Once the TLP program is closed on the server and all workstations, you should immediately back up the program and data. With many computer systems, you cannot back up open files, so all users should log off and TLP should be closed (not running) on all user computers before a backup is made.
On most systems, a complete backup of the TLP program and data can be made by backing up the following folder on the computer that hosts the database (the server): C:\Program Files\Title Loan Professional Plus (however, some companies for internal reasons may elect to store the program and data elsewhere, so if your company has relocated this folder these instructions cannot be followed verbatim, although the techniques will be the same).
To verify that you are backing up the correct data, you can check the last modification date on the main database file. The full name of this file is titleloan2k_be.mdb (the .mdb extension may not be displayed, depending on how Windows is configured). This file is normally contained in a database subfolder called C:\Program Files\Title Loan Professional Plus\Database. If your "live" data file is not stored in the default folder of the computer hosting the database, we strongly urge to you consider relocating the file to the default folder. Failure to use the default folder may cause any number of problems, including not being able to use the instructions and examples in this document.
Discussing full backup protocols and procedures is beyond the scope of this document, but suffice it to say that every company should back up on a daily basis, rotating backup media, and keeping off-site backups. It is also advisable to keep a backup log, to backup on multiple different types of media (CD, DVD, tape, etc.), and to verify that backup files can be read and restored. Failure to do any of the preceding may result in a situation where your company can lose part or all of its data at any time.
When backing up, we strongly advise that you do not attempt to drag and drop the Title Loan Professional Plus folder, or any of the individual program or database files. Dragging and dropping can easily result in the files being moved, in which case the program will no longer function and data, in the worst of cases, might be lost. Also, do not use a "cut" and "paste" operation to back up, as the "cut" function will delete the files from the hard drive! And it's dangerous to use a "copy" and "paste" function, because it's easy to accidentally "cut" rather than "copy." We've seen users accidentally delete their programs and data with both methods!
Instead, if you are backing up using Windows, right click on the Title Loan Professional Plus folder, and select either Copy or Send To. If you are backing up to a CD or DVD, the Send To method is easiest: simply send the folder to the CD drive (this of course requires you to have a CD-burner that supports burning CDs directly from Windows). For a sample backup session, see the example at the end of this section.
If you are backing up to a drive or device that is not available using Send To, you can select Copy, then use My Computer or Explorer to paste the copied folder to the desired destination. However, you must be extremely careful not to accidentally select "cut" rather than "copy." If you do "cut" by accident, don't panic! If you immediately "paste" the "cut" files into the same location, your files should reappear, but you must be careful that they end up in the right location within the Program Files folder. If you are using special backup software, your backup procedure will be different. It is beyond the scope of this documentation to discuss every possible way that backups can be made. If you have any questions about how to back up, please consult with the person in your company who decides on such matters, as we do not know the company policies of our customers. However you back up, it is important to make sure your backup files are accessible and can be restored when necessary.
Example backup session:
On the computer hosting the TLP data, go to My Computer
Note the drive letters of the local hard drive and the backup drive
In this example the local hard drive is C: and the backup drive is a CD-RW drive D:
Double click on the local hard drive icon (C:)
Browse down to the Program Files folder and double-click it
Browse down to the Title Loan Professional PLUS folder and left click it to give it focus
Right click on the highlighted Title Loan Professional PLUS folder
Select Send To from the menu
Select the destination drive, which in this example is the CD-RW drive D:
What happens next depends on the version of Windows being used, whether the CD has pre-existing files on it, whether the CD has room to save the files being copied, and whether your computer uses special software or a wizard to burn CDs. It is always a good idea to check the CD once the backup has been made, to make sure the correct folder was copied and that the file titleloan2k_be.mdb in the Database folder has the current system date. If it doesn't, you either backed up the wrong folder, or the current database is in the wrong folder, or the backup didn't work correctly. If any of these is the case, it is imperative that you determine the problem and make sure that you have a good backup. It is also a good idea to make sure that you can restore files from your backup CDs from time to time. However, be sure not to restore and old copy of the files on top of the current live files, or you may very well lose data. Instead, restore files to a test folder.