Restoring your library data from a forScore backup file

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If you want to reset your library to a previously backed up state, or recover information that may have been lost by deleting the app or restoring your device, you can do so by re-adding your documents and restoring from a 4SB backup file or by restoring from a 4SB archive as described below.

Note: this article references 4SB Archives which are available as of forScore 10.4.7. Archives take up significantly more storage space on your device and may not be available in all situations. Learn more about the difference between 4SB backups and archives here.

Using a computer

Transferring to an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch:

  • Ensure that “automatic fetching for new files” is disabled in forScore’s settings.
  • Close forScore and connect your iOS device to your computer.
  • Access the File Sharing panel.
  • Click “Add…” in the documents panel on the right and navigate to the folder that contains your forScore data.
  • If you’re restoring from an archive, select it and click “add.” If you’re restoring from a backup and a directory of files, select all of the files by clicking on one and pressing Ctrl-A (PC) or Command-A (Mac), then click “Add.”
  • Once chosen, the transfer will begin immediately, and a progress bar may appear at the top of the window (depending on your version).
  • When the transfer is complete, you can disconnect your device from your computer.
  • Launch forScore, then open the Tools menu and choose Backup.
  • Tap the backup file you’d like to restore, then choose “restore library and settings” when prompted.

Transferring to forScore running on a Mac:

  • If you have a 4SB archive, double click on it to copy it into forScore then open forScore’s Backup panel and click on it to restore its contents.
  • If you have a 4SB backup, perform the following steps:
    • Open forScore and press command + i or click the File menu at the top of the screen and choose “Import.”
    • Locate your files (the 4SB backup, PDF files, and any others copied out of your other library) and select all of them by clicking the first item in the list, then pressing and holding the shift key while clicking the last item in the list. Click “open” or press the return key to import them into forScore (the original files aren’t deleted).
    • Open forScore’s Backup panel and click on the backup file to restore its contents.

Using the Services panel

You can also restore your library from a supported cloud service through forScore’s Services panel. We don’t typically recommend this since uploading and downloading an entire library can be slow when relying on an internet connection (instead of a USB connection to your computer), but the following instructions will help you restore from a full backup of your library in a supported cloud service.

  • Ensure that “automatic fetching for new files” is disabled in forScore’s settings.
  • Select “Services” from the Tools menu, set up your account if needed, and navigate to your backup directory.
  • If you’re restoring from a 4SB Archive:
    • Locate your archive and tap on it to begin downloading it.
  • If you’re restoring from a 4SB Backup and accompanying files:
    • Locate the folder that contains all of the files and tap the Edit button in the upper right corner.
    • Tap the “select all” button at the bottom of the panel (a circled check mark), then tap the “download” button next to it.
  • When the download is complete, open the Backup panel.
  • Tap the 4SB file you’d like to restore, then choose “restore library and settings” when prompted.

Using forScore Backup Utility for MacforScore 10.5

Restore your archive from a Mac running macOS 10.13 or newer with our free backup utility.

  • Connect your iOS device to your computer using its USB cable
  • On your iOS device, open forScore and choose “Backup” from the tools menu
  • On your Mac, launch forScore Backup Utility and click “Restore…” to locate your archive file
  • When prompted on your iOS device, choose to continue or cancel restoring from the archive

If you’re not familiar with backing up your forScore library and database, see this article: Backing up your library to your computer

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