Family Historian User Group

I always do a Full Backup when closing after each session, with the odd ‘skip’ if very little data has been changed.
Yesterday as the Full Backup was finishing the phone rang and I was distracted but caught sight of a pop-up message about ‘validation’.
When I opened FH today my project opened – the name was on the top line – but there was no data of any kind.
After I wiped the sweat from my brow I decided to make use of my back-up strategy, so I used File/ Backup/Restore/Restore backup. The result was contained in a new folder.
(I did this before reading about the Restore plug-in on this Forum but I believe that I have recovered everything as far as I can see, including the ‘Export Gedcom File’ plug-in.)

My original file structure (on OneDrive) was:
Dennis Bills Tree/Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22/Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22.fh_data – with all the FH-created folders underneath including Media.
Following Backup Restore I now have an additional folder:
Dennis Bills Tree/Dennis Bills Tree current 1022/ Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22.fh_data – with all the FH-created folders underneath including Media.
So it appears that my Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22.fh_data folder is duplicated.
Can I now delete the ‘old’ one under Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 or is the version under the new project folder just links from the original and the files only exist once?

My other concern is that in my project window the newly restored project is listed as:
Dennis Bill Tree current Oct 22 (Folder: Dennis Bills Tree current 1022) 27/01/23 14:41
But there are also two other projects listed as:
Dennis Bill Tree current 1022 (Folder: Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22) 01/01/1971 00:00
and
Dennis Bills Tree current 1022 01/01/1971 00:00 !!
Advice on how I can clear this up will be much appreciated.
Dennis

The strategy I've adopted over the years in terms of deleting (and then regretting deleting) large amounts of files in a directory is going to the directory in File Explorer and renaming the directory in question with a suffix zzz or similar, and then taking a note of the change.

I've used the technique when my FH project list got into a fankle, also on accounts backups and restores, etc.. Once I'm certain everything is OK I'll delete the renamed zzz folder. That might be days later or longer - just to be sure. If I've found I've upset something then I just go back to the directory and remove the zzz suffix.

I'm sure someone will give you advice tailored to FH but, knowing my heavy fingers, I'd still have an insurance policy in case I did something wrong when following that advice.

Dennis, don't do anything for the moment until we have analyzed what has happened.
Your description of the Project Window and folder names is quite abnormal.

Let me explain what should have happened when you used File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup...
The original Project should have been left alone and still named Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 in folder:
Dennis Bills Tree/Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22/Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22.fh_data
The restored Project should have been given the new name Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2) in folder:
Dennis Bills Tree/Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2)/Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2).fh_data

Presumably, the Project Window has its Location set to Dennis Bills Tree instead of Family Historian Projects.

Can you throw any light on where the folder name Dennis Bills Tree current 1022 has come from?
Have you perhaps been renaming folders in Windows Explorer?

The restore process allows you to choose a new Project name (that cannot be the same as the original) but all the folder names must still use that new name as explained below and not the mixture that you described.

The same Project name should appear in both subfolders but Dennis Bills Tree current 1022 differs from the Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22.fh_data and it is such discrepancies that FH is highlighting in parentheses such as (Folder: Dennis Bills Tree current 1022) so that will need correcting in due course. The GEDCOM file should also have the same Project name.

The date 01/01/1971 00:00 means FH cannot read any updated date from the GEDCOM file usually because it is corrupt.

Does the Project listed as Dennis Bill Tree current Oct 22 (Folder: Dennis Bills Tree current 1022) 27/01/23 14:41 contain all the data and Media files, etc, that you expect?

Many thanks both.
Mike
I have just tested the restore from backup naming and as you said it suggests Dennis Bills Tree current 1022 (2) I'm sure that I didn't rename it at the time I did it for real.

To answer your last question - as far as I can see all the data is present up to 26/1/23, including sources and images.

I must now come clean and tell you that I have renamed project files in Windows in the past when I've got into trouble as you can see on the copy of my Project Window attached. The use of '-Dennis-Chillblast- and -Dennis-SurfaceGo- is certainly not something that I named.
BTW the project Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 26/01/2023 has no data.
Thanks for your prompt help.
Dennis

Dennis, sorry but you have not attached a screenshot.
See FHUG Knowledge Base Forum Usage Tips under Attachments and Taking Screenshots.

