How to Backup QBPOS Desktop Company File

QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop has three different backups that can be performed. The different backup types are listed below.

• Scheduled Backup
• Manual Backup
• End of Day Process Backup

Individual Point of Sale always configures the backup to go to a folder named "QB Backup" on a particular workstation.  This allows all of our customers to always know where the backups for their QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop company are located.  It also allows Individual Point of Sale to standardize our offsite backup services (optional service) to help you protect your QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop company information.  If you only have one workstation using QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop, the backups will be saved to the following location on that workstation "C:\QB Backup".  If you have more than one workstation using QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop, we normally configure the backups to be saved to the "QB Backup" folder on another workstation other then the server workstation (for redundancy purposes).

Note: In a multi-workstation configuration, backups can only be performed from the server workstation.

Individual Point of Sale highly recommends that you always perform both the Scheduled Backup and the End of Day Process Backup each business day.  This way you have two different points in time backups of your data for one day.

Backup type #1 - Scheduled Backup

We highly recommend that you schedule the backup to take place at a specific time, instead of once a day when the server workstation exits Point of Sale. We also recommend that the scheduled backups be saved to a particular location on your workstation (or other workstation if you have more than one).

Important Note: Point of Sale must be running on the server workstation at the scheduled time and, if logins are required, a user with adequate rights must be logged in.  We strongly recommend you lock your computer if it will be unattended at the scheduled time.

To configure the scheduled backups, please follow these steps.

1. From the File menu, select Preferences and then select Company.

2. In the Data Safeguard section of the General page, select the checkbox for Every Day at and specify a time. We suggest that you schedule the backup a little bit after the midway point of your business day.

3. Change the backup location.

• If you only have one workstation running QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop, change the location to "C:\QB Backup".
• If you have multiple workstations running QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop, change the backup location to "\\WORKSTATIONNAME\QB Backup" (where WORKSTATIONNAME is the name of the workstation where you will be saving the scheduled backups to).
• If you are unsure of your situation, please contact Individual Point of Sale support at either [phone] option #3 or send an email to [e-mail].

4. If you use item pictures, specify whether they should be included in the backup.

5. Click Save.

The backup files that are created by the scheduled backups have a specific file name format.

File name format:  yyyymmdd0001.qpb

This file name represents a date plus a sequential counter:

yyyy  =  year, mm = month, dd  = day, 0001 = sequential backup number for the day

qpb  = the file extension for QuickBooks Point of Sale data files.

Let’s say that today is December 18^th, 2013 and your scheduled backup is configured to run at 1PM.  Once the backup is finished, you will have a file named “201312180001.qpb” in your “QB Backup” folder.  When the scheduled backup runs the next day, there will be a new file named “201312190001.qpb”.

One minute before the scheduled time, you will be presented with a window in Point of Sale informing you that a scheduled backup is about to take place and it also gives you three options to choose from.  If you do not make a choice in a minute, the scheduled backup will automatically take place.

Below is a screenshot of the window and the three options presented to you.

You are presented with the following options.

• Run Task Right Now
• Wait 5 minutes
• Skip Task This Time

If you choose “Run Task Right Now”, the software will go ahead and start the scheduled backup process immediately.

If you choose “Wait 5 minutes”, the software will wait for 5 minutes before prompting you again for a choice.  If you are in the middle of a transaction and want to finish it before the backup runs, choose “Wait 5 minutes”.  This option is effectively the same as a Snooze button on an alarm clock.

If you choose “Skip Task This Time”, the software will not prompt you again that day to perform the scheduled backup.  The software will attempt the scheduled backup at the same time the following day.

This concludes information on the Scheduled Backups.

Backup Type #2 - Manual Backup

Manual backups can be initiated at any time. If backing up to removable media, put the blank, formatted media in the drive before beginning.

Note: This feature is available only from the server workstation.

1. From the File menu, select Back Up Data.

2. Specify the backup location and options.
3. Click the radio button named “Back up to alternate location” and then enter the path or browse to the folder or drive and enter a file name. Individual Point of Sale highly recommends that you save your backup files in the “QB Backup” folder.

• If you only have one workstation running Point of Sale, change the backup location to “C:\QB Backup\” and then name the file “A_POSBackup.qpb”. Where A is the name of your Point of Sale Company.

• If you have multiple workstations running Point of Sale, change the backup location to “\\WN\QB Backup” (where WN is the name of the workstation where you will be saving the scheduled backups to).

• If you are unsure of your situation, please contact Individual Point of Sale support at either [phone] option #3 or send an email to [e-mail].
• Optionally select the checkbox to include inventory item pictures in the backup. Doing so may result in a substantially larger backup time or file size.
• If you already have a manual backup with the same name, it will ask you if you wish to overwrite the existing file. If you want to overwrite the existing file, check the option.  If you do not want to overwrite the existing file, please rename the file.

4. Click Back Up.

Point of Sale will verify the integrity of your data and perform the backup to the designated location.

This concludes information on the Manual Backups.

Backup Type #3 - Manual Backup

The End of Day procedure includes an option to back up your data.

Note: To include a data backup, the End of Day procedure must be run from the server workstation.

To back up data as part of End of Day procedure:

1. From the Point of Sale menu, select End of Day Procedure.

2. Select the checkbox to Back up your company data.

3. Click on the drop down box to the right of “Safeguard your data by creating a backup copy at”.

4. Click on the lowest entry in the drop down box.  This location will be the same location and file name that you configured in the Manual Backup.

5. Select the checkbox if you want to include inventory item pictures in the backup. Doing so may substantially increase backup time or file size.
6. Specify other End of Day options, as needed.
7. Click Start. (This will save the option/configuration settings that you have chosen)
8. The End of Day Process will now run with the options that you have chosen.
9. Going forward, you will run the End of Day Process at the end of each business day to perform the options that you have chosen.

Note:  The options in the End of Day Process will not be saved until you click “Start”.  The End of Day Process will automatically overwrite the End of Day backup from the previous day.

This concludes information on the End of Day Process Backups.

If you are using Individual Point of Sales offsite backup services, your nightly offsite backup will back up the contents of the “QB Backup” folder on your workstation(s).