How do I ensure I'm safeguarding all my critical data?
The short answer is: create periodic backups of the promis-e Data folder (or the Substation Data folder for Bentley Substation) that the software is pointing to, and create periodic backups of projects using Backup Project. Backups should be stored on a different drive, preferably on a different machine, than the source material.
If the System Path Management Method on the Setup dialog is set to "Manage Data Folder Path" or the individual paths are all pointing to a single parent folder, then backing up this folder will backup catalogs (symbols, macros, title blocks, and families), page formats, report templates, parts database (typically), default project settings, and various settings profiles. "Backing up this folder" entails making a copy or .zip file of the folder using Windows Explorer.
If the System Path Management Method is set to "Manage Individual Paths", note the files or folders specified by the paths, then make backup copies of them.
Important: Merely backing up the data folder or the My Projects folder will not backup projects. This will only backup the contents of the folder (drawing files), which will not result in an accessible project if the folder alone is restored.
Use Backup Project to create a single archive file for a project. This file, with a .PRJ extension, will contain the drawing files, project options, and the information from the SQL project database for that project. The database information is what will be missed by merely copying the project's folder. The software cannot rebuild the database from the drawing files only. Restoring a backup created by the Project Manager will restore the drawing files and populate the SQL project database.
In addition to or as an alternative to creating project backups, it is possible to backup the entire SQL project database(s). Such backups should be made at the same time that the project folders are backed up so the data remains synchronized. See also the Backing Up promis.e Data Automatically article.
Using the built-in Backup Project and Restore Project functions is also a good way to transfer projects from one database to another, such as when transferring projects from a local database to a network database or from an old computer to a new computer. See also the Moving Projects article.
Backing Up Promis.e Data Automatically
Moving Projects