Tip Tuesday: Retrieving Prior Year CMI Data
Posted by Kassi Mortensen on Tue, Dec 20, 2011 @ 08:00 AM
Always, always back up your data!
There are several automatic backup prompts built into CMI such as during a Year End Close or a Multiple Asset Change. Whenever prompted choosing to backup is always the right answer.
One of the reasons backups are always recommended is that it makes it possible to retrieve a prior year's data, even if you didn't make a copy of that year within CMI Fixed Assets. As long as you choose to backup during the Year End close, you will have a copy of the prior year available to you within your CMI data folder that you can retreive at anytime. Once you retreive that file you can print reports just like when that year was open in CMI.
To retrieve a prior year's backup copy, first open the company related to that file. Then click Tools > Company File/Backup Restore. This is also the place to save a backup copy manually anytime you wish. At this point you would simply click Save in the top right hand corner to create a backup copy of your company at that current point in time.
However, if you already have a backup file made, you'll see a list of all available backup files with date and time stamps. They'll also have a note related to why they were backed up.
For example, if you made a backup during the Year End close process, that file will have a note that says Prior to MM/DD/YYYY year end close like the file highlighted in blue above.
To retrieve that file, click on it, so that it's highlighted in blue (again, as shown above), then the Retrieve button becomes available to you in the top right corner. Click Retrieve. You will then be prompted to give it a new company number. This is so the retrieved backup copy doesn't overwrite or become confused with your current copy.
Once you've given it a new company number click OK. The retrieved company will now be available to you once you click Select Company in the company listing. From there you can print reports, look at assets, make changes, just as if you were still in that year.
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comment section below, or you can call 1-800-678-3658 from 8am to 5pm Mountain time during the winter months.