It is important to have a backup of the Z database in case something happens to your server computer. The Z Software Support Team are able to restore your programs using these backups.

Generally speaking, your Z Software database backup will be scheduled to run every night and set to save to your server, a USB and/or a network location in the pharmacy.

If your backup fails to run at night, a warning will appear when you restart one of the Z programs and every two hours thereafter.

You will have the option to run the backup again by clicking YES to the prompt.  This is in the case that it was a once off failure or due to a known cause (e.g. the destination computer for the backup was off).

If the prompt continues to appear even after multiple attempts, please read through the rest of the articles to diagnose possible causes.

Common Reasons for Backup Failure

1. Network Location was switched off or USB was unplugged
2. Low Disk Space

The most common reason for a backup failing is if the network location is switched off or the USB is unplugged. Check to see if your USB/network location is plugged in or switched on (if you back up to either of these) then try running the backup again. Sometimes these backup locations can run low on space, so you will need to ensure there is adequate space before running the backup again. Running the backup should only take 5-15 minutes depending on how many backup locations you have. You can run the backup whilst trading but it can slow the system down slightly. 

How to check if you have enough space on the computer?

It is important to check how much space you have on you computer to ensure the backup will run successfully. The default location for the backups is the server computer. To check if you have enough space on the server:

1. On the server computer, locate the file explorer using one of the following methods:
   a. Double click on 'This PC' on the desktop
   b. In the start menu, search for 'Explorer' and run the 'File Explorer'
2. In the new window, ensure that you have the 'This PC' section selected on the left-hand panel:
   
3. You will see the drives connected to the computer. Ensure that the appropriate locations have enough free space. It is recommended that you have at least 20gb of free space (30gb if you have run any backups before).
4. The process should be the same for any additional backup locations.

Running the Backup again

1. Go to Z Office > Tools > Scheduled Tasks > Manage Scheduled Tasks
2. Press Search to load all your scheduled tasks. You should find at least one database backup, monthly debtor account accounts and scheduled reports if you have any
3. Highlight one of your backup tasks and press 'Run Scheduled Task'

You will stop getting the Backup Failure warning if the backup ran successfully. If you continue to get the warning, contact Z Software Support.