Tales From Tech 2 - Issue: 3

Today I want to tell you about some things that could save you time, trouble and possibly even prevent you from getting ulcers. The things I want to tell you about are akin to flossing your teeth. They're things you should be doing regularly, but maybe you've been a little slack about. Now, I'm not pointing fingers at anyone because only you know if you've been bad or good. Anyway, while we're on the subject of flossing and other hygiene related things, that reminds me of that old "Shower to Shower" jingle: An apple a day helps keep odor away.

FINDING THE CAVITY

Just like a dentist's spotlight helps him find what he's looking for, an index file helps you find what you're looking for in the program. An index allows quick access to what you're looking for, but as you add and delete things from the database the index becomes less efficient. In fact, index file problems can even cause you to get error messages in the program. So, if you ever get an error that says that a record is out of range, or that a record is not in the index, or that a file doesn't exist; the first thing to do is reindex your data files.

ATTACKING THE PLAQUE

Well, now that we know why it is important to reindex your data files, let me go ahead with a brief how-to, just in case you hadn't already stumbled across it on your own.

To reindex your data files, just go to the Utilities Menu (it's the Setup Menu in Version 6.2), choose Reindex and then select what you want to Reindex. My suggestion would be to go ahead and pick the last option (Reindex All of Above Files). After you make a selection, you'll be asked to confirm your choice. Just click Yes. It's as simple as that. Oh, if you're on a network, make sure to get everyone else out of the program before you try reindexing.

THREE TIMES A DAY

No, I really wouldn't expect you to reindex three times a day, but you might be asking yourself: How often should I reindex? We will usually suggest that you reindex at least once a month, but it really depends on how many additions, changes and deletions you make to your data files. Since reindexing can't hurt anything, you might make it a weekly ritual. So, mark those calendars!

GETTING YOUR TEETH KNOCKED OUT

Well, we've talked about how reindexing will help keep things running smoothly, but what happens if catastrophe strikes and things don't run at all? What happens if the computer blows up? If you're like me, you may have wished for this to happen on one or two occasions, but what if someday it really does?

Just as reindexing is an example of something we should all be doing on occasion, there's an even more critical procedure that I hope you are doing once in a while, preferably weekly at least. What is it you ask? It's backing up your data. Performing regular backups is the best insurance you can have if disaster strikes. If something does happen and you lose your data, a backup will allow you to get back to where you were when the backup was made.

Backups can be made by using any of a number of different programs, but PowerChurch Plus has a backup feature built right in. Now there's a lot of information in the manual on making backups and restoring the data from them. The section begins on page 362 (it's page 93 in the Version 6.2 manual) and I'd certainly recommend that you take the time to review the information in the manual. It will give you step-by-step instructions on making backups and restoring from them. I also want to point out that in Version 7, you now have the ability to verify that a backup doesn't contain any errors. Verifying that a backup is okay is an often overlooked option, but it's a great way of checking to make sure that your backup can be safely restored. To find out more about how to Verify a backup, look on page 365. All the details are there.

WHERE TO SEND QUESTIONS AND HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE

Well, I guess that's it for today's edition of Tales From Tech 2. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any questions about anything you've read, please feel free to contact us by e-mail at support@powerchurch.com or by phone at (800) 486-1800. But, if you didn't like it and you want us to stop e-mailing you, just send an e-mail to emailinglist.remove@powerchurch.com and we'll leave your Inbox alone.

WHERE TO GO TO READ PREVIOUS ISSUES OR MAKE SUGGESTIONS

If you want to read our previous issues or if you have a suggestion for a topic you'd like me to talk about in the future, just visit my web page at http://www.powerchurch.com/tech2.