Dan, Your main data file (set of books is stored at a location you will have decided on when you first ran GnuCash and did a File->Save to some specific location on a hard drive. GunCash by default creates backup files of that file and log files which are useful in the event a crash causes corruption of the main data file.
The main data file will be named <filename>.gnucash where <filename> is the name you have given the file. The backup files will be named <filename>.gnucash.<timestamp>.gnucash and the log files will be named<filename>.gnucash.<timestamp>.log. <timestamp> is 1 14 characcter numerical string giving the date(year month and day and time (hours, min, sec) of creation of the file in the format YYYYMMDDHHMMSS. If you move the file(s) to another location GnuCash will not find them when you start it again and you can use File_Open to navigate to the new location and open the <filename>.gnucash file. You would only access the backup and log files after having a system crash where the <filename>.gnucash becomes corrupted. It is generally recommended that you create a folder/directory (it can be named <filename>) and place all of the above files with <filename>.* in that directory. This simplifies backup of the files to another device as you simply backup the whole directory. In addition there is user preference data (including saved reports etc) and configuartion data as described on the wiki page. About half way down that page under the heading Diagrams of Configuration Locations You will find links to diagrams showing the locations of that data in the file heirarchy. You may wish to backup the data in c:\Documents and Settings\<user>\\AppData\Roaming\GnuCash to preserve the user preference data There is no problem locating the main data file in any location accessible from your file system including cloud locations, Dropboxes, Network file storage etc. MOve it and then use the File->Open dialogue to find and open it David Cousens On Thu, 2024-10-17 at 15:32 -0400, Dan a1TNC wrote: > I'm wanting to use GNC in a Windows land where there are different > OSs. Some are 10 and some 11 etc. I ,like Heidi, did not find the > backup info in the manual to be very helpful cuz I'm not a coder, and > it seems to be written by someone who understands all OSs and is a > one size fits all for all OSs. > > I have come up with test system to figure out a dependable backup > system and I want to share that here to see if anyone can tell me if > there is a flaw in my idea. > > I have installed GNU on two different computers on/in my land and > have started entering my accounts and info in my primary computer. I > did not find a way to install it on a location outside of my primary > computer into a local cloud or another computer. (Suggestions > ???????) On my second computer, I have copied the last two data files > and one text file into my GNU folder on my 2nd computer and after 10 > or so attempts (after adding more data) it seems like both computers > are showing the same entries at every level. At every attempt I > delete all the old files from the last attempt, and I open GNU from > the short GNU data file which does not have that date added to the > file name. > > If this works I'm planning on doing a video to share so that others > will find this help. > Also, I've been using Quick books for over 10 years and they have > gone up to over 400% in price and we will start to see others many > many many other come to GNU > Thx > Dan > > > -----Original Message----- > From: gnucash-user [mailto:gnucash-user- > bounces+dan=a1tnc....@gnucash.org] On Behalf Of R Losey > Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:48 AM > To: halatch1008; Gnucash Users > Subject: Re: [GNC] How do I do a back up of Gnucash? > > Well, that's a start... what kind of backup program do you have? > > Oh, and please ensure that you do a reply-all so that the > conversation goes > out to the community; it may help others, and I make some errors that > the > community would catch and correct. > > I thought that someone had pointed to a section of the manual or > somewhere > that listed the files that should be backed up. > > Richard > > > On Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 10:09 PM halatch1008 > <halatch1...@comcast.net> > wrote: > > > I have Windows. The" Get help" section of Gnucash is No help at > > all in > > explaining how to do a back up > > Heidi > > > > > > > > Sent from myerizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone > > > > > > -------- Original message -------- > > From: R Losey <rlo...@gmail.com> > > Date: 10/16/24 4:47 PM (GMT-05:00) > > To: halatch1008 <halatch1...@comcast.net> > > Cc: gnucash-user@gnucash.org > > Subject: Re: [GNC] How do I do a back up of Gnucash? > > > > This is not easy because of the following: > > 1) There are a multitude of ways to backup data; the "step by step" > > way I > > set up my backups may not match your backup program. Moreover, Mac > > has > > different tools that Windows than Linux - on Macs, the "Time > > Machine" comes > > with Macs and is pretty common, but Windows and Linux have a wide > > variety > > of backup programs. > > > > 2) The main GnuCash data file name is determined by each user; mine > > could > > be "MyFinances.gnucash", yours may be "HeidiMoney.gnucash". The > > name is > > normally "<CustomName>.gnucash"... this is again difficult to put > > in a > > step-by-step procedure. > > > > 3) GnuCash's help files does have a section on which files need to > > be > > backed up that has been previously referenced. I skip this because > > the > > other files are kept in a subdirectory of my home directory, and > > that is > > backed up on the different computers I have. > > > > > > > > On Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 7:59 AM halatch1008 via gnucash-user < > > gnucash-user@gnucash.org> wrote: > > > > > Could someone write a step by step of Instruction on how to Back > > > up all > > > my Gnucash files together with the program, in case my computer > > > dies.Thanks,Heidi > > > > > > _________________________________ > > Richard Losey > > rlo...@gmail.com > > Micah 6:8 > > > > > -- > _________________________________ > Richard Losey > rlo...@gmail.com > Micah 6:8 > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > gnucash-user@gnucash.org > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > ----- > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. > > _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. 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