Troubleshooting the Built-In Backup Program

Last reviewed: 02/03/2012
Article ID: R10278

The information in this article applies to:

Tabs3 Billing Software Versions 15, 14, & 12
PracticeMaster Versions 15, 14, & 12
Tabs3 General Ledger Software (GLS) Versions 15, 14, & 12
Tabs3 Accounts Payable Software (APS) Versions 15, 14, & 12
Tabs3 Trust Accounting Software (TAS) Versions 15, 14, & 12
System Configuration Versions 15, 14, & 12

Note: If you are working with Version 16 products, please refer to Knowledge Base Article R11420, "Troubleshooting the Built-In Backup Program (Ver. 16)".

Back Up Data Files program

General Information
What data files are backed up?
What data files are not backed up?
Back Up Process Not Responding
2GB File Size Limitation
Error messages encountered with the Back Up Data Files program / Restore Data Files program.
Integration Settings and/or Installed Programs Do Not Match

General Information

The Back Up Data Files program (File | Back Up Data Files) is used to make a temporary backup of the data files before running a program in the software where you are cautioned to make a temporary backup. This backup procedure is a temporary backup and is not intended to replace your regular backup procedures. It is important to make sure that regular backups are kept off-site in case of hardware failure, theft, flood, etc. It is important to note that program files within the working directory are not backed up by the Back Up Data Files program. For more information regarding which files are program files, refer to R11046 - Program File Names.
The backup files are stored in a folder (or subdirectory) named BACKUP that is located beneath the program directory. Each time the backup program is run, the information is backed up to the following file name with an ARQ extension. If the ARQ file already exists, the software renames the ARQ file to a BAK file (provided the backup procedure succeeds).

CSV Note: If you are running Client Server Version (CSV) software (rather than standard multi-user software) you will have access to HotBackup (File | HotBackup). HotBackup allows you to back up data files while other users are logged into the software. Troubleshooting information for this backup program is provided in KB Article R11193, "HotBackup Overview."

Product Name	ARQ File Name	BAK File Name	Secondary Backup File Name
All Tabs3/PracticeMaster Products v15, v14.3 & v14.2	STBACK.ARQ	STBACK.BAK	STBACK.SND
Tabs3 Billing Software v14.1, v12 & v11	T3BACK.ARQ	T3BACK.BAK	T3BACK.SND
PracticeMaster v14.1, v12 & v11	PMBACK.ARQ	PMBACK.BAK	PMBACK.SND
PracticeMaster Briefcase v14.1, v12 & v11	BCBACK.ARQ	BCBACK.BAK	BCBACK.SND
Tabs3 General Ledger Software (GLS) v15, v14.3 & v14.2 (non-integrating GLS client)	GxxxBACK.ARQ	GxxxBACK.BAK	GxxxBACK.SND
Tabs3 General Ledger Software (GLS) v14.1, v12 & v11	G5BACK.ARQ	G5BACK.BAK	G5BACK.SND
Tabs3 Accounts Payable Software (APS) v14.1, v12 & v11	A3BACK.ARQ	A3BACK.BAK	A3BACK.SND
Tabs3 Trust Accounting Software (TAS) v14.1, v12 & v11	T4BACK.ARQ	T4BACK.BAK	T4BACK.SND
System Configuration v14.1, v12 & v11	SCBACK.ARQ	SCBACK.BAK	SCBACK.SND
Note: See KB Article R11167, "Built-In Back Up and Restore Programs" for more information on Version 15, 14.3 & 14.2 backup file names.

GLS Note (Version 14.1 and earlier): Although GLS can manipulate multiple sets of data, only the data for the currently selected GLS client is included when the temporary backup is created in GLS. If the existing backup file contains data for a GLS client other than the currently selected client, the following message is displayed:

The current backup has client x stored. If you proceed, the backup for that client will be lost, and the backup for client y will overwrite the current backup. Do you still want to proceed?

The GLS Data Path for the currently selected GLS client is included with each data file that is backed up so that if the backup is restored, the data files will be restored to the correct directory. If the currently selected GLS client's data path is blank, the GLS program directory indicated in Help | About GLS is written to the backup as the GLS Data Path for each file. For example, suppose GLS Client 1 is the currently selected client and has a blank data path, and the GLS program directory is S:\STI. When the backup is made, the backup file will include S:\STI\G5LOG.DTA, S:\STI\G5MSTR.DTA, etc. Likewise, if the shortcut used to access GLS when the backup is made uses a UNC path such as \\Server\STI, the backup will include \\Server\STI\G5LOG.DTA, etc.

