* Project disappeared

[Johnr65]

Something strange seems to have happened. When I opened FH6 this morning, there was no projects showing, not even the sample project?
I found a back up on my portable drive from 4th June which was when I was testing the system but it won't load as a project. I was able to upload it to FTM and download the file from there for FH6 and it shows on the main page but not in the project window?
Perhaps I'll have to 'bite the bullet' and redo my research since 4th June up to yesterday but how can I make it the project?

[tatewise]

Possibly the Project Location setting has been upset, perhaps by a Windows Update, or a re-install of FH V6.
Please answer both the following questions so we can put it right.

Use File > Project Window and tell us what is says against Location: below the central pane.

Where do you usually hold your Project folders?
Is it in the E:\...\Family Historian Projects folder or the K:\...\Family Historian Projects folder, or somewhere else?

It won't be in C:\...\Family Historian Projects because that is your SSD that are you are avoiding for data.

BTW:
FH Backup ZIP files will NOT open as a Project directly.
You MUST use File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup.
Remember, you did experiment with that in the Computer update (15029) thread.

What you have now is a standalone Gedcom and FH will say - Family Historian Gedcom - at the very top of its main window, and will probably NOT have any Media image files. Since it has gone via FTM it almost certainly will have lost details en route.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Have you tried Browsing for a project vai the project winow. It only shows you automatically the projects in your default location. So, if your default location got changed somehow, you might be able to find the original project. It might also be possible to find it using Windows File Explorer to search.

A backup file won't open as a project -- yo uneed to go to Backup/Restore on the file menu within FH and restore it -- but check that your old projects isn't lurking secretly first -- you wouldn't want to overwrite it.

[Johnr65]

The project window is completely bare but location says E/ and nothing else. I did a full back up of my project yesterday afternoon and I can see the zip file on my K portable drive. I have uploaded it to FH6 and it seems to have all the media but only from 4th June as that was the file you said I could test the backup/restore before I had Win 10 installed.
There are no project files shown on E or anywhere else.

[tatewise]

John, when you installed FH V6 on your new PC it would have defaulted that Location: to the My Documents\Family Historian Projects folder.

You must have changed that Location: to point to where you chose to keep your Projects away from the SSD.

What was that Location: setting?

Can you recall anything about where it was? What was the drive letter? What was the folder name?

If you can remember anything about that customised Location: it will make recovery so much quicker.

Otherwise, we will have to talk you through the process of searching all your disk drives to find your Projects.

What do you mean by "There are no project files shown on E or anywhere else."?
How and where have you looked?

If you think the Projects may be somewhere on the E: drive then use Windows File Explorer to search the E: drive looking for the Rosser 150117 folder (but NOT the Rosser 150117 (2) folder).

[Johnr65]

Mike,
It couldn't default to My Documents because that folder didn't exist when Win10 was installed. There was just E and from that music, videos and pictures. I let the program default to where it wanted to go which was presumably E but back ups to go to K.
When I searched for my project files on E I couldn't find any except zip files.
Having just used file explorer I see the following capture which shows the projects dated yesterday -which of these is a project if any?

Capture file explorer Rosser 150117.PNG (61.29 KiB) Viewed 14537 times

[tatewise]

OK, that is good searching John. The files named Rosser 150117 are components of your Project structure managed by FH.
The E:\Documents\Family Historian Projects folder is the root folder for all Projects, both Rosser 150117 and Family Historian Sample Project. The other entries are Ancestral Sources auto-backups produced whenever you use it to capture new data.

I think My Documents does exist on drive E: but it is misleadingly called Documents.

So first try the following.
Use File > Project Window and to right of Location: left-click on E:\ and choose Reset Location to Installation Default.

If that does not reveal your recent Rosser 150117 project they proceed as follows:
In File > Project Window to the right of Location: left-click on My Documents\Family Historian Projects and select the Choose Location option, then browse to E:\Documents\Family Historian Projects and click OK to reveal your projects.

Make a note of whichever of the above alternatives reveals the projects so you can refer to it again in future.

I only survive these days by keeping lots of notes in memorable places.

[gwilym'smum]

Hi Don't know if the Windows Updates apply to everybody or just individuals depending on how long they have been using Windows 10 but a couple of days ago my computer had a major automatic Windows update. Insignificant to what has happened but I had notes on my desk top and they disappeared. Mysteriously this afternoon they reappeared. Know it won't help but there had been an update around.
Ann

[Johnr65]

Neither of these options appear to work-I wonder if they're hidden? Even if I try to open the sample project I get the same answer as in mk2 shown and if I press OK nothing is shown in the window.

Capture mk2 project window.PNG (29.36 KiB) Viewed 14506 times

Capture mk1 project window.PNG (16.51 KiB) Viewed 14506 times

[Johnr65]

By the way the project shown at the top is the one I uploaded from FTM and contains the media but only from 4 June.

[tatewise]

If you could post a screenshot of what you are selecting in Browse For Folder it would help.

Choose E:\Documents\Family Historian Projects only - don't go any further.
Don't choose the Rosser 150117 folder.
Don't choose the Family Historian Sample Project folder.
You must choose the root folder that contains both the above.
You are NOT choosing a Project here, but the home folder where Projects reside.
e.g. Family Historian Projects must be highlighted in blue as illustrated below before you click OK.
(In your case the drive will be E: instead of F: and the root folder will be Documents instead Family History)

BrowseForFolder.png (10.42 KiB) Viewed 14499 times

[Johnr65]

Screen capture showing as requested.

