PowerChurch Online - Backing up and saving files

Using the Backup functionality in PCO

Although the procedure for making backups and saving export files is very similar in PowerChurch Online as it is in a local copy of PowerChurch Plus, there have been significant changes behind the scenes.

In the Backup Files process, when you are prompted for the location to store the backup, you are only given the option of "Browse to Location". To choose which drive will be used you can either type the path in the box below, or click the Choose Folder button to open the Select Folder dialog. When you click the Choose Folder button, you will be met with the following screen:

The list of drives with labels such as "Client C (M:)" or "Client D (N:)" are the local hard drives and removeable devices on your local computer and the letters in parentheses are the drive letters they have been assigned by our server. For example, if you want to save locally to your documents follow these steps. Navigate to "Client C (M:)" >  Users folder > Your username and finally the Documents folder. It is important to understand that because PowerChurch Online is a server run application, the initial "Desktop", "Documents" and other folders & locations you may see outside of the "Client C (M:)" are related to OUR server. This means that you cannot and will not be able to save files there due to security restrictions. 

You will also see a drive listed as "XXXXXX$ (pc-storage-X) (Z:)". XXXXX$ referring to your registration number. 16507$ for example and PC-storage-1, referring to the storage number. This is a special drive that we have created for you on the server itself. You can use it to store temporary backups, but it is not recommended to be used for permanent storage, as this drive is periodically pruned of older backups.

PowerChurch Online will store the last file location you used and will have it automatically selected the next time you open a Save As dialog or the Backup & Restore process in PowerChurch Online. This will streamline the process after it has been done once if you use the same location to save files to backup to on a regular basis.

To backup to a CD or DVD drive you must first backup to your hard drive or a flash drive then use a third party software, such as Roxio or Nero to burn it to the disc. Trying to back up directly to a CD or DVD drive from PowerChurch Online will most certainly cause "Buffer Underrun" errors in the burn process.

Saving Files locally  | Reports and Exported Data

The process of saving files locally in PowerChurch Online is very similar to backing up files as described above. However, the process slightly differs depending on the operating system you have. 

Windows Computers:
    When saving reports or exporting data on a windows computer, you will first be prompted for the type of export expected. Select the desired export from the dropdown and press OK.

Lastly you will be met with a file explorer window where you can navigate to the desired location and click Save. Here you can also rename the file if necessary.

Mac Computers:
    When saving reports and exporting data on a Mac computer, you will prompted for both the type of export and the location of the export. Start by selecting the desired export from the dropdown menu. Next, select the Change button and navigate to the location you wish to save the file by clicking the dropdown at the top next to the "Save In" label. For example, if you want to save locally to your Desktop, follow these steps. Navigate to "Client Home (M:)" > select Desktop and finally click Save. 

Importing Files | Pictures, Families, Contributions, etc.

The process of importing files and or pictures in PowerChurch Online is very similar to the prior two discussed methods. The initial menu has a slightly different look.

Windows & Mac Computers:
    When importing pictures or files in PowerChurch Online, you will either click the Import button or the Choose File button. Next navigate to the location you have saved the file you wish to import, do so by selecting the dropdown at the top next to the "Look In" label. Once found, select the file and click OK.