Backup & Restore

Protect school records before hardware, staff, or Windows problems happen.

Why Backups Matter

School Management Pro stores operational records that the office depends on: students, fees, reports, expense entries, and settings. A backup is not only for major disasters. It also helps recover from accidental deletion, a failed hard drive, a Windows reinstall, or a mistaken data entry session.

Create a Local Backup

  1. Open Settings and go to the backup or restore area.
  2. Select Create Backup.
  3. Choose a destination folder that staff can find later.
  4. Save the file and wait for the confirmation message.
  5. Copy the backup to a second location before closing the day.

Use clear folder names such as School Backups and avoid saving the only backup inside a temporary downloads folder.

Use More Than One Location

A single backup on the same computer is useful, but it is not enough. If the computer is stolen, damaged, or infected, the backup can be lost with the main database.

  • Computer copy: convenient for quick restores.
  • USB copy: useful when Windows must be repaired or replaced.
  • Cloud copy: helpful for off-site protection when configured securely.
Important: Do not keep the only backup plugged into the computer all the time. A permanently connected USB drive can be affected by the same malware or power issue as the PC.

Restore from a Backup

Restoring replaces the current database with the data inside the selected backup. Before restoring, create a backup of the current state, even if you think it is damaged. That gives you a way back if the wrong file is selected.

  1. Open Settings and choose the restore option.
  2. Select the backup file you want to restore.
  3. Read the confirmation message carefully.
  4. Confirm the restore and wait until the app completes the process.
  5. Restart the app if prompted, then check students, fees, and recent reports.

Verify Backups Regularly

A backup plan is only trustworthy if someone verifies it. Once a week, confirm that the latest backup file exists, has a recent timestamp, and can be copied to external storage. For important offices, perform an occasional test restore on a spare computer instead of the production machine.

Recommended Backup Routine

  • Create a backup at the end of every working day.
  • Keep at least one weekly backup from each month.
  • Store one copy away from the main school computer.
  • Label backups by date, for example 2026-06-20-school-backup.
  • Assign one staff member to confirm backups before closing the office.
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