Set up online backup
Pirform simplifies the process of using online storage for sharing certificates with fellow engineers. It offers a solution to safeguard your certificates by storing them online, providing access even if your computer malfunctions, gets damaged, or stolen.
This article shows how to set that up
Get a free online storage account!
Online storage providers offer free storage that is enough to store you Pirform certificates. If you do not already have an account, click one of the following links to set one up with Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive.
Store backups in Dropbox or OneDrive
The next step is to tell Pirform to store its backups and exports in a folder inside your OneDrive or Dropbox folder so that it will be backed up and stored online.
It is best to keep certificates from each engineer in separate folders. Pirform makes it easy to set that up and will use the licence name as the default folder name.
You can configure this by opening Pirform Options and use the buttons under Free Online Storage in the Saving and Backup section.
If you are using Dropbox then click the Use Dropbox button to ask Pirform to detect and use Dropbox as its location.
If you are using OneDrive then click the Use OneDrive button to ask Pirform to detect and use OneDrive as its location.
Any new backups or exports will now be stored in those locations and synchronised online by Dropbox or OneDrive.
Tip
If you use the Use Dropbox or Use OneDrive feature, Pirform uses the licence name in the folder name. You can read how to adjust your licences here
Pick your own folder
You can pick your own folder if you want. You can do that either by clicking Choose Pirform Folder to set the root Pirform folder for all, or the Browse buttons to set each location individually.
Organising files from multiple engineers
If you have more than one engineer in your company, you don't want your backups and certificates from different engineers to be mixed with or interfere with each other in Dropbox or OneDrive. So, pick a folder name that easily identifies the engineer (and possibly the machine they are using).
Tip
If you click the Use Dropbox or Use OneDrive feature mentioned above, then Pirform can also add the user name and machine name into the folder name for you.
For example, let's say you have two licences and two computers called Office and Laptop that are used by licences named John and Jane. Use a folder called called John Office to store John's certs from the machine Office, and one called Jane Laptop to store Jane's from the laptop. These will appear, for example in Dropbox as following folders on both computers and the Dropbox website:
Dropbox\Pirform\John Office
Dropbox\Pirform\Jane Laptop