Backing Up RESUMate

Introduction

It is always a good idea to back up your database. RESUMate, Inc. does not have access to your data and cannot restore your data if you lose it.

RESUMate doesn't have an internal back-up feature, but it is still very easy to back-up. All you need to do is make a copy of your database file and store it in a secure, preferably off-site, location.

Backing Up Your Database File

All candidates, contacts, companies, job orders, and their associated telephone numbers, notes, and other related information is stored in your RESUMate database file (which has an ".RDB" extension). The database file you currently have open (and the folder on your computer or network where it resides) is shown at the bottom of the RESUMate window.

You can create a back-up simply by copying the file to another computer, a CD, a ZIP disk, flash memory or other storage media. Your .rdb file will vary in size depending on how many records you have in your database and on how long it has been since the last time you compacted your database. The file will be too large to fit on a normal 3.5 inch disk but will easily fit on one of the above media.

Backing Up Calendar Data

Data from the RESUMate calendar is not stored in the .RDB file. The calendar data is contained in a file named "ResWin.Dat". You can confirm the location of this file on the General tab of the Options window (opened through the Tools menu). If you are running RESUMate on a network, this file may be located on your server in a shared folder.

If you do not use the RESUMate calendar, you do not need to make a backup copy of the "ResWin.Dat" file.

Backing Up Record Attachments

Files that are attached to a RESUMate record are not stored within the RESUMate database file and will not be backed up when you make a copy of the database file itself.

Files attached automatically to a record when it is created are usually stored in your default attachments folder. You can see your default attachment folder location in Tools/Options, on the Attachments tab.

This folder will likely contain most of your attached files and making a copy of it, to another hard drive, a ZIP disk, tape, CD, DVD or flash memory will provide an effective back-up.

NOTE: RESUMate can attach any files on your computer to a record. If you have large numbers of files attached to records that do not reside in your default attachment folder, you should back those up separately.

If you should experience a loss of data or files, you will need to restore the attachments to the same folder location in which they were originally stored.

Backing Up E-Mail Log Data

If you use the E-Mail Log feature to see all messages sent and received for a given candidate or contact record, please note that this information comes directly from your Outlook program, and is not stored in RESUMate at all. Backing up your RESUMate database will not protect the log information from loss. Please see the help system in Outlook for information on how to back up your e-mail messages.

Back Up Schedule

Full backups of your RESUMate data should be done on a nightly basis. You should keep at least a week's worth of backups on separate media before overwriting earlier backup files. For example, you should have separate disks for backups made on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. If you need to restore Wednesday's backup, and that disk turns out to be no good, you still have several earlier disks to restore from as well.

Remember to test your back-ups to make sure that they work.

Your data is valuable. You should protect it. Backing up your data is an important task, and should not be an after-thought. It should be a daily procedure in the office that someone is assigned to do, or monitor.