* Lost data

[jbrooks]

I have some custom expressions for chart data and these still exist and have not changed. However, looking at the contents of the db the data would appear not to be there any more. Going to a 2016 backup I can see the entries for congregation and over seer of the poor. During upgrades I have been careful with backup & restore:-

2016 backup

cap1.JPG (43.91 KiB) Viewed 5331 times

However opening my latest db:-

today

Capture 2.JPG (246.75 KiB) Viewed 5331 times

These are no longer there and would appreciate advise on recovery and backup regimes.

FYI; expressions are as follows:-

=ExistsText(%INDI.EVEN-CONGREGATION[1+]%,"Congregation:") %INDI.EVEN-CONGREGATION[1+].DATE:COMPACT% in %INDI.EVEN-CONGREGATION[1+].PLAC%
%INDI.EVEN-CONGREGATION[1+].NOTE2%

=ExistsText(%INDI.EVEN-OSOTPOOR[1+]%,"OSOTPoor:") %INDI.EVEN-OSOTPOOR[1+].DATE:COMPACT% in %INDI.EVEN-OSOTPOOR[1+].PLAC%
%INDI.EVEN-OSOTPOOR[1+].NOTE2%
%INDI.BIRT.NOTE2%

Kind regards Jonathan.

[tatewise]

The custom expressions for Templates in the Text Schemes have no impact on the Project data, but do confirm those custom Facts were in use.

Please explain: "During upgrades I have been careful with backup & restore."
Taking precautionary Backups is wise, but there should be no need to Restore after upgrades.
That runs the risk that you might pick the wrong Backup, or since it produces a Project with the same name and a numerical suffix, it might be too easy to pick the wrong Project for ongoing data entry.

It does seem that those custom Facts have become removed from that Individual since 2016.
But please expand all the [+] subsections and check there no suspicious data items anywhere.
Use Tools > Uncategorised Data > Find Uncategorised Data or the UDF List Plugin to check for unusual data.

To identify the extent, please run the Standard Query for All Facts on both the current Project and 2016 restored Project.
Review how many Congregation, Overseer of the poor, OSOTPoor, and perhaps other Facts are missing.

Do you have a series of preserved Backups for between 2016 and now?
If so, then it should be possible to identify when the Facts vanished.

If only a handful are missing, then recreate them by hand by copying from the 'best' restored Backup.

If too many for that, then it should be possible to use File > Merge/Compare File to merge the missing Facts, etc, from a restored Backup Project.

[jbrooks]

Yes I have many backups although the custom source, OSOTPoor, would appear to have gone some time ago. I still have the data so will enter again as this seems the simplest way forward.

Do I need to do anything different to ensure customs sources are backed up / carried forward?

Having done a number of restorations I would now like to clean up the below:-

bck clean.JPG (60.1 KiB) Viewed 5246 times

Okay to just delete with Windows Explorer?

[tatewise]

I don't know what you mean by "custom source, OSOTPoor" or "ensure custom sources are backed up".

Are you talking about Tools > Fact Types custom fact definitions?
They are NOT include in Project Backups/Restores.

Such customisations should be unaffected by FH Upgrades and Project Backups/Restores.
They only get removed if you delete them one by one, or if you migrate to a new PC and don't migrate the customisations.
But in that latter case virtually all your customisations would vanish together.

The way to backup/restore most (but not all) categories of customisations is via File > Import/Export.
To backup/restore them all in one go, use the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin.

See glossary:backup_and_recovery|> Backup and Recovery for full details of what is backup by which commands.

Regarding deleting Projects, I presume you have recovered everything you need from those restored Backups?

In general you should NOT tamper with FH data structures outside FH itself by using such as Windows File Explorer.
To delete a Project use the File > Project Window, select the Project name, and use More Tasks > Delete Project.
That goes through much safer dialogue to confirm exactly what to delete, and nothing else by mistake.

[jbrooks]

My bad; yes I meant custom events.

I use FH backup on exit and the plugin backup for customization's e.g. chart text schemes.

Will this backup custom events?

Kind regards Jonathan.

[tatewise]

Yes, the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin preserves custom everything.
Have you read its Help & Advice at plugins:help:backup_and_restore_family_historian_settings:backup_and_restore_family_historian_settings|> Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin?

[jbrooks]

Thanks Mike,

I do not have the last option regarding FH version to be later than the backup (screen shot below).

later version.JPG (75.15 KiB) Viewed 4989 times

What is the risk here e.g. corrupt/lost data/unknown?

King regards Jonathan.

[tatewise]

The risks are similar to those when upgrading FH to a later version.
The settings are derived from the older FH version, and incorporated into the later FH version.
So the risks are minimal, especially if the two versions are close together.
But as the Plugin author, don't blame me if things go wrong.
You should take Backups whenever the FH version changes, as that inevitably adds new settings.

Anyway, that option should only be ticked when the Plugin reports that the FH versions do not match when using Restore.

BTW: Do NOT tick Enable Diagnostics Mode, which is only needed to diagnose unusual symptoms, under my instruction.