msa backup
Regularly creating a backup is strongly encouraged. In the event of a computer failure or other data loss, you can restore your entire Meeting Schedule Assistant environment with a single click.
You can access this feature from:
- File — Backup
- Toolbar – Backup
This feature creates a complete backup of your Meeting Schedule Assistant data.
The ZIP archive contains:
- All personal settings and preferences
- All databases (congregation, publishers, assignments, schedules, etc.)
- All templates, including custom ones
- All S‑89 assignment slip files
- Any other data stored in your MSA application folders
In other words, the backup contains everything needed to restore Meeting Schedule Assistant to its previous working state.
To protect against catastrophic data loss, it is recommended that you also create an off‑site backup by:
- Sharing the ZIP file with a trusted friend
- Saving it to an external USB memory stick
- Using a cloud storage service such as OneDrive or Dropbox
This feature is also useful when sharing your data with another person who helps prepare schedules, or when handing over the assignment entirely.
Tip: You can also configure Meeting Schedule Assistant to create backups automatically. For details, see Automatic Backup.
During the backup process, a progress bar is displayed to show the current status:
Figure 1: The progress bar shows the current status of the backup.
(Note: This video tutorial is based on an older version of the software.)
Watch the video tutorial on YouTube.