Help CenterIf you have been advised to use SQL Management Studio to backup your KC7 database, there is a good chance it is because there are Windows or SQL Server permissions preventing our Backup/Restore utility from functioning. This is another solution to backing up your database but you should have your local computer professional investigate the permission issue.
Please note: Software Connection LLC only supports Kennel Connection. We do not, nor can we support Windows and SQL Server permission issues or any environment that is severely locked down.
You will need to have SQL Management Studio installed on your main/server computer to complete these steps. If you do not have it, click on Downloading and Installing SQL Management Studio Only for instructions. If it is installed already, proceed to the backup instructions below.
Backing up your database:
1. Open SQL Management Studio.
Hold the Windows key + S key on the keyboard to search. Search for SQL and choose SQL Management Studio.
2. Choose your correct SQL instance on the login screen. If you used the KC7 Install Wizard to install SQL Server, the instance will be called COMPUTERNAME\WKENNEL. If the correct one is not automatically populated, you may need to click the drop-down arrow and choose Browse for more. Note: If you have logged in before, or only have one instance of SQL Server on the computer, it should populate the name automatically. If it does, proceed to Step 4.
3. Once inside the Browse for Servers window, expand the database engine and look for the proper instance. If you still don't see the proper instance, click the Network Servers tab and wait for them to populate. Expand the Database Engine and, if the proper one appears, select it and click OK.
4. Once you have selected the appropriate SQL instance, you now need to login. Click in the drop down to change the Authentication to SQL Server Authentication and, if you use the KC7 Wizard to install SQL Server, use the credentials below. If you did not use KC7 Wizard to install SQL Server, look in your C:\KC7 folder for the wkennel.ini file and obtain the login information at the bottom in the [SQL Server] section.
Click the Connect button.
5. Once logged in, expand Databases on the left by clicking the + button and it should drop down a list with your system databases. You’re looking for wkennel7.
6. Right click on wkennel7 and go to Tasks, then click Backup…
7. The Backup Type should be set to Full and the Back Up To should be set to Disk. If it is, click Add.
8. Click the “…” button to browse where you’d like to send the backup file to. Note: It will always default to the Backup folder for SQL Server, which is a maze to get to. We recommend plugging in a flash drive or external hard drive and selecting the root of that drive to backup to. In our example below, we will be backing up to the Backups folder that we made in the KC7 directory.
9. Type in the name of the backup file and click OK. Note: Be sure to end it with .bak in the file name or it will not save correctly. We usually like to mark them in our support team with KC7SQL and the date stamp. In our example, this backup was done on 11/19/2025. So the file name I’m choosing is KC7SQL11192025.bak
10. Click OK on the next Window, as well.
11. Click OK on the final window and the backup will proceed.
12. Once complete, you’ll be notified by the system. Click OK to finish the backup process.