If you have the STARQ.EXE utility, you can use the STARQ -V (filename) command to view the contents of the backup file (including the path to each backed up GLS data file). The STARQ.EXE utility can be downloaded from http://www.Tabs3.com/support/utilities.html.

Aborting a backup causes no changes to the ARQ or BAK files.
The manual and Help for each of the software systems lists which programs display a message cautioning you to make a backup before the specified program is loaded.
When restoring a file, the ARQ file is the file that is restored. If the Store current data in a secondary backup file before restoring check box is selected, the current data files will be backed up to a file with an SND extension and then the ARQ file will be restored. Should you need to restore the secondary backup file (??BACK.SND), you must manually rename the ??BACK.SND to ??BACK.ARQ (i.e., using Windows Explorer) and then run the Restore Data Files program.
Tabs3, PracticeMaster, and Tabs3 Financial Software products incorporate compression technology in the backup and restore programs.
Temporary files named CX00???.$$$ may be found in the \BACKUP folder if the backup process is interrupted. These files are temporary files and can be deleted.

What data files are backed up?

The following files are backed up and compressed into a single file during the backup procedure. In Version 14.2, the data for all software products is backed up when running the Back Up Data Files program.

Product Name	Files Backed Up
Tabs3 Version 15, 14, 12 & 11	T3.DAT, T3.IDX, .T3D, WT3REP.TOC, T3STMT.PC, .TLX, TABS_CM3.DTA, CM3_TABS.DTA, T4.DAT, T4.IDX, .TRD, WTRREP.TOC, .T3R, *.T3L Archive files are always backed up.
PracticeMaster Version 15, 14, 12 & 11	Corresponding .DAT and .IDX files for each file in the PracticeMaster File Tree, .RW, COIEXCLD.TXT, COI.IDX, WCM3LST.DAT, CMSUPPRT.DAT (v12.1 and earlier), CMHDAY.DAT, CMHDAYD.DAT, CMXREF.DAT, CMXREF.IDX, CMRW.TOC, CMRW.LOC, CMBR.DAT, .TLX, STUDATA. (v12 and later), STEMXREF.* (v12 and later), CMARC. (v12 and later)
PracticeMaster Briefcase Version 15, 14, 12 & 11	Corresponding .DAT and .IDX files for each file in the PracticeMaster File Tree, .RW, COIEXCLD.TXT, COI.IDX, WCM3LST.DAT, CMSUPPRT.DAT (v12.1 and earlier), CMHDAY.DAT, CMHDAYD.DAT, CMXREF.DAT, CMXREF.IDX, CMRW.TOC, CMRW.LOC, .TLX, STUDATA. (v12 and later), STEMXREF.* (v12 and later), CMARC. (v12 and later)
GLS Version 15, 14.3 & 14.2	For all GLS clients set to integrate with Tabs3, APS, or TAS: G5.DAT, G5.IDX, .GLD, .GRW, WGLREP.TOC, GLRWDEF.TOC, JORPAY.IN, GLSPAY.DTA, GLSASCII.DTA, GLSPEN.DTA
GLS Version 14.1, 12, & 11	For currently selected GLS client only: G5.DAT, G5.IDX, .GLD, .GRW, WGLREP.TOC, GLRWDEF.TOC, JORPAY.IN, GLSPAY.DTA, GLSASCII.DTA, GLSPEN.DTA
APS Version 15, 14, 12, & 11	A3.DAT, A3.IDX, *.APD, WAPREP.TOC
TAS Version 15, 14, 12 & 11	T4.DAT, T4.IDX, .TRD, WTRREP.TOC, T3.DAT, T3.IDX, .T3D, WT3REP.TOC, *.TLX
System Configuration Version 15, 14, 12 & 11	ST.DAT, ST.IDX

What data files are not backed up?

The following files are not backed up when running the Back Up Data Files program:

Product Name	Files Not Backed Up
All Products	The Support Log data files (STSUPPRT.DAT and STSUPPRT.IDX). The STI.INI file. The contents of the BACKUP folder. QUIKDATE.DAT *.LOG files
Tabs3 Version 15, 14, 12 & 11	T3.DTA, T3.KEY
GLS Version 14.1, 12, & 11	G5CLIENT.DAT, G5CLIENT.IDX, G5CONFIG.DAT, G5ERRORS.DAT
APS Version 15, 14, 12, & 11	A3ERRORS.DAT
System Configuration Version 15, 14, 12 & 11	STTASK.DAT, STILOCK.DAT

Back Up Process Not Responding

If the back up process appears to be locked up, frozen, or hung and the progress meter indicates that 100% of the backup has completed, this typically indicates that the 2GB backup file size limitation has been reached as documented in the following.

