Family Historian User Group

For some time now I have had a few problems when closing down and re-opening Family Historian, it's only just come to light after having a week off work and have been using this program more than usual to add and create custom facts and sources. Over the past few months after inputting some data into a custom fact although it has the custom fact label that I have created it's showing as undefined and the he experenced label. I do save my work but I'm beginning to suspect I have more than one project it's saving to. How do I check that I only have one copy of FH on my hard drive and it's saving to the right one?

We have to go through quite a dialogue to investigate the problem, but first a few things need clarifying.

What exactly are the problems you have had closing FH?
They may well be the cause of your missing custom fact definitions.

Unless you have chosen non-standard options when installing the FH Program, then almost certainly there will only be one copy of FH installed in your C:\Program Files (x86)\Family Historian folder, but we can double check later.

Most customisations such as Tools > Fact Types Deportation and Prison Facts (15431) are saved in the C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian folder as explained in glossary:family_historian_program_data_folder|> Family Historian Program Data Folder. There is only one set of such customisations that apply to all Projects.

Are you saying that the Deportation fact that I know you created recently has vanished?

The Project specific databases are all held in the ...\Documents\Family Historian Projects folder, or whatever you have defined in File > Project Window > Location: and can you please confirm that location. Saving and Backups of Projects have absolutely no impact on the customisations mentioned above.

I believe you are running Windows 7 or 8.1 and NOT Windows 10, but please confirm, because to fix some problems it is easier to describe system commands for the appropriate version of Windows. Also confirm that you are only using one PC.

Can you post a screenshot of a custom fact that exhibits the He experienced... style sentence.
Also post a screenshot of Tools > Fact Types that shows that custom fact has no definition and confirm that you did create such a definition previously.

I wonder if this is a result of having deleted the wrong fact set after discovering duplicate sets, as described in Duplicate Custom Fact Sets (15405)

Hi Mike, and many thanks for your help. Opening and closing FH, there is no problem with this, my mistake, I meant the problems are of the facts and sources.

I've installed the standard options in FH (as far as I can tell, as it was a few years ago now) I also checked C Drive Program Files(x 86) and within these are folders, one of which contain Calico Pie. Opening this gives me another folder named Family Historian PDF. The other folder is Family Historian.

I'm running Windows 7

Yes, it is the Deported fact that I have recently added and on looking in the advanced tab all the customisations have not been saved.
The Custom Fact for Outdoor event I remember doing this a couple of months ago and it was fine then.

I just had a horrible thought, as you know I've been creating custom facts in the sample project, If I deleted any of these would it also delete the one's I put in my project?

Hi Lorna, No I checked afterwards in case I had deleted the wrong fact set, and I'm pretty sure it was all ok.

I just had a horrible thought, as you know I've been creating custom facts in the sample project, If I deleted any of these would it also delete the one's I put in my project?

Yes, that's probably what happened. When you select a fact in the Fact Types dialog and click Delete you get this message: The definition applies across all projects, so the fact remains in the individual's record but is now undefined.

Oh dear! I didn't realise that if I deleted custom facts out of the sample project then it would delete Custom facts accross ALL projects? If this is the case how do I get my Sample project back to it's default settings without mucking up my project? Thanks Lorna

It's hidden away a bit, but...
in the Project window click More Tasks, then at the bottom of the drop-down menu select Samples then Reset Sample Project.
Are you OK on how to re-enter the definitons for any 'deleted' facts?

Thanks Lorna, I've reset the sample Project to it's default settings and am now going through all the custom facts that are undefined.

I always thought that a sample project meant that you could happily practice anything within it at no risk to the other project/s

Jane, you need to understand that there are fundamentally two types of data in FH.

Project data is just the Records shown on the tabs in the Records Window and associated Media files.

Program data is almost anything you customise using Tools > Preferences, Tools > Fact Types, Report Options, Diagram Options, custom Queries, Plugins, Records Window Columns, etc. Changing any of these usually affects ALL your Projects.

For a detail explanation of what affects what see how_to:understanding_scope_of_features|> Understanding the Scope of Features.

BTW: Backing up your Project data does NOT backup the Program data. For that you need the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin.