Data Management

All of the information entered into the Church Windows program is recorded in the database. This secures the information and keeps your records and audit trail intact. Backing up your data ensures that you have a copy available to restore in cases of unexpected data loss. There are some functions in Church Windows that allow for the deletion of historical data. Likewise, non-transactional information can be edited and removed. With Users & System Security an Administrator can set up permissions that minimize the risk of unintended changes.

Backup Data

Restore Data

Data Tips

  • Use the backup function generously. There's no real consequence to having extra backups and the impact of not having one can be significant.

  • Backups can be stored in different places, including off-site on a flash drive or in cloud storage.

  • Refer to date and time stamps to find the latest copy. For more descriptive organization, use folder names to organize archived copies of the data.

  • Make a backup before and after any cleanup or data entry projects, closing years, or historical deletions.

Working Off Site

Some churches have found they need to access the Church Windows database from home. There are a few ways to go about this:

  • Church Windows Web

    • Church Windows Web allows users to access a virtual computer where Church Windows is installed.

  • Remote Access

    • Several third-party companies offer services that allow you to remote into a computer from another location.

  • Moving the Database

    • This strategy needs to be well understood and organized to avoid the risk of data loss. We will refer to Office Computer and Home Computer to clarify locations for this example. In this process, a back up is taken from the office computer when all of the work and entry is done for the day. No alterations made to the office computer after the backup is taken will be saved. The backup is taken and restored on the Home Computer, running the same version of Church Windows. This will restore the data exactly as it was when the backup was taken. When work at home is done, a backup is made of the Home Computer and then restored on the Office Computer to now include the work and alterations made from home. Any changes made to the Office Computer in the same time period will be overwritten.

    • Though this strategy can work with well organized routine and good communication, it's important to understand who has the "working" backup and can be making changes within the system and who does not. This method can be considered especially prone to human error.