# Edit gateway backup and restore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [April 7, 2022, 11:16am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158 "2022-04-07T11:16:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Esn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Esn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Esn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 11:16am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/1 "2022-04-07T11:16:23Z")
Hi, Have anyone tried to edit a gateway backup file and then restore from it? We are thinking of testing it to replace template instances with a new version where the number of instances are really high and thus a long and tedius task to do in the designer. If it’s possible editing a gateway backup file and restoring from it would open up a ton of possibilities for us for editing and autogenerating stuff that would take too long in the designer. Love to hear if anyone have had succes with this and maybe some tips 😉 Thanks ---
**Author:** ![victordcq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f6c823/32.png) [@victordcq](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/victordcq)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 11:23am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/2 "2022-04-07T11:23:16Z")
in perspective its quite easy to edit the json files in vision no idea which are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Esn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Esn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Esn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 11:32am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/3 "2022-04-07T11:32:53Z")
Our main project is all the way back from 2016 where only vision existed so thats where it all is. We have nothing in perspective yet. ---
**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 11:39am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/4 "2022-04-07T11:39:58Z")
You certainly don’t need to backup and restore the gateway to change project files externally. In v8, you can’t edit Vision files in a text editor as they’re binary files. However if you were using Perspective, then you can easily edit those as Victor said as their files are simply JSON. In v7 all project resources are stored in the config.db. You can however copy the Windows and Templates in Vision to the clipboard as XML and re-import it, but good luck!! The XML is super optimised and very difficult to edit. If you want to see the XML, shift+right click on a Window or Template and you’ll see the options down the bottom of the context menu. Coincidentally, you can copy and paste the JSON of Perspective Views using the same method. ---
**Author:** ![victordcq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f6c823/32.png) [@victordcq](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/victordcq)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 12:02pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/5 "2022-04-07T12:02:26Z")
Its good to have a backup before starting to edit these files tho, because if you break it it might not start up in the designer anymore xd ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2022, 12:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/6 "2022-04-07T12:38:57Z")
Short answer: No. ---
**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/7 "2022-04-11T00:55:14Z")
> [@pturmel](#): > > No. True at least for v7. For v8 it's a yes, but modifying and restoring the whole gateway is redundant since you can just edit the source files. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 1:03am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/8 "2022-04-11T01:03:57Z")
> [@nminchin](#): > > For v8 it’s a yes Not for Vision, as the OP indicates. ---
**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2022, 1:05am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/edit-gateway-backup-and-restore/58158/9 "2022-04-11T01:05:33Z")
Ah yes, I was too quick to comment 😳