Family Historian User Group

The Guide to AS says that when re-installing to a new computer "As well as installing AS, all Backups, Logs, Settings, Options, and Templates will need to be migrated." Why? What exactly does it back-up? Will AS still work properly if it's re-installed from scratch?

Presumably you are looking at the ancestralsources:ancestral_sources_migration_guide|> Ancestral Sources Migration Guide.

Yes, AS will work if re-installed from scratch, but it will be restored to its original default installation settings.

If you have customised any of its Census or Tools settings such as Templates or Options, or have downloaded and installed any Census Templates for other countries, then they will be lost.

AS keeps Backups of any GEDCOM files it modifies and Logs of the database transactions.
Assuming you are also migrating FH and Projects to the new PC then those provide a useful record of previous data captures, and can sometimes allow GEDCOM data to be recovered that otherwise would be lost.

Thank you. My last computer failed suddenly without warning so I was unable to follow all the steps described for re-installing. My FH files were backed up but not AS. I hadn't changed any of its default settings.

Isabel, I hope you had backups of all you customisation settings in FH?
They are not included in the Project backups!
Those customisations include the changes you made for Siblings of root person on diagram (13619).

tatewise,
Thank you for pointing out what I hadn't realised until now, and will bear in mind in future. Changing the root person is the only customisation I have dared make, and that can be easily re-done.

Tatewise - I note above you warn that customisation settings are not included in the fh6 Project backups! Where are they saved? I too am migrating fh6 and AS to a new PC.

The FH V6 custom settings are saved in many places such as the Windows Registry and the C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian subfolders. We have asked for it to be simplified, but without success.
For full technical details see how_to:understanding_scope_of_features|> Understanding the Scope of Features and how_to:move_settings|> Move Family Historian Settings and Projects.

That is why we advise using the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin to simplify the task and create a backup within the Family Historian Projects folder.

The how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide is a complete guide to migrating from PC to PC.

I appreciate the heads up! I’ve made massive customizations to my FamilyHistorian. I’ll give the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings plug-in a try in the hope of retaining all of my changes. Silly me for thinking that fh6 “backup” would produce an actual backup.

Those issues are all covered in the how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers Backup & Recovery section you were advised to study when you joined last year.

In the spirit of constructive suggestion (and not being argumentative) --- The following is the relevant sentence from the advice for new users, "See Backup and Recovery especially the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin for customisations and Windows Registry settings not stored in the Project Structure." As a new user I did not know that my customizations and setters were NOT stored in the Project Structure; I had made no choice as to where to store them. Nor did I know what a Project Structure might be. Perhaps the advice could be reworded and expanded a bit for the layperson. Thanks, as always, for your prompt reply.

Well, you can't catch me out like that.
The Project Structure is covered in the earlier cunningly titled Project Structure & Location section.
Also clicking on the Backup and Recovery hyperlink leads to glossary:backup_and_recovery|> Backup and Recovery which has an extensive explanation.
How do you know to click on such links?
Well the introductory Details section advises you to do just that.