Back up and restore a Studio document

Studio keeps complete copies of your document on the device, takes them by itself before anything risky, and lets you go back to any of them. This page shows where they are, how to make one yourself, how to restore, and how to carry a document to another computer.

Where backups live

Open Settings, choose the Document tab and find the Backups section. It reads “Automatic snapshots are taken before imports and schema upgrades. You can also back up at any time and restore from any snapshot.” Below that is the status (No backups yet, or Last backup: with how long ago and why, for example Last backup: 5m ago · On open) and two buttons, Back up now and Restore….

The top bar shows the same information as a chip: Backup just now, Backup 3h ago, Backup yesterday, Backup 4d ago or a date, with the tooltip Most recent local backup. The chip appears once the document has at least one backup.

Backups are stored on this computer or device, in the app’s own data area, and each document has its own list. They are not kept next to the document file, so copying the file elsewhere does not carry its backups, and they never leave the device.

When Studio backs up by itself

Each backup is labelled with its reason:

On open: the first time the document is opened each day, before anything is written.
Start of session (a computer only): every time the document is opened, a copy of it as it was then, the one File ▸ Revert to when opened goes back to. Only the newest one is kept.
Before import: before an import adds data.
Before posting scheduled transactions: before Studio enters a large batch of due scheduled transactions at once.
Before archiving: before File ▸ Archive… removes old transactions from the document.
Before correcting dates, Before correcting data sources and Before correcting split lines: before Studio fixes, once, data that an early version stored wrongly in a document imported from AceMoney Classic. Studio makes this copy only when it actually changes something.
Before restore: before a backup replaces the document, so a restore can itself be undone.
Before upgrade (schema v…): before a newer Studio converts the document to its format.
Before downgrade (schema v…): before an older Studio opens a document a newer one had used.
Manual: the ones you make with Back up now.
A backup labelled “pre-repair” before every repair by Document Doctor.

Studio keeps up to 20 backups per document. When there are more, the oldest are removed, but the newest backup of each kind is always kept, so a run of daily backups can never push out your last Before import or Manual copy.

Go back to how the document was when you opened it

On a computer (macOS, Windows or Linux), File ▸ Revert to when opened puts the document back to how it was at the start of this session and undoes everything you changed since. Studio asks Revert to when opened? and says when the document was opened: This document will go back to how it was when you opened it, at …. Everything you changed since then is undone. A copy of the document as it is now is kept in Settings ▸ Backups, as “Before restore”. Choose Revert; the message The document is back to how it was when you opened it. confirms it. To undo the revert, restore the Before restore copy from Settings ▸ Document ▸ Backups ▸ Restore….

The menu item is grayed out when there is no copy to go back to: on the Welcome page, for a brand-new document that has no file yet, and after you turn on a document password (that deletes every backup). If the copy cannot be used, Studio says Couldn’t revert this document to when it was opened. and changes nothing. In AceMoney Studio Mobile (from version 1.2, not in the stores yet), a phone or tablet has no menu bar and takes no session copy; use Restore… with an On open or Manual backup there.

A document that syncs with AceMoney Cloud cannot be reverted: Studio says This document is synced with AceMoney Cloud, so it can’t be reverted to when it was opened: the next sync would bring the changes back. Use the Register’s undo for single changes.

Back up now

Open Settings ▸ Document.
Tap Back up now.
The status changes to Last backup: just now · Manual and the top bar chip reads Backup just now.

Good moments for a manual backup: before deleting accounts or categories, before a large cleanup, before trying a repair, and before you experiment with something you are unsure about.

Restore an earlier backup

Open Settings ▸ Document and tap Restore…. If the document syncs with AceMoney Cloud, Studio stops here with This document is synced with AceMoney Cloud, so a backup can’t be restored over it: the next sync would bring the changes back. and shows no list.
The Restore from backup dialog lists every backup with its date and time and, underneath, its reason and size. Tap the one you want.
Read Restore this backup?, which says “Your current document will be replaced with the backup from … (…). This cannot be undone.”, and tap Restore.
Studio first takes a Before restore backup of the document as it is now, then replaces the document with the backup and reloads it.

