Fun with computer crash

[joanmcq]

Ugh, last Thursday I got the dreaded blue screen of death on my main computer, the one that functions as my server.  My IT guy thought it was a software issue, he did manage to get it booted and I ran out & got a groovy 2TB external hard drive to back the whole HD up to.  

Then while in his care video card bites it.  That was the problem.  So I don't get the computer back until Tuesday afternoon, HD clean. Been reloading programs since then.

Turns out he didn't seem to copy the lovely Program Files folder. Ya know, the one with the last 3 years tax data.  But hey, I've got an online backup system too.  So this whole afternoon I've been trying to get the 2012 data restored. It's almost downloaded now.  I'm leaving for a conference Saturday and am not coming back for a week.  Network isn't quite up yet.  

[Elrod]

I feel for ya....  ...It happened to me years back on win. 98, a week before tax season.

Thinking of Ya..Good luck.

[mcb39]

I do a complete system backup at least once a month on alternating external hard drives.  It happened once on my old XP computer and we were able to restore the  entire content of the hard drive flawlessly.  I use EaseUs To Do Backup.

[Catherine]

Joan - sympathy!!!  Good luck getting your data back, and forget ALL about it while you are off at your conference.

[joanmcq]

Thought I had it covered.  One thing I did want was to clean up the drive because it was cluttered with a bunch of crap that had accumulated over the years.  I'm only restoring what I need.  But I'm having issues with iDrive now.  On chat with technical support

 

[joanmcq]

Can someone steer me to where the actual return backups are located?  Program data\CCH small firm services\ATX2013 doesn't have a Backup folder.  The ATX 2013 Server file does have a backup file, but it's frikkin huge and appears to be by date.  That one was empty and I did a copy-paste from my backup, but no files appear in the window when I click on restore files.

i did not change the default location to backup.

In 2014 the backups are in the 2014 server folder

[jklcpa]

I don't know if this might page from the ATX KB might help:

http://cchsfs-atx.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14572/kw/2013 backup location

or try seaching the drive for files having the extension  " .atxBackup" in the name to find their location.  Enter " *.atxBackup" in the search box. It should bring up all the backups for your clients along with formsets, company folder, payers, preparers, hourly rates, everything that the program creates a backup of.

[Abby Normal]

C:\ProgramData\CCH Small Firm Services\ATX 2013 Server is the correct location.

I would just copy the entire folder, not just the backup folder. And yes it is HUGE! Mine is 12GB.

[joanmcq]

Found out you have to copy the entire server folder.  Called tech support today and my first gal couldn't get the 2013 files to load and pretty quickly got Derrick from higher tech support.  Derrick was awesome and got 2013, 2014 up and running in no time flat then installed payroll for 2012, 2013, & 2014 and mapped them to the network which I'd never been able to do. Then I had to quickly finish a 2011 return that I was just starting when the whole thing went down.  Meet with client to get the 2012 data, schedule the monthly payroll deposits, eat dinner.

tonight I get to run that 2012 return for the same client, make a bank deposit, then pack for the CSTC conference in Vegas. Put windshield wiper fluid in the car.

damn I'm tired. It was a high as hell stress afternoon.  And yes, I'm charging the client quite well for the back returns.