Aspel SAE is the most widely used enterprise management system among small and medium businesses in Mexico. One of the most critical processes is backing up and restoring the database, as an error during this process can mean the loss of accounting records, inventory, and invoicing data. This guide covers the most common errors when backing up or restoring the SAE database.

The Error

When trying to back up or restore the database in Aspel SAE, several error messages may appear:

  • “No se pudo respaldar la base de datos” (Could not back up the database) — appears when attempting to generate a backup from Utilerías > Respaldo/Restauración.
  • “Error al restaurar: El archivo de respaldo no es válido o está dañado” (Restore error: The backup file is not valid or is damaged) — when trying to restore a .fbk file.
  • “No se puede acceder a la ruta especificada” (Cannot access the specified path) — when SAE lacks permissions on the destination folder.
  • “Error de conexión con el servidor de base de datos” (Database server connection error) — when Firebird is not running or not responding.
  • “Espacio insuficiente en disco” (Insufficient disk space) — when the target drive does not have enough free space.

These errors typically appear in the SAE Utilerías window, and in some cases the program closes unexpectedly during the process.

Root Cause

Backup and restore errors in Aspel SAE originate from several causes:

  1. Firebird service stopped or corrupt — SAE uses Firebird as its database engine. If the Firebird Guardian or Firebird Server - DefaultInstance service is not running, the backup fails immediately.

  2. Insufficient permissions — The Windows user account or the Firebird service does not have read/write permissions on the backup folder or the database files in C:\Archivos de Programa\Common Files\Aspel\Sistemas Aspel\SAE8.00\Empresas.

  3. Insufficient disk space — SAE databases can grow to several GB. If the target drive does not have at least twice the database size in free space, the backup may fail.

  4. Corrupt database — If the database has internal inconsistencies (caused by power outages, abrupt system shutdowns, or disk failures), the backup process cannot complete.

  5. Antivirus blocking files — Some antivirus programs (such as Norton, McAfee, or Kaspersky) block access to .fdb and .fbk files during real-time scanning, interrupting the process.

  6. Inaccessible network path — Attempting to back up directly to a mapped network drive may fail due to latency or insufficient NTFS/SMB permissions.

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Verify the Firebird Service

  1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
  2. Find Firebird Guardian - DefaultInstance or Firebird Server - DefaultInstance.
  3. Verify the status shows Started (or Running).
  4. If stopped, right-click > Start.
  5. Change Startup type to Automatic to prevent future issues.

If Firebird does not appear in the services list, it may have been uninstalled. Reinstall Firebird from the Aspel SAE installer or download the compatible version from the official Firebird website.

Step 2: Verify Backup Folder Permissions

  1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the backup path. The default path is:
C:\Archivos de Programa\Common Files\Aspel\Sistemas Aspel\SAE8.00\Respaldos
  1. Right-click the Respaldos folder > Properties > Security tab.
  2. Verify the current user and the SYSTEM account have Full control permissions.
  3. If not, click Edit > select the user > check Full control > OK.

Step 3: Verify Disk Space

  1. Open This PC and check free space on the drive where the backup will be saved.
  2. The database is typically located in:
C:\Archivos de Programa\Common Files\Aspel\Sistemas Aspel\SAE8.00\Empresas
  1. Check the size of the .fdb files — you will need at least that much free space on the target drive.

Step 4: Temporarily Disable Antivirus

  1. Before performing the backup, temporarily disable the antivirus real-time protection.
  2. Add the following folders to the antivirus exclusions:
    • C:\Archivos de Programa\Common Files\Aspel\
    • C:\Archivos de Programa\Firebird\
  3. Perform the backup and re-enable the antivirus afterward.

Step 5: Perform the Backup

  1. Open Aspel SAE with administrator privileges (right-click > Run as administrator).
  2. Go to Utilerías > Respaldo/Restauración > Respaldar.
  3. Select the companies to back up.
  4. Choose a local path as the destination (not a network drive).
  5. Click Aceptar and wait for the process to complete.

Step 6: Restore the Backup

  1. In Aspel SAE, go to Utilerías > Respaldo/Restauración > Restaurar.
  2. Select the .fbk backup file.
  3. Choose the target company where data will be restored.
  4. Confirm the operation — SAE will warn that current data will be replaced.
  5. Wait for the process to finish and verify the information is correct.

Alternative Solution

If SAE’s built-in backup process continues to fail, you can perform a manual copy of the database files.

Manual File Copy

  1. Stop the Firebird service (from services.msc).
  2. Navigate to the companies folder:
C:\Archivos de Programa\Common Files\Aspel\Sistemas Aspel\SAE8.00\Empresas
  1. Copy all .fdb files to a safe location (external drive, USB, cloud).
  2. Restart the Firebird service.

Using the Firebird gbak Tool

The Firebird gbak utility allows direct backup and restore from the command line:

To back up:

cd "C:\Archivos de Programa\Firebird\Firebird_2_5\bin"
gbak -b -v -user SYSDBA -password masterkey "C:\...\Empresas\SAE80001.fdb" "C:\Respaldos\SAE80001.fbk"

To restore:

gbak -c -v -user SYSDBA -password masterkey "C:\Respaldos\SAE80001.fbk" "C:\...\Empresas\SAE80001_RESTORED.fdb"

Note: The default Firebird password (masterkey) may have been changed during SAE installation. Check with your system administrator.

Prevention

To avoid backup and restore issues in the future:

  • Schedule automatic backups — Set up a Windows scheduled task to run the SAE backup daily. Use Windows Task Scheduler to run gbak during off-peak hours.
  • Verify backups regularly — At least once a month, restore a backup on a test machine to confirm data integrity.
  • Keep Firebird updated — Use the Firebird version compatible with your SAE version. Check Aspel documentation for compatibility.
  • Use a UPS — Power outages during database operations are the primary cause of corruption. A UPS protects against this.
  • Exclude Aspel folders from antivirus — Add Aspel and Firebird folders as permanent exclusions in your antivirus.
  • Back up to local disk first — Always generate the backup on a local disk and then copy it to the network or cloud.
IssueLikely CauseQuick Fix
SAE won’t open after restoreSAE version incompatible with backupRestore using the same SAE version that created the backup
”Database file is locked” errorAnother Firebird instance accessing the fileRestart Firebird service and close all SAE instances
Very slow backupFragmented database or slow diskRun database optimization with Firebird gfix
Restore error on different PCDifferent destination pathUse gbak with -c option to create a new database
.fbk file is 0 KBInterrupted backupRepeat backup after verifying Firebird and disk space

Summary

  • The Firebird service must be running and set to Automatic startup before backing up or restoring.
  • Verify write permissions on the backup folder and ensure sufficient disk space.
  • Temporarily disable the antivirus or add Aspel and Firebird folders as exclusions.
  • If the built-in backup fails, use the Firebird gbak tool from the command line.
  • Schedule automatic backups and verify their integrity monthly by restoring on a test machine.
  • Never back up directly to a network drive — always use a local disk as the initial destination.