Everything entered after the backup was taken is gone from the document once you restore. If you picked the wrong backup, open Restore… again and restore the Before restore copy Studio made a moment ago.

Move a document to another computer

Backups do not travel with a document, but a document copy is complete on its own.

macOS

On the old Mac, choose File ▸ Save a Copy As… and save the copy to a USB drive or a cloud-drive folder. The copy includes the attachments and, if the document has a password, keeps that password. If the document syncs with AceMoney Cloud, Studio asks whether the copy should keep syncing: Continue Syncing keeps both files on the same synced data, and Detach & Mint New Identity makes the copy a separate document.
Install Studio on the new Mac.
There, choose File ▸ Open… and open the copied file, or copy it into your Documents folder first and open it from there.

Windows

The same steps, with File ▸ Save a Copy As… and File ▸ Open… in the menu bar inside the Studio window.

Linux

The same steps as on Windows.

Alternatively, with Studio closed, copy the document file and the attachments folder next to it by hand. The new computer starts its own backup list the first time it opens the document. If you have an AceMoney Studio license, deactivate it on the old computer as well; see the free version and the license.

Backups on a phone or tablet

AceMoney Studio Mobile is coming to iPhone and Android; it is not in the app stores yet. This section describes AceMoney Studio Mobile from version 1.2.

iOS (iPhone and iPad)

The Backups section works the same way, and the backups are stored inside the app on the device. Studio does not copy them anywhere else, and deleting the app deletes them. To keep a copy outside the app, export from Accounts, Register or Reports through the share sheet and save it to Files or a cloud folder.

Android

The same as iOS, plus one thing Android does on its own: the app’s data, including your document, can be part of Android’s backup of app data to your Google account when that backup is turned on in Android’s settings. Android may encrypt that backup with your device lock screen and limits how much each app may back up, so a large document may silently be left out. Do not rely on it as your only copy; export what matters.

Common questions

How many backups does Studio keep?

Up to 20 per document. The oldest are removed first, and the newest backup of each reason is always kept.

Can I delete a backup?

No. There is no delete control; Studio trims the list by itself as described above.

Can I choose where backups go, or back up to a cloud drive?

No. Backups always stay on the device. For an off-machine copy, use File ▸ Save a Copy As… into a cloud-drive folder on desktop, or export on a phone.

Are backups of an encrypted document encrypted?

Yes. A backup of a document with a password can only be opened with that password, and it carries what it needs to be opened with it even if the original is lost. Turning a password on deletes every earlier backup, because those were still plain; see Document password.

Does a backup include my attachments?

No. A backup is a copy of the document itself; the images and PDFs attached to transactions stay in the attachments folder next to your live document. Save a Copy As… copies both.

Is there a cloud backup?

AceMoney Studio makes no cloud backup of its own. If you sync a document with AceMoney Cloud, an encrypted copy is kept there and stays available to restore for 12 months after a subscription ends (see When a subscription ends). Keep your own off-machine copy too, with Save a Copy As… or an export.

I moved my document and the backup list is empty. Where did the backups go?

Studio keeps backups per location, so a moved or renamed document starts a fresh list. The earlier backups are still on the computer but are no longer shown; if you need one of them, contact Support.

Troubleshooting

“That backup is damaged and was not restored — your current document is unchanged. Try a different backup from the list.” Pick another backup; your document was not touched.
“Couldn’t restore this backup. Try again.” The restore did not complete and the document is unchanged. Check free space on the device, try again, and if it repeats contact support with the message.
The status says No backups yet after days of use. Studio takes the On open backup once a day when the document opens (on a computer it also takes a Start of session copy every time); if the document has been open the whole time, none was needed yet. Tap Back up now to make one.
A message tells me to delete an old backup from Settings ▸ Backups. The section has no delete control. That earlier plain copy stays on the computer until support helps you remove it; contact Support.
The Backup chip is missing from the top bar. The document has no backup yet. Tap Back up now.
After a restore, today’s transactions are gone. Expected: the restore replaced everything after the backup’s time. Restore the Before restore copy Studio just made to get them back, then decide again.
The tour or a message says Settings ▸ Backups. The section is on the Document tab of Settings.