Backing up the MYOB AE or AO database

This support note applies to:

AO Tax (AU)
AE Tax (AU)
AE Tax (NZ)
AE Tax Series 6 & 8 (AU)
AE Tax Manager (NZ)
AE Document Manager (AU)
AE Document Manager (NZ)
AO Document Manager (AU)
AO Document Manager (NZ)
AE Practice Manager (AU)
AE Practice Manager (NZ)
AO Practice Manager (AU)
AO Practice Manager (NZ)
AE Statutory Reporter (AU)
AE Statutory Reporter (NZ)
AO Statutory Reporter (AU)

Article ID: 33434

In MYOB Accountants Enteprise (MYOB AE) or MYOB Accountants Office (MYOB AO) you may be requested by Support or referred to by another knowledge base article to back up the AE or AO database.

The following instructions article will step you through this process.

Backup and restore functions are performed on the server not a workstation.

For AE sites using Series 6 or Series 8 Tax, this backup feature does not replace Datasafe backups. Datasafe backups should still be used for data from Profiles, Timecost and FBT products. Do not remove the Datasafe Scheduled Backup from the Windows Task Scheduler.

This backup feature does not replace your system back up. It should be used in conjunction with offline backups to take the backup files created to an offline source in case of a complete server failure.

To backup the MYOB AE or AO database

Perform the following steps in MYOB AE or AO as a Superuser or Administrator group user.

Follow the menu path: Maintenance > Backup > Back Up Now. The Back up now window appears.
Click the ellipis [...] for the Backup location. The Browse For Folder window appears.
Select a backup location and click OK. The backup location displays.
Type file name in the Backup name field. The name for the backup file is entered.

For MYOB AO the Backup AO Classic data checkbox is ticked by default. MYOB recommends that you also backup the AO Classic data every time you backup your MYOB AO data. Do not deselect this option.
Click Back up. The Back up now progress bar appears and when finished the message "The backup has completed successfully" appears.
Click OK. A zip file containing the backed up data files is created in the location selected in step 2 with backup name entered. This file contains the following folders:
- AO Classic: This is the AO Classic data.
- Core: This is the main MYOB AE or AO database; for example VMPSER, AODB1, mailing templates, billing templates, if you use Practice Manager, and other key files.
- Tax: This is the MYOB AE or AO Tax database; for example AETAX1 or AOTAX1.

What data is and isn't backed up?

Data Included in backup

Data not included in backup

AE/AO SQL Databases

AODB1, AEDB1 or VPMSER databases
- - Client and contact information
  - Practice Manager data
  - Statutory Reporter data
  - Workpapers data
  - Document Manager profiling information and practice settings.
AOTAX1 or AETAX1 database
- - Tax data

Configuration files (where "SOL64" is the Tax or System Release directory, and <Database> is the database name:

DS6OP010
DS6OP060
Sol6sr.INI file (found in C:\Windows)
lookup.xml (found in \\ServerName\Central or C:\Program Files\MYOB\Central Deploy)
All .ini files found in the SOL64 or TAX directory
All files found within the following directories:
- - SOL64\TA\<Database>\INI\
  - SOL64\TA\<Database>\Audit\
  - SOL64\TA\TaxLetters* directory (e.g. TaxLetters2017, TaxLetters2018)
  - StatutoryReporterData (contains Statutory Reporter configuration files)

AO Classic data (if selected)

Program files (e.g. files with the extensions .dll or .exe)
AccountRight files
Documents, templates and other external files referenced by MYOB products
The Document Manager file store (i.e. documents) and configuration files
Corporate Compliance data
MAS ledgers
Assets ledgers
Reporter data
Accounts ledgers

Data from the following legacy products:

PMA
Profiles
Timecost
Creditors
Cashbook
FBT
Investments

MYOB Internal Notes:

New Zealand AO clients must always back up the AO Classic data. Due to integration between the 2 products, if they have a system failure they need to restore AO Classic and MYOB AO databases from the same back up set.