Capture mk3 project window.PNG (35.99 KiB) Viewed 14494 times

[tatewise]

Did you see my screenshot showing which folder to select?
Your screenshot does not indicate which folder you have highlighted, but the one to select is Family Historian Projects.

It is also annoying that we cannot see the Location: you chose before.
Drag the Browse For Folder window to one side before creating screenshot.

The clues are in the Project Window as an aide memoir.
The central pane left hand column is labelled Family Historian Projects.
The default Location: of My Documents\Family Historian Projects ends with Family Historian Projects.
So always select the folder with that name.

John, this is a fundamental setting that you must be able to master, otherwise you may keep having Projects disappear.

[zoomdoggies]

I only survive these days by keeping lots of notes in memorable places.

Mike, I don't know what we would do without you

[Johnr65]

Hi Mike, changed location as you said and screenshot shows what you need, I hope?

Capture mk4 project window.PNG (43.16 KiB) Viewed 14423 times

[tatewise]

Yes, good screenshot.

BUT that Family Historian Projects folder highlighted in Browse For Folder is NOT the one you showed yesterday.

It is NOT inside the Documents folder, is NOT alongside the Ancestral Sources folder, and does NOT contain the Family Historian Sample Project and Rosser 150117 folders as illustrated in yesterdays' screenshot. Please choose the Family Historian Projects shown in your screenshot yesterday that matches the one found by your File Explorer search.
i.e.
When you Browse For Folder, select the E: drive, then open Documents folder, then select Family Historian Projects folder.

BTW:
You appear to have a number of Family Historian Projects folders in different places that need to be eradicated to avoid future confusion.

[Johnr65]

I cannot access the files I found on file explorer via the project window search but today when I used file explorer I found those files and right clicked on one of the 15.06.17 files it opened another FH6 and showed that 'project' including my last research on 15th but it has no media or rather it has icons that have a cross through them?
See screen shots.

Capture mk5 project window.PNG (28.72 KiB) Viewed 14393 times

Capture mk6 project window showuing media or not.PNG (76.58 KiB) Viewed 14393 times

[Johnr65]

Also regarding the numerous project files, attached screen shot of my pc icons.

Capture my pc win 10 icons.PNG (56.63 KiB) Viewed 14391 times

[tatewise]

John, you CAN ACCESS the files found on file explorer via the project window search.
Whatever, is visible in File Explorer must also be visible in the Browse For Folder dialogue - believe me!!!
You did it yesterday, as illustrated in the screenshot posted yesterday.

Please humour me and do EXACTLY what I suggested earlier.
You fiddling around with Backups is not a good idea, and using the WRONG method to open it so there will be no Media.
Here are the simple step by step instructions - please follow them to the letter :-

1. Use File > Project Window
2. Left click to the right of Location: and select Choose Location...
3. In the Browse For Folder dialogue select your New Volume (E:) drive
4. Then select the Documents folder
5. Then select the Family Historian Projects folder (it will look EXACTLY like the screenshot below)
6. Click OK

Note the Ancestral Sources folder above and the Family Historian Sample Project and Rosser 150117 below.
If it does NOT look like this, then you have chosen the wrong folder.

BrowseForFHProjectsFolder.png (22.93 KiB) Viewed 14391 times

Looking at your latest screenshot, I am a bit concerned by the display of both E:\ drive and New Volume(E:) which is a little unusual.

[Johnr65]

Hoorah-you've done it Mike, I've got all 3 projects in the project window-thank you very much.
Now I'm scared to delete the 150117(2) project which was the test one we did before the 10 update, in case it deletes everything on the other projects and in fact I think I'll leave it where it is-got plenty of space.
As to the 2 E drives-can these be changed into just 1. Also can I get rid of the spurious projects that I found before using file explorer?

[tatewise]

Good

It is safe to select the Rosser 150117 (2) project and use More Tasks > Delete Project.
Just review the resulting dialogue with some care.
But there is no harm in keeping it until you are more comfortable with its deletion.

To get rid of the spurious projects use File Explorer.
I believe there is a New Volume(E:)\Family Historian Projects folder as shown in your first screenshot this morning.
It sits alongside Documents and Downloads and Euro Truck Simulator 2.
It contains only Rosser 150117 and Rosser 150117 (2) but NOT Family Historian Sample Project.
Right-click that New Volume(E:)\Family Historian Projects folder and choose Delete.
It will only go to the Recycle Bin so can be retrieved if necessary.

You could perform a File Explorer search for "Family Historian Projects" to see if there are any other spurious entries apart from the E:\Documents\Family Historian Projects master folder.

Just double check that your three FH V6 Projects are still OK.

Now, as I said earlier, make a note of your E:\Documents\Family Historian Projects master folder, and how to set it as the File > Project Window > Location: while still fresh in your mind.

After a Google search it seems that duplicate drive listings is a common problem in Windows 10 File Explorer.
But the fix requires a Windows Registry hack that I do NOT advise you attempt.
Either live with it (apparently does no harm) or ask your PC expert to investigate.

[Johnr65]

Presumably as I always do a full back up to my K portable that won't affect the E project folder?

[tatewise]

Correct.

[Johnr65]

Thank you once again Mike for your invaluable help in this most frustrating problem.

[Johnr65]

I've found some of the other mysterious and superfluous ft files but am frightened to delete them but instead I've marked them as obsolete if I come across them again in future.
Similarly I don't want and haven't deleted the 'test' project, however is there a way of making it the least priority of the 2 projects as currently it appears to be the default project? I suppose it doesn't help that they've both got the same date.