backing up Pokertracker

[jstewsmole]

Ive been reading about how to file taxes and keep records as a recreational gambler and the type of diary they want u to keep. I t seems as PT would be more than what they ask for as far as a journal and so forth. My only concern is if something happened to my database. I was just wondering how to periodically back up the database in case of an emergency.

Thanks

[TM1212]

[ QUOTE ]
Ive been reading about how to file taxes and keep records as a recreational gambler and the type of diary they want u to keep. I t seems as PT would be more than what they ask for as far as a journal and so forth. My only concern is if something happened to my database. I was just wondering how to periodically back up the database in case of an emergency.

Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

I have my entire hand history backed up on my ipod... however i guess my comp could get a virus from one of the music files i download illegally, then upload it tomy ipod ultimately fing me... back it up on a cd or other media device

[SamIAm]

You a) back-up to a fragile, portable device and b) carry it around with you everywhere you go? How often do you need ALL your hand-histories on the bus?

To the OP, which back-end are you using for PTracker? If Access, you can just copy the files to CD (or DVD [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ). If SQL, you'll have to use the OS's "backup" option for databases.
-Sam

[jwp]

If it's the PostgreSQL, there is an option to do a backup under the Postgre DB Maintenance options in PT (Utilities menu item). THe backup puts a dump file wherever you want it.

Backups of the SQL DBs are pretty fast and more compact than the access DBs.

JWP

[rabbitlover]

What is the advantage of converting the DB to PostgreSQL?
And is there any additional software I need? I know I don't have Access installed.

Thanks

[SamIAm]

Here's how to install the SQL backend.
-Sam

[jwp]

It's supposed to be faster in retrieval and more compact in data storage. It also removes the ~2G file size limitation that Access DBs have.

JWP

[jstewsmole]

im not sure what u mean when u say back end. I d o have Access on my computer though. I tried opening ptrack.mdb in Access and it would give me options like sessions or tables or whatever and when i would click on them it would show me like every session (which was like 30,000 or so)and couldnt make much sense out of the table headings.

Sorry im a real noob when it comes to this stuff [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

My thought process is that i back up the ptrack.mdb file on access and if my computer crashes that i can somehow upload the files from access that were saved back to PT and would be back in business, so to speak.

Im also wondering that if my whole computer gets [censored] that imay lose the files im access as well so u want to have the backup on some external drive or source so its not affected if the worst were to happen to my computer.

Is my line of thinking off?
thanks for ur patience and time

[SamIAm]

If you don't know what SQL is, then you're not running it. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Go to the ptracker folder, and sort by file-size. The 4 biggest files are your main database, your hhf database, and the back-up of each. There's no need to backup the backup, but the other two hold all your data. Burn to some seperate media (or copy to your ipod for easy listening) and you'll be fine.
-Sam

[jstewsmole]

thanks for helping,
The file with mdb extensions that i have are:
hhcopy.mdb
hhdb.mdb
ptrack.mdb
ptrack backup.mdb
ptreqv2.mdb

Are these all of them?
Also when i opened hhcopy it had 44 thousand hand histories and when i opened hhdb it had like 69 thousand.
So theres a backup to ptrack.mdb and hhdb.mdb.
I only have to back up these two files on access?
Also ptreqv2.mdb needed a password of some sort.

the reason i mentioned the number of hand histories in the hhcopy and hhdb files is because of the discrepancy between them. Shouldnt they have the same amount of hands if HHcopy is just a copy of hhdb.mdb?

thnks for the time again