* Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

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David Potter
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Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by David Potter »

@Mike Tate

Mike can you please help me understand this warning message. The dates reported for the FH Settings Path appear to be ancient > 1970 and more confusing the New Backup Folder path date states 2019?

This is a New Laptop and I did experience some issues installing FH7 so I'm a bit lost as to what's going on.

Thank you.
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tatewise
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by tatewise »

That is rather odd, and I will give more details and what to inspect later.

However, since this is a new laptop, why are you performing a Backup operation, and where did the Backup Folder that is being overwritten come from. Was it copied from some other PC?
Usually, on a new laptop, you would be performing a Restore operation.
I am trying to understand the background of the scenario.

That date of 01/01/1970 00:00:00 is the default when no actual file modified date can be obtained.
The correct date for all similar Icon files is 01/05/2019 as shown in the Backup Folder copy.
Use the Keep All New Files button to skip over all similar discrepancies and exit the plugin.

Now comes the investigation.
Use Windows File Explorer and navigate to C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Icons\Monochrome
See FHUG KB Family Historian Program Data Folder for advice on how to make the ProgramData folder visible.
What is the Date Modified shown for all the icon .emf files but especially keyboard.emf?

If that is showing 01/05/2019 then I will need to investigate why the plugin cannot see that date.

If my memory is correct, this is not the first problem you have experienced on this new laptop.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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David Potter
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by David Potter »

Hi Mike
I periodically run a Backup of settings using your Plug-In. I have tweaked a few things differently on this new laptop in the FH preferences and other minor changes such as customisations these being mostly cosmetic. I also run your Plug-In when I introduce a new Query or Plug-In as I did today.

The Backup folder structure was copied from the old laptop along with complete and working FH Projects which opened without issue after I had resolved the FH install issue I encountered (which you and others also helped with). For some reason the initial install of FH7 did not bring with it all required objects, despite being run with Administrator privileges.

I also have other Backup strategies in place which use full disk/folder imaging processes. IE, Acronis True Image 2022

Those emf files all have date modified as 01/05/2019 > See attached.

Thank for your support.
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by tatewise »

OK, thanks for the explanation, which makes sense now.

Does the plugin produce that 01/01/1970 00:00:00 date for lots of files or just that one keyboard.emf file?

Is that icon file open in some other application perhaps in the process of being edited?

Is that strange date produced every time you run the plugin?

I may have to create a diagnostic plugin to investigate further.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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David Potter
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by David Potter »

Hi Mike

I am not aware of any other applications working with those emf files. I had to enable the folder view before I could even see them.

I ran the Plug-In again now and it threw up another file as an issue. See attached. If I click Keep All New files the Plug-In completes.
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by tatewise »

It is beginning to look a bit arbitrary as to which file(s) give the 01/01/1970 00:00:00 date.
If instead of Keep All New Files you click Keep New Backup Folder File how many does it report?
( If it reports a lot then eventually use Keep All New Files. )

Could anything else such as an anti-virus scan or automated backup be running in the background?
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David Potter
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by David Potter »

Yes it does look to be arbitrary, different files selected on each run. The Keep New Backup Folder option doesn't make any difference. New files are thrown up after each new run regardless of using Keep New Backup Folder or Keep All New Files.

If I click the X in the top right corner of the Warning message box, the Plug-In continues without any further issues. So it appears to be only one but different file thrown up at each new run.

There are no Backup processes running when I run the Plug-In, these are called manually when needed.

I do have Norton 360 Deluxe installed but it is not scanning the laptop when I run the Plug-In.

One further observation: it may not be related at all and I was going to report this separately.
I have always used the option to Allow Restore Registry Data, on the old Laptop running Win 10 Home, when running the Plug-In a Windows Command screen would appear asking me to press any key. On this Laptop running Win 11 this no longer happens?
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by tatewise »

The Keep New Backup Folder File option just skips that one file and continues with all the rest.
So it looks like just one arbitrary file is affected each time. Otherwise, you would get more error messages.

The Keep All New Files option will skip this file and all others with a similar problem.
Clicking the X will do the same because that option is highlighted in focus as the default.

I recall that you sometimes had the Enable Diagnostic Mode ticked on the Options tab, which would popup black Command windows that the plugin uses. That option should not usually be enabled.
The Allow Restore Registry Data option only applies to Restore operations, not Backups, and has no impact on files anyway.

Anti-virus tools like Norton may 'review' files when they are accessed by an application, especially a 'rare' one like FH.
Is Norton only on the new laptop and not the old laptop?
Try temporarily inhibiting Norton while running the plugin.
If that is successful, try adding FH to the Norton exclusion list.
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David Potter
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by David Potter »

Yes - I did have the enable diagnostics option set before I found out it is unnecessary in normal use. So it was that causing the Windows Command screen to appear. Okay understood.

Disabling Norton makes no difference.
Norton 360 Deluxe was on both old and new laptops. Unfortunately - I don't have that machine any longer to make comparisons as it was returned to Dell.
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by tatewise »

It is something of a mystery, especially as I'm not aware of that problem happening to anyone else.
All I can think of doing is to adjust the plugin to repeat getting the modified date if it is 01/01/1970 00:00:00 which is an easily detected special case, as its Unix epoch date-time is actually 0 seconds past that date-time.

So try the attached Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings plugin Version 3.4.1 Date 06 Apr 2022.
Last edited by tatewise on 10 May 2022 15:57, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Attachment deleted as later version is in the Plugin Store.
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David Potter
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by David Potter »

Thank you Mike, yes strange indeed.

That update solved the problem.
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by tatewise »

OK, good, phew! That workaround will be in the next published version of the plugin.

As a matter of interest what Windows version you are running on this new laptop?

Start > Settings > System > About ~ 'Windows specifications' gives all the details.

Do you recall what version it was on the old laptop?
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David Potter
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Re: Backup & Restore Settings Plug-In

Post by David Potter »

Hi Mike
Sincere apologies, I have only just stumbled on your last question in this post.

Here is the new laptop windows info for win 11.
Unfortunately I can't get the info for 1in 10 for the old laptop.

Edition Windows 11 Home
Version 21H2
Installed on ‎03/‎03/‎2022
OS build 22000.593
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22000.593.0
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