Creating and restoring from a Backup

Alpha recommends you take a backup of your timing database regularly (before and after each club round) and store it on a USB disk and/or in cloud storage (i.e. Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud). 

Creating a Backup

Before starting, make sure you have a USB drive or portable storage device that can be used on both PCs. If you are transferring this database from an old timing PC, please read the article on changing the Timing PC first.

STEP 1: To create a backup, click the Toolbox module and select the Database tab.

STEP 2: Choose a location to save the backup file to (e.g. the Desktop) by clicking the “Browse” button under the Backup Database heading and then press Backup. Your database will then be backed up and it will say “Backup Complete” when done.

STEP 3: Locate the file which should be a .zip file and have the file name timing-DD-MMM-YYYY-HH-MM (with the date and time of the backup). Put this file onto a USB stick and/or upload it to a cloud storage provider (i.e. Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud) for safe keeping. 

Restoring the Database from a Backup

Note: You must then ensure that you do not use the Timing PC during this process otherwise the timing database will become out of sync. If you restoring this data from an old timing PC that  is no longer being used, make sure that the Timing Application is removed from the old PC, otherwise the timing database will become out of sync.

New Timing PCs: If you are replacing the Timing PC with a new one, you can Skip the first setup screen as your settings will be saved in the backup.

STEP 1: To Restore the database from a backup file (zip file), click the Toolbox module and select the Database tab. 

STEP 2: Under the Restore Database heading click the “Browse” button and then locating the zip file.

The Retain Local Settings box, will retain any changes you have made on this Timing PC e.g. decoder settings. For example, If the backup is from another PC, and you have already configured the decoders and displays, ticking this box will then not use the decoder settings from the previous PC where the backup was taken from. 

If the PC you are restoring the database to is replacing an old PC then do not tick this box. This will keep the same decoder and display settings as the old PC.

STEP 3: Finally click Restore Database to restore the database as it was when the backup was made.  

When the Database is restored it will say “Restore Complete”. You should restart the Timing Application before it is to be used. 

Note: If you have transferred this data from an old timing PC that will no longer be used, make sure that the Timing Application is no longer used and removed from the old PC, otherwise the timing database will become out of sync.