Lost Data, No Drama: Practical Backup & Restore Strategies for ABSS Users
- Agnes Lee
- Jul 14
- 2 min read
When an accounting file goes missing or gets corrupted, panic can feel like the only reasonable reaction—especially if month‑end or tax time is creeping up.
The good news? ABSS (formerly MYOB) ships with reliable backup tools, and pairing them with a few simple habits all but eliminates the risk of permanent data loss. Think of this guide as your seat‑belt checklist for safeguarding the numbers that run your business.
1. Why Backups Matter Even More in 2025
Threat | What It Looks Like | How a Backup Saves the Day |
Hardware failure | Dead laptop, fried SSD, office fire | Restore yesterday’s file onto a new machine and keep working |
Ransomware | Files encrypted, hacker demands payment | Wipe the PC, reinstall ABSS, restore the clean backup |
Human error | Accidental purge of last year’s transactions | Roll back to the pre‑mistake file, then re‑enter only the missing data |
Version “sunsetting” | Old ABSS build refuses data confirmation | Upgrade, restore the most recent backup, and carry on |
Backups protect billable hours, audit trails, and your brand’s reputation not just raw numbers.
2. ABSS’s Built‑In Backup (The 90‑Second Routine)
File ▶ Backup → click “Backup All Data”, tick “Check Company File for Errors”, hit Continue, then park the backup file on an external drive or in the cloud (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox).
Frequency: Daily if you post more than 50 transactions a day. Weekly for lighter activity.
Pro tip: A sticky note reading “Did you back up before closing?” turns into muscle memory after two weeks.
3. Restore Without Tears
File ▶ Restore – With any company file open (even the Clearwater sample), go to File → Restore, select the backup file you want, and click Open.
Choose Destination – Browse to the folder where the restored file should reside, give it a clear name, and click Save.
Confirm & Log In – A confirmation prompt will appear; click OK and ABSS will unpack the file. Once done, log into the restored company file and spot‑check your reports.
Quick Alternative – Prefer manual control? Simply unzip the backup file (it’s a standard ZIP archive) and copy the extracted company file back to its original folder just be sure all users are logged out first.
4. Common Mistakes (And How to Dodge Them)
Mistake | Impact | Fix |
Only one backup location | Fire/theft wipes everything | Add cloud or external rotation |
Forgetting custom forms | Branded invoices lost | Always tick “Include customised forms” |
Backing up while file is open elsewhere | Corrupt .abk | Ensure all users log out; back up after hours |
Ignoring verification warnings | Hidden corruption builds up | Stop and fix before backing up |
5. Final Thoughts
Data loss no longer needs to be dramatic with ABSS’s built‑in tools, a dash of automation, and regular fire‑drills can shrink a crisis to a quick five‑minute hiccup instead of a five‑day headache.
Need help customising an automated routine or upgrading a sunset version?
