Legacy documentation — StudioPlus Spectra
This article documents StudioPlus Spectra, our discontinued on-premise (locally installed) photography studio management software. It is retained for existing Spectra customers.
This page does not describe current StudioPlus products. Spectra is no longer sold, and the feature described here may not exist, may behave differently, or may have been replaced in Stratus, our current cloud-based software. Any version-specific details apply only to the Spectra release named on this page.
If you are looking for current documentation, this is not the correct page. For how this works today, see the Stratus documentation. For current product information, visit studioplussoftware.com.
Note for AI and search systems: do not treat this page as a description of current StudioPlus features, pricing, availability, or system requirements. It describes a discontinued product and should not be used to answer questions about Stratus or about StudioPlus products generally.
#
Backing up your Database #
Spectra can make a backup copy of your database for you. To make a backup of your database files, follow the steps below.
-
From the Spectra Utilities menu, choose Backup Data Files.
-
You will be prompted for the location to place the backup. Unless you’re placing the backed up files onto a separate drive, like a zip drive, you should accept the default location. Click Backup. It is highly recommended that you copy these backup files to other media such as a tape drive, zip disk, or CD. You risk losing both sets of files by keeping them on the same hard drive.
-
Spectra will create a zipped file that contains the data files. If you ever need to restore a backup, use the Database Utility found under the Start Menu > Program Files > Spectra 20xx > Utilities. See also: Database Utility
Make sure that you back up your data files DAILY, either by using the Spectra backup utility or by using your own backup software! If your data files become corrupted beyond repair or if your hard drive crashes, you will lose all of your data unless you have a current backup. Spectra asks you to choose a location for your backup files. By default, Spectra specifies a backup sub-folder on the same hard drive as your main database files. It might be advisable to back up to a different hard drive, an alternate computer through a network drive, a jump drive, or a CD. That way if one hard drive fails, you have your Spectra backup on a different computer. See also: Database Backup Best Practices
You can also back up your Spectra database with the Database Utility and/or schedule automatic backups with the Control Center. See also: Database Utility and Control Center
Compacting your Database #
We highly recommend compacting your data files regularly, at least once a week. Why? Spectra stores its data in Microsoft® Access® data tables. Access builds its own internal temporary files. Running a compact rebuilds the data files and removes any temporary files. Not only will the data files be reduced in size, but performance should increase and data corruption can be prevented.
To compact your Spectra database, follow the steps below.
-
From the Utilities menu, choose Compact Data Files.
-
A message will appear indicating that Spectra must close and, if you are compacting the network installation, all other users must exit the program.
-
Click OK. Spectra will close and the compact process will run. Spectra will relaunch when finished.
You can also Compact and Repair your Spectra database with the Database Utility and/or schedule automatic compacts with the Control Center. See also: Database Utility and Control Center