Backups, updates and moving PC
Your data is plain files on your own computer. Here is how it is backed up, how to keep a copy somewhere safe, update the app, and move to a new computer.
#Where your data is
Everything is in the Vyapzio books folder:
| Windows | %APPDATA%\vyapzio\books |
|---|---|
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/vyapzio/books |
Choose File → Open Books Folder from the app menu to open it. Downloaded PDFs are also kept there in the Saved Invoices folder, one folder per client.
#Daily backups (Backup Management)
Every day the app copies all your data, invoices, clients, products, purchases, expenses, settings and the trash, into a dated backup, and keeps the last 30 days. The first backup of the day is made a few seconds after the app starts, and a computer left on overnight makes the next one soon after midnight. You do not have to do anything.
They are on the Backups tab of Settings, in the Backup Management card:
| Part of the card | What it does |
|---|---|
| Backup now | Makes today's backup straight away, for example before a big change. The message says Manual backup triggered. |
| Also keep a copy of every daily backup in this folder | A second copy on another drive. See Keeping a copy somewhere else. |
| Daily backups | The list of backups, newest first, with Restore and Delete. See Restoring a daily backup. |
| Trash bin | Deleted invoices, kept for 30 days. See Trash bin. |
Daily backups protect you from mistakes, not from a broken hard disk or a lost laptop. Keep a copy somewhere else too.
#Restoring a daily backup
Each row of Daily backups shows the date and time it was made, and also in your backup folder when a second copy exists. Use Restore when something went badly wrong, for example many records deleted by mistake, and you want all your data back as it was on that day.
- Pick the dayFind the last day your data was right and click Restore on its row.
- ConfirmThe app asks Restore all data from backup …? and explains that it overwrites your current data. Click Restore backup.
- ReloadWhen it says Backup restored, the app reloads by itself, or press Ctrl + R.
Before restoring, the app saves your data as it is now in books/backups/pre-restore-…, so you can go back if the restore looks wrong.
Delete removes one backup after asking, to free space; the copy in your backup folder stays. A row marked in your backup folder only has no Delete button.
Restoring a day puts everything back to that day, including work done since. For one deleted invoice, use the Trash bin instead.
#Keeping a copy somewhere else
Every day, automatically, on another drive. On the Backups tab of Settings, under Also keep a copy of every daily backup in this folder:
- Type a folderOn another drive, a USB disk or a synced folder, such as
D:\Vyapzio BackupsorE:\. - Save itClick Save folder. The app checks it can write there and copies today's backup at once. The message says where the copies go.
Each daily backup is then also copied into Vyapzio Backups\date inside that folder, keeping 30 days. If a copy fails (a USB disk not plugged in), the card says so in red. Stop copying turns it off; copies already made stay.
If the computer fails: install Vyapzio again, set the same folder here, and its backups appear in the list with Restore.
Or by hand:
- Backup now: Backup now in Settings, or Back up my data in the app menu, saves a dated backup in your books folder and in the copy folder. Copy it to a pen drive or cloud storage.
- One file you choose: see Export Backup.
- Google Drive: see Cloud Backup (Google Drive).
Something wrong?
- "Could not use that folder": the folder does not exist, or the app may not write there. Make the folder first in File Explorer or Finder, or pick another drive.
- "copying today's backup failed": the folder was saved, but the drive was not ready. Plug the disk in; the next daily backup tries again.
#Export Backup and Import Backup (Data Management)
On the Import/Export tab of Settings, the Data Management card saves your data to one file, or brings a file back. Use it to keep a copy on a pen drive, to move data to another computer, or to bring back just your clients or products from an older backup.
Your data is on this computer only. Nothing is uploaded to us or anyone else; the only time anything leaves your computer is when you tick Also save a copy to my Google Drive, which goes to your own Drive. The file is plain text (JSON) you can keep anywhere.
- Export Backup…: see Export Backup.
- Import Backup…: see Restore from Backup.
#Export Backup
- Open itClick Export Backup…. A window lists every part of your data, all ticked.
- Choose what to includeUntick anything you do not want. Select all and Clear all tick or untick every one.
- Google Drive copy (optional)Tick Also save a copy to my Google Drive if Google Drive is connected in Cloud Backup.
- DownloadClick Download Backup. The file
vyapzio-backup-date.jsongoes to your Downloads folder. Copy it somewhere safe.
| Part | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Active business profile | Name, address, GSTIN, bank, logo, signature |
| All business profiles | Every business in Business Profiles |
| Invoices / bills | Tax invoices, proforma, credit notes and the rest |
| Clients | Your client list |
| Products / Inventory | Products with HSN, rate and stock |
| Expenses | Expense entries and the cash book |
| Purchase bills | Supplier bills used for ITC, and purchase orders |
| Recurring invoices | Repeat-billing schedules |
| Receipts | Payment receipts |
| Terms templates | Your terms and conditions templates |
| App settings | Region, features, invoice number format, display options |
| Local preferences | Custom units, theme, last region choice |
#Restore from Backup
- Pick the fileClick Import Backup… and choose a
.jsonbackup file. - Check what is in itThe Restore from Backup window shows when the file was made and, for each part, how many items it holds. Parts the file has are ticked; empty parts say empty and cannot be ticked.
- Choose what to restoreUntick anything you want to keep as it is now. Select all (with data) and Clear all help.
- RestoreClick Restore selected. The message lists what came back, such as Restored: 120 invoice(s), 45 client(s).
Records in the file replace the matching records in the app; records the file does not have are left alone, and parts you did not tick are untouched. Export your current data first, just in case.
Something wrong?
- "This file doesn't look like a Vyapzio backup": you picked a different file. Backups are named
vyapzio-backup-date.json. - Restored, but I do not see it: reload the window, and check the business selected at the top of the sidebar.
#Trash bin
Invoices deleted from a client's account on the Clients screen, or from the invoice list, go to the trash for 30 days, then are removed for good. They are listed under Trash bin on the Backups tab of Settings, with the invoice number, client and date deleted.
- Restore puts the invoice back where it was. The stock its delete returned is taken out again. The message says Invoice restored.
- Delete forever removes it and its PDF straight away, after asking. This cannot be undone.
For an invoice already given to a client, cancel it instead of deleting it, so its number stays in your records.
#Moving to a new computer
- On the old computerClick Export for Move in the Control Panel, or Move to another PC in the app menu. It saves your data and settings as one ZIP on your Desktop. Copy it to a pen drive or cloud storage.
- On the new computerInstall Vyapzio as usual, and move your licence there.
- Bring your data inIn the new app, click Choose Backup ZIP under Restore Backup and pick the file.
You can use an exported backup file instead: export on the old computer, and import it in Settings on the new one.
Do not run the same data on two computers at once, for example through a shared OneDrive or Dropbox folder. Two copies writing the same files can damage them.
#Updating
Vyapzio updates from inside the app. Every update is free for the lifetime of your licence; there is no renewal and nothing to pay again. Any of these installs the newest version:
- The Update to v… button that appears in the sidebar when a new version is out. It shows what changed, with Update Now, Remind me later and Skip this version.
- Update Now in Settings, App Updates.
- The app menu's Check for Updates.
Every update first saves a backup of your books, then replaces the app and restarts it. It never touches your books folder or your saved PDFs. It takes a minute or two.
If you reinstall from a newer installer, your books are kept. There is nothing to extract by hand.