flash Drive, Memory Stick or other external storage device

It's a good idea to use different floppies or (folders on storage devices) for different dates, so if data becomes corrupted a recent good copy will be available.

Examples:

Have 7 backups, each labeled for a day of the week.

For flash drives and other storage devices, create a folder for each day of the week on the device.

Procedure

In BCSS, on the Main Menu, select Utilities then Create Backup or Backup Database Locally.

This time, instead of selecting Desktop, select the drive letter of the storage device. (This is usually A: for floppy disks. Any letter might have been assigned by your computer to the storage device, but it is usually D, E, F or G.)

Locate the letter for the storage device and double click on it. (The name of the drive will vary. Here the name is 'New Volume'.)

Your computer might have a button at the top for creating a New Folder:

If so, click on it. If not, right click on white space on the right and select New then Folder.

Enter a name for the folder, like data-4-8-10 and press Enter.

Select Open.

BCSS will pause for a moment then reset with your data now stored on the external storage device in the new folder.

Confirm the Backup

Verify that your files have been added to the new folder. Right-click on Start then click on Explore. Click on the drive letter for the storage device. Double click on the new folder and verify that files ending in .cdx, .dbf, .fpt and so on are present

Back Up to the BCSS Server

In BCSS, look for a button named Send Data on the Main Menu (upper right). If that button is not present, please contact support to update your program. (It was added to BCSS in August, 2009.)

Clicking the Send-Data Button automatically uploads your data files to our secure web server for storage. If you need the back-up files we can email them to you. Please include your shop's main email address in Program Setup on the General tab.

Weekly Backups are free.

Daily Backups ($79/year) provide manual backup of data once per day at any time.

Back Up to a CD

In most cases, data can not be copied onto a CD. A special program must be used for 'burning data to a CD'.

Most newer computers have such a program preinstalled, like 'Roxio CD Creator' or 'Nero'. Windows XP/Vista provides the same capability with Windows Media Player (Start, Programs, Windows Media Player).

Procedure

Put a blank disk in the CD drive.

Go to Start, Programs.

Select your CD Creator program (Windows Media Player, Roxio, Nero, etc.)

Choose to create a data CD or 'Burn'. It might look something like this:

Navigate to the BCSS Data folder on the Desktop and select that folder to add to the CD.

Select Record.

When finished, go to the Desktop, My Computer. Select the CD drive letter and verify that files are on the CD.

Note: The procedure for burning data to a CD will vary with the version of Windows and the type of CD-burning software you are using. Please refer to Windows Help (Start > Help) or to the help documentation for your software program for assistance.)

Restore Data

Restoring is basically the opposite of creating a backup.

On the Main Menu in BCSS, select Utilities, Restore Database. A window will open. Navigate to the directory where the data is stored. Select Save.

BCSS pause during the restoration and display the data when finished.

End-of-Day Procedures

At the end of every day, print out a Sales Recap (F9 - 'Today Sold').

Create two data backups - one to hard disk and the other to an external storage device - with the day's date. Take the external device home so you may recover from any shop disaster.

Also make a permanent backup to a flash drive at the end of every week.


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