Trustfile Data Recovery Plan!

Introduction

Disasters happen. Hard drives crash, lightning strikes, and systems fail. You can’t avoid them, but you can be ready for any disaster. When dealing with the aftermath of a disaster, tax software and data is likely to be near the bottom of your list of concerns. Trustfile has provided this Data Recovery Plan, to help ease the recovery process by providing step-by-step loss prevention and recovery methods.

The best way to avoid complete data loss is to create backups of your data. Adopt a reliable backup process (or a few) and follow it. Many times customers rely on one computer to hold all of their data – this is a dangerous practice. The more preparation you do in the beginning, the more recovery options you will have later. The following describes various methods for backing up your data.

Method 1 – Perform regular software backups
All Trustfile software includes a backup utility for creating backups of your current year’s data. This backup will be stored by default to your computer, but you can create a copy of it or move it to another location such as a server, CD, diskette, etc. Follow these steps to create a software backup:

• In most Trustfile software, select the Utilities or Tools menu option to access the backup (and restore) utility. If your software does not have this option within the Utilities or Tools menus, refer to Help to find out how to access the backup utility in your application.
• Follow the onscreen prompts to back up your data.
• Save a copy of the backup to a new media (i.e., a server, CD, diskette, etc.). You may need to contact your IT staff for more help.

Method 2 – Print paper copies of your filings
Use the software to print paper copies of your returns and transmission histories (for e-filing customers). Store these copies somewhere other than your desk, in a safe location. Refer to the software help for instructions on printing these items.

Method 3 – File via the Internet (Per DOR regulations, not available for GA filers)
When you file your returns (and/or payments) via the Internet, Trustfile servers record the data that is transmitted to your state’s DOR. As a result, Trustfile can often restore lost data and confirm filing information (for audit purposes) for customers who use Internet filing.