* Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

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paulr1949
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Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

Hi

As the title says. I've been working on my file whilst away for a couple of days and figured out the best way of getting everything in one place was to back up the file from the laptop and then restore the backup to my desktop. This doesn't seem to have worked, as there are de3finitely two people who do not reappear in the restored file on the desktop, and I'm concerned that they may not be the only ones. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a better way of doing this?

Thanks in advance for any help

Paul
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tatewise
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by tatewise »

Paul, it would help if you said explicitly what commands you were using, and whether you are only trying to transfer the Gedcom file or Media as well.

It would also help to know how you got your data from desktop to laptop before your trip, because maybe that is where the records went missing.

I presume on the laptop you are using File > Backup/Restore > Small Backup to save the Gedcom ZIP file.
Perhaps, you then copy that ZIP file from laptop to desktop via a pen-drive.
On the desktop you use File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup and select the ZIP file.
Then you must navigate to the location where the Gedcom file is stored in your Project folder.
If you have default folders and your Project name is MyProject then that location will be:
...\Documents\Family Historian Projects\MyProject\MyProject.fh_data\MyProject.ged

Many users solve this problem by synchronising their Project on the two PC via cloud storage such as Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. Then once setup it is simply a matter of putting both PC online to update the Project in either direction.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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paulr1949
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

I always do a complete project backup, when from the desktop pc it goes to a portable hard drive (sharing issues have prevented me from saving directly to that from the laptop, although I *think* I have sorted that now.) so I took the latest one from the portable drive to the laptop before going away. I've now done the same in reverse, but it doesn't seem to have worked.

Paul
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by tatewise »

As I requested before, exactly what commands are you using?
Also what messages are produced by FH?
Screen-shots of key steps in the process might help.

When you restore a Full Backup then FH always creates a new Project, so perhaps you are looking in the wrong one.

(I presume you are 100% certain the 'missing' records do exist in the laptop Project.)
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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pwe
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by pwe »

When I need to transfer my project between my laptop and desktop and vice versa I simply send the complete project folder to a memory stick and then copy and paste it from there into the other computer "Family Historian Projects" folder.
I always keep the three latest versions of my project folder in both computers labelling them " *** project" "*** project old" and "*** project oldest." When I add the latest version of my project folder to one of the computers I delete the oldest version, re-name the old version to oldest and re-name the other version to old. I also have a notepad file in each project folder to which I add a date so that I can keep track of the latest version.
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by tatewise »

Yes Peter, that method will work too, but Paul is not explaining his method, so difficult to advise a solution.
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

Sorry Mike, I thought I had: I always do a full project backup each time I close the program, so yes, I have a lot of them. I have the program set to "always ask to backup" and click yes each time. I also save everything frequently.
There are no other messages from FH apart from that below. I just copied the latest version of the zipped project file across from laptop to portable drive attached to desktop. In fact I created an extra one earlier this evening after it didn't work the first time and copied that across, restored it to the. Desktop program (the message was backup restored ok) but it doesn't include the missing person

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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by tatewise »

Paul, there are various ways one could perform a full project backup.
Now we know you are using the FH Full Backup on Close.

Presumably to create the extra backup you used File > Backup/Restore > Full Backup because there is no Backup prompt on exit if you made no changes.

In FH on desktop you presumably use File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup.
Then choose the file FH Project Backup - <your-project-name> - 2017-03-18 2000.zip where the trailing digits identify today's date and time.
When you Open that file there should be a Restore Project From Backup message stating the New Project Name and Location to Restore to.
If the <your-project-name> already exists then the New Project Name will have a suffix such as (1) or (2).
The Location to Restore to should match your current File > Project Window > Location.

Are you looking in the Project with the New Project Name given in the message identified above?
e.g <your-project-name> (1)

Are you saying that some new records added to the laptop recently do transfer OK, but others are missing?
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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paulr1949
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

Hi

Are you saying that some new records added to the laptop recently do transfer OK, but others are missing?

I'm not sure without looking through the complete list of records.

Anyway, I have tried again today and still have the same problem. The attached screen grabs show what I've done. Geoffrey Lock is my half-uncle, and I added in his wife's details on the laptop and they are not showing on the desktop after restoring the file. There may be others :-(
Capture 0.PNG
Capture 0.PNG (69.85 KiB) Viewed 10499 times
Capture 1.PNG
Capture 1.PNG (57.46 KiB) Viewed 10499 times
Capture 2.PNG
Capture 2.PNG (6.19 KiB) Viewed 10499 times
I only seem to be able to add 3 files at a time, so will add the remainder in a further message (hoepfully)

Paul
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paulr1949
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

Second batch
Capture 3.PNG
Capture 3.PNG (40.93 KiB) Viewed 10498 times
Capture 4.PNG
Capture 4.PNG (32.49 KiB) Viewed 10498 times
Capture 5.png
Capture 5.png (38.48 KiB) Viewed 10498 times
Paul
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paulr1949
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

And the final batch
Capture 6.PNG
Capture 6.PNG (6.85 KiB) Viewed 10498 times
Capture 7.PNG
Capture 7.PNG (2.59 KiB) Viewed 10498 times
Capture 8.PNG
Capture 8.PNG (44.56 KiB) Viewed 10498 times
Paul
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paulr1949
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

Just to clarify,
Capture 0 is the entry on the laptop copy;
Capture 1 is the backup file name, 2/3 = saved on laptop.
Capture 4 is the backup copied to the desktop (portable HDD)
Captures 5/6/7 the restore to the desktop program
Capture 8 the relevant entry opened in the desktop program, data missing

Paul
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by tatewise »

There is also no child Julian LOCK.

On your desktop open the File > Project Window.
Is the Location set to My Documents\Family Historian Projects?
Is the Reeve family tree July 2016 (5) listed in the Family Historian Projects pane?

If you open that Project with the (5) suffix you are saying the wife and son are missing?

If so then that is very strange.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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paulr1949
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by paulr1949 »

Hi Mike

As always it has to be something simple. In this case, I made the assumption that the restored project would take the "base name" and all earlier projects would (for want of a better way to describe it) go back one in the list.
The moral of the story is never make assumptions, but that is easy to say and not so easy to do!

Yes the (5) is in the project window and yes, it is correct.

Thanks for your help and interest

Paul
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Re: Restoring backup from laptop to desktop

Post by tatewise »

Glad that is sorted out Paul.
I did mention the suffix in my last reply on Saturday, and suggested you looked in the project with the suffix such as (1) or (2) matching the New Project Name given in the dialogue.
See glossary:backup_and_recovery|> Backup and Recovery.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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