Restoring client files from external hard drive

[LannoyeA]

My 2nd computer has just crashed this past weekend. I'm on my 3rd now. I learned my lesson from watching my former boss lose computers like crazy and have all client data files on an external hard drive that gets backed up to the cloud. Is there anyway to open up all the client files, or restore from the external hard drive? Right now I'm opening up each client, one by one, to get them into the program. I don't want to have to do this for EACH year going back 7 years. I also noticed the ones I've opened so far that were filed in March, are saying "Transferred". So now I have to figure out a way to know who's still on extension and who I had just filed before the crash happened...

[poolcleaner · Accepted solution]

I am a little confused in that I use the Pro Series Backup and Restore using a flash drive. It takes less than 10 minutes to do an entire year of returns and when I am through all of the returns are on the C drive and in the program.  I could use the flash drive backup for 15 computers and it would still be on the flash drive as it was when I started.  I do not use their system of filing only one type of return at a time.  If you use All Returns, you have entered all returns and each one is in the correct category.  If you need more information on this, I will be happy to provide it.

[poolcleaner]

@LannoyeA

[George4Tacks]

https://accountants-community.intuit.com/articles/1859390-restoring-client-data-files-using-proserie...

[LannoyeA]

At first I was going to try that but then the data is now on the C drive that I don't want stored. I want to leave all the data on the external hard drive in case this computer crashes too. I'm already having issues with it and would lose all data completely.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Can't you just point the Data directory in Tools > Options to point toward the external hard drive data folder, then do a database maintenance to pull them all into HB? You shouldn't have to move them in one by one.

[TaxGuyBill]

"I want to leave all the data on the external hard drive in case this computer crashes too."

What if the external hard drive crashes?

You still need a two copies.  I would just use the C drive as usual, and keep using the external hard drive (and/or a cloud backup system) as a back up.

If your current computer is "having issues", then I would recommend either contacting an IT expert and/or start shopping for a new computer.

[Before-1]

How can I retrieve a client that have all the necessary information, but will not come up?  What can I do to retrieve it?

[LHudson555]

Were you able to resolve this? I changed laptops after tax filing deadline but several returns I efiled and ALL the extensions I filed all show as "transferred." If I try to efile them they do show that its a duplicate filing but how can I get the logs or update the client statuses to show when these files were submitted/accepted by the taxing authorities? And why did just some of these files do this when I copied and transferred the entire ProWin folder for 2021?