Backup Window

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This window allows you to create backups of your Birder's Diary database or restore from a previous backup. The database contains virtually all of your data, settings, tax lists, etc. You get to this window by choosing File | Backup/Restore... from the main menu.

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Create a Backup

To create a backup, type your drive, directory specification and filename into the Backup File field, or click on the "Browse for backup file" button $image\IMG00073.gif$ to browse and select a location and filename from within the standard Windows "Save As" dialog.

Once you have selected the destination and filename for your backup, click on the Backup button. Status of the backup operation will be displayed in red text underneath the "Backup File" text field. It will display "Done" when the operation has been completed.

$image\Alert.gif$ Many devices, such as CD-ROM drives, ZIP drives, DVD drives, etc are not supported for the Backup operation. When your desired destination is a drive that is not supported by the backup operation, initially backup to a local hard drive on your computer and then use whatever utility you have to move that backup onto your destination drive.

$image\lite-bulb.gif$ It is recommended that you keep regular backups on offline media, such as a CD-ROM in the event of a drive or computer failure. Birder's Diary can easily be restored at any time by reinstallation from the web as long as you have a backup of your database.

Restore from a Backup

$image\Alert.gif$ To restore from a backup, you must be able to start Birder's Diary and bring up this window. In order to do that, you must have a valid Birder's Diary database in your installation's /data directory (by default either "C:\Program Files\Birder's Diary\" or "C:\Birder's Diary\") by the name of database.mdb. If this doesn't exist, you cannot start Birder's Diary. You have a few options in this situation:

Move a backup copy of your Birder's Diary database into this directory and rename it to database.mdb. In this case, there is no need to do a Restore operation. As you have just done what the restore does: move a backup copy of your database into the installation /data directory!
Perform a reinstallation of Birder's Diary from the web. This process will determine that you are missing a valid database in the /data directory and install a blank copy. Now, you can start Birder's Diary, open this window and perform a Restore operation by selecting a file created using the Backup function on this window and clicking the Restore button.

To restore a copy of your database and overwrite your current database, click on the "Browse for Restore file" button $image\IMG00076.gif$ and select a file which was created using the Backup function on this window.

Once you have selected the backup copy of your Birder's Diary database, click on the Restore button. Status of the restore operation will be displayed in the red text underneath the "Backup File" text field. It will display "Done" when the operation has been completed.

$image\lite-bulb.gif$ Every time you do a restore, a copy of your current database that is about to be overwritten is made in your /data directory with the extension of .mdb_save. This is done just in case you really didn't want to do the restore.

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Backup File

$image\what.gif$ This is the file specification (drive, directory and filename) of the file to be either backed-up to or restored from. You can type into this field or have it automatically populated by selecting either browse button $image\IMG00073.gif$ or $image\IMG00076.gif$ . The last used value in this field is remembered and automatically set the next time this window appears.

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$image\what.gif$ This button opens a Windows Save dialog. It allows you to graphically browse and select a drive, directory specification and filename for the target of your backup.

$image\why.gif$ Use this button to graphically locate where you want to place your backup file instead of typing the drive, directory specification and filename into the Backup File text field.

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$image\what.gif$ This button opens a Windows Open dialog. It allows you to graphically browse and select the file that you will be restoring from.

$image\why.gif$ Use this button to graphically locate your restore file instead of typing the drive, directory specification and filename into the Backup File text field.

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Backup

$image\what.gif$ Click this button to start the backup process. You must have already selected a backup destination.

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Restore

$image\what.gif$ Click this button to start the restore process. You must have already selected a source backup.

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Close

$image\what.gif$ This closes the Backup/Restore window.