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3.14. How do I make a backup in EstiMate 2?

Q:  How do I make a backup in EstiMate 2?

 

A:  It's very easy to make a backup of your data in EstiMate 2.  It's also very important that you remember to do this on a regular basis as EstiMate does not do this for you "automatically", nor does it remind you to do it. 

 

To make a backup in EstiMate:

• Click the Configure and Manage tab, and then click the "Backup / Restore Data Files" button.

• When the Backup / Restore window comes up click the "Backup" tab, and then the "Backup" button.

• A "Save As" dialog window will come up.  At the top where it says "Look In" select the location you wish to save the EstiMate backup file (e.g. Desktop, My Documents, external hard drive, USB Flash Drive, server computer, etc.).

• Down at the bottom of this window you will need to give the backup a "File Name".  You can name the file anything you want, but we recommend something like "EstiMateBackup01-01-2008" (without the quotes) so that it's easily identifiable and you know when it was created (and how far back you'll go if you have to restore this backup).

• You do not need to change the "Files of Type" section as "ZIP files" should already be selected, and that is the type of file it needs to be.
  

• Next click the "Save" button.  EstiMate will begin backing up all of your data from EstiMate (everything in EstiMate will be backed up - Customers, materials, Jobs, Estimates, settings, etc.).

• You can watch the progress of the backup as it's being made.  When it's finished it will say "Done", and you can click the "Close" button.

If you are using the EstiMate Multi-User Server to connect your copies of EstiMate to the same database then you only need to do the backup from one of the EstiMate stations.  This will backup all of the data that is on the Multi-User Server.  You don't always have to make the backup from the same machine but it is recommended that you save the backups to a central location so that when you need one you don't have to search multiple computers looking for the most recent backup file.

If you are using more then one copy of EstiMate, but maintaining separate databases then you will need to make a backup from each copy of EstiMate that uses it's own separate database.  EstiMate only backs up the database it is currently connected to.