* OneDrive backup behaving curiously

[Searcher 3]

I use Family Historian v6 on my Dell PC which runs Windows 10. I do a regular full weekly backup on to a hard disk the timing of which is sufficient for me as I work at my family history intermittently. But as a result of reading a number of comments on this site about the importance of backup I decided to do a further ‘belt and braces’ and use OneDrive as well.

With the help of a son I therefore installed what I thought was a backup on OneDrive. However when I later went to look at my main family history diagram I work on – normally directly accessible when I open Family Historian – I was told my Projects Window was empty. Rootling around I found that I could now access my Family Historian data by the rather curious pathway C:\Users\Diana\OneDrive - iPad\OneDrive\Documents\Family Historian Projects and Family Matters. (This last reference is the name of the over-arching folder in which I keep all my projects and a few related family matters which was sited in what was My Documents/Documents – see also below.)

I am further mystified by this pathway as it invokes my iPad. I do not use Family Historian on my iPad and I would have thought that was anyway irrelevant to what was a Microsoft process.

On further inspection of my PC I found on the list on the lhs of the Documents page (This PC→Documents) a new icon had been introduced for my normal Documents folder – in appearance it looks somewhat like a word file – and the folder icon I would normally use to open my Documents now only holds one or two recently looked at items. It appears as if OneDrive has reassigned how I organise my work – not what I would expect from a backup. (The folder icon on the bottom bar still does open all the files and folders I have in my Documents. And I used to have both a My Documents and a Documents folder on the lhs, the reason for the different names I never understood.)

Has anyone else had an experience like this? (I am not a sophisticated computer user and so please keep any comments simple!)

[AdrianBruce]

It appears as if OneDrive has reassigned how I organise my work – not what I would expect from a backup.

A very quick comment from me...

OneDrive is not a back-up facility as such. It is about how you organise your daily work and how you can make it accessible to others (usually yourself on another PC). By putting the stuff into the "Cloud" it does, almost as a sideline, serve as a back-up. Some might say, sort of serves...

As such there is every possibility that it's reorganised (moved) where you keep your stuff, particularly if you asked for the back-up options to be invoked when OneDrive was installed. (Also, IIRC, without really clever stuff, everything has to be moved into the one OneDrive folder). This reorganisation aspect appears to have come into play, when you were just expecting a conventional back-up where nothing would move.

This is just me sort of explaining why something unexpected has happened.

[tatewise]

You need to discuss the points you posted with your son who performed the changes.

Only he can explain why he introduced the OneDrive - iPad folder that is unconventional.
e.g.
The most conventional path would be C:\Users\Diana\OneDrive\Documents\Family Historian Projects\
But you have changed the default Family Historian Projects folder to Family Historian Projects and Family Matters and the OneDrive - iPad folder is superfluous.

What your son has done is invoke a standard OneDrive option to move the Documents folder to OneDrive.
So your entire default Documents folder is now located in the OneDrive folder on your PC and a copy in the cloud.
So that copy is providing an off-site backup of all your Documents and not just FH Projects.
Your son should have explained that procedure and its effect.

There are many other possible configurations and OneDrive settings.
e.g.
You could keep most of your Documents where they were originally and just move FH Projects to OneDrive.
You could keep everything in Documents as originally including FH Projects and just save FH Backups to OneDrive.
It is also important to ensure OneDrive is NOT set for Files On-Demand as without an Internet connection you may not be able to access all your Documents including FH Projects. Ask your son how to do that or ask here.

Also, show your son FHUG KB Synchronising Family Historian between 2 PCs.

While discussing backups, do you backup your customisation settings for Tools > Preferences, Diagrams, Reports, Queries, Plugins, Fact Types definitions, Records Window columns, etc, etc?
There is a plugin to help with that. See FHUG KB Backup and Recovery for full details.
That may lead to further discussions about safe and secure backup of everything to do with FH.

[Searcher 3]

Mike

Many thanks for your very quick and helpful response. I need to think further about this after consulting my son.

