Family Historian User Group

Mike
Sorry for confusion re "Current Project" You are correct- The current projects when opened are duly named except Rowland Family
Backups
There is a Zip file modified 30 May 2023 in Documents desktop. See attached.
There are backups periodicaly made December/November 2022 and earlier. These are Project Back ups (Min) Rowland Family 1735.fhbak (29/12/2022) c.766MB +

In OneDrive Documents there is a folder Family Historian Projects dated 6 June 2023 1.47GB which includes all 4 projects-
C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\OneDriveDocuments\Family Historian Projects. See attached snap shot and screenshot of the Snapshot folder contents (date modified 30 May 2023)

Edward

Mike
2 of the screenshots are not very clear. Do you wish me to try to improve

Edward

The quality of the screenshots is fine but the content is less so.

The Rowland Family.fh_data folder contents screenshot is the wrong version.
This is an example of your muddled data which must be rationalised before this thread completes.
Your screenshot is for This PC\Documents\Rowland Family.fh_data which is very different from the one I requested:
C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\OneDrive Documents\Family Historian Projects\Rowland Family\Rowland Family.fh_data
It will seriously slow our progress if you cannot supply what I request.

The screenshot of the Snapshots folder illustrates several issues with the GEDCOM snapshots, but I will deal with them when you provide a screenshot of the folder above that Snapshots folder.

Hi Mike,

Apologies for the confusion, please find the requested screenshot attached. There are no .ged or .tmp files in any of the folders pictured, other than the Family Historian File at the bottom

Thanks,
Edward

Thank you, unfortunately, that confirms that there is no GEDCOM file in that project folder.

Please delete the debug.log and Rowland Fam desktop latest.fh_proj files which are very old and of no use.

The Snapshots folder holds automatic backup copies of your Rowland Family GEDCOM file for the Dates shown.
They go back many years (which shouldn't happen) and vary dramatically in size!
Most of them pre-date your earlier Using FH program on my laptop and computer (12872) thread where you were advised to delete all those old Snapshots.

Can you explain why your Rowland Family project would vary so much in size for the Dates shown?

Anyway, the best we can do now is try and use one of those Snapshot files to recreate the missing GEDCOM file.
So use Windows File Explorer and Copy the latest 20230521A.fhss file and Paste it into the Rowland Family.fh_data folder above, then in that folder Rename the fhss file to Rowland Family.ged which is what FH is looking for.
Then open FH and make that Rowland Family project the default and open it. Let me know when you have achieved that.

Mike
Thank you.
debug.log and Rowland Fam desktop latest.fh_proj files deleted.
I will revisit 12872 thread and delete older Snapshot files. How far up to date should I carry out this exercise?
I cannot explain why there is such disparity in the size of the Rowland Family Project for the dates shown.
Most recent 20230521A.fhss file has been pasted into the Rowland Family.fh_data folder and renamed Rowland Family.ged
I have opened FH and made that Rowland Family project the default one. I have opened it and the project appears to be working and up to date. The other projects are listed. At this point should I delete the Sharon Gibbons project which is superfluous?

Edward

Excellent.

I suggest you delete all except the latest 3 or 4 Snapshots.
FH will create a new one each day that you open FH but should only keep the last 8 by default.
FH should automatically purge the older ones but that sometimes fails so you should manually check occasionally.
That large number of Snapshots helped exceed your OneDrive capacity.

Please check the Snapshots in all your other projects.

Deletion of the Sharon Gibbons project is your call. There is no way I can make that judgement.

Your earlier screenshot showed there was a This PC\Documents\Rowland Family.fh_data folder.
I am 99% certain that specific Rowland Family.fh_data folder can be deleted via Windows File Explorer.
Check that the FH Projects are still all Ok after that deletion.

Please confirm whether any of the following folders exist in Windows File Explorer:
C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\Family Historian Projects\
C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\Family Historian\
C:\Users\Edward\Documents\Family Historian Projects\
This PC\Documents\Family Historian Projects

If they do, then a screenshot of their contents would be useful.

Mike
I had some difficulty in locating " This PC\Documents\Rowland Family.fh_data" in Documents but more likely in Quick Access although I obviously provided a screenshot yesterday. In any event by default I may have deleted/delisted it. I have checked FH and alas Rowland Family project is not now accessable!
I have searched for the existence of the 4 folders which you listed and which I numbered 1,2,3 and 4. I searched in Documents and Quick Access. I have attached screenshots of these searches Nos 1,2 and 3. Others to follow

Edward

Mike
2 of 3 parts of No 3 parts of screenshots attached

You must open the Recycle Bin on your Desktop, find and select the Rowland Family.fh_data folder you just deleted and use Restore the selected items in the toolbar.

That should repair your Rowland Family project.

Do not use Quick Access shortcuts because they could take you to any folder with the same name and you have lots of them in your muddled data. I'm sure Windows File Explorer would have identified the OneDrive Documents path at the top which should steer clear of as it has just been repaired.

I will review your screenshots after you tell me your Rowland Family project is working again.

Mike
[attachment=0]Snapshot No 4 Documents 16 JuneCapture.PNG[/attachment]

Mike
I cannot locate Rowland Family.fh_data folder in Recycle bin. The most recent deletion is "Rowland Fam desktop latest.fh_proj" on 15 June
Edward

If you did not delete it then what did you do with it?

