Retrieving old data

[ffrsqpilot]

Our Stake Young Men's president called me today to see if I could get some data from 2005. Our stake had a youth conference/trek to Martins Cove that year. All the expenses and such were kept in the Youth conference category in the budget. Our stake is doing another trek this year to Rocky Ridge and the planning committee was hoping to look at the data from 2005 to plan this years expenses.

Being the good "boy scout" I shredded all financial data from 2005 when we started 2009. (Perhaps being too efficient). I went to the stake computer to see if indeed all 2005 data was erased and it indeed is once you do the official year close out listed in the Urgent Tasks box. Since it was gone I called MLS support to see if it was possible to restore from a backup made at the end of 2008 (which would include 2005 data). Initially they thought it was possible as long as I re- restored (is that a real term) a back up from today. I gave it a try but the first item that pops up with the backup is you need to close out the year (computer still thinks it is 21 Jan 2009). You can do nothing till completing that close out task. If you complete the close out the 2005 data is again wiped out.

I thought about changing the date in the computer to Dec 30th and doing a restore of that date (which I do have a backup of), but we have been instructed not to change the date in our computers so I see no way of getting a restore of 2005.

With all the tech specialists here on the site, does anyone know of a way around (other than changing the date in the computer) to get the old data from 2005?

[russellhltn]

If it were me, this is what I'd do:

- Make a backup of the current data (hope you did that already).
- Close MLS
- Set the clock back to just after the backup you are trying to restore
- Restore the backup
- Get what you need (Hope you know a login/password from that time period!)
- Close MLS
- Reset the time/date to the current time/date
- Restore the current data

I think the direction not to play with the clock is because that it creates problems in MLS. You could easily end up entering data that you are then forced to discard, or find ourself locked out of MLS. I believe it's allowable in exceptional cases, with this being one of those exceptions.

I would never change the clock to an incorrect time/date and do anything in MLS that I expect to keep.

[crislapi]

If it were me, this is what I'd do:

- Make a backup of the current data (hope you did that already).
- Close MLS
- Set the clock back to just after the backup you are trying to restore
- Restore the backup
- Get what you need (Hope you know a login/password from that time period!)
- Close MLS
- Reset the time/date to the current time/date
- Restore the current data

I think the direction not to play with the clock is because that it creates problems in MLS. You could easily end up entering data that you are then forced to discard, or find ourself locked out of MLS. I believe it's allowable in exceptional cases, with this being one of those exceptions.

I would never change the clock to an incorrect time/date and do anything in MLS that I expect to keep.

It's a safety feature of the financial software that keeps you from "cooking the books". It keeps track of log-in info and prevents you from logging in at a date/time earlier than the last log in. I imagine it also helps prevent corruption of the database caused by out-of-order adjustments.

If you know what you are doing and follow RussellHltn's steps, you will be fine. Again, the main key is to make sure the date/time is correct before you log into the re-restored data. Actually, you won't be able to log into the re-restored MLS until the system date/time are greater than the last MLS log in date/time anyway.