Drop Box follow up

dse123 · Post by **dse123** » 17 Jul 2011 13:47

I think I'm doing something wrong on drop box. I've transferred my FH files to dropbox - but when I open FH I don't have any projects shown other than the demonstration. I have to go into drop box to open my project via a gedcom file - then FH opens it. Should my family project on drop box also still be on my computer within FH? Sometimes it's no fun being a silver surfer![confused]

ID:5268

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 17 Jul 2011 16:09

You have missed a step, on the Project Window, under the Project list the the Project folder location. Click on it to change the base folder to the dropbox one.

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 18 Jul 2011 14:31

I have to sympathise with dse123 with regard to his DropBox problem. Despite trying to follow all the good advice from Jane and Tatewise, and others, in earlier threads, I still have problems using DropBox when I syncronise my work as a project. I've tried following Jane's advice of yesterday as I was sure that would be the answer but No, all that happened was that my work ,which I too open as a Gedcom, appeared in a seperate Family Historian Projects folder. To make matters worse when I tried using that, the Gedcom version which was still appearing in the DropBox area did not update to the amendments just made; nor did the copy of the project on the other machine despite a couple of hours wait.
I have become resigned to opening a Gedcom file which within seconds updates on my netbook without any glitches, hitches, or what little silver hair I have left being pulled out!
I guess the question this raises repeatedly in my mind is whether opening a Gedcom file rather than a project has any real disadvantages?
Dagwood

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 18 Jul 2011 14:39

On your PC you should only have 1 copy of your file, in the Dropbox folder. If you have Projects, you should only have one 'Family Historian Projects Folder' again in Dropbox. There should be no other folders and if you are using a short cut to open your gedcom make sure you change it to point to the Dropbox folder.

dse123 · Post by **dse123** » 18 Jul 2011 21:04

Ah Ah!! a light bulb moment I think.......... I do only have one copy of my project - in drop box. What I thought was wrong was that when I open FH I get the projects window showing no projects, and I was expecting to see my project in the window. I then use the browse button to find my project in Dropbox and it opens - it works but is it right to do it this way?

Thanks for your help.

PeterR · Post by **PeterR** » 18 Jul 2011 21:30

I think that is the only way to do it, unless you do the following. Choose the FH menu File , Project Window. The Location: shows where FH is expecting to find your projects and their GEDCOM files. You can use the More Tasks... button, Project List > Choose Location for Projects... to set the correct location.

dse123 · Post by **dse123** » 18 Jul 2011 21:45

Thanks Peter

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 20 Jul 2011 14:28

Thanks Jane but I cannot get it to work. I followed all you said and ensured there was only one folder. It contained a data file, a Gedcom file,and a public file. The data file had a media folder within it. After creating the project and ensuring it was directed to the one folder I ended up with a project folder and the original folder as well. Worse was to come ! On opening the project folder and clicking on the data file within it showed a media file and another public file. When I clicked on the media file it contained another data file which contained another data file which contained another media file -oh and there were public files as well. None of the files' Properties matched each other in terms of Mb and by the time I had reached the bottom of the pile the media folders had lost a folder containing Photographs and Misc documents.
Does Russian Dolls spring to mind? It did to me!
Anyway, I deleted all the contents of the Projects folder (s) and went back to the Gedcom file originally used and checked all was there. It was, and I have decided I might be safer using just that as whatever I do to it instantly updates across m/c's with DropBox.
As I have said before 'I'm a hopeless case' but if it works more smoothly this way, for me, perhaps I'd best forget the Project approach.
Thanks again Jane for your assistance,
Dagwood

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 20 Jul 2011 14:38

I suspect you are just changing the location incorrectly.

You should have
.. (where your Dropbox is eg c:usersjanedocuments
Dropbox
------ Family Historian Projects
----------- My Project
-------------- My Project.fh_data
----------------- My Project.ged (file)
----------------- media Folder

The location field on the Project Window should show
..Dropbox/Family Historian Projects

sihicks · Post by **sihicks** » 20 Jul 2011 14:53

On a slightly different tack, but still connected, I'm having difficulty opening FH files in Dropbox on my Android tablet (Asus transformer) using Family Bee. I've transferred the project files to Dropbox as advised, but when I try to open the .ged file in Family Bee I get the message 'Could not load-file must start with a HEAD record'.
As a work around, I have saved another copy of the Gedcom file in Dropbox and that successfully opens in Family Bee. Difficult to understand what's going wrong, since the fh_data folder contains the .ged file.
Any suggestions-or is it Family Bee which is misbehaving?

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 20 Jul 2011 17:15

It's most likely Family Bee, but make sure you are opening the file in the fh_data folder and not the project file with the same name.

All gedcom files do start with 0 HEAD

Might be worth checking with the Family Bee people, if the file looks right if you view it with a text editor on the Tablet.

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 25 Jul 2011 18:00

Jane said:
I suspect you are just changing the location incorrectly.

You should have
.. (where your Dropbox is eg c:usersjanedocuments
Dropbox
------ Family Historian Projects
----------- My Project
-------------- My Project.fh_data
----------------- My Project.ged (file)
----------------- media Folder

The location field on the Project Window should show
..Dropbox/Family Historian Projects

Having tried to sort this out and following your advice re location at least twice I still cannot get it to work. My thanks for your help but as it seems to be working fine just opening the Gedcom file I think I'm going to stick with that for the moment.Thanks anyway Jane
Dagwood

andrewbraid · Post by **andrewbraid** » 29 Jul 2011 07:50

I also had problems with Family Bee on an Android Phone. I even sent my GEDCOM file to FAmily BEe and they said it was fine. I came to the conclusion that Family Bee did not like the very long file path that FH produces. When I moved the GEDCOM file up the path it works perfectly.

It's just a nuisance having to copy the file which does rather negate the use of Dropbox.

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 29 Jul 2011 08:27

I have not seen that problem, but my Project is called Mullins so the Path is reasonably short.

sihicks · Post by **sihicks** » 29 Jul 2011 19:45

Yes, Andrew, I think you're right; when I posted above on the problem, I found that I could get round it by sending another copy of just the GED file to Dropbox and then Family Bee opened it correctly. The only drawback, as you say, is remembering to update that copy when Family Historian changes. I didn't get a reply from Family Bee when I posted the problem.

jeremyhills · Post by **jeremyhills** » 08 Sep 2011 18:58

Can someone tell me how to link Family Bee to the dropbox version of my FH Project. I am assuming that this would keep Family Bee totally up to date with my Desktop FH project.

Jeremy

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