rob Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Am I missing something? We have Acronis back up our entire system overnight to a External Drive and to a 2nd hard drive. Everything! I've dealt with cloud backup - so slow. So long to restore. Carbonite comes to mind. So if database gets corrupted, can't I just copy back in from yesterday's backup? Worked for ever prior year version of ATX. We had a backup and database folder in old versions. I'm asking in case I am misunderstanding something about 2012 version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Am I missing something? We have Acronis back up our entire system overnight to a External Drive and to a 2nd hard drive. Everything! I've dealt with cloud backup - so slow. So long to restore. Carbonite comes to mind. So if database gets corrupted, can't I just copy back in from yesterday's backup? Worked for ever prior year version of ATX. We had a backup and database folder in old versions. I'm asking in case I am misunderstanding something about 2012 version. The integrity of the backup files has been compromised from day 1. Export the returns to an external hard drive or a different network computer. It is the only thing that seems to keep data integrity.Each time the program does something stupid, the backup file is corrupted for the returns that have been worked on since the last backup.For next year... BE AFRAID! BE VERY VERY AFRAID!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFA Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Udate. Our backups are corrupt. The corrupt and missing client files are random and random dates last worked on. When we go to the "restore" feature, the most recent file is never salvagable, but for some files, we can go back to an earlier working session and salvage some or all of the data entered into the clients return. In our "restore" menu, the missing files show as a blank line. There is no client name. On closer inspection, it is not 400 returns, more like 100. The sun has come up, and we are going to push our way through this. Also, I think that there is a way to retrieve our e-filed returns from ATX. So it is our work-in-progress files that need some touch-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILLMAS Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 SFA please share what happened to your system the caused these files to get corrupted? I don't understand how this happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maribeth Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 The integrity of the backup files has been compromised from day 1. Export the returns to an external hard drive or a different network computer. It is the only thing that seems to keep data integrity. Each time the program does something stupid, the backup file is corrupted for the returns that have been worked on since the last backup. For next year... BE AFRAID! BE VERY VERY AFRAID!! Jack, please, what I hear you saying is that the import/export function is working correctly. The backup/restore function is corrupted. Is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Jack, please, what I hear you saying is that the import/export function is working correctly. The backup/restore function is corrupted. Is that correct? I think the backup/restore is fine if you are backing up to an external drive. I know that the export/import is. Just don't trust the backup in ATX. In any case, there should always be an external backup in case the entire computer would crash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maribeth Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 We have external backups and off-site backups and daily backups and weekly backups. But my question is whether the backup that I am getting from ATX is a good backup? If the function itself is corrupted then it really doesn't matter where I am storing my backups. The individual files themselves are unreadable. Is that what Jack is saying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandmabee Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Yes, I would like to know that also. Each night I back up thru ATX to an external hard drive. I don't use the export feature. I don't even have time to check. I guess I will worry about it after april. Was so looking forward to having some extra time off this summer. I know I will have extra extension this year. program too slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Attention Everyone! I have done backups in all the aforementioned methods. ATX2012 program is creating corrupted backup files. There is no difference when or where you do the backup. The files are corrupted.Want proof...Open ANY backup folder, find the actual files. See how many are 1kb in length. Each 1kb file is a corrupt backup for a client. Trust me on this. We lost 25 returns to 12.9 and I was hoping the backup files would save me. No such luck. A technician showed me the 1kb file situation. Since then, every backup I have created, no matter where or how is corrupted.Try restoring a return that has one of the 1kb file in the backup file.At this point, export seems to export all information and not be corrupted.Just wait... As time goes on, and especially next year, what I am saying will be blatantly obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandmabee Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 so you are saying we should "export" each file after the efile is accepted to an external hard drive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 so you are saying we should "export" each file after the efile is accepted to an external hard drive?At the end of the day, export all that have been created or changed that day. The update info is in Return Manager. It is time consuming, but here at the firm, we already have 1700+ returns in and I am taking NO chances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandmabee Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 so there is a difference between export and backup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maribeth Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Attention Everyone! I have done backups in all the aforementioned methods. ATX2012 