It would be good to see the FH File > Project Window and a Windows Explorer view of the folders under Dennis Bills Tree.

Could you also explain the history behind the various Projects and folders, together with which ones you no longer need and which ones are important to get fixed, as it seems there is more to investigate than your original posting described.

Mike
Here are the two screenshots. Sorry I hadn't clicked Place Inline.
You will notice that my backups have a OneDrive folder outside Dennis Bills Tree as does a folder containing all the items realting to my Family History Book.

The backgound to all the Dennis Bill Tree projects is now a bit foggy but I got into some sort of situation (senior moment?) that I thought re-naming the file would solve and would clearly identify that I was using the most recent file, hence the date. I have no idea where or how the 'Chillblast' or 'SurfaceGo' projects came about as these are of course my desktop and laptop.
Apologies but you are dealing with a late-septaganarean with decreaseing powers of memory
Thanks again for your time
Dennis

Well, that is a bit of a mess that will need some time to tidy up
I am also a late-septuagenarian!

Let me explain how the FH Project Window entries relate to File Explorer folders and GEDCOM files.

1. Where there is just a simple Project name in the Project Window that is a properly structured Project.
   e.g. Denis Bills Tree 2021 which will have similarly named folders and GEDCOM file:
   ...\Dennis Bills Tree\Denis Bills Tree 2021\Denis Bills Tree 2021.fh_data\Denis Bills Tree 2021.ged
   e.g. Gunnell Family Tree has these folders and GEDCOM file:
   ...\Dennis Bills Tree\Gunnell Family Tree\Gunnell Family Tree.fh_data\Gunnell Family Tree.ged
   Notice how the Project name is repeated three times.
   *
2. Where there is a Project name and a (Folder: name) then the Project is incorrectly structured and needs fixing.
   e.g. Denis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (Folder: Dennis Bills Tree current 1022) will have these folders and GEDCOM file:
   ...\Dennis Bills Tree\Dennis Bills Tree current 1022\Denis Bills Tree current Oct 22.fh_data\Denis Bills Tree current Oct 22.ged
   That is your default FH Project but there are other Projects inside that same Dennis Bills Tree current 1022 folder.
   Notice how the top folder name does not match the Project name in the subfolder and GEDCOM file.

I suspect the Chillblast and SurfaceGo projects/folders are caused by OneDrive synchronisation problems.

I think the first step is to try and get a standard restore of your FH Backup working, then we can safely tidy up the rest.
So use the File > Backup/Restore> Restore Backup... command and select the backup you created on Thu 26 Jan.
That should offer to create New Project Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2) in Location to Restore to:
D:\Users\denni\OneDrive\Dennis Bills Tree
Click Restore and check that the Project Window lists Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2) which you should make the default and check all its data and Media are OK.

Then we know that there is a reliable Project Backup and a reliable working default Project.

Report back when you have reached that stage and then we can tidy up the redundant Project folders & files.

Mike
I have done that exactly as you said (honest) andas you will see the '(2)' project appears as a '01/01/1971' and as Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (Folder: Dennis Bils Tree current 1022 (2))'
I presume that this is not as expected.
Dennis

Let me think about what might be happening.

I suspect that the original Project that you had been backing up was perhaps already having problems with unusual folders.

Have you any earlier Project backups dated before last Thu 26 Jan?

Mike
I tried a couple of recent backups but the results were the same as you can see below.
I then restored an older backup from before I renamed the folder from Dennis Bills Tree 2021 to ...current Oct 22 in September 22 and that seems to have ceated a project as you would expect.

This presumably pinpoints the problem to when I re-named the project in File Explorer.
Dennis

Yes, that File Explorer folder renaming is a major cause of your problems.
The crucial message to take away is NEVER rename folders and files in the FH Project folder using File Explorer.

If you need to rename, delete, or copy Projects then use the FH Project Window More Tasks... options.

However, the folder structure is much worse than that, because there are several 'Projects' all inside one Project folder.
That problem is also reflected in the recent Backups, so tidying up is complicated.