Use File Explorer and check C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\OneDrive Documents\Family Historian Projects\

Does it contain a Rowland Family folder? If so then attach a screenshot of its contents.

Does that contain a Rowland Family.fh_data folder? If so then attach a screenshot of its contents.

Mike
Screen shots attached

Edward

That is really weird!

Everything is perfectly OK except...
The 20230521A.fhss Snapshot file you copied earlier has reverted to its original name instead of Rowland Family.ged
So rename it to Rowland Family.ged and the project should be just fine.

I have no idea what you did to get that effect.

Mike
Habemus Rowland Family
The Family Historian Projects now restored..
It is a weird conundrum. I thank you for your patience and support

Edward

I think I'll wait until tomorrow to review your earlier screenshots as there is the Ashes and Soccer to watch this evening.

Your screenshots show that there are many folders named Family Historian Projects all over the file system.
We agree that there should only be one such folder in ...\OneDrive\OneDrive Documents\ which is used by the FH File > Project Window... Location: setting.

All other folders named Family Historian Projects need their contents reviewed to decide the best clean-up strategy and should be deleted or renamed to avoid confusion.
e.g.
This PC\Documents\Family Historian Projects\ holds many FH Project Backup ZIP files.
Is this the folder where you usually save FH Project Backup files?
i.e. Does the FH Tools > Preferences > Backup > Default Backup Folder: specify that path?
Your answer will determine what clean-up is best for that folder and your FH Project Backup regime.

You need to analyse all the other folders that mention Family Historian and propose a clean-up strategy for them:
C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\Family Historian Projects\
C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\Family Historian\
C:\Users\Edward\Documents\Family Historian Projects\

Before deleting anything the working projects should be backed up just in case but where those backups should be saved depends on your answer to the first question above.

Mike
Good result for Ashes and soccer!

I attach a screen shot of the Default Backup Folder.


Edward

Edward, I cannot believe you really use that path to save your Project Backups.
That would mean they are all saved in C:\Users\Edward\ - Is that really true?
Show me a File Explorer screenshot of the contents of that folder listing all the FH Project Backup - Rowland Family - ... backup .zip or .fhbak files.

Mike
I attach screenshot of FH Project Backup -Rowland Family in C:\Users\Edward\Documents.
I periodically do a backup using File. I was not conscious when doing so that this was the default folder.

Edward

Edward, sorry, but this perfectly illustrates the muddled contents of your folders and files, and your screenshot is showing only the tip of the FH project backup iceberg. Computers help you to organise things but you must be consistent otherwise everything becomes muddled and disorganised. Consistency is key to using computers efficiently.

Most (but not all) of those backups are in C:\Users\Edward\Documents.
That is not an ideal location as they will be mixed in with your word-processing and other documents.
It also disagrees with the FH Tools > Preferences > Backup > Default Backup Folder: setting.
Something like C:\Users\Edward\Documents\Family Historian Backups would be far better.

Some backups are in C:\Users\Edward\OneDrive\OneDrive Documents and C:\Users\Edward\Music\Evernote which is particularly strange!

Some backups are many years old and should be deleted. You only need to keep a few recent backups for each Project.
I suspect you have many such old backups in the OneDrive folder which probably helped exceed the storage originally.

I suggest you propose an FH Project Backup strategy and run it past me before putting it into action.
i.e. Define the Default Backup Folder, how often you create backups, what type of backup (Small, Medium, Full), and when you delete outdated copies.

Mike
Thank you.
I note your comments and necessity to deal urgently with the muddle.
Backup strategy
Create a Default Backup Folder-C:\Users\Edward\Documents\Family Historian Backups. Should the new default folder be put in place before the deletions below are carried out?
Identify the historic Backups that need to be deleted in eg
C:\Users\Edward\Documents up to 02\11\2022.
include Zipfh Backups back to 2014
include C:\Edward\Music\Evernote; C:\Edward\OneDrive\OneDrive Documents; C:\Edward\OneDrive;
Rowland Fam desktop latest;
Peruse through OneDrive and Documents to identify any odd Backup files
Relocate current retained Backups to new defined Backup folder.
Do a Full Backup on last day of each month and delete any Backups that are 3 months old and supsceded by 2 subsequent Backups.
Is a monthly Full backup adequate or would alternative Min, Medium backups be adequate?
Edward

If you are happy that the current Projects are all OK then there is no point in keeping any of the old FH Project Backups.

Create the C:\Users\Edward\Documents\Family Historian Backups folder, set it as the FH Tools > Preferences > Backup > Default Backup Folder: and create a Full Project Backup now for each Project as the first of your monthly cycle.

There is no need to create a backup for the Family Historian Sample Project.

It is pointless creating Small/Min backups as they are for the GEDCOM only and the Snapshots do that automatically.

Then you can delete all the old FH Project Backups.

Mike
I have created the new Backup folder and set it as the Default Backup Folder and created today a Full Project Backup for each project (Bowen and Rowland Family) as part of my monthly cycle.
I have deleted all but a few recent old FH Project Backups and snapshots.
Family Historian and my projects are now working as they should on my Desktop. I am most grateful for your support and endurance.
In regard to the Laptop what would you suggest for me to resolve the problem.

Edward