Tax file backup

[richie]

I think I know the answer - just isn't answer I want!! ☹️

I had a computer issue - crash.  I thought I had Carbonite backing up files on my computer - it was except my tax files.  Is there any way of retrieving lost files? Almost all were filed electronically.

Thank you for any suggestions.

Richard

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

You're the only one with access to your client files, if you didnt back them up, unfortunately they're gone.

Tried getting an IT person to try and resurrect anything on the hard drive?

I use Carbonite as well and almost did the same thing as you this year, I totally forgot to tag the 2022 data folder back when I installed 2022 for backup until late February, I suddenly noticed the little dot wasnt next to the folder!

[richie]

Thank you for your response (wish it had been different but I'm not going to shoot at the messenger for my mistake!!!).  I will look into seeing if I can get files back as you suggest.

Richard

[dascpa]

I also use Carbonite.  But in addition, I do not use the default client data folder for ProSeries, or many other software programs.  I create folders within MyDocuments so I can backup the entire MyDocuments folder and not worry about one folder from this subdirectory and that subdirectory.

[IRonMaN]

I also use Carbonite, but I also use an external hard drive backup in addition to it.  You can never be too safe.  And for the record I'm not paranoid --------------------- but I do use Intuit products so you can never be too safe. 😅

[richie]

Thank you IRonMaN

[richie]

Thank you dascpa.  My son (the IT expert, whom I should have reached out to before I got myself in this pickle) suggested the same thing.

Richard

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

FWIW, my home system just went belly-up last week.  My harddrive had a bunch of errors once he fixed those nothing would boot afterwards, but he was able pull the HD and attach it to another computer to save a bunch of data on the corrupt HD (none of it was very important or needed, but I thanked him for his efforts!) so dont give up hope!

[richie]

Thank you Just-Lisa-Now

I'm about as computer literate as a mud puddle!!!  From what my son tells me, even though the HD is wiped clean, often if the area on the HD where the files were stored hasn't been written over, they can oftne be restored.  He is going to remote into my computer (he in Indiana; I in Florida) and see if he can run a utility program to recover at least some of the files.  Crossing my fingers!!!!

Richard

[angelahoffman]

I too am in this situation.

My hard drive crashed and I wasn't worried because I had carbonite but now realize it wasn't backing up the tax client files.  What a disaster.  I thought I was doing everything correctly but now am really worried.

Angela

[PATAX]

@IRonMaN I had external hard drive years ago and computer crashed. Guess what? It didn't work.

[IRonMaN]

That's why I have a hard drive and Carbonite.  I like to push the odds more in my favor.

[dascpa]

When it comes to backup expect the worst. In the old days we backed every thing up to Zip drives and then to tape.  We didn't know that a lightening strike hit our building and the backup tapes were are zapped and erased.  We found out only when trying to restore.

I backup continuously to Carbonite.  I do a separate weekly backup to Dropbox Professional and then a monthly backup to a portable hard drive.

Also note, backing up a computer is easy.  Restoring takes days to weeks (obviously restoring a file or two is easy and quick).  Some people are backing up to a portable SSD drive that could be used as the computer's hard drive.  But keep backups offsite.  What good is a backup in your office if the office burns down...........

[richie]

Thank you for the post Angelahoffman,

Sounds almost exactly like me.  I'm sorry same thing happened to you.  This weekend, my son is going to remote into my computer and and run a windows program that will possibly be able to recover the lost files.  He told me that as long as where the files were, on the hard drive, hadn't been written over by new files, there is a possibility they can be recovered.  Got my fingers crossed.

Good luck to you.

Richard

[jenshugrue]

Can you tell me what you mean by this?  I have carbonite and thought it was all automatic.  Can you also tell me how to restore a client that was in fact backed up on Carbonite?  I called support and she had no idea what i was talking about.

Thanks!

[Accountant-Man]

You can always hope that one the many hackers who steal tax files stole yours.

[abctax55]

Called Carbonite support?  Or PS support?   There's no way PS could/should be able to advise on Carbonite.

My IT guys from decades ago told me "the backup is no good IF you haven't tried to restore from it to make sure it is performing correctly".   

Carbonite is touchy restoring Lacerte backups - but I can't speak to PS issues.

[abctax55]

@Accountant-Man 

That's just mean & cruel.... and funny 🙂

I just signed up with all THREE credit bureaus so I could freeze my credit; I checked and it does appear 'they' got some of my info.   I'm going to consider Lifelink (?) too.   Better safe than not. 

[Hillenburg]

Lisa, my computer crashed the same weekend that the crowd strike issue appeared.  Could this be the cause of my problems ?  Had an external backup and Pro Series help was great.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

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@jenshugrue wrote:

Can you tell me what you mean by this?  I have carbonite and thought it was all automatic.  Can you also tell me how to restore a client that was in fact backed up on Carbonite?  I called support and she had no idea what i was talking about.

Thanks!

---

Carbonite is automatic, as long as you went through and marked which folders you wanted to be monitored and backed up,  then when you log into your Carbonite account you can choose to restore the files.

Ive got all my Data folders tagged for Carbonite and they auto backup anytime a file changes.