2GB Backup File Size Limitation

The technology used to create the built-in backup has a maximum compressed file size of 2 gigabytes. The compressed file size limitation typically is encountered when backing up PracticeMaster and only by a very small percentage of firms. If this file size limitation is reached, a "Backup Not Successful..." error message will be displayed; however, it may take a significant amount of time before this error message is displayed. Although the progress meter will show that 100% of the backup has completed, it will not indicate that it has completed and will appear to be locked up. Additionally, the Windows Task Manager will show a status of Not Responding. If you wait long enough, the Backup Not Successful error message will be displayed. Additional information regarding this limitation can be found in KB Article R11134, Large File Size Limitations in Tabs3 & PracticeMaster Software.

Error messages encountered with the Back Up Data Files program / Restore Data Files program

If you receive Fatal Error 1030-0-5, Access Denied, refer to KB Article R10036.

If you receive Fatal Error 1510-x-x, Unable to Restore Data File, refer to KB Article R10222. This error should be accompanied by a backup/restore error message (see below).

Note: If you receive the above message, the data was partially restored. You MUST restore again successfully prior to resuming operation of the software.

If you receive an error such as "The data compression utility returned error code 7 (CRC-32 error). Restoration aborted.", you can use the Backup/Restore Error Messages table to interpret the error.

If you receive a "Backup Not Successful" error message, use the following steps to troubleshoot the error.

"Backup Not Successful..." Error Message

The built-in Back Up Data Files programs check to ensure that all files exist in the temporary backup file. If certain files do not exist in the temporary backup file, you may receive an error message similar to the following when a backup is being made:

Backup Not Successful...File 'T3XXXXXX.XXX' did not get backed up. (any file can be listed)

This message should not be ignored because the backup process was aborted. As a result, a new backup file was not created and the data was not backed up. Use the following steps to resolve the error:

The technology used to create the built-in backup has a maximum compressed file size of 2 gigabytes. If the data you are backing up has reached the 2GB threshold, it is possible that this error message indicates that you have reached the 2GB Backup File Size Limitation. If you suspect the Backup Not Successful error may be a result of this limitation, you will not be able to use the built-in Back Up Data Files program. Additional information regarding this limitation can be found in KB Article R11134, Large File Size Limitations in Tabs3 & PracticeMaster Software.
Determine if the file listed in the error uses a long file name (i.e., more than eight characters plus the file extension). When the error message is caused by a long file name, the file name specified in the error message may contain a tilde "~" character. Long file names are known to cause problems with the built-in Back Up Data Files program. If a long file name is present, you must either rename the file, move it out of the directory that has the data, or delete the file. Long file names are commonly created when manually renaming files through Windows Explorer--particularly when file extensions are not shown. For example, if the file extensions are not shown in Windows Explorer when renaming a file, renaming T3FEEVER (which is actually T3FEEVER.DAT) to T3FEEVER.BAK would result in the file actually being named T3FEEVER.BAK.DAT. To fix this problem, rename T3FEEVER.BAK.DAT to T3FEEVER.BAK or delete the T3FEEVER.BAK.DAT file.
Determine if the error is reproducible. Exit the software, and then restart it and run the Back Up Data Files program again. If the error occurs again, write down the exact error message (character by character).
Check for open files. This can easily be done by renaming the file that is listed in the error message and renaming it back. If you can rename the file, it is not left open. KB Article R10028 contains details on how to check for open files on Windows NT4/2000/XP. KB Article R10181 contains details on how to check for open files on Novell NetWare.
Check network directory permissions. Each user must have all rights to the files in the current working directory.
There have been reported problems involving file locking and Novell's Client 32 Version 3.2, 3.21 and 4.83. If you are using Client 32 redirectors, make sure you have the most current versions of the redirectors. Refer to KB Article R10200, Redirector Problems and Other Network Problems, for information on the latest redirectors.
If you are using Version 14.1 or earlier, determine if you can successfully use the Back Up Data Files program in a different STI program.

