Class Mate Data Files

Class Mate data are stored in teacher files (.tea). By default your teacher file that contains all of your data is named "My Classes.tea", and is located in the folder Class Mate was installed to. Each teacher file may contain multiple classes, and each teacher will normally use only one teacher file. Do not create new teacher files for each of your classes. Every teacher file will also have an associated folder where backups and miscellaneous data is stored. For a teacher file named "My Classes.tea", the associated folder will be named "My Classes Files".

Backing up your classes

With any program that stores important data, you should backup your files regularly. You can backup your data by using the File/Backup feature of Class Mate, or by manually making copies of your teacher file. If your data files ever become lost, damaged, or corrupted, use File/Restore to restore your backup copy. Backup files (or copies of teacher files) can also be used to transfer your current data from one computer to another.

A backup file is a compressed version (windows cabinet .cab format ) of your teacher file named with a .teb file extension. You can therefore also open backup files with an archive utility like Win Zip and extract the compressed teacher file manually. There is an option to not compress backup files. If you select this option (Options/Setup from the main menu) backup files are identical copies of the teacher file named with the .teb extension.

Backup and restore also make it easy for you to work with more than one computer. if you use computers both at home and school use backup and restore to move current data from one computer to another. Restoring from a backup overwrites all of the current data with the data from the backup file. See below for details.

Making a Backup

1. From the main menu select File/Backup.
2. Press the Browse button to select the drive or folder to write the backup file to.
3. Press the Backup button.

Backup files are named with a .teb extension.

In most cases backing up to a CD burner requires using the software supplied with your CD drive. In this case first make a backup on your hard drive, and use your CD burner software to transfer the file to a CD.
Backup files automatically backup all of your data. You can not backup individual classes.

Restoring Data from a Backup File

1. From the main menu select File/Restore.
2. Press the Browse button to select the backup file (*.teb) to use for the restore.
3. Press the Restore button.

Restoring from a backup overwrites all of the current data with the data from the backup file. When you restore from a backup file, for safety another backup file is made just prior to the restore operation and stored in the folder "....backup/restore".

Reverting a backup:
Prior to restoring data, the program makes an automatic backup. If you should accidentally restore from an incorrect or outdated backup, you can revert back to the data just prior to the restore by again selecting File/Restore, and pressing Revert.

Working with two computers and E-mailing Backups

Sending e-mail backups is a convenient way to move data between computers at school and home. You can create a backup file on your computer at school, then attach it to an e-mail you send to yourself at your home computer. At home, you can then save the backup attached to the e-mail to your hard drive, start the Class Mate program and do a File/Restore using the saved backup file. The data on your home computer will now be identical to the data on your school computer at the time the backup was made. After working at home, you can repeat the process to bring your school computer up to date.

You don't have to use e-mail to transfer your data between two or more computers - you can accomplish the same thing by making backups to a CD, "thumb drive", diskette, etc. The process works the same no matter how the backup file is transferred from one computer to the other.
1. Make a backup from the computer that contains your most current data.
2. Transfer the backup file to your other computer.
3. Do File/Restore to update the other computer before you enter or make any more changes to your classes. Restoring replaces the data on the computer you are restoring to with the data from the backup file. You can not merge the data from two different teacher files or backups.

If you have set up your e-mail account in Class Mate, you can have the program automatically send e-mail backups.
1. From the main menu select File/Backup.
2. Press the Send E-Mail Backup button and enter the e-mail address to send the backup to.
3. Press Send.

 

Automatic Backups

Automatic copies of your teacher file are stored in a special folder associated with your teacher file. The examples below assume a teacher file named "My Classes.tea". For a teacher file named "My Classes.tea", the associated folder will be named "My Classes Files". Automatic backups can be used should a teacher file be accidentally deleted or become damaged.

1. To access your automatic backup settings, select Options/Setup from the main menu.
2. Select the number of automatic backups to keep, and the frequency that automatic backups are made. The default setting is to make backups every 5 days, and to keep the last 5 automatic backups.

The following automatic backups are also made:
1. Each time a manual backup is made, an extra copy of the backup file is stored as "My Classes Files\Backup\My Classes.teb").
2. Each time a restore is performed, a backup is made just prior to the restore and stored as "My Classes Files\Backup\Restore\My Classes.teb.
3. Each time the program is started, the data files are checked for errors. If no errors are detected a copy of the teacher file is stored as "My Classes Files\Copy of My Classes.tea".