Knowledge Base

How can I restore a backup copy of my data after a hard drive crash or installing on another computer?

Answer/Resolution

This article assumes you made a backup copy of your original data, either by using the File >> Backup Data option in the menu, or by simply backing up the program folder to another disk or CD.

Envision stores member and attendance information in a file called EnvData.mdb.  If you've added pictures to any of your member profiles, those are stroed separately in a subfolder called Photos.  Both the data file and the Photos subfolder should be backed up and transferred to the other computer.  Where this article refers to EnvData.mdb, it is implied that you would also copy the Photos folder if it exists.

In order to restore a backup to Envision, you need to place a copy of your backup data file into the program folder (C:\Program Files\Envision).  You can do this using Windows Explorer or by double-clicking the My Computer icon on your desktop.  See the bottom of this article for detailed instructions.

If you made a backup via the File >> Backup Data menu option, the backup file name has a different file extension, meaning it will have something else in place of the ".mdb" portion of the filename.  You will need to rename it to EnvData.mdb before it will show up in Envision.

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Detailed intructions for transfering files in Windows:

If you don't already have the data on a floppy disk or CD and the two computers are not networked together, you'll need to do this first.  If you already know how to burn a CD on your computer, follow the process you're used to rather than these instructions.

1. On the computer you are getting the data from, insert a floppy disk or prepare a CD for burning using your CD software.
2. Right-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.  Choose Explore.
3. Using the list on the right, open up the tree until you see the contents of the C:\Program Files\Envision folder.
4. Drop down the Tools menu and choose Folder Options.  Click the View tab.
5. Find the item in the checklist labeled "Hide extensions for known file types".  Make sure this box is cleared (no check in the box) and click OK.
6. In the right-hand part of the screen that shows the contents of the Envision folder, find EnvData.mdb.  Right-click this file and choose Copy.
7. Back on the left-hand side, find your floppy drive (usually A:) or your CD-ROM drive (usually D: or E:) and click it.
8. Right click on the icon for the drive and select Paste.  The file will copy to this location.

Once you have the data on a floppy or CD, insert it into the computer you want to copy Envision data onto and follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the My Computer icon on your desktop.  Choose Explore.
2. Using the list on the right, open up your floppy or CD drive.
3. Locate the EnvData.mdb file.  (If you're restoring a backup you made, this file might be called something like EnvData.OLD.bak instead.) Right-click it and choose Copy.
4. Back on the left, open up the tree until you see the contents of the C:\Program Files\Envision folder.
5. Right-click on the Envision folder on the left and choose Paste
6. If it asks you whether you want to overwrite the existing file, answer Yes (or OK).  Note that this will completely replace any Envision data you previously had on this computer.
7. Remember, if you're restoring a backup you made, you've copied the backup file into the Envision folder.  You may need to rename the file to EnvData.mdb before your data will show up in Envision.