# Can't find (working) DT database

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/cant-find-working-dt-database/81075>\
**Category:** Tips\
**Created:** [October 24, 2024, 12:37am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/cant-find-working-dt-database/81075 "2024-10-24T00:37:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 21

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**Author:** ![troejgaard](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/58956e/32.png) [@troejgaard](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/troejgaard)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2024, 12:56pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/cant-find-working-dt-database/81075/21 "2024-10-27T12:56:28Z")

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> [@MichaelW](#):
>
> **How do I make and preferably automate a backup to another location?**  
> I very much appreciate all the contributions, but so far I have made zero progress.

The best thing is to just backup your whole harddrive.

If you want additional backups of just your database(s), it is useful to know their location in the file system. As mentioned ealier, you can just right click on a database and choose _Show in Finder_. Doesn’t this work for you?

Either way… In the _Getting Started_ chapter of the manual, under _A Word About Backups_:

> As a secondary backup option, you can create an optimized and compressed copy of the whole database that you can then save on a server or other media. Use _ **File \> Export \> Database Archive** _ or _Scripts \> Export \> Daily Backup Archive_ to create a ZIP file of the database. The former option allows you to choose specific place; the latter creates it in a _Backup_ folder in your home folder.

You could also use the _File \> Export_ option. The only difference is that the script names the zip archive and place it in a predefined location.

But I don’t understand why you have a problem with the script. Something strange is going on. When I open it in Script Editor, I indeed see this line:

```applescript
set this_archive to "~/Backup/" & this_name & " " & this_date & ".dtBase2.zip"

```

So why would it create the zip archive in your Application Support folder?

I don’t have it set up to run automatically, but if you search the forum or the manual, there is surely a way to automate running this script.

There is already a long thread on backups here – with discussion on that, plus many other things:

> [@Confused on the correct way to backup all my devonthink data, advice appreciate slight\_smile](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/confused-on-the-correct-way-to-backup-all-my-devonthink-data-advice-appreciate/53255):
>
> Hi again It seems that there are multiple backup strategies on the “correct” way to backup all my devonthink data. I do use time machine and understand that’s that one way. Was wondering of other approaches people use to supplement that. any advise appreciated best Z

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