Backup/Restore FH Customisations

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 26 Mar 2012 17:24

Mike,

I do have all four entries in the Registry that you mentioned. How do I tell what the key is for each version?

After installing and putting in the key for version 5, I then tried to start the beta and it said it had the wrong key. I entered my old 4.1 key and the beta started up no problem.

I don't know how to enter the version 5 key into the beta now that I've already entered the 4.1 key. Is there some way to do that?

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 26 Mar 2012 17:36

OK, that confirms there are separate Registry entries for the two FH programs.

You cannot 'see' the FH Licence Key in the Registry - it will be encrypted in some way.
All the entries in the Registry are always called 'keys'.
Sorry for the confusion.

With FH 5.0 Beta running please run the Plugin > Backup > Skips as requested above.

I thought that after entering the new FH V5.0 Licence Key that FH 5.0 Beta always asks for the Licence key again.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 26 Mar 2012 17:37

Mike,

Here are the windows I get:

Bill

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 26 Mar 2012 17:39

tatewise said:
I thought that after entering the new FH V5.0 Licence Key that FH 5.0 Beta always asks for the Licence key again.

It asked the first time I started it, I put in the 4.1 key, and it said it was 'saved' or something like that. Now when I open the beta it doesn't ask for it again.

However, now I can't run version 5 because it says I have the wrong key.

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 26 Mar 2012 17:44

Roger, you mention 'FH 5.0.0.7 on Win 7'.
I presume that is the new FH V5.0 not the old FH 5.0 Beta.

Were there any other signs of problems?
The REG QUERY briefly runs in a Batch script in a Command Prompt black popup window, which presumably gave no errors.
On some PC the Firewall initially complains about running REG QUERY Batch scripts.
On my very slow XP laptop I sometimes get that error because the Plugin timeout on the Batch script is too short.
The next Plugin version has a longer timeout.

Post by **tatewise** » 26 Mar 2012 17:50

Bill,
Please let me know the FH Program Names & Versions listed in the pane above, not the popup windows you posted.

OK, so put in the FH V5.0 Licence key to get it going, then go back to FH 5.0 Beta and it should ask for the Licence Key.
Try the FH V5.0 Licence key.

Earlier, with the Restore failures, had you first used the Migrate to FH V5.0 button?

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 26 Mar 2012 17:54

Mike,

Oops... ok...

The first says Family Historian Version 5.0.0.9.

The second says Family Historian 5.0 Beta Version 5.0.0.7.

I started version 5, put in the new key, exited version 5, started the beta, tried to put in the version 5 key and it said it was invalid.

Yes, I used the Migrate to FH V5.0 button.

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 26 Mar 2012 18:43

OK, that now all makes more sense.
When the initial doCopyFile failed for C:ProgramData...CustomMilitary_(DS).fhf : Permission denied the Version 5.0.0.9 set up for FH V5.0 would have been left behind in the FH 5.0 Beta folder, and led to the Version Mismatch.

I do not understand why the CopyFile Permission was denied.

Can you use Windows Explorer and copy Military_(DS).fhf from say your Backup > FH 5.0 Beta > Fact TypesCustom folder to the C:ProgramData...Custom folder?
Or is access denied?

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 26 Mar 2012 18:53

Mike,

I was able to copy it from C:UsersBillDocumentsFamily Historian ProjectsBackup and Restore Family HistorianFamily HistorianFact TypesCustom to C:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily HistorianFact TypesCustom without any problems.

Bill

RogerF · Post by **RogerF** » 26 Mar 2012 20:16

Mike wrote:

Roger, you mention 'FH 5.0.0.7 on Win 7'.
I presume that is the new FH V5.0 not the old FH 5.0 Beta.

Sorry for being unclear -- it's still the beta version (I was aiming to use the plugin to capture my beta settings for transfer to the 5.0 public release). Also, I should probably have started a new thread.

Were there any other signs of problems?
The REG QUERY briefly runs in a Batch script in a Command Prompt black popup window, which presumably gave no errors.

Correct. No other error indications.

On some PC the Firewall initially complains about running REG QUERY Batch scripts.
On my very slow XP laptop I sometimes get that error because the Plugin timeout on the Batch script is too short.
The next Plugin version has a longer timeout.

My Firewall is ZoneAlarm; it's hasn't said anything. This is a new fast PC, so timeout seems an unlikely problem.

Post by **tatewise** » 26 Mar 2012 21:12

Roger, I just want to eliminate a few other possible routes of diagnosis.

Can you please confirm whether you are use genuine V4 Project structures, or Standalone GEDCOM.

Can you double check