We have started to notice a disturbing trend of people leaving their desks and leaving database files open. Sometimes these are left open all weekend! Also, people are spending hours in Word or Excel WITHOUT SAVING ALONG THE WAY!
Many programs use databases to store your data. These include QUICKBOOKS, SAGE, PCLAW, and JURIS to name a few. All of these programs store your data in a database and usually on a different machine like a server.
1. You can’t backup if the file is open. If you go to backup QuickBooks, for instance, and it is open anywhere in the building, it will simply refuse to backup. If we are using the automated backup, then it fails.
2. When you open a network file, some data is kept on the local machine. That data is written back to the server when the file is closed. If the power were to go out or the network glitches, the file connection would be severed without closing. This can cause data corruption or a lost file.
3. Auto-recover in Microsoft Office is a last resort. It’s designed to offer some protection for a local machine working with local files. It is not a reliable alternative to regular saving.
We rely on these backups in the event of hardware failure or malware infection. Your business data is at risk when these files can not be backed up. Imagine losing several weeks of data in QuickBooks because every night someone left it open and backups were rarely successful. How much time and trouble would that cause you?
Please close all files when you are leaving your desk for more than a few minutes!
