Hi I've noticed that the latest version of MYOB 2026.5 no longer has the facility for a local backup. This is problematic for some of my clients as they want to have their own backups on their local servers. They are paying for their subscription & believe they are entitled to take their own backups. We were able to tick the box the enable local backups & then untick to have MYOB also backing up the file. Where is this option now?

Hi Folks I read your replies and agree totally - yes we must retain the ability to backup to a local drive - the reasons are numerous and all reasonable and legitimate - however, here is a problem that is and overlay over this entire argument ..... You download a backup of a client's/ or your file today ....... and it is version 2026.5 ...... no problem. 1 year later you need to open it - how do you do that ...... you cannot open locally as the feature has gone. The only way to view it is to backup the client's or your file online and restore it - and MYOB will come up with 'oh this is format 2026.5 do you want to upgrade it to 2027.4 version' you answer 'no' - then we go into a circular argument which has to be overlayed here - we want to continue being able to open locally somehow...... so we can view data of old, audit, fix someone's file but test it first. And this then requires MYOB to maintain that ability to open a local file locally ....... the trouble being is eventually the file you have downloaded and stored - maybe in 2027.4 is not going to be opened locally by any utility...... and that is the problem. This is a whole big can of worms that is going bite MYOB in the rear end - remove this ability and you run into huge problems. So folks - let us keep fighting for MYOB to allow local storage and ALWAYS an ability to open a local file for review, auditing etc - this is a MUST. This one of the biggest security problems with XERO that I could not resolve - no backup feature, no download of 'your file' - so in 10 years is XERO going purge data - interesting argument but not for this forum - just a perspective. The Doc

Hi AmandaYou have missed the point of our complaint. We know we can create online backups when we want but we want to save the backups locally, not just on your cloud servers. We can see the backups by clicking on restore but there's no way to save those backups on our own devices which is what we want to do.

What happens when MYOB gets hacked and all our files disappear? At least if we keep a local backup, there is a bit of reassurance that our data is readily available should the worst happen.

This is ridiculous!!! We save our MYOB backups locally as we then extract the data into a custom made program to run financial reports on a weekly basis. How can we back up locally please? We do not want to back up to the new system!!!

Hi All I forgot to mention one scenario that I have no answer for - there is but it is unsavory..... the client I had to resolve the Payables/Receivables with and without tax - this was not a simple problem to solve but what made it so much easier to fix was the ability to backup their online working MYOB file to my local drive and open this backup locally - and work out a fix - it took a month with support sought from MYOB support who were very quick and helpful in giving answers to resolve. Their answer said - try this fix on a backup! - and if it works apply to the working file .......... it didn't solve all the problems but having a file offline to tinker and fiddle with to resolve a problem was crucial. This will now disappear as an option MYOB - really, really bad .......... offer a offline ability to download a backup please - you must and then to open it - we partners, API developers etc need that. The unsavory solution MYOB will undoubtedly offer is - 'oh, backup your file online - tinker with the existing online and if you stuff it up - restore from backup' - and that MYOB is not how you fix things. Restore is a must but you don't test it because you have fiddled with the operating file - which alas is only available to you when the client isn't working on it. You do not test an operating website by tinkering with the code to see if it the fix 'works' - you run a copy as a 'staging site' - test your code and if it works - roll it out at midnight when no one using the web. The Doc The Doc

MYOB Backups | MYOB Community

99 Replies

The_Doc
Ultimate Cover User
2 days ago
Hi Folks

I think a little perspective is required before we go jumping ship because MYOB removed a feature......

Go look at the opposition - there is no capability to back up, recover, restore or keep copies of in any way or form....... to me this is in and of itself one of the greatest negatives to using it... yet this huge, huge disadvantage is ignored as people flock to use it.

No I am not showering MYOB with accolades on their software - what I am saying is that a very, very good feature that kept people remaining with MYOB was the feature we have now lost...... and that is a great shame. The removal of this great feature was badly mishandled and has left a lot of us gasping for air.....

Please plug this hole MYOB in your very feature rich software - !!!

The Doc
pmb25
Contributing User
2 days ago
How do we get out data file to our accountant? The are not MYOB Accountants Office practice..
Liz_A
Super User
3 days ago
I agree, which is why I posted a request to be able to create a COPY of an online file with temporary access for testing. It's up as a suggestion and needs votes.
Cheers
Liz
NapoleonGC
Experienced Cover User
3 days ago
Unfortunately, i still need to work on the file offline, not just to 'read'. I hope they fix this soon. The working offline is why this program was selected in the first place. Couple of my biggest issues is that i constantly do import exports for pricing, inventory upgrades etc. As everyone knows 99.9% of the time it does not go to plan and needs to be tested. Now i need to have everyone out of the system so i can do the ex/imports testing out of hours so it does not effect the live file. not to mention needing backups for reporting purposes - especially when the client changes information!!!
The_Doc
Ultimate Cover User
3 days ago
Hi pmb25

The problem is you can't 'just backup' files from an online repository to your local drive as a 'zip' - a zip is not a database format - it is a storage format to compress data in whatever form it is in to save space.

When you could backup an myob file locally - it was downloaded into a special database format that AR SE could open...... but that format the MSSQL CE is no longer supported by Microsoft.

For MYOB to continue to enable that download they would have to keep upgrading AR Server Edition which they stopped at 2026.5 version.

So even if you could get the data off the online MYOB repository - it couldn't be opened by anything - it would be useless to man or beast.

What we have argued for is a replacement format - i.e. a current database format download and a utility to open and view.

MYOB have gone deathly silent on this requirement but reading between the lines, MYOB has admitted that there is a need for this to happen and are 'working on a solution' - what this is we do not know, and MYOB haven't 'formerly' stated they are doing this - just the tone of their forum replies changed .... from 'no longer available' ..... something less dramatic a reply which indicated a shift in thinking but no one will say.

Long term there are many ways to handle this problem but they are not simple - you can export data out of your online data repository but these are just csv formatted or excel formatted files and are an inadequate stop gap approach.

Personally - I do not see why MYOB cannot as a stopgap approach just convert the data to an acceptable format like MS SQL which cannot be opened by MYOB SE - but at least you get your data. This would be a one direction approach and does not give you a reverse path that we use to have.

The problem is not simple.

The Doc
pmb25
Contributing User
3 days ago
that still does not offer us what we need. Why cant we just copy the online backup to local PC? It seems a massive mistake by MYOB.
Genreve_S
MYOB Moderator
3 days ago
Hi pmb25,

I understand how this change affects how you use your file. Local backups are no longer available on newer versions of the software.

You can still create manual online backups, but you can’t download them as a ZIP file or save them to a USB. Automatic online backups are also available.

If you have an older offline backup, AccountRight Server Edition may let you access it locally.

For more information:

AccountRight offline mode changes

Create an online backup

Regards,

Genreve
pmb25
Contributing User
3 days ago
this there a resolution.. or do we look at other accounting packages?
garfield13
Experienced User
11 days ago
As far as I know we bookkeepers are legally obliged to keep 5 years of all info . How can we do that if MYOB doesn't keep the cloud backup for that long??

Is this MYOB way of storing short time backup even legal???

We NEED to be able to have a copy on our PC!

Very disappointed with all this!

PLEASE roll back!

Garfield 13
The_Doc
Ultimate Cover User
1 month ago
Hi gavin12345

You are 100% you know it and I know this but I was being nice and allowing MYOB some dignity in this mess.

But point taken - MYOB needs to step up and take ownership of this mess because, they had plenty of warning.

And at the time, because I know the proprietary database they chose for MYOB Premier and cracked that, I wondered why they were choosing that particular database option - the CE Compact version.

So MYOB as Gavin suggests it really is time for you to step up and actually make a statement about this mess that was long in the planning and poorly prepared for and simply as disastrous for its users as it has been.

The Doc