How to backup your RSLinx Classic configuration

Over the years many people have related a story to me which goes something like, “I spent hours getting RSLinx setup just right, and then someone on another shift messed up my settings.” Or, “I haven’t had to connect to that machine in months, but every time I do it seems to take hours to figure out how to setup RSLinx to communicate to it.”

Whenever I hear stories like these, I immediately open up the “RSLinx Backup and Restore” utility and show the client how to use it. This little known but easy to use utility can save literal hours (and many recurring headaches) by allowing the users to backup known working RSLinx configuration(s.)

Backup your RSLinx Classic configuration

First, click your Windows “Start” button, and navigate to “All Programs – Rockwell Software – RSLinx”

Next, click on “RSLinx Classic Backup and Restore Utility”

When the utility launches, click on “Backup”

This will prompt you for a location and file name to backup (aka save) your current RSLinx configuration to. Once you’re done selecting a destination and typing a file name, click on “Save.”

After a moment you’ll receive a pop-up stating “the operation completed successfully” which confirms your RSLinx configuration has been saved.

It should be noted that you can save as many different RSLinx configuration files as you like, helpful when you only have one serial port but two different configurations for two different PLC’s. When saving multiple configurations you may wish to consider naming the configuration files after the machine or line the configuration works on to make it obvious to the user which configuration needs to be restored.

Restoring your RSLinx Classic configuration

Saving your configurations wouldn’t be as helpful if you didn’t have a way to restore them. With that in mind lets walk through the steps to restore an RSLinx Configuration.

First, if the “RSLinx Backup and Restore Utility” is not still open, open it by clicking on your Windows “Start” button. Navigate to “All Programs – Rockwell Software – RSLinx” and click on “RSLinx Classic Backup and Restore Utility” to launch the utility.

When the utility opens, click on “Restore”

This prompts you for the file and location of your RSLinx configuration backup file.

Select the RSLinx configuration you would like to restore, and click “Open”

NOTE: Some versions of this utility required RSLinx Classic to be shut down prior to performing a restore.

After a moment you’ll receive a pop-up stating “the operation completed successfully” which confirms your RSLinx configuration has been restored.

Well I hope this article about saving and restoring your RSLinx Classic configuration(s) has been helpful. If you’ve used this utility and would like to comment on it, or if you have a question about it, please click on the “post a comment or question” link below.

Until next time, Peace ✌️ 

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Shawn M Tierney
Technology Enthusiast & Content Creator

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