How to get here

 


(For single or multi-terminal LabManager): From the Windows Start Menu, choose All Apps (or All Programs) > LabManager > Restore LabManager.

You will need to log in using a LabManager user account that has Restore Data permission.


 

 

 

Description

 

LabManager Restore will allow you to restore from a backup you have previously made with LabManager Backup.

If you backed up a single terminal LabManager then you will have a zip file. If you backed up a multi-terminal LabManager then you will have a folder containing the data.


Note that any attachments in the backup file will NOT automatically be restored. If you need to restore attachments from the backup, you will need to copy these out of the backup manually. If you are not confident in doing this, please contact the Transactor Support team.




 

Quick Reference

 

 

Restore Now button

Start a restore from the backup source specified in the top panel. Note that restoring will overwrite any data already in the LabManager database.

Restore from this backup:

Shows the selected backup source.

Select a Backup File to restore from button

Select a source backup file or folder.

Make a backup of this database before overwriting it (excludes external attachments)

If this box is ticked, a backup will be made of the current LabManager database, before it gets overwritten with the contents of the backup you are restoring from.

Any files in the current By Reference folder are NOT backed up. If you need to backup those files, either do so manually, or close the Restore utility, and use the LabManager Backup utility.

Note: The current By Reference folder can be set in Setup Wizard > Other Settings.

Save settings on close

Leave this ticked to use the same options the next time you use the restore utility.

Close button

This button will close the backup utility.

 

 

 

 

 

Using LabManager Restore

 

 

How often should I backup?

 

Each time you exit LabManager. It doesn't take long and you can never have too many backups. As a minimum though, at least once a day.

 

 

Where should I backup to?

 

You should backup to a removable device, or to your own supplied cloud drive eg. Google Drive, Dropbox.

 

Backing up to a local folder (eg. C:\transactor\backups) is also ok, providing you have procedures in place where you copy the backups regularly to a safe location such as your own supplied cloud drive or Memory stick.


Consider backing up directly to an external device or your own supplied cloud drive, rather than the hard drive in your computer. Imagine if all your backups are saved on the same hard drive as your LabManager database, and the drive fails... you might lose your live data AND all the backups you've made.

 


Understanding the backup file

 

Each backup produces a file or folder which is named after the source database and date-time stamped.

 

For example, a backup made at 16:08 on 6th July 2021 for Demo Dental Lab (ID 4503) will produce a file or folder named 2021_m07_d06_1608hrs_Demo_Dental_Lab_4503.

 

It contains all your LabManager data including your company details, registration details, customer records, and all jobs and invoices etc. In fact, everything that you could see and access in LabManager before you exited and started the backup. 


If you are creating a zip file backup, then this will be compressed and should produce a file that is a bit smaller than your live database.


If you are creating a multi-terminal backup, then this will also be a little smaller than your live data, but it won't be such a big saving as the zip file.

 


How do I get the data back if i need it?

 

You use LabManager Restore which will prompt you for where your backup file is. If you've got lots of backup files, then you'll probably want to pick the most recent one.

 

If your backup destination (see Quick Reference above) was set to  C:\transactor\backups   then that's where you'll find the backup file to restore from.

 

If your backup destination was set to a removable device or your own supplied cloud drive, then you'll need to have access to that location and tell LabManager Restore where it is.

 


How do I take my LabManager data home, use it there, then bring it back?

 

At the lab, you'd exit LabManager and do a backup to a memory stick or your own supplied cloud drive. Then at home you'd use LabManager Restore. When you're finished working at home you can run a backup from the home LabManager, and restore on the lab LabManager. 


Note that every time you restore from a backup file, you will be wiping and replacing any LabManager data that was already present on that computer.

 

Alternatively, consider working by remote access or on LabManager (cloud version).

 

 

 

Also See

 

LabManager Backup