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What this does
Each company is one file ending in .spr (older files end in .spay and still open). SeroPayroll writes to that file many times a minute while the company is open. A sync program such as OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive or iCloud Drive copies files the moment they change. If it copies the file part-way through a write, it can upload a damaged copy, and a later download can replace your good file with it.
For this reason SeroPayroll warns you once for each company file that sits inside a folder one of those programs watches.
What the warning offers
The warning appears when you create, open or import a company in such a folder, or when you pick such a folder for new files.
- Move to the SeroPayroll folder. Copies the file to the folder SeroPayroll keeps company files in, lists the copy as the company, and opens it. The original is not changed. Delete it yourself once you have checked that the copy opens.
- Keep here. Leaves the file where it is and does not ask again for that file. The warning stays in Settings › Data and security.
- Help. Opens this article.
Where company files go
On a new installation, new company files are saved in a folder that no sync program watches:
- Windows:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\SeroPayroll\Companies - macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/SeroPayroll/Companies - Linux:
~/.local/share/SeroPayroll/Companies
A computer that already used SeroPayroll keeps its current folder. To see it or change it, go to Settings › Data and security and look under Folder for new company files. Choose Change… and pick a folder. Companies already on the list stay where they are.
Share a copy safely
To get a company to another computer or a colleague, do not share the live file. Use Export company file… or Send by email, or keep a copy from Save a copy to…. A copy is a finished file, so a sync program can handle it. See Move a company to another computer.
For use on several computers at once, use the Cloud add-on instead of a shared folder. See What the Cloud add-on is.
If a file was damaged
Close SeroPayroll, then restore the newest backup as a copy. See Backups and restore. Backups are kept in the SeroPayroll data folder, away from your sync folders.