As a first step, we must remove the recently restored Projects with suffixes (2), (3), and (4) that are only confusing things.
So please just focus on the three Projects Dennis Bills Tree current 1022 (2) and (3) and (4)
and then the Project Dennis Bills Tree 2021 (2) as highlighted in the screenshot below.
Select each one in turn and use More Tasks... > Delete Project
You will have to click the Please confirm deletion, then answer No to the popup warning and click Delete All.
Each deletion will delete several entries in the Project Window because there are several Projects in each folder.

Please post a screenshot of what remains.

Mike
Here is the result Dennis

OK, I think I've discovered a workaround for your issues.
The snag with choosing the Full Backup (Entire Project Folder) option is that it preserves the corrupt folder structure.
Whereas if you choose Medium Backup (Project File & Project Data Subfolder Only) it only saves one chosen Project and disregards all the other projects that happen to be in the same folder.
The only slight concern is that it omits the Public subfolder contents, but if that matters we can deal with it later.

I believe you said that Denis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (Folder: Dennis Bills Tree current 1022) dated 27/01/2023 is a fully working project with all the data and media intact.
If so, then open that Project and use File > Backup/Restore > Medium Backup (Project File & Project Data Subfolder Only)

Then use File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup... and restore that FH Project Backup (min) file.
That should create Denis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2) without any (Folder: ... ) addendum and with today's date 28/01/2023.
Does that restored Project have all its data and media?

Mike
Bingo!
It has restored with all the latest data, sources and media. Dennis

OK, now we have a reliable Project and a reliable Backup.

So you can safely delete all the Projects dated 01/01/1971 00:00
Open each one in turn as you did before and use More Tasks... > Delete Project
It is likely that all Projects inside one folder will get deleted at the same time.
So don't be surprised if several Project entries all get deleted together.

It will probably also delete Denis Bills Tree 2021 but we know you have a reliable backup for that.

Let us then take a breath and review what Projects remain. Do you need to keep them all?

Mike
First the good news - all the data for the Dennis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2) project is intact.
This is how the Project Window now looks: The other FH projects are either ones I have done for others or research data (Bills of NI and Touheys of Feakle) that I have collected but can't yet join-up within themselves or to my tree.

And here it is in File Manager: You will see I still have a project that isn't a project called Dennis Bill Tree current
Here are its details: As it is not recognised as a project by FH, can I now use File manager to save/move/delete as required? There is nothing absolutely necessary here but a few of the files might be handy.
Dennis

Phew!
The first thing to do is rename your Denis Bills Tree current Oct 22 (2) master Project to remove the (2) suffix.
So select that Project and use More Tasks... > Rename Project... and delete the space and (2) from the end of its Name.

You will have lost the contents of this Project's Public folder where you usually save Diagrams, Reports, etc.
Does that matter to you?

Dennis Bills Tree current looks like a Project that has lost its 'FH Project File'.
That can be repaired by copying one from another Project.
So in File Explorer, navigate to the Bills of NI folder that will contain Bills of NI.fh_proj Family Historian Project File.
Carefully, copy that file to the Dennis Bills Tree current folder and rename it to Dennis Bills Tree current.fh_proj
That should fix it so it appears in the Project Window.

FYI: The FHUG Knowledge Base has Understanding Projects which under Project Structure explains the folder structure that must be maintained.

Mike
I've renamed the remaining project by just removing the (2). I would prefer to remove the Oct 22 as well but I can't do that whilst the stray Dennis Bills Tree current exists.
As I said I'm quite happy to delete it as it isn't now current.
So is it best to do as you suggest to make it a recognised FH project and then delete it in FH?
Dennis

You can use File Explorer to move the Dennis Bills Tree current folder anywhere outside Dennis Bills Tree folder.
Then you can delete/preserve whatever you like once it is outside the scope of FH Projects.

Mike
That's it. I've moved the Dennis Bill Tree current folder to my Temp store folder and renamed it just to prevent confusion ( ).
I'll sort out any required files tomorrow and then delete the rest.

Meanwhile I've now renamed the FH project to Dennis Bills Tree current and all is hunky dory.

I can't express how grateful I am for taking up so much of your weekend, and hopefully a lesson(s) learnt.
Heartfelt thanks and very best wishes
Dennis
PS I see that I have now attained 'Silver' status - clearly for quantity not quality

Glad to have helped.