program is creating corrupted backup files. There is no difference when or where you do the backup. The files are corrupted. Want proof... Open ANY backup folder, find the actual files. See how many are 1kb in length. Each 1kb file is a corrupt backup for a client. Trust me on this. We lost 25 returns to 12.9 and I was hoping the backup files would save me. No such luck. A technician showed me the 1kb file situation. Since then, every backup I have created, no matter where or how is corrupted. Try restoring a return that has one of the 1kb file in the backup file. At this point, export seems to export all information and not be corrupted. Just wait... As time goes on, and especially next year, what I am saying will be blatantly obvious. Jack, just looked at my backups, both in the "official" ATX backup folder AND in the external drive backup I maintain. ALL of my files are at 2kb, all of them. not 1 but 2. So I believe that my files are corrupted and will start exporting today. Thank you so much for the heads up. And I apologize that it has taken me so long to finally hear what you have been saying. Thanks for not stopping your advice in frustration. Maribeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Jack, just looked at my backups, both in the "official" ATX backup folder AND in the external drive backup I maintain. ALL of my files are at 2kb, all of them. not 1 but 2. So I believe that my files are corrupted and will start exporting today. Thank you so much for the heads up. And I apologize that it has taken me so long to finally hear what you have been saying. Thanks for not stopping your advice in frustration. Maribeth2kb is as bad as 1kb. You have it now meribeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFA Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Update: ATX technician called US! He was terriffic and we are now fully restored to our most recent client files. He was amazing, but doing things that are waaaaayyy above my level. We could not have done this without the technician from ATX. For now we just want to get back to work. He also recommended that we do manual backups of our files to another directory. Then our routine backups of our server should include these files within the ATX program directory: 1. Backup Folder 2. Efiles 3. EFIN Enrollment 4. Network Share Folder (which includes "Formset") He said that if we have these files, they can recreate our returns. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 ...He said that if we have these files, they can recreate our returns.Then he has a magic wand that no other technician has. A technician spent 2 hours trying to recreate the 25 we lost. He showed me how to spot the corrupted files.The backup folder they recommend to backup to another location, contains the backup files that will be corrupted, no matter what..When we lost ours, it was not a matter of not having the folders all backed up, it was the files inside the backup folder that are corrupt. Do not feel safe!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFA Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I believe you. I think we had a miracle. You are right about the corrupted backup files. He looked in something called "formset" and that was an essential piece to restoring our latest files. Not only in backup. But he did more than that and I do not have the expertise to relay the details. Again, got LUCKY. For anyone else who is nervous, I cannot reassure you with my experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I just checked and a whole _slew_ of my backed up returns are 1 and 2 KB files. Yikes!! My assistant and I exported _everything_ to separate folders on an external hard drive and we will do that daily from here on out. Thank you SO much for the warning, Jack, and procedures, etc. Thank you SFA for posting the info from the tech support guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee B Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Thanks Jack, I just checked and somewhere around 15 to 20 % of my backups are bad, mostly from the first several weeks of using the program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret CPA in OH Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Okay, now I am nervous. Please remind how to check for backups. I went to my ATX folder but can't seem to find anything logically named as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxbrewster Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Me too, checked my back up folder, all back ups had 2kb next to them. ATX SM my back up folder was hidden so you might have to unhide all files.... I exported all returns to a back external drive. Question: can I create a new fold to backup on my desktop?? Or do I need to keep it local to the ATX program folders? If so, what other items should be included in that back up program wise. Thanks to everyones help in the forum...nothing worst than needing backups and them not being there...well I guess bad software trumps that!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret CPA in OH Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Sooooo, where do I look? What is it called? My computer builder guy unhid all folders recently I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFA Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I know that calling ATX tech support takes time, but you may want to call them and ask them to check your files and help you make repairs if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret CPA in OH Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Thanks SFA but I just want to check to see if my files are 1kb or whatever that means. I don't know where to look. Knock wood, I have had virtually no problems and surely don't want any but do want to take precautions as are others. Just don't know for sure where to look for these little rascals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I had some that were 1 or 2 KB, but all of those had other backups ( ATX does 5) that seemed fine. I also online backup To iDrive each night, which also keeps 5 copies. Am I safe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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