Choose from the following frequently asked questions about backup and restore: 

• Backup/Restore of PDFs 
• Files Included
• Process Aborted When Trying To Restore A Backup
• Slow Backup
• Permission Denied or Read only

Can I use the backup/restore function to backup PDFs as a group?

Currently, the software does not have a backup/restore function for PDF files only.  You may, however, save the PDF document to another location from Enhanced View Mode of the client’s return.

1. Open the client’s return and view it.
2. Select the forms you wish to be in the PDF document and click Print.
3. Choose the Drake PDF Printer. Click Print.
4. When the Save As window opens, change the destination to the drive representing your memory stick, thumb drive, flash drive, CD drive, or other external data storage device.
5. Rename the file as you wish under File name. Click Save.

If you are using Basic View Mode, you will need to select Print Mode then choose the documents you want to include in the PDF file. Once selected, click Print and continue from #4 above to save the document to your removable/external drive (memory stick, CD, flash drive, thumb drive, etc.).

For instructions on backing up or restoring data files, see Related Links below.

What items are included in a full backup?

If you choose to make a manual, one-time, full back up, the following items are backed up:

• Tax Returns
• Setup Files (federal and state pricing, letters and bills, setup/configuration items)
• System Files (EF Database, CSM Database, GruntWorx info, Scheduler).

If you want to choose only certain files, or need to add custom items from outside Drake Tax, choose selective backup instead. See Related Links below for detailed steps. 

When I try to restore a Drake Tax Software backup, I see a message that says "Process Aborted" and the update process stops.

This problem has been reported during the restore process in current and prior-year versions of Drake as a result of "Unchecky," a freeware utility that is intended to prevent the installation of unrelated programs during the installation of software. To resolve, open the Unchecky control panel and select Suspend service before restoring your backup. 

This issue has also been reported when using a program called "ByteFence."

Contact Drake Support at 828-524-8020 for assistance if you have this anti-malware program installed and are having issues restoring backups. 

Why is the program moving at a very slow pace when trying to create a backup?

Because of changes in program file structure, if you are creating a backup from Tools > File Maintenance > Backup, the backup process may not be as rapid as in prior years.

Try the following to increase backup process speed:

• Back up to your local hard drive and then copy the Drake backup from your hard drive to your flash drive. When restoring from a flash drive, it is quicker to copy the backup file (or folder for backups made in Drake15 and prior) from your flash drive to your hard drive and then restore from the hard drive. 
• Select a different backup location. This could be either a different flash or external USB drive, or another location on the computer (such as a network drive).
• Select a smaller number of files to include in the backup. 

See "Backup or Restore DrakeTax to an External Data Storage Device" in Related Links below. 

I am getting a permission denied error when trying to restore my backup. How can I restore my clients from the backup?

A Drake backup on an optical drive and some other kinds of external drives may be marked read-only.

When you try to open a return that was restored from a "read-only" partial backup of client files, a read only error results:

Restoring a "read-only" full backup of all files may also cause Drake to close as you leave the Restore Files screen after the restore operation is completed and an Invalid Prep ID or Password error to occur when you try to log in again.

To resolve these issues

• For a full solution
  • Reset the DrakeYY folder's read-only attribute. Locate the DrakeYY folder in Windows Explorer on the drive where Drake is installed, right-click the folder and select Properties from the drop list. Near the bottom of the Properties dialog box, click the box Read-only option until it is cleared, click Apply and select to apply the change to all sub-folders and files.
  • Should you still get read-only errors after clearing the Read-only option, contact Drake Support at 828-524-8020 for more detailed assistance.
• Alternatively, if you are able to login, you can resolve this problem for individual client files by going to Tools > File Maintenance > Unlock Client Files.