Family Historian User Group

Following your guidance on 24 February 2020 I was able to deal with the issue in question.

Another issue that I experience with OneDrive. I am receiving a message from OneDrive that my OneDrive is 96% full. This is primarily due to how I back up FamilyHistorian. I note that OneDriveDocumentsFamilyHistoryProjectsRowlandFamilyRowlandFamily.fh_snapshots occupies 4.09GB space. I attach a screen shot of the Snapshot folder and there seems to be recent frequent repetition. I attach a screen shot of the folder's contents. (Capture.png). Can you advise me what I am doing wrongly Regards Edward Rowland

OK, there are a number of issues to mention...

In case you did not know, those Snapshot (.fhss) files are automatic copies of your GEDCOM file taken by FH at most once a day whenever it is used. So they should be the same size as your GEDCOM file, but there are both small 2MB versions and large 280MB versions. Which size matches your Project GEDCOM file?

Those with the -LAPTOP-SD2NFA79 suffix suggest there was a OneDrive synchronisation problem on those dates. Perhaps FH was running on both PC at the same time? That should be avoided.

Why do all those .fhss files have an Internet Explorer (IE) icon against them?
Firstly, you should not be using IE and secondly those files should not be associated with IE.
Do you have any explanation for that?

None of that is crucial, but the number of Snapshot files is a problem that has been experienced by others as discussed in Is it safe to delete very old Snapshots? (17447). Usually, with default settings, there should only be 8 Snapshot files and you can safely delete all old versions leaving just the latest few. You were doing nothing wrong, but FH sometimes does not purge the old Snapshot files itself. Delete them using Windows File Explorer or the File > Backup/Restore > Revert to Snapshot dialogue Delete button.
BTW: The next version of the Show Project Statistics Plugin has a Snapshot file count Exception Report.

You also say the problem may be "primarily due to how I back up FamilyHistorian".
Does that mean you create FH Project Backup zip files on OneDrive too?
If so, you should purge old copies of those zip files from time to time as FH will not manage them for you.

While doing such checks, review the Cache folder (alongside the Snapshots folder) that holds a ThumbCache.dat file of image thumbnails that can be very large, and if so, needs deleting.

Remember to repeat the above purging processes for each Project listed in the Project Window.

Hopefully, the above purging should recover much of your OneDrive space.

but FH sometimes seems unable to purge the old Snapshot files itself.

No it will not automatically delete any where a reversion takes place and it won't delete the conflict files as it won't know what they are as the names are controlled by OneDrive. It's also possible that it will not know where the ones copied over by OneDrive have come from.

Mike Thank you.
The Rowland Family GEDCOM is the 280mb

I am not aware that I am using IE nor why the files are associated with IE

I commenced deleting snapshot files and initially deleted one dated 15 March 2019 285mb using the File explorer method. I then deleted a second file dated 24 March 2019 using method- File, Backup/Restore, Revert to Snapshot dialogue. I did not delete any further files and checked the Project. It would appear to have reverted to a last update of 10 April 2019. It would seem that I have mislaid quite a bit of data.
Can you advise

Edward

Deleting old Snapshot (.fhss) files should have absolutely no impact on your current Project files.

The only way I can think of that the Project Last Update date would revert to 10 April 2019 last year, is if by accident in the File > Backup/Restore > Revert to Snapshot dialogue you chose that Snapshot and clicked Revert to Snapshot, but that comes with dire warnings that you would have to OK.

In the File > Backup/Restore > Revert to Snapshot dialogue does it list a Pre-revert entry with today's date?
If so then select that entry and click the Revert to Snapshot button to get the latest update back.

Mike Thank you
That has restored my updated data. I will now proceed to delete individually the earlier snapshot files and the other suggestions which you make.
In regard to the use of Internet Explorer I was not conscious of using it. What should I do to avoid this?

Edward

Edward, you can delete multiple Snapshot files in one go by either method.
Just hold down the keyboard Shft key while you click the first and last Snapshot required.
Leave the latest half dozen just in case.
Presumably, your OneDrive space is now OK?

Did you also review your FH Project Backup zip files and the Cache folder ThumbCache.dat file as I advised?

To fix the IE icon problem try this:
In Windows File Explorer navigate to the Snapshots folder.
Right-click on one of the .fhss files and choose Open with and Choose another app.
It will list IE at the top, but ignore that and click on More apps...
Hopefully, Notepad should be listed so select that and also tick Always use this app to open .fhss files
Click OK, and the .fhss file will open in Notepad revealing that it is a GEDCOM file.
Close Notepad and all the icons will change to the Notepad icon.

Mike
I reviewed theFH Project Backup zip files and deleted the larger from OneDrive. I reviewed Cache folder ThumbCache.dat
Size is relatively small.
I will deal with the IE issue in the morning
Regards

Edward

Mike
I am having some bother again with syncing FH on Desktop and my laptop. I use my laptop when on holiday and recently in Spain it stopped working. I brought it to a computer repair shop and they fixed it and also installed Windows 11 which I had not requested. In order for my OneDrive to be logged into the same Microsoft account on the Desktop and the laptop I set up erowland@eircom.net to be used for both computers to facilitate OneDrive back in 2020..The repair shop also removed the erowlanda@eircom.net from the laptop and substituted edwardrowland45@gmail.com.
Syncing obviously stopped but another problem arose on the laptop. In the Project Window under
Family Historian Projects I have FH Sample Project and Rowland Fam desktop 22 12 2015(27.3.16) (This is an old project)
Under Location : My Documents\Family Historian Projects.
Should I delete the Rowland Fam desktop 22 12 2015 using More Tasks. Also can I substitute email edwardrowland45@gmail.com to sign into my Microsoft account for both computers.
The Project Window on the Desktop is unchanged. Since your last intervention in 2019 all has been working smoothly Edward Rowland

Earlier in this thread on Mon 24th Feb 2020 there is an explanation of how to resolve the two accounts.

Presumably, the old project has been downloaded from the 'wrong' OneDrive account.
I suspect it can be deleted as you say.

I am tempted to suggest that you get the repair shop to correct their unrequested changes.
Windows 11 is not yet entirely stable from all the reviews that I've read.
Anyway, it will also be confusing switching between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Get the repair shop to install Windows 10 and revert the OneDrive account to the way it was before.