Loss of Pictures

boswells · Post by **boswells** » 27 Oct 2009 12:25

From time to time I have had pictures on the system either disappear or show the Message Unable to load object. error file open. This problem has now become so common that it is unacceptable and I have just found no less than 6 pictures with the above message. Please what can I do as I am nearly finished my project but cannot complete it.
Many thanks
Boswells

ID:4105

anton2008 · Post by **anton2008** » 27 Oct 2009 13:19

Have you run the Work with External File Links routine from the Tools menu??

This will show the pathing of all linked media and also if the media is not present it will show an icon with an X thru it.

This will enable you to check the location that is in the link.

You did not say whether the linking was to the Media folder within the Project Folder or to an folder outside of the Project folder.

Also it is useful to state OS.

boswells · Post by **boswells** » 27 Oct 2009 14:02

Thanks for all of that but I still have the question 'Why do the files disappear.' The photos are all saved on the Media Folder and can work fine for weeks and then suddenly disappear. My system runs on Winows XP professional.
Thanks
Boswells

Bilko · Post by **Bilko** » 27 Oct 2009 14:36

Hi Boswells,

Hate to say it, but I have had similar problems recently BUT never when running Family Historian {V4}.

I suspect that there have been some updates to Windows that have been the root of these problems. I've found that the best way to restore my sanity has been to run a defrag followed by a full virus check. Then I do another check for Windows Updates (to ensure no further problems for a day or so), then return to the important matters at hand . . . Unfortunatly, I'm running 4 PCs at the same time and when these sort of issues hit, they affect all . . .

Hope this helps
Bilko [rolleyes]

boswells · Post by **boswells** » 28 Oct 2009 09:45

Many thanks for the ideas which I have tried pretty carefully but the problem persists. The difficulty with your suggestions Anton, is that using the External Links tells me nothing about what has happened and why, let alone whether it might happen again. The position is now so serious that I feel that it it is hard to stay motivated when suddenly half a day's work is lost with increasing frequency. I have about 6,000 names 350 pictures and about 2,000 picture links so if one goes wrong time just shoots away. Can anyone give me a permanent solution or do I assume that there is an inherent fault in the program?
Boswells

JonAxtell · Post by **JonAxtell** » 28 Oct 2009 09:53

Does FH just show a cross against the thumbnails which you are losing? I seem to remember something about FH caching (basically building a temporary list in memory) the photos. It could be that is what is causing the problem.

Some other things to try/check out:
* Do the pictures disappear from the reports/diagrams too?
* Have tried to close FH and restart it, maybe even shutting down your PC and restarting the whole computer?
* Are the photos on removable storage, a USB drive or network drive?
* Can you still see the photos using Explorer.

arshawbrown · Post by **arshawbrown** » 28 Oct 2009 11:56

For information I've found similar problems. On investigation the offending pictures have a double extention i.e. picture.jpg.jpg

boswells · Post by **boswells** » 31 Oct 2009 14:48

Sorry for the delay in getting back and thanks to all for the suggestions. My local Computer shop told me that they were having the same problem with other programs and had found that Windows Internet Explorer 8 was a likely cause. Deleted it and so rolled back to V 7 and all seems stable for the moment. Another suggestion from a computer Users' Club was to look out for AVG anti virus software which they reckon could lead to lost records. I don't use that Anti virus but it may be helful to othersto know of it.
Meantime I will steam on in the hope that I have found the cure. If not I will be back. I carried out a defrag and virus check so they may also have helped.
Thanks a lot
Boswells.

ireneblackburn · Post by **ireneblackburn** » 31 Oct 2009 17:29

I have used AVG for years and never had any problems

grantja01 · Post by **grantja01** » 12 Nov 2009 00:29

I, too, have lost the pictures in the same way as described by 'Boswell'. I haven't lost all the pictures only the ones I had linked prior to Nov. 1st. and only in one of my family trees (I have two trees on the go - Maternal and Paternal). The picture links that are lost (and shown as an 'X' with the same file error)represent hours and hours of work and I am afraid to try to import my saved 'gedcom' file again for fear it will upset my 'Paternal' family tree (which is intact). I have tried the suggested 'fixes' explained here. Anyone have any further insights?

grantja01 · Post by **grantja01** » 12 Nov 2009 00:33

grantja01 said:
I, too, have lost the pictures in the same way as described by the 'Boswells'. I haven't lost all the pictures only the ones I had linked prior to Nov. 1st. and only in one of my family trees (I have two trees on the go - Maternal and Paternal). The picture links that are lost (and shown as an 'X' with the same file error)represent hours and hours of work and I am afraid to try to import my saved 'gedcom' file again for fear it will upset my 'Paternal' family tree (which is intact). I have tried the suggested 'fixes' explained here. Anyone have any further insights?
M. Bell

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 12 Nov 2009 06:52

Are they showing in External File Links? If so press the help button read carefully the instructions there to repair your links. One good way to start is to use the windows search to look for the file name you want to find out where it's located on your system.

grantja01 · Post by **grantja01** » 12 Nov 2009 13:00

Thank you Jane. No, they aren't showing in the 'External File Links' page. The pictures are showing up as little 'X's' (hundreds of little 'x's'). Surely I don't have to correct the links to these pictures one by one since they all disappeared in one fell swoop?

PeterR · Post by **PeterR** » 12 Nov 2009 13:26

The 'Work with External File Links' window never shows the pictures, but does show the names of multimedia files for which links exist within your GEDCOM file. If such links are 'broken', an 'X' appears beside each filename in this window. It is quite simple to move or re-map the links, usually for the parent folder rather than for individual files.[smile]

grantja01 · Post by **grantja01** » 14 Nov 2009 16:22

Thank you PeterR. You wrote: 'It is quite simple to move or re-map the links, usually for the parent folder rather than for individual files.' Could you tell me exactly how to do this. I am fairly new to this. Also, is there any chance that I could do something that would lose these links to the pictures and other media permanently? I am getting slightly anxious since I have put so many hours into this.
M. Bell

PeterR · Post by **PeterR** » 14 Nov 2009 17:03

Please confirm whether you are using v4 (as this thread is in 'V4 Usage') or V3. Page 53 of 'Getting the Most From Family Historian 4' (available via the FH Help Menu) has a description of Work with External File Links and (as Jane also recommended above) suggests studying the information available via the Help button on the 'Work with External File Links' dialog window. It would help us if you could post a screen-grab of what you see in your 'Work with External File Links' dialog window, or at least confirm the folder structure containing your picture files. Using the Re-Map button only updates your existing broken links; I don't think there is anyway it can erase them.

grantja01 · Post by **grantja01** » 14 Mar 2010 21:09

All mysteriously reappeared about two months ago...reappeared as mysteriously as they had disappeared earlier. Thanks...

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* Loss of Pictures

Loss of Pictures

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