Dove POS problem...again

[Flowerchatter03]

A while back, we were having a problem with our Dove POS after an upgrade. I had posted it here on FC http://www.flowerchat.com/forums/showthread.php/26881-Could-someone-guess-at-what-the-problem-is

Luckily someone from TF had read this post and had a wonderful supervisor call us and it was all fixed. Unfortunately, that supervisor doesn't work there anymore.

Now here again, we had an "upgrade" last Friday and ever since, there is a problem. Apparently, part of the upgrade was to have the computer automatically backed itself up rather than doing it manually at the end of the day.

Of course, this has caused problems. TF Tech support started with the "oh you probably need more memory" NOT because the last time we were told that, we filled every slot with memory and it didn't fix the problem that time either.

Then we were told the computer may need to be defragged????

Okay then somehow, somewhere, someone at tech support tells us to take out the backup tape in the morning before we restart the computer. She said that this is what her other customers do. She says that the computer thinks it needs to back itself up because the tape is in and that is what is causing the problem.

Alright so we tried that for a couple of days and it worked...until this morning. We get an error message that the back up failed and it tried to back up at 9am this morning. It is supposed to do that at 2am. Of course, the tape is out of the system at 9am since we open at 8:30.

Called tech support again and that technician gets on our computer and starts a back up which took 2 hours. Then I noticed that when he was formatting, it kept giving him and error.

After almost 3 hours, he calls us and tells us that everything is fixed. and the saga continues.....

Tried to click on the icon to go to the internet to check an obit and none of the icons are working. Not only that, the POS screen is different and so are the icons.

Called tech support AGAIN and tell that lady. Can't get her in the system because nothing is working. Okay after restarting etc, she gets on the computer and does this and that and now says its working. We will see.....

She asks why we are taking the tape out everyday. We say because we were told to. She asks how long this problem has been happening. We say since you all did your "upgrade".

Anyone have an ideas on what the real problem is? Any and all ideas would be greatly appreciated!:dearbob:

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

It took me about 3 weeks dealing with tech supposrt, but once it got fixed to be able to back it's self up, I've been a happy camper. Be patient, it will be worth it.
And the other cool thing is no more disc I have to upload or whatever every 3 months. It does that too. Just had to leave the Dove off on all the 'puters and this morning it was all done. Ahhhh, a thing of beauty!

 

[concord]

I believe you have a serious case of CG. (Computer Gremlins) You will need an exorcist.

 

[Flowerchatter03]

Update: Still a problem. Today we were told that we need a new back up drive. Now I know that things go bad but why is it that our drive was just fine until the upgrade? Not to mention that they installed other items because they couldn't get the tape to format. The tapes were already formatted and one was brand new. WTH?

The guy today says that we can buy something that is external and we can get it at Walmart, Staples, etc and that we should wait until black friday for a great deal but then says that we need it ASAP.

One of the tech support told my BP that one florist tore up their drive because they couldn't get their tape out. Sooooooo, we aren't the only one having a problem? Stay tuned....more drama ahead!

 

[Ken]

Can you use a memory USB memory stick. I just purchased a 16 GB from Staples for $50. I am not familiar with the Dove POS, but tape backup does not seem the best way to backup files. I think an external hard drive would better for larger storage capacity.

 

[David]

FTD uses a memory stick. Back up drive seems out of date.

 

[lori042499]

You know I went round and round with them about a problem about a month ago...They told me my drive had to be reformatted, still had the same problem, then they told me my mother board was going...but all along it was the new microsoft securities....once that program was gone the computer worked like a dream, have since had the same problem on my computer at home...not saying that that is your problem, just saying that TF techs just guess at what it might be...I was the one who figured out what my problem was not them, they just went in after i suggested what the problem was an removed it....

 

[anytimeflowers]

To add what Lori said, the most stupid updates, such as Adobe, can mess with another program so if you know of any new back-ups of other software, let the tech know about it. They may just not be playing nicely.

 

[pdxdoug]

To add what Lori said, the most stupid updates, such as Adobe, can mess with another program so if you know of any new back-ups of other software, let the tech know about it. They may just not be playing nicely.

Those stupid Adobe updates fix very serious security flaws that can result in far worst consequences.

Now onto tape, Tape backups lie. They always have. The cheap backup drives they put in have always been unreliable. They tell you your data is secure but ...

Cheers~
Doug

 

[Flowerchatter03]

A supervisor from one of the computer departments called yesterday and told my BP that the backup that came with this system (REV 35) is something they no longer use.

