> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.securemetrics.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.securemetrics.io/crq-pro/guides/import-export.md).

# Import, export and backup

Move work between machines and colleagues with bundles, keep full backups, and recover deleted items from the Trash.

CRQ Pro has two distinct file types, for two different jobs:

* **Bundles (`.cqx`)** move *parts* of your work (a scenario, a component library, a whole workspace) between workspaces, machines, or colleagues.
* **Backups (`.cqbackup`)** capture *everything* in one file, for disaster recovery and moving to a new machine.

## Bundles (.cqx)

CRQ Pro exports and imports work as **`.cqx`** files. You can bundle:

* A single scenario, a scenario folder, or the whole scenario library
* A single component, a component folder, or a component library
* A portfolio, or all portfolios
* An **entire workspace**

Export options live on the sidebar tree items, the Components page, and the workspace switcher. A bundle carries everything the items depend on, so any components a scenario links to travel with it.

**Import behavior:**

* A **workspace bundle** imports as a **new workspace**, leaving existing ones untouched.
* All other bundles **merge into the active workspace as copies**; they never overwrite existing items.

CRQ Pro asks you to confirm before importing, showing what the bundle contains and where it will land.

## Full backups (.cqbackup)

A **backup** is a single `.cqbackup` file holding your entire library: every workspace, the global component library, and the Trash. Unlike the encrypted store on disk, a backup is portable and not tied to this machine, so it is the copy that survives an operating system reinstall, a lost machine, or a damaged encryption key (see [Data storage and security](/crq-pro/reference/data-security.md)).

Manage backups under **Settings > Application > Backup**.

### Automatic backups

Turn on **Automatic backups** and choose a folder. CRQ Pro then writes a full backup to that folder on launch and about once a day while the app is open, keeping the ten most recent.

{% hint style="success" %}
Point the backup folder at a synced location (OneDrive, Dropbox, a network drive) and your backups are copied offsite automatically, with no extra steps.
{% endhint %}

The Backup panel shows the current folder and when the last backup ran. If automatic backups are off and nothing has been saved in 30 days, CRQ Pro reminds you.

### Manual backup and restore

* **Export backup** writes a `.cqbackup` to a location you pick, on demand.
* **Restore** replaces everything currently in the app with the contents of a backup file.

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Restore replaces all of your current data** (every workspace, component, and the Trash). Export a backup of your current state first if you might want it back. CRQ Pro asks you to confirm before restoring.
{% endhint %}

### Moving to a new machine

Export a backup on the old machine, install CRQ Pro on the new one, activate your license (remove it from the old machine first, see [Installation and activation](/crq-pro/getting-started/installation.md#one-device-per-key)), then **Restore** the backup.

## Undo and redo

Most edits, including creating, editing, moving, and deleting items, can be reversed with **Ctrl+Z** (undo) and **Ctrl+Shift+Z** or **Ctrl+Y** (redo). Undo covers your recent changes to the library, so a mistaken edit or deletion is usually one keystroke away. It does not reverse a completed **Restore** of a backup or an **Empty trash**.

## Trash and recovery

Deleting a scenario, portfolio, or component is a **soft delete**: the item moves to the **Trash** (bottom of the icon rail), which collects deleted items across all workspaces.

From the Trash you can:

* **Restore** an item to where it came from
* **Permanently delete** a single item
* **Empty trash** to permanently delete everything

{% hint style="danger" %}
Permanent deletion and **Empty trash** cannot be undone. If in doubt, export a bundle or a backup first.
{% endhint %}