* Back up - restore and custom Queries

[Darryl-W]

Can someone tell me what I did wrong please.
I have continually and sequentially made back ups. ( Been caught in the past) .
My system failed- like new motherboard and hard drive. -

But I had confidence - my back ups are on a separate drive.
My data has come back wholly and I expected that, BUT I had struggled to write a couple of custom queries-- and they are now in cyberspace heading for the great unknown.

What is the "clue" to saving, preserving etc custom queries- I just assumed that a backup was a back up but not so , it seems when custom queries are contained therein.
Thank you for considering my plight.

Darryl

[Jane]

glossary:backup_and_recovery|> Backup and Recovery covers everything you need to know.

[tatewise]

Darryl, when you joined FHUG you were advised to study how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers and that includes the Backup & Recovery advice mentioned by Jane.

BUT more importantly in this current context it mentions the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin for customisations and Windows Registry settings not stored in the Project Structure.

[E Wilcock]

I have been using fh for 3 years.

But until I read this thread, I did not understand that backing up one's custom queries etc involved running Mike's plug in.

Surely the problem is that as a new user, one does not yet know about plug ins and may not have started to use them.
And looking at the book Getting the Most from fh - I found no information on this.

I keep a copy of the Calico Pie applications data folder on my lap top but rarely update it.
But it would be a disaster for me if I lost the queries Mike wrote for me and which I have myself written since.
So off to run your plug in now, Mike

[tatewise]

That is why we advise newcomers to study how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers as it covers important topics not dealt with elsewhere (it includes Backup & Restore and Plugins in detail).

The Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin is a convenient comprehensive utility, but many customisations can be copied one by one by using the File > Import/Export > Export commands so a copy exists in the Project's Public folder and therefore part of the Project Backups. See how_to:move_settings|> Move Family Historian Settings and Projects.

But what is even more important is to ensure all those backups are on some external media apart from your PC.
Otherwise, when (not if) your PC crashes, it will probably take all your backups with it.