It’s very important to keep a current backup of your data. In the event of a power outage, environmental disaster, or other catastrophe, having your data in a secure location is crucial.
Artisan lets you back up your data to your computer locally, to a flash drive, or to a Cloud service like DropBox. By following these instructions, you can also make sure your backup is created automatically on a set schedule.
Note: When you run your Day-End, Artisan will ask if you want to run a backup of your data. Normally, most people back up their data this way instead of setting up automatic backups. As long as you wait for the backup to finish or leave the backup running without turning off your computer (or power), this solution should work for you.
Instructions
Make sure Artisan is closed on the computer you’re running the backup on. Exiting at the end of the day when you leave your store is fine, as long as the backup is scheduled after that (ex. you leave at 9 PM and the backup is scheduled for 12 AM). You can even have Artisan exit automatically after a set time. Click here to set that up.
1. Search for and open “Task Scheduler.”
2. Select the “Task Scheduler Library.”
3. Select “Action” and “Create Task.”
4. In the “Name” field, call it “Artisan POS Backup.” We recommend leaving the “Security Options” set to “Run only when user is logged on.”
5. Select the “Triggers” tab, then “New.” This will control when the backup automatically runs.
6. Leave the “Begin the task” field to “On a schedule.”
Select “Daily.”
Leave the “Recur every” field to “1” so the backup runs every day.
Determine a time that works best for you – a time your store is closed is ideal. In our example, we chose 12:30 AM.
Select “OK.”
7. Select the “Action” tab and “New.”
8. Leave “Action” set to “Start a program.” Click “Browse.”
Open “Program Files.”
Look for the “Artisan POS 4” folder.
Select the “Artisan” application file.
9. Now, we need to select a file path for Artisan to make the backup. Ideally, you want your backups going to Dropbox or a similar program, so they are securely stored in the Cloud, separate from your computer, in case of an emergency.
This is an example of a Dropbox path (where “Stephanie” is the name of the User you’re logged in as on your computer, and “CerTek Dropbox” is the name of your Dropbox): 
Follow this example in the “Add arguments” field: –backup “C:\Users\Stephanie\CerTek Dropbox“
(Two dashes before the word “backup” and a space after “backup”)
Note: If your file path has spaces, you must place the whole file path in quotes, or the program will not recognize the path.
Press “OK.“
10. Select the “Conditions” tab.
As a rule, it’s a good idea to not run automatic backups if you’re using a laptop that isn’t currently connected to power, in case it turns off. So, we recommend keeping “Stop if the computer switches to battery power” checked.
11. Click on the “Settings” tab.
Make sure “Allow task to be run on demand” is checked.
Select “OK.”