In Settings, choose Backup. Dealer Garage saves the database, photos and documents to one zip file. Store a copy on a drive or in cloud storage you control. To restore, install Dealer Garage on the same or a new computer, choose Restore and pick the file. Backups are part of the free plan.
Before you start
Dealer Garage keeps its data on your computer, so you are responsible for backups. Decide where copies will live: an external drive that is not left plugged in, a second computer or encrypted cloud storage.
A backup includes the database (vehicles, customers, leads, deals, settings), vehicle photos and documents in the built-in drive.
Steps
- Open Settings and choose Backup.
- Create the backup. Dealer Garage writes one zip file.
- Copy the file to a second place, such as a USB drive or another computer.
- Repeat after any day with sales, and keep a few older copies.
- To restore, install Dealer Garage on the target computer and choose Restore.
- Pick the backup file, wait for it to finish and check your inventory and recent deals.
Check that it worked
Once in a while, restore a recent backup on another computer and open a few records. A backup you have never restored is a hope, not a backup.
If something goes wrong
- The backup is very large. Photos and documents take space; check the drive has room.
- The new computer asks for the licence. Move your licence across from the licence settings.
- You restored an old backup. Newer data is not in it; restore the most recent file.
What to do next
Read backup and restore and a backup plan for a small dealership.
A simple backup routine
- Back up at the end of any day with sales.
- Copy each backup to an external drive that is not left plugged in.
- Keep one copy at home or in encrypted cloud storage.
- Keep the last four weekly backups and delete older ones.
- Test a restore on another computer each quarter.
What a failed day looks like
The office computer stops working on a Tuesday. Without a backup, a lot loses its inventory, customers and open deals. With one, you install Dealer Garage on any other computer, choose Restore, pick the file and are back by lunchtime, missing only what happened since the last backup. That is the whole case for the routine above.
Questions people ask
How often should I back up?
After any day with sales is a safe rule, plus a second copy kept elsewhere.
Can I move to a new computer this way?
Yes. Back up, install on the new computer, restore and move the licence.
Try Dealer Garage
Dealer Garage is installable dealer management software for independent used-car dealers in the US and Canada: inventory, leads, deals, dealer paperwork, Facebook Marketplace posting and email campaigns, with records stored on the dealership's own computer..