Backups
Pirform has features to makes it easy to keep your certificates safe over time. Whether you are using the Lite Edition or sharing certificates with other engineers using the Premium Edition, you should expect to have easy access your certificates for years to come.
Store your certificates online for free
We highly recommend using an online storage and sharing facility such as Dropbox or OneDrive. You can set this up for free. Read more here.
How to keep your certificates safe
Keep your certificates safe
The key to making sure you never lose any of your certificates is very simple:
Make sure you keep either a backup file containing the certificate or an export file of the certificate safely somewhere outside of your computer.
To ensure that you can access your certificates if your computer is breaks down, becomes damaged or is stolen, you need to keep copies of your certificate data outside of your computer.
Tip
You can read more about where Pirform stores your certificates here.
If you need to find a missing backup file, the following article might help here.
Backups and export files
Pirform has two features that help you store your certificates safely off your computer:
- Backups: where all of your certificates and company data are saved to a single file.
- Exports: where a single certificate is saved to a file.
Tip
You can create a backup file at any time. Click here for details.
Info
Export files are only available in either Premium Edition or Lite with Certificate Sharing.
Pirform automatically takes backups and exports for you after something has changed.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Automatic rolling backups | When closing the program after making any changes |
| Automatic certificate export | When closing the certificate after making any changes |
Tip
When the certificate is automatically exported Pirform also produces the PDF for the certificate and the circuit chart (if relevant) and saves this to the export location.
Options for storing certificates outside of your computer
Store your certificates online for free
We highly recommend using an online storage and sharing facility such as Dropbox or OneDrive. Read more here.
There are many options available that are cheap, easy and reliable to use. We recommend using an online storage and sharing facility such as Dropbox or OneDrive. Both are really easy to use and will work in the background to store files off your computer (while you are connected to the internet). If you or your company has an Office 365 plan then you will have OneDrive as part of that.
Other options include using an external hard disk, network attached storage or even a USB key if you have nothing else!
Note
If you are part of a company where your IT is managed by another team then they will be able to assist in setting up where these should be stored.
Where backups and exports are stored
You can control where Pirform stores automatic backups and exports from the saving and backup section of Pirform Options
These can be copied off the computer manually but, as mentioned above, ...
Store your certificates online for free
We highly recommend using an online storage and sharing facility such as Dropbox or OneDrive. Read more here.
Tip
Click here to see how to quickly access your data folders.
Automatic rolling backups
Automatic backups are taken just before the program closes and after you have made any changes.
restore-from-incremental-backup.md
Tip
You can read how to find the most recent automatic backup here.
Exiting without backing up
You can close Pirform without taking a backup doing this by selecting File > Exit > Exit Without Backup in the Home Screen ribbon.
