Open Dental backup plugin

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We’ve created a new backup plugin that can be used for free in Backup4all, bringing the total number of currently available plugins to 228. In case you’d like to see the full list, here it is: Backup Plugins

The new backup plugin is for Open Dental, a popular open source dental practice management software.

What is Open Dental

Open Dental is a HIPAA compliant open-source dental practice management software that provides on-premise electronic charting, billing, practice management, and imaging applications that’s suitable for any large and small dental practice. Open Dental practice management solution includes patient care charts, prescribing capabilities, treatment planning, appointment scheduling with automated appointment reminders, an integrated graphical tooth chart, SMS and email texting, credit card processing, and custom reporting.

How to backup and restore Open Dental using Backup4all plugin

First of all, how does the new backup plugin help? The plugin will help you back-up Open Dental’s application files and registry entries, so that if you reinstall the program or migrate it to a different computer you’ll be able to restore its settings and files with Backup4all. Basically you won’t have to figure out which files you need to move/copy when you reinstall Open Dental, as the plugin will automatically select the correct files as source for the backup.

In order to backup Open Dental, you have to follow these steps:

  1. Download and install the backup plugin here: Open Dental backup plugin
  2. After you installed the plugin in Backup4all, define a backup job for Open Dental.
  3. Because Open Dental uses MySQL to save its data, you will need to stop the MySQL server before running the backup and start it after it is finished. To do that, for the backup job you defined open Backup Properties->Advanced page.
    • In the “Run action before backup” section type: NET STOP MYSQL
    • In the “Run action after backup” section type: NET START MYSQL
  4. Press Save and run the backup.

If you don’t know exactly how to install plugins or want to read how to restore the Open Dental files after a fresh system installation read more here: Open Dental backup plugin details

Is there an application you use that we don’t have a backup plugin for? We’re always adding new backup plugins so feel free to let us know the name of the application and we’ll create a backup plugin for it.