Integration Settings and/or Installed Programs Do Not Match

In certain situations, the following message may be displayed when running the Restore Data Files program in Version 15, 14.3 & 14.2:

	The current integration settings and/or installed programs do not match
	the integration settings and/or installed programs for the data
	in the backup file. Do you want to continue restoring data?

This message is displayed when one or both of the following situations occur:

The backup file contains data for programs that are not currently installed.
One or more of the GLS clients that were backed up are currently set to integrate differently than they were at the time the backup file was made.

In Version 15, 14.3 & 14.2, the Back Up Data Files program backs up the data for all software products installed in the current working directory. If a backup file is created and one or more of the software products are uninstalled, attempting to restore data from that same backup file will result in this message being displayed.

For example, suppose a backup file is created that includes data for Tabs3, PracticeMaster, and TAS. Then TAS is uninstalled and the Restore Data Files program is run in Tabs3. Because the backup file contains data for TAS, which is no longer installed, this message will be displayed.

In addition to backing up the data for all software products, the data for all GLS clients that integrate with Tabs3, APS, or TAS is also included in the Version 15, 14.3 & 14.2 backup file. However, when restoring data for all programs (i.e., not a GLS-only restoration) and the current GLS client integration settings do not match those that were backed up, this message will be displayed.

For example, suppose Tabs3 is set to integrate with GLS client 1, and a backup file is created. If Tabs3 is then set to integrate with GLS client 2 and the Restore Data Files program is run, this message will be displayed. This is because the backup file indicates GLS client 1 as the integrated client, whereas the current data has GLS client 2 as the integrated client.

Before restoring the data files, it is recommended that you verify which GLS client is set to integrate with Tabs3, APS, and TAS. This is determined in each product's Customization window (Utilities | Customization). After restoring the data files, you will want to check the same integration settings again to determine what has changed.

Backup/Restore Error Messages

Error Code	Error Message	Resolution
1	General-purpose error return code	Contact Technical Support.
3	Memory allocation error	Close all other applications.
4	File does not exist	Check file attributes.
5	File is not an archive or is corrupt	If on a network try moving to local drive and attempt backup/restore from the local drive.
6	Archive/file header area is corrupt	If on a network try moving to local drive and attempt backup/restore from the local drive.
7	CRC-32 error	If on a network try moving to local drive and attempt backup/restore from the local drive.
10	End of archive	If on a network try moving to local drive and attempt backup/restore from the local drive.
12	File read error	Refer to error 1120.
13	File write error	Refer to error 1130.
15	Unable to create temporary file	The backup routine creates temporary files with the extension of .$$$. Delete *.$$$ in the BACKUP directory and retry. Refer to error 1040.
17	Max number of file handles exceeded	Refer to error 1020-x-4.
26	Error writing FAT tables	Run a disk utility program like ScanDisk.
31	Disk full	Check available disk space.
33	Not enough space on disk to complete operation	Check available disk space. Note: A drive letter must be mapped for Tabs3. Using a Universal Naming Convention in the Properties or a batch file used to start Tabs3 can cause this error. See KB Article R10012 for more information.
34	Path 'backup' could not be created	User does not have proper access rights or the workstation is experiencing network problems.

A DOS command line version of the compression utility program can be used to compress or decompress .ARQ files. The format is similar to PKZIP. The following syntax and options are allowed when using STARQ.EXE: Syntax: starq -options arcfile file(s) [destination]*
? or h help screen	s scan subdirectories
a add files to archive	t test archive integrity
c compute elapsed time	v view archive contents
d delete files	x extract files from archive
o overwrite existing files	b[path] create temp file on alt path
l silent operation	p[pwd] password
arcfile: The name of the .arq archive file to create/use. file(s): File name(s) to use. The use of wildcards * and ? are permitted. destination: Optional drive/path for extraction of files. Examples: To compress all files on drive C: into back.arq ( v9 use backup.arq), type the following: STARQ -AS BACKUP C:\. To view all files in an arq file, type the following: "starq -v c:\sti\backup\t3back.arq"

REFERENCES

KB Article R11134 - Large File Size Limitations in Tabs3 & PracticeMaster Software
KB Article R11167 - Built-In Back Up and Restore Programs
KB Article R10012 - Using Universal Naming Convention (UNC) Paths
KB Article R10028 - How to Check for Open Files on Windows NT4/2000/XP
KB Article R10181 - How to Check for Open Files on Novell NetWare
KB Article R10200 - Redirector Problems and Other Network Problems

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