CCS Payroll provides a facility for backing up and restoring your payroll data. To access this utility, click on Tools in the top-level menu.

There are two facts to keep in mind when backing up and/or restoring:

1. You can only back up or restore data from the active Data Source. In other words, you must be in the Company that you wish to back up before invoking this option. NOTE: Data is backed up by Data Source; if you have multiple companies in a single Data Source, they will be backed up simultaneously. If you have multiple Companies in multiple Data Sources*, you must run a separate backup for each Company.
2. You cannot have any of the Company's files open during the backup process. If you are in the program close it down completely, then open it only to the CCS Welcome Screen when invoking this option. The program will not let you attempt to back up or restore if you have any of the Company's forms open.

* As shipped CCS Software Payroll has been setup with multiple companies to be setup in multiple data sources. This is defined when you create the company the first time. On the first page of the company information leave the DataGroupID set to Auto (it will automatically set it to the correct company number, just be sure to leave it set to Auto as you are creating the company).

In order to fully expose the backup and restore process to the user, CCS Payroll uses batch files to control the processes. All of the batch files are located in the ...\CCSWin\Programs folder. (See below for file names.) You may modify these files to fit your specific computing configuration.

There are two options for backing up and two options for restoring:

1. Pre-Period Backup: Use this utility to back up your data after closing out one period, but before beginning the next one. The process will overwrite the previous pre-period backup. The name of the batch file that is invoked is PreBack.Bat.
2. Post-Period Backup: Use this utility to back up your data just before closing out a period. The process will overwrite the previous post-period backup. The name of the batch file that is invoked is PostBack.Bat.
3. Restore Post-Period: Use this utility to restore the last Post-Period Backup. The name of the batch file that is invoked is ResPostBack.Bat. NOTE: This utility will restore an entire Data Source. If you have multiple companies in a single Data Source, all of the companies will be restored.
4. Restore Pre-Period: Use this utility to restore the last Pre-Period Backup. The name of the batch file that is invoked is ResPreBack.Bat. NOTE: This utility will restore an entire Data Source. If you have multiple companies in a single Data Source, all of the companies will be restored.

Note: The backup directory can be sent as a parameter to the backup/restore batch files by including the text ?{BACKUP_DIRECTORY} in the tool command.

Close Backups. Prior to closing a period, a backup is created. This backup will be placed in the BACKUP directory, set via the directories dialog. If you have accepted the defaults during installation the backup directory will be ".\program files\ccswin\backups". You can (are encourage to) change this location via the directories dialog, to a device other than the drive where the primary (original) data is located.