Aronium Backup & Restore Utility

Hey everyone,

I've created a simple backup and restore utility that automates cloud backups. This guide will walk you through setting up and using the Aronium Backup & Restore Utility to protect your valuable business data.

Note: this is not official Aronium stuff; it's just my own personal work.

Why Use This Tool?

Your Aronium database (pos.db) contains all your products, sales, customers, and reports. Losing this data could be catastrophic. This tool automates the process of creating secure backups, giving you peace of mind.

Key Features:

• Automatic Backups: Set a schedule and forget about it. The tool works in the background.

• Cloud Storage: Save backups to a free Mega.nz account to protect against local disasters like computer theft, fire, or hard drive failure.

• Easy Restoration: Quickly restore your business operations from a backup if something goes wrong.

Part 1: Initial Setup (The "Backup" Tab)

This is the most important step. You only need to do this once.

Step 1: Set Your Paths

1. Source Database: This is the original Aronium database file you want to back up.

   • Click Browse...

   • Navigate to the Aronium data folder. The default location is usually:
     C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Aronium\Aronium

   • Select the file named pos.db.

   Tip: If you can't see the AppData folder, you may need to enable "Show hidden items" in your Windows File Explorer view options.

2. Local Backup Directory: This is a folder on your computer (or an external drive) where the backup files will be saved.

   • Click Browse...

   • I recommend creating a new, dedicated folder like D:\Aronium Backups or C:\Backups\Aronium for easy access. Do not choose the same folder as the source database.

Step 2: Choose a Backup Schedule

Select how you want the backups to run automatically.

• Manual: Backups will only run when you click the "Backup Now" button.

• On Startup: A backup is created every time you start the utility.

• On Shutdown: A backup is created every time you close the utility.

• Timed Interval: Creates a backup automatically every X minutes. Good for businesses that run computers 24/7.

• Scheduled Daily: The best "set and forget" option. A backup will run automatically at the same time every day.

• When Idle For: A smart backup that runs only after you haven't used the computer for a set number of minutes.

Recommendation: For most businesses, Scheduled Daily is a great, reliable choice. Set it for a time after business hours, like 23:00 (11 PM).

Step 3: Configure Cloud Backup (Highly Recommended)

Saving backups to the cloud is the best way to protect your data from local disasters.

1. Check the Box: Tick the "Cloud Backup (Mega.nz)" checkbox to enable it.

2. Mega Email: Enter the email address for your Mega.nz account. (If you don't have one, you can create a free account at mega.nz).

3. Mega Password: Enter your Mega.nz password. The first time you enter it, it will be saved securely in your system's credential manager. After that, this field will show "Password saved securely."

4. Mega Folder Name: Choose a name for the folder where your backups will be stored on Mega. "AroniumBackups" is a good default.

5. Test Connection: Click this button to make sure the utility can log in to your Mega account successfully. You should see a success message.

Part 2: Restoring a Backup (The "Restore" Tab)

Use this section only when you need to recover your data after a problem (e.g., data corruption, moving to a new computer).

IMPORTANT WARNING: Restoring a backup will completely overwrite your current Aronium database. Any sales or changes made since that backup was created will be lost. Be absolutely sure before you proceed.

Step 1: Close Aronium

Before restoring, make sure the main Aronium POS application is completely closed.

Step 2: Select the Restore Destination

1. Click the Browse... button next to "Restore database to this directory."

2. Navigate to and select the folder where your live Aronium database is located. This should be the same path you used for the "Source Database" in the setup.

   • Default location: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Aronium\Aronium

Step 3: Find and Select Your Backup

1. Click the Refresh List button. The application will connect to your Mega account and list all available backups, with the newest one at the top.

2. Click on the backup file you wish to restore. It will be highlighted.

Step 4: Restore the Backup

1. Click the green Restore Selected button.

2. A confirmation window will appear, asking if you want to "Overwrite pos.db" or "Restore as Original Name".

   • For a full recovery, choose "Overwrite pos.db". This will replace the live database with your backup.

3. Wait for the success message.

Step 5: Verify

Open the Aronium POS application. Your products, sales, and settings from the time of the backup should now be restored.

The "Logs" Tab

This tab displays a real-time log of all actions performed by the utility (e.g., "Backup started," "Upload successful," "Login failed"). If you ever encounter an error, the information in this tab can be very helpful for troubleshooting.

Download link: https://mega.nz/file/VN8glbgC#dBr1OZp-jg0uroat9rvzG9wozRhTt3LsXOiTXX5Mz6Y