How to Take Tally Backup Properly (Step-by-Step Guide) – Bison Knowledgebase

How to Take Tally Backup Properly (Step-by-Step Guide)

📅 01 Jan 2026 📂 General 👁 25 views

Tally data is critical for any business as it contains accounting records, GST data, inventory, payroll, and compliance information. Data loss due to hardware failure, ransomware, accidental deletion, or system crashes can cause serious financial and legal issues.
This knowledge base article explains how to take Tally backup properly, covering manual, automatic, local, external, and cloud backup methods, along with best practices and common troubleshooting steps.

Technical Explanation

Tally stores company data in data folders (commonly numeric folders like 10000, 10001) located in a predefined data path.
A proper backup ensures:

Data integrity
Recoverability
Protection against corruption and cyber threats
Compliance with audit and statutory requirements

Tally supports:

Manual backups
Automatic backups
Remote/cloud backups (via third-party tools)

Use Cases

Daily accounting operations
GST return preparation
Audit and compliance
Data migration to new systems
Disaster recovery after hardware or OS failure
Protection against ransomware attacks

Step-by-Step Solution / Implementation

Method 1: Manual Backup from Tally (Recommended Daily)

Open Tally

Go to:


Gateway of Tally → F3 (Company) → Backup

Select Destination Folder (Example: D:\TallyBackup)
Press Enter
Tally creates a backup of the selected company

✔ Best for quick daily backups
✖ Not automated

Method 2: Enable Automatic Backup in Tally

Open Tally

Go to:


Gateway of Tally → F12 (Configuration) → Data Configuration

Set:
- Enable Auto Backup → Yes
- Backup Interval → Daily / Weekly
- Number of Backups → 5–10
- Backup Data Path → External drive or non-system drive

✔ Ensures continuous backups
✖ Backup stored on same system if not configured properly

Method 3: Manual Folder Backup (Advanced / Emergency)

Close Tally completely
Navigate to Tally data folder, typically:
```
C:\TallyPrime\Data\
```
Copy required company folders (e.g., 10000)
Paste to:
- External HDD
- USB drive
- Network location

✔ Useful when Tally won’t open
✖ Risky if Tally is running

Method 4: External Drive Backup (Offline Security)

Use USB HDD / SSD
Schedule daily copy of Tally backup folder
Disconnect drive after backup

✔ Protection from ransomware
✔ High reliability

Method 5: Cloud Backup (Best Practice)

Use cloud backup software to sync backup folders to:

Google Drive
OneDrive
Dedicated backup solutions

✔ Offsite protection
✔ Automatic & versioned backups
✖ Requires internet and encryption setup

Commands / Examples (If Applicable)

Windows Robocopy Example

Automated copy of Tally backups:


robocopy D:\TallyBackup E:\TallyBackup /MIR /R:1 /W:1

Schedule Using Task Scheduler

Run daily after office hours
Ensure Tally is closed

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue	Cause	Fix
Backup not created	No disk space	Free space or change path
Backup corrupted	Tally running during copy	Always close Tally
Auto backup missing	Wrong path	Reconfigure in F12
Cloud backup syncing old data	File lock	Exclude live data folder
Backup overwritten	Low retention count	Increase backup versions

Security Considerations

Encrypt cloud backups
Use offline backups for ransomware protection
Restrict access to backup folders
Never store backups on system drive only
Maintain multiple backup locations (3-2-1 rule)

Best Practices

Take daily automatic backups
Keep weekly offline backups
Store backups in multiple locations
Test backup restore monthly
Document backup procedures
Use antivirus exclusions for backup folders
Maintain minimum 6–12 months of backups

Conclusion

A proper Tally backup strategy is not optional—it is a business necessity. Combining automatic Tally backups, external drive copies, and cloud storage ensures data safety, business continuity, and compliance readiness. Regular testing and disciplined processes prevent data loss and reduce recovery time during incidents.

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