See the steps to use to complete this process in versions 15.1 and earlier.

Create a new company

1. Go to Sage Desktop, Options, Open Company.
2. Select the company you want to copy.
   Note: It’s important that you begin in the company folder you want to copy. This allows you to copy the same settings stored in the ts.ctl file to the new folder. See information about what "Use current setup" does when creating a folder.
3. Select Options, New Company.
4. In the Company Name box, type a unique name for this company folder and press Enter. Don’t use the exact name as your live company.
5. The Data Folder Path Name prefills with the Company Name you entered.
6. Write down the destination location from the Data Folder Path Name box for reference in subsequent steps.
7. Enter a Data Folder Description. For example, "20xx COPY of DATA DO NOT MAKE ENTRIES".
8. Leave Use Current Setup selected.
9. Click OK.
10. Select Options, Open Company and Select the original company you’re copying.

Copy files

1. Go to Sage Desktop, Applications, Common Tasks, Tools, File Tools.
2. Select Copy.
3. Click Next.
4. Click Add Files.
5. Select all files by using Ctrl+A.
6. Hold down Ctrl, and deselect Ts.ctl, Master.qym, and Tswin.ini.
7. Release the Ctrl key once done.
8. Click Open after selecting all files except Ts.ctl, Master.qym, and Tswin.ini.
   Tip: Excluding **.PRN, **.PDF, **.TXT, **.TSZIP2, **.XLS, and **.XLSX files will improve processing speed and reduce the size of the new company. See Additional information for details.
9. Select the Destination folder location from Step 6 of the Create a new company section.
10. Click Next four times in response to the prompts.
11. Click Finish.

Optional: Purchasing, Inventory, Service Management

If you need Purchasing and Inventory (PO/IV) or Service Management (SM) data, copy the folder directly to your test company.

1. Go to Sage Desktop, Applications, Common Tasks, Tools, File Tools.
2. Select Copy.
3. Click Next.
4. Click Add Folder.
5. Select the POIVData folder and/or SMData folder from your live data folder, then click OK.
6. Select the Destination folder location from Step 6 of the Create a new company section.
7. Click Next four times in response to the prompts.
8. Click Finish.

Open your newly created test Company

1. Go to Sage Desktop, Options, Open Company and select your new company.
2. Go to Applications, Common Tasks, File, Company Settings, File Locations.
3. Clear paths in the Data Folder column so you don't affect live data. Don't clear the Reports and PR Tax paths.
4. Grant access to the folder by going to Options, Security Administration, Security Permission by Type, Company.
5. Verify that test data settings are correct. For example, formatting, posting settings, accounting methods, etc.
6. If you copied PO, IV, or SM data:
   • Open the corresponding applications within the test company from the file server
   • Do this so the client workstations can access these applications properly

Additional information

When you back up, copy, move, or delete folders and files, you can use advanced filters. Click Advanced to use wildcard and exclusion patterns to the files. The Wildcard option allows you to refine the selection of folders and files that you want to include. The Exclusion option does the same for folders and files that you want to exclude.

Add Wildcard or Exclusion Options

1. From the Backup, Copy, Move, or Delete window, click Advanced.
2. Select Add Wildcard or Add Exclusions to set patterns to refine your file search.
3. Enter or select the path for the folder and files to which you want to apply the pattern.
4. Place your cursor at the end of the path and enter a backslash.
5. Click Append to select a pattern or enter the pattern. Enter the file information before or after the append characters.
   • You can use the Recursive, Match Any, and Match Character pattern options separately or in combinations.
     • Recursive (**)
       Select recursive to include all files and folders that match the criteria that you enter. This includes all folders and subfolders.
     • Match Any (*)
       Select this pattern to include or exclude all files that have a character that matches this character.
     • Match Character (?)
       Select this pattern to include or exclude all files that have this single character in a folder name or path.
   • Examples apply to selected folders and subfolders:
     • *.prn will include or exclude all files with the extension .prn
     • **.prn will include or exclude all files with the extension .prn
     • Invoice* will include or exclude all files beginning with Invoice
     • *Invoice* will include or exclude all files containing the Invoice
     • **Invoice* will include or exclude all files containing Invoice
     • Invoice ?1.Prn will include or exclude all files with the name Invoice ?1.prn where you replace the ? by any single character
       • Example: Includes files with the names of Invoice 11.Prn, Invoice 21.Prn, or Invoice 31.Prn
       • Example: Doesn't include files with the names of Invoice 12.Prn or Invoice 22.Prn
     • **Invoice*.??? will include or exclude all files beginning with Invoice and ending with a three character extension
       • Example: Includes files with the names of Invoice12.prn, Invoice1.txt, or Invoice504.doc
       • Example: Doesn't include files with the names of TestInvoice.prn or Invoice9.jpeg
6. Click OK to return to the operation window.
7. The selected path with the selected patterns appears on the list.

How do I restore from a backup to a new data folder for prior year reporting?