Welcome to the group!

Not to discount your experience, but it is very difficult to "accidentally" lose a client record in Timeslips.  

Now, they sometimes can get renamed, so they are not alphabetically where you expect to find them, but they should still be somewhere in the database.

Purging is how we completely remove data out of the database, and does not exist any more.  Have you purged Client Records?

Do you have an old backup that you could restore on the side to "find" the client records? Why do you need the closed client records? Perhaps we can achieve your purpose another way?

Nancy Duhon, Esq.

Duhon Technology Solutions, LLC

Master Certified Consultant for Sage Timeslips

Providing individual Consultations and Third Party Remote Desktop Support - including older/unsupported versions.

404-325-9779

[email protected] 

Well now that I have done some investigation we are missing probably closer to 40 clients. I tried searching my name, case number and transaction number and nothing is coming up. 

we are at version 2015 and I did a purge a couple of months ago and a data verification to fix errors but I'm almost certain I wouldn't purge 2016 files because we sometimes reference them still. I was wondering about looking into an older back up to see if the clients are there but : 1. I don't know exactly when we "lost" these files to know when to do a backup/ restore to and 2. if I go to an old back up data file will I loose all current data that we have entered since then? 

currently I don't "need" them right now but I'm concerned this is even happening and what if it continues to happen? 

Again, the ONLY way that I know to get rid of a Client record is to Purge.  Timeslips will only purge clients who have a Closed Classification. So only Closed Clients are even ELIGIBLE for purging.  But the default value is to purge ALL Clients with a Closed Classification. Though your v2015 would have allowed you to adjust that, and do some filtering.

So, it is at least theoretically possible that they were in fact purged out a couple of months ago, though perhaps unintentionally.

The only way to look at that data now will be via restoring a backup.

In this type of situation, I would not restore the backup over your current dataset.  I would restore it to a completely different folder. I sometimes name the new folder Sandbox, so that I know it is not the real data but my "sandbox" that I am playing in.

You can then switch between your current dataset and the sandbox via File, Open Database and browsing to the two folders.  

BE CAREFUL, they may look an aweful lot alike. Look in the bottom left corner for the path to the database to keep it straight and make sure you only put new data in your live dataset.

Nancy Duhon, Esq.

Duhon Technology Solutions, LLC

Master Certified Consultant for Sage Timeslips

Providing individual Consultations and Third Party Remote Desktop Support - including older/unsupported versions.

404-325-9779

[email protected] 

Thanks Nancy, 

Do you have the proper steps to do a back up and call is something else handy just so I don't mess it up! 

All written out and documented? No, sorry.

The main idea is to understand that Timeslips can look at an infinite number of databases. The same way Word can open, and edit an inifinite number of Documents.  

However, most firms only use one - their live dataset. 

You just have to keep track of where those two datasets are, and which one you are looking at.

Essentially, you can restore any backup to a new folder, and then switch between the two datasets via File | Open Database.

Thanks I'll try that! 

Just to be on the safe side, make a backup before you start. This way, if you accidentally overwrite your real database, you have a backup to restore. 

ok will do!