* Backup and Restore FH Settings Plugin

[davidm_uk]

I currently use Acronis True Image to backup all my data files (inc FH projects) once a day, plus use SyncBack to create a compressed and password protected copy of all of the same files on my OneDrive. This is all done automatically via the Windows scheduler, to run on the first login each day.

Obviously this isn't picking up any of the FH/AS registry settings (and maybe other obscure files).

I wondered if there was a way to run the equivalent of the Backup and Restore FH Settings Plugin from a command line, to create a full FH backup which I could then include within my current automated backup scheme, rather than have to remember to open FH and run the plugin?

What do others do to ensure that they have a full backup, preferably something that can be run automatically?

[tatewise]

You can mimic what the Plugin does relatively simply.
Just include C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\ in your backups.
Also run a command prompt regedit.exe /e ExportFile.reg RegistryKey to export Windows Registry keys for FH and AS, and backup the exported files.

[davidm_uk]

Hi Mike, thanks for your response.

Re using the regedit.exe /e ExportFile.reg RegistryKey from the command line, this didn't seem to do anything, I couldn't find any trace of a file being created.

After a bit of googling it seems in W7 and W8 the command line needs to be of the form:

REG EXPORT KeyName FileName [/y]

where

Keyname ROOTKEY[\SubKey] (local machine only).
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY.

FileName The name of the disk file to export.

/y Force overwriting the existing file without prompt.

Examples:

REG EXPORT HKLM\Software\MyCo\MyApp AppBkUp.reg
Exports all subkeys and values of the key MyApp to the file AppBkUp.reg

(the above obtained by running reg export /? > david.txt)

Presumably you have to define where the FH and AS registry keys are, and have the exported file in a format and location where your plugin will pick it up if a restore is ever necessary?

[tatewise]

Sorry, there are various Windows Registry commands and maybe I picked the wrong one.

The FH keys are:
HKLM\Software\Calico Pie\Family Historian\2.0\Preferences
HKCU\Software\Calico Pie\Family Historian
The AS key is:
HKCU\Software\Ancestral Sources

Save the exported keys in a .reg file type, then to restore all you do is double-click the file, or use REG IMPORT <filename>.
These .reg files are in fact plain text files.
The only caveat is that the EXPORT and IMPORT must both be applied to same version of FH or AS.

(It would be difficult to arrange these .reg files to be compatible with the Plugin especially as it does not handle AS.)