In TaxSlayer Pro, the secondary backup path specifies the Windows directory location for a backup of return data. Return data is written to this backup drive upon exiting the return and also when receiving acknowledgements for a return.
This backup device can be a thumb drive or other external drive attached to the computer by a USB cable, or a second internal hard drive. It's called a secondary backup as the primary backup is the one made using the menu line "Backup Returns" under the Utilities menu.
To avoid errors, the drive used for the secondary backup needs to always be attached to the computer. A cloud-based method can be used if it is accessible via a locally installed app whose location can be expressed as an absolute DOS path. A URL cannot be entered as the secondary backup path.
Important caveats:
- If a secondary backup location is specified but the drive is not installed, you will receive an error upon exiting the return: "Error creating secondary backup file for ...." No work will be lost, but no secondary backup will be saved. Therefore, if you customarily remove this drive for safekeeping at the end of the work day, to avoid errors be sure it is inserted before starting TaxSlayer Pro the following day.
- If a secondary backup drive is removed from the computer, when it is reinserted Windows may assign a different drive letter to it. If that happens, the drive letter in the Secondary Backup Path configuration will be incorrect and will need to be updated. This is an unavoidable hazard of removable drives.
- The secondary backup is a temporary backup that may prove useful in case of a problem with a return and needing to revert to the last previously saved version of the return. The secondary backup is not a substitute for a backup created using one of the backups under the TaxSlayer Pro Utilities menu, or a backup created outside the program, e.g., by third-party backup software or your own manual copying in Windows.
- Only return data is saved on the secondary backup. PDF copies of the return, return attachments, and other ancillary documents are not included.
- Since return data is only written to the secondary backup upon exiting the return, the only returns on the secondary backup are those that have been opened and exited after the secondary backup was specified in Configuration. Returns that haven't been opened since the secondary backup was specified won't be on it.
- If you choose to enter a secondary backup path other than the default path, the path needs to be specified as an absolute DOS path, i.e., the drive letter followed by a colon plus the directory location on the drive with each subdirectory separated by a backslash, e.g., D:\TaxSlayer\2024Net\Data.
To set up a secondary backup path, from the Quick Menu of TaxSlayer Pro select
- Configuration
- Path Menu
- Secondary Backup Path - Select a backup path from the list of installed drives. For a given drive, we recommend using the path shown, i.e., [drive letter]:\TaxSlayer\20XXNet\DATA, where XX is the program year. However, if you would like to customize the path, select Enter Path and type in the desired path. If the path does not exist, you will be asked if you'd like the path to be created. Click YES to create the path.
Additional Information: