MAINTENANCE MENU > Backups!

It is essential that you make daily copies of your database files on floppy diskettes or data cartridges or backup tapes for safe-keeping. This process is called backing up. The backups are important because your computer’s hard disk will fail at some point, ruining the data on it. Electrical disturbances could damage your data, somebody might accidently delete information, or your entire computer could even be stolen. In all these cases you will need to restore your data from the backups from the day previous to the mishap. You should even keep at least one backup of your data off the premises in case of a disaster at the store. This way you will have a copy of all your records safe which you can load into another computer.

This procedure describes how to back up files on an IBM or IBM-compatible computer. The instructions on backing up also appear in the user manual for your computer. The Jewelry Shopkeeper has provided these instructions for your convenience.

If you have a Macintosh computer, you will want to use a backup utility (such as FastBack — but there are many others) to backup just the DATA folder onto diskettes. At the beginning, when you have little data in the Jewelry Shopkeeper, you may be able to fit the entire DATA folder on to one diskette by simply dragging the DATA folder over a diskette icon.

To perform this procedure, first purchase approximately thirty diskettes. These can be obtained at a computer store, or through the mail for a lower price. Most computer magazines have advertisements in the back for diskettes through the mail. High-density diskettes hold substantially more data than double-density diskettes and will greatly speed-up the backup process.

Backing up is also the first step in the closing sequence.

XXXStep-by-Step Procedure

XXX1.Exit System

First, exit the Jewelry Shopkeeper by pressing <0> at each menu until the Command Menu appears with the Enter Your Choice -> prompt.

XX2.Format and Label Diskettes

If you have already formatted and labelled the diskettes, skip to step 3.

Format each diskette if necessary. This requires that you have the FORMAT.COM program on your hard disk. This is a DOS program that IBM compatible computer owners are required to buy with the computer. To format a diskette, at the DOS prompt (something like C:\>) type FORMAT A: and insert the floppy diskette into the floppy drive. If that gave you an error you can try typing \DOS\FORMAT A: or you could try typing \FORMAT A:. If none of these options worked, you may not have DOS installed on your computer, in which case you need to contact your computer vendor to find out if or where it was installed.

For DOS version 5.0, or higher, if you get a Disk Unusable error, at the end of the format command, try typing /F:360 for 5¼ diskettes or /F:720 for 3½ diskettes. I.E. FORMAT A: /F:360

You will be using about three diskettes for each day of the week. Each week, you will use the diskettes from the prior week. For example, each Monday you will use the diskettes labelled ‘Monday’ to back up. This will wipe out the backup from the prior Monday, and replace it with the current day's data.

Label three diskettes as Monday 1, Monday 2, and Monday 3, and the next three as Tuesday 1, Tuesday 2, and Tuesday 3. Continue to label the diskettes for each day of the week. (The number of disks needed for each day depends on the amount of information you have stored in the Jewelry Shopkeeper. After you have had the program for many months you will need more disks every day than you needed in the first month of using the Jewelry Shopkeeper)

NOTE:*} If you do not have a specialized backup program (such as Central Points CPBACKUP) you will have to use your DOS BACKUP utility. This is a utility that comes packaged with DOS that IBM compatible computer owners are required to purchase. The details of using this utility are in the DOS manual. The instructions below are not exhaustive, and are included for your convenience. You will need to know where your DOS utilities are on your hard disk drive. If you do not know, you should ask the person who configured your computer.

XXX3.Back Up

You may be able to backup from the Command Menu at the Enter Your Choice --> prompt, simply by choosing the Backup option from the menu. This option is a simple batch file running DOS commands. Below are the manual steps for using DOS to backup your data.

If you are running DOS 4.0 or higher, your computer needs to be in the subdirectory of your hard disk which contains both the BACKUP and FORMAT programs; commonly these are in the \DOS directory. I.E., you may need to type CD\DOS before issuing the instructions below.

In the instructions below, we have assumed that the Jewelry Shopkeeper is installed on drive C. If it is installed on a different drive, you must replace the C: typed below with the letter of your drive, e.g. D: or F:

Also, in the instructions below, we have assumed that you will be backing up to the A: drive. If you are backing up to the B: drive, you must replace the

A: typed below with B:

BACKUP C:\COMPLINK.JS\DATA.JS\*.* A:

Follow the instructions on the screen. Insert the diskettes with the current day named on them.

If you get an error message (such as BAD COMMAND OR FILENAME), try the following: (again, you might need to replace the C: typed below with the letter of your drive, e.g. D: or F:)

\DOS\BACKUP C:\COMPLINK.JS\DATA.JS\*.* A:

\BACKUP C:\COMPLINK.JS\DATA.JS\*.* A:

If you still get an error message, make sure that you have installed the DOS utilities on your computer and make sure you know which directory they are installed in. Ask the person who configured your computer where these utilities are.

XXX4.Store Backups

When the backup procedure is complete, store away the diskettes in a safe place.

XXX5.Monthly Backup

On the last day of the month, after backing up, remove the disks from the weekly rotation, put these diskettes away, and do not re-use them. This set will be a permanent record of your databases as of the end of that month. You will need some new disks to take the place of those ones in the weekly disk rotation.

XXX6.Additional Diskettes

As you use your system more and more, you will find you need more than three diskettes to back up the day's work. Use as many diskettes as necessary to complete the backup. Be sure to purchase more diskettes before you run out!