[Solved] Database backup

Hi Al,

Thanks for the screenshots. That helps.

You didn’t do anything wrong. I recently changed the backup window, so it looks and behaves differently than before.

The new backup feature recommends a backup filename that includes the date and time, like this:

BirdersDiary_Backup_20260703113246.mdb

That is the default/recommended format because it lets you keep multiple backup copies instead of overwriting the same file every time.

However, you are still in control of the filename. When you click Backup, Windows will show a Save As dialog. In that window, you can change the filename to anything you want, including your old filename:

database_bck.mdb

So, if you want to keep doing it the old way, you can choose that same filename each time and overwrite the previous backup.

That said, I recommend using the new date/time filename format. It is safer. If your latest backup ever contains a problem, you still have an older backup available.

Also, see the Purge older backup files after each Backup setting in the upper-right of the Backup/Restore window. That controls how many older backup files Birder’s Diary keeps. I recommend setting that so you keep at least the last 2 or 3 backups. That gives you a safety net without keeping too many old files.

So your choices are:

1. Use your old filename, database_bck.mdb, in the Save As dialog if you want one backup file that gets overwritten each time.

2. Use the new recommended filename with the date/time stamp if you want multiple safer backup copies.

3. Use the purge setting to automatically keep only the most recent few backups.

I recommend option 2, with purge set to keep at least 2 or 3 backups.

Jeff

Hi Al,

Just to add a bit more explanation on why I changed this.

The old backup filename many users had, such as database_bck.mdb, was vague. Months later, it is not always obvious what that file is, when it was created, or whether it is the backup you really want to restore from.

The new suggested name is meant to make that clear:

BirdersDiary_Backup_20260703113246.mdb

That tells you it is a Birder’s Diary backup, and the date/time stamp lets you keep more than one backup. Then the new purge setting can automatically remove the oldest backups while keeping the most recent few.

You can still use your old behavior if you prefer. When Windows shows the Save As window, change the filename back to database_bck.mdb. Birder’s Diary should remember that choice, and you can continue overwriting that same file each time.

The other warning — about not saving backups on the same drive as your live database — comes from painful experience. If your live database and all your backups are on the same hard drive, and that drive fails, then both the original and the backups are gone. Saving to the C: drive first is fine if you then copy the backup to a USB drive, external drive, cloud storage, etc.

Finally, keeping more than one backup is important. If the newest backup has a problem, an older one may save you. In backup terms, the common safe approach is to keep at least three: current, father, and grandfather.

So the redesign is really about making backups clearer, easier to identify, and safer when something goes wrong.

This comes from too many painful experiences with customers over the years which fell into one of the above traps the new backup is designed to correct. Or at least warn you against making.

I hope this helps.

Jeff,

My interpretation of BirdersDiary_backup was that I was backing up the entire Birders Diary App. So clarity is still fuzzy. Now I know, so it is no longer a problem for me.

Anyhow, I save the most recent backuo file in C/Birders Diary. I also make copies of the backup file that I saved in the C/Birders Diary folder. I copy it to two separate flash drives. So, I have three sources of backup.

That's how I always did it.

Al

Hi Al,

Thanks for the clarification. That makes sense, and your backup method sounds good.

The important thing to understand is that your Birder’s Diary database is where all of your data is stored — your sightings, locations, observers, trips, settings, etc. That is the file that really needs to be protected.

The program itself — the executable, installation files, and so on — can always be recreated by downloading and running the Birder’s Diary installer again. But your personal data cannot be recreated unless you have a good backup of the database.

Saving the backup file to your C: drive and then copying it to two separate flash drives is an alternate approach. That gives you multiple backup sources, including copies away from the main computer.

That is exactly the kind of protection the new backup feature is trying to encourage.