Manage application data folder contents

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Manager stores all business information, accounting data, custom themes, and attachments in a separate data file for each business. By default, these data files are saved in the application data folder. No accounting, business, or user information is stored in the application itself. The default location for application data depends on your operating system and edition, but is the same for all businesses you create.

Note
When using the desktop edition, business data files can be stored outside the application data folder and opened directly without first launching the Manager application. This is done by creating a backup file in the desired storage location. See another Guide for details. Business data files stored this way are not also copied to the application data folder, so information below does not apply to them.

Over time, data storage schemes for Manager have changed to accommodate new program features. Sometimes, an update requires new data files to be created. This happens automatically when the new version of Manager is launched. No action by the user is ever necessary.

Relic data files are not normally deleted. These obsolete data files and/or folders are harmless and can safely be left in place. By modern standards, they are not large, and do not consume much storage capacity. However, they can be identified and deleted, if desired.

Finding your application data

In the desktop edition, your application data folder location is shown in the bottom left corner of the Businesses page. In the server edition, the location is wherever it was set to be by the system administrator. To view your application data, navigate to the appropriate folder. Depending on your operating system and preferences, the folder may be hidden from normal view. So you may need to copy the location and paste it into your operating system’s file search function.

Once at the data folder, you should see files like these:

  • 00000000000000000000000000000000.manager (for server installations) is an SQLite database holding a list of users for the server edition. It contains no accounting data. Desktop editions may have such a file, but it is no longer used. (See below.)
  • Files with names of businesses, like Business Name.manager, are generated for each business added. All accounting data, customer and supplier information, custom themes, settings, and attachments for a business reside in its individual file. For privacy reasons, no data from any business appears in the file of any other.
  • data stores the application data folder path. If you have an older version of Manager or have never changed the application data folder location, this file may be missing. If Manager needs it, the program will generate it automatically.
  • language stores your current language preference if you have ever changed from the default English (even if you change back to English)
  • password (for server installations) stores the administrator account password.
  • size (for desktop installations) stores the window size when the application is closed.
  • Trash is a sub-folder where relic or removed businesses are stored.

So if you have two businesses, your file structure within the application data folder might look something like this:

Northwind Traders.manager
Brilliant Industries.manager
data
language
size
Trash

The current version of Manager does not use or create any other files or folders.

Removing unnecessary data

After identifying all current business files, you can remove unnecessary files from the application data folder. These files can be moved from the main application data folder or the Trash sub-folder. To be safe, do not delete them yet. Move the following file types to a safe location:

  • 00000000000000000000000000000000 (without the *.manager extension) is an obsolete index the program ignores.
  • 00000000000000000000000000000000.manager (for desktop installations) was previously used to store a list of businesses and global preferences. It is now ignored (by the desktop edition) and can be removed.
  • recent is a relic file formerly used in the desktop edition to store a list of recently opened businesses.
  • secret is a relic file.
  • Files with .manager-journal extensions are temporary SQLite rollback journals created when database revisions are necessary. They help prevent database corruption. The application normally deletes them when they are no longer needed. They remain only if an overly aggressive backup process interrupted a file conversion.
  • Folders, except Trash, are relics of obsolete data structures.
  • Files with hexadecimal names like f565db9ce66044188729588d6f5f2269.manager. These are either business data files of previously removed businesses, obsolete files left over from database restructuring of businesses, or obsolete audit trail files.

Relaunch Manager and verify all active businesses are still present and contain expected accounting and custom theme data. If an active business file was moved from the application data folder by accident, the previously removed file should be moved back into the application data folder.

When satisfied all businesses are present and include expected data, delete removed files from their temporary location.

Effects of Manual Changes

Changes you make to business data files in the application data folder are reflected on the Businesses page the next time the program is launched or that page is refreshed:

  • When a file is deleted, the business is removed from the list.
  • When a file is added, the business appears on the list.
  • When a file is renamed, the business is renamed on the list. This does not change the business name under Business Details in the Settings tab. It only changes the name under which the business appears on the Businesses page.
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