Okay, if you no longer use it, don't you think that whoever created the updates for the Dove POS might have considered that not all of their POS systems will have the same backup drive? If the upgrade/update is created based on their newer version of the Dove POS don't you think that it can create problems for those who have other (older) hardware/software?

I'm not a technie by no stretch of the imagination but I am extremely logical and this does not compute.

Ken, we are looking into using a memory stick but it doesn't correct the computer trying to back itself up and creating all sorts of other problems. We took the tape out and got an error message saying that it couldn't back up the system at 8:30am. Keep in mind that it is supposed to back up at 2am.

The computer is also asking if we want to download other items in conjunction with something that one of the tech support people downloaded a few days ago.

One of the tech supervisors is supposed to call back and go over our system completely to make certain that it is indeed a bad drive before we go out and buy more products.

In our problem a few years ago, after an update/upgrade we had a problem and we were told 1. it was a memory problem (so we went out and bought more memory as much as the computer could hold and didn't fix the problem). 2. The system needed defragged (which they did a back up and wiped out whatever and then used the wrong back up which made us loose a day of sales and it didn't fix the problem). 3. It must be a virus and no it wasn't. 4. We needed a new system (still had 2 years to pay for this one) and then finally a supervisor called and got into the system and fixed the problem. It had something to do with a internet upgrade that didn't completely download properly.

Do you know who originally diagnosed our problem before TF ever did? Someone here on FC who read my post and actually listened to the problem.

And the drama continues...stay tuned.........

 

[theRKF]

USB sticks are notoriously fragile and unreliable as a primary backup tool.

Really, the only solution I'd trust fully would be an online backup like iDrive. For $150 a year you get real-time backup of crucial files from multiple PCs, to an encrypted off-site location. Safe from theft, fire, accident, etc.

 

[Louis Taylor]

What about off site backup for FTD Advantage Linux?
We are using Segate tape backup which came with the server ( internally) programmed to backup each night.

 

[Flowerchatter03]

My BP was concerned about on-line backing up. Her main concern is how safe is your stored information?

 

[theRKF]

My BP was concerned about on-line backing up. Her main concern is how safe is your stored information?

Much safer than any in-store physical tape / device.

 

[pdxdoug]

USB sticks are notoriously fragile and unreliable as a primary backup tool.

Really, the only solution I'd trust fully would be an online backup like iDrive. For $150 a year you get real-time backup of crucial files from multiple PCs, to an encrypted off-site location. Safe from theft, fire, accident, etc.

Ryan-
I can't agree more.

On-site we use NAS RAID drives (our servers are RAID too) for redundancy. An incremental POS and Quickbooks back up is done every half hour to both the NAS and then FTP'ed to a secure off-site co-located server monitored by our POS vendor. Daily backups are done that way too.

Peace of mind! In the event of a failure or catastrophe we'd only lose at most a half-hour.

Cheers~
Doug

 

[lori042499]

Just an FYI...The first responders on TF pos lines WILL mess up your system more than solve your problems....I know more about my system than many of them do...with that in mind, when I have anything but a simple software question or remedial task, I escalate to a level two tech, they at least know when something is out of their knowledge and when to escalate further...I swear, I think the first responders are paid by completed phone call and don't want to let you go because it is wasted money for them...

As soon as it becomes apparent to me when they start blaming equipment, drives, tapes or other stuff, I escalate...I also watch them and ask exactly what they are doing so I can estimate if they know, there is no way anyone is working on my system without me knowing what they are doing, because when they screw it up, I can atleast have a real conversation with the next person so they can know what was done....learned this the hard way....I have learned also that because they feel that we don't know what we are doing it is ok that that don't know much more than that and will just conversate without knowing what the heck they are talking about, have caught them numerous times...

it is frustrating...especially when you feel you cannot trust your very expensive equipment in the very hands that you pay to support it...it is also very hard to hear that unnecessary stuff needs replacing when you still have time to pay on it...back up tape drives are notorious for crapping out very early on....so it may very well be that that tape needs to be taken off the system and done externally...if it is broken you will get that message until it is removed from the system...I di not believe that the use of that older system would have anything to do with the upgrades but you never do know...it does sound like the tape backup is a problem, I had that issue with my old daisy system, error messages on tape back up, swapped out the tape back up and back up and running...they crap out at a moments notice all the time, one minute working next not...

 

[anytimeflowers]

These are actually the types of updates I was talking about. I had Adobe trying to update when I was with Bloomnet, and we got an e-mail saying don't update from Bloomnet because it was causing their software to malfunction.