* Not able to do full backup

[Granny]

I am only able to back up as a small Gedcom file. Preferences will not allow me to change to medium or full backup. Can anyone help me please?

[BillH]

The medium and full backup options are only available if you are using a project.

You can tell if you are using a project by looking at the title bar of the Family Historian window. If it says "Family Historian Project", then you are using a project. If not then you are not using a project.

Bill

[Granny]

Thank you Bill

[tatewise]

Welcome to the FHUG Granny!

You need to open your Project via the File > Project Window command.

If your Project is not listed there, then some setting has been upset, but we should be able to help you sort it out.

[Granny]

Thanks for your reply. My project is not listed.

[tatewise]

Please provide as much 'history' to this problem as possible, otherwise this could become a very long dialogue.

How long have you been using Family Historian? i.e. Is this your first 'Project'?

Was it once a Project that appeared in the File > Project Window but has recently vanished?

Was it never a Project?

Where does this GEDCOM file come from, i.e. have you just transferred it from another product?
If so, which product?

Has there been some recent change to your PC setup that might have caused the problem?
i.e. Have you switched to using a new PC? Have you switched your Documents folder into OneDrive?

The more you can tell us about the circumstances of the problem, the sooner we can help you fix it.
Sorry there are so many questions but we need to understand your predicament in some detail to give the best advice.

[Granny]

I have been using Family Historian for 3 years. I previously used Relatively Yours an Australian product I transferred my information from. I have been adding information for the last 3 years and just backing up the small file.

During that time some of our document files and photos have gone to a cloud and we have tried to stop this happening and transfer them back to our hard drive. Not sure if Family Historian was one of them, it is now on our hard drive. While we are in isolation I decided to do something with all the information I have collected and noticed I could not do full backup. I don't remember if it was ever a project file.

If I start a new project with my small gedcom backup what information would not be included?

Thanks for your help, I hope you are keeping well in England. The time difference makes my replies a little late!

[tatewise]

Files and photos should only get copied to a cloud store if somehow they are saved in a cloud store folder on your PC.
Even then, the originals should remain on your PC as long as the appropriate option is chosen.
If you need any further advice on that topic then please start another Forum thread.
Family Historian (FH) will not transfer files to a cloud of its own accord.

The FH Small Backup option will backup just the GEDCOM database file and nothing else.
It doesn't backup any photo or document files linked to your GEDCOM database, nor any saved Reports or Diagrams, etc.

It sounds like you never created a Project when you migrated from Relatively Yours.
When you create a Project using the GEDCOM file it will integrate all your linked Media photo & document files.
Then you will able to use the FH Full Backup option to preserve a copy of the entire database including Media files.

To create a Project use File > Project Window, click New Project..., choose Import a GEDCOM file and Browse... to choose your current GEDCOM file.
Probably, the Recently-used Gedcom Files option will provide a shortcut to your current GEDCOM file.
Ensure Copy any linked multimedia files into the new project folder remains ticked and click Next >.
Allow this new project to be your default and that should be it.

From now on your Project should open by default when you open FH.

For further details see how_to:v4:understanding_projects|> Understanding Projects which includes a video on the Project Window features for FH V4 but little has changed in FH V6.

If you have any questions then please do ask.

Let me know when you have created your new Project becasue there are few more tips that are relevant.

[Granny]

Thank you, I now have a Project File. While creating the project file it said I had 75 broken links and repaired 11.

I have not done many reports, diagrams, documents or photos so not a major problem if I don't have these I can sort that out as I come to it.

[tatewise]

Ok, those broken links refer to Media photos or document images you had linked to your GEDCOM but those image files are no longer where they once were, either because you have moved them or deleted them.
That may even be a throwback to Media that were linked using Relatively Yours.

To get a better idea of what is missing click the Camera Media button in the toolbar and choose View All Media.
All the correctly linked Media will show thumbnail images, but broken links will be a rectangle with a diagonal cross.
Double-click any such broken link and more details are shown with a Links tab that lists every record that originally chose to display the missing image. The challenge is to decide whether those broken links should simply be discarded, or whether you need to track down where the missing image has gone and reconnect it.

Let me know the scope of the problem and whether you have any explanation for how it has come about.

Remember, this is nothing to do with creating the Project. If you open your standalone GEDCOM file, it will exhibit similarly broken links. It will have 11 more than the Project which were fixed on import.

BTW: You will now be able to use the File > Backup/Restore > Full Project command.

[Granny]

Thank you the photos are not a problem.

Another issue that I have is in the Source Records box many of the sources, eg Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages, etc. have doubled or tripled so I now have 2 or 3 of each title. Is there any way of merging these to make my list smaller? This is not a new problem just an annoying one.

[tatewise]

Yes, it is easy to merge any records, including Source records, but whether it is a good idea depends on various factors.

Taking Birth Certificate as an example, where do you attach an image of the Birth Certificate document?
Do you link it to the Source record via its Media tab, or to the Individual via their Media tab, or don't you bother with images of Certificates?
Also do you record a transcript of the Birth Certificate anywhere?