Backups, updates and moving PC

#Where your data is

Everything is in the _system\data folder inside the app's folder. The installer hides _system to keep things tidy; in File Explorer, turn on View, Show, Hidden items to see it. Open Data Folder in the Control Panel opens it for you.

Downloaded PDFs are also kept in the app's Saved Invoices folder, one folder per client.

#Daily backups (Backup Management)

Every day the app copies all your data, invoices, clients, products, purchases, expenses, settings and the trash, into a dated backup, and keeps the last 30 days. The first backup of the day is made a few seconds after the app starts, and a computer left on overnight makes the next one soon after midnight. You do not have to do anything.

They are on the Backups tab of Settings, in the 💾 Backup Management + 🗑 Trash Bin card:

#Restoring a daily backup

Each row of 📅 Daily backups shows the date and time it was made, and also in your backup folder when a second copy exists. Use Restore when something went badly wrong, for example many records deleted by mistake, and you want all your data back as it was on that day.

1. Pick the dayFind the last day your data was right and click Restore on its row.
2. ConfirmThe app asks Restore all data from backup …? and explains that it overwrites your current data. Click Restore backup.
3. ReloadWhen it says Backup restored — please reload the page, press F5.

Before restoring, the app saves your data as it is now in data/backups/pre-restore-…, so you can go back if the restore looks wrong.

Delete removes one backup after asking, to free space; the copy in your backup folder stays. A row marked in your backup folder only has no Delete button.

#Keeping a copy somewhere else

Every day, automatically, on another drive. On the Backups tab of Settings, under Also keep a copy of every daily backup in this folder:

1. Type a folderOn another drive, a USB disk or a synced folder, such as D:\ReazixBilling or E:\.
2. Save itClick Save folder. The app checks it can write there and copies today's backup at once. The message says where the copies go.

Each daily backup is then also copied into Reazix Billing Backups\date inside that folder, keeping 30 days. The line under the box shows where. If a copy fails (a USB disk not plugged in), the card says so in red. Stop copying turns it off; copies already made stay.

If the computer fails: install the app again, set the same folder here, and its backups appear in the list with Restore.

Or by hand:

• One click: Create Backup in the Control Panel, or Back up my data in the launcher under More options, saves a ZIP in Documents\Reazix Billing Backups. Copy it to a pen drive or cloud storage.
• One file you choose: see Export Backup.
• Google Drive: see Cloud Backup (Google Drive).

Something wrong?

• "Could not use that folder": the folder does not exist, or the app may not write there. Make the folder first in File Explorer, or pick another drive.
• "copying today's backup failed": the folder was saved, but the drive was not ready. Plug the disk in; the next daily backup tries again.

#Export Backup and Import Backup (Data Management)

On the Import/Export tab of Settings, the Data Management card saves your data to one file, or brings a file back. Use it to keep a copy on a pen drive, to move data to another computer, or to bring back just your clients or products from an older backup.

Your data is on this computer only. Nothing is uploaded to us or anyone else; the only time anything leaves your computer is when you tick Also save a copy to my Google Drive, which goes to your own Drive. The file is plain text (JSON) you can keep anywhere.

• Export Backup…: see Export Backup.
• Import Backup…: see Restore from Backup.

#Export Backup

1. Open itClick Export Backup…. A window lists every part of your data, all ticked.
2. Choose what to includeUntick anything you do not want. Select all and Clear all tick or untick every one.
3. Google Drive copy (optional)Tick Also save a copy to my Google Drive if you set up Direct API Upload.
4. DownloadClick Download Backup. The file reazix-backup-date.json goes to your Downloads folder. Copy it somewhere safe.

#Restore from Backup

1. Pick the fileClick Import Backup… and choose a .json backup file.
2. Check what is in itThe Restore from Backup window shows when the file was made and, for each part, how many items it holds. Parts the file has are ticked; empty parts say empty and cannot be ticked.
3. Choose what to restoreUntick anything you want to keep as it is now. Select all (with data) and Clear all help.
4. RestoreClick Restore selected. The message lists what came back, such as Restored: 120 invoice(s), 45 client(s).

Records in the file replace the matching records in the app; records the file does not have are left alone, and parts you did not tick are untouched. Export your current data first, just in case.

Something wrong?

• "This file doesn't look like a Reazix Billing backup": you picked a different file. Backups are named reazix-backup-date.json. A ZIP from the Control Panel is restored there, with Choose Backup ZIP.
• Restored, but I do not see it: reload the page, and check the business selected at the top of the sidebar.

#Trash bin

Invoices deleted from a client's account on the Clients screen, or from the invoice list, go to the trash for 30 days, then are removed for good. They are listed under 🗑 Trash bin on the Backups tab of Settings, with the invoice number, client and date deleted.

• Restore puts the invoice back where it was. The stock its delete returned is taken out again. The message says Invoice restored.
• Delete forever removes it and its PDF straight away, after asking. This cannot be undone.

For an invoice already given to a client, cancel it instead of deleting it, so its number stays in your records.

#Moving to a new computer

1. On the old computerClick Export for Move in the Control Panel, or Move to another PC in the launcher under More options. It saves your data and settings as one ZIP on your Desktop. Copy it to a pen drive or cloud storage.
2. On the new computerInstall the app as usual.
3. Bring your data inIn the new Control Panel, click Choose Backup ZIP under Restore Backup and pick the file.

You can use an exported backup file instead: export on the old computer, and import it in Settings on the new one.

#Updating

Any of these installs the newest version:

• The Update to v… button that appears in the sidebar when a new version is out. It shows what changed, with Update Now, Remind me later and Skip this version.
• Update Now in Settings, App Updates.
• Update Now in the Control Panel.
• In the launcher, More options, then Update to the latest version.

Every update first saves a backup of your data in Documents\Reazix Billing Backups, then replaces the app. It never touches your data folder or your saved PDFs. It takes about a minute; reload the page when it finishes.

To update by hand instead: download the ZIP, stop the app, extract the ZIP over your app folder replacing the files, and open the launcher again.

If you extract a new ZIP into a different folder by mistake, its launcher does not install a second copy. It shows Already installed on this computer, with the folder, version and number of invoices, and offers Update the installed copy and Open the installed copy. The update uses the files in the folder you extracted, so it needs no download and works without internet; your invoices, saved PDFs and trash stay as they are. The new folder can then be deleted.

Updating also removes files that older versions left behind, such as launchers under their old names, once their replacements are in place. Your data, backups and Node.js are never touched.