Although the main driving force for my doing this was making sure that my Family Historian data had a further backup I did know that all my documents were being uploaded to OneDrive for a more comprehensive backup. But I am not sure what you are querying about my Family Historian Projects and Family Matters folder. It contains all my projects and I added one or two extra items to the folder and I must have then renamed it some stage.

And thank you Adrian for your response too.

[tatewise]

I only mentioned Family Historian Projects and Family Matters in the context of it being unconventional.
It is my understanding that if the move to OneDrive\Documents uses the standard option then the default FH Project Location of Documents\Family Historian Projects or in your case Documents\Family Historian Projects and Family Matters should not need changing as the default Documents definition is also adjusted.

However, we don't know exactly what method your son used.
The fact that the OneDrive - iPad folder was introduced suggests he perhaps used an unconventional method.

Would it help if we described the standard option and then your son could undo what he did and apply that option?
That way everything would be more standardised.
It would also cover the crucial Files On-Demand setting.
Show this thread to your son and see what he says.

[ColeValleyGirl]

I only mentioned Family Historian Projects and Family Matters in the context of it being unconventional.

I suspect many of us don't use the default FH Project location, Mike, or have renamed it to something more meaningful for ourselves.

[Searcher 3]

Mike

Many thanks. I will be showing this thread to my son but as he does not live nearby any action to uninstall and reinstall will have to wait until he next visits. Maybe such changes could cause further confusion to my data set up and it would be better to learn to live with it!

[tatewise]

There is no need to uninstall and reinstall OneDrive.
It only needs to be customised in the same way FH can be customised without an uninstall and reinstall.

What Windows version are you using? 7, 8.1, 10, 11?

There should be a grey cloud icon in the lower right-hand Notification area near the time & date.
If not, but there is an up arrow for more icons, then click & drag the cloud icon down into the Notification area.
Hover the cursor on it and should popup something like OneDrive - Personal Up to date.

It is easy to inspect the settings without upsetting OneDrive and would be useful for us to know.
Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon and choose Settings from the menu.

Open the lefthand Settings tab. Is Files On-Demand at the bottom ticked or not?
If it is ticked, I advise you to untick that option to ensure copies of all files are kept on your disk drive as well as the cloud.
Otherwise, if you lose Internet connection you may not be able to access some PC Documents files including FH Projects.

Open the central Back up tab and click the Manage back up button and read what it says.
What does it say under each of Desktop, Documents & Pictures?
Does it say Files backed up under any of them?
Click the Got it button to close the window.

Finally, click the OK button to close the OneDrive settings.

[Searcher 3]

Mike

Thank you again for all your help.

I run Windows 10 and have followed your instructions. I have unticked the Files-On Demand – I did not realise that new data was not necessarily being retained on my hard disk. I then checked, under Manage Backup, the Desktop, Documents and Pictures. All of them show ‘Files backed up’ in black print.

[tatewise]

That all sounds good.
So, apart from the unusual OneDrive - iPad folder your setup is much the same as most other users.

[AdrianBruce]

With respect to the "\OneDrive - iPad\OneDrive\" and its repetition of "OneDrive"...

It's always possible that there is a subtle reason why the repetition exists. On the other hand, it could be an accident because I personally find that with OneDrive (and Dropbox???) it is all to easy to get a double stack of folders named OneDrive. If I recall correctly, it happens during the set-up, when I think I'm telling OneDrive set-up that this folder named OneDrive is going to be my folder for, err, OneDrive. But OneDrive set-up thinks I'm telling it that the folder in question is where it's supposed to create the OneDrive folder, i.e. inside that folder "OneDrive" is to be the folder for OneDrive called OneDrive. Hence OneDrive\OneDrive. (So good they named it twice? )

Just in case anyone wants to know, the process to move a OneDrive folder is not obvious - it's part of OneDrive set-up - see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/off ... 2676b2c4ae

[ColeValleyGirl]

Adrian, I believe you're right as I remember getting into the same knot myself.

[Searcher 3]

Thank you again Mike for sorting me out. And thank you Adrian for the very useful link as to how the pathway could be tidied up – something to think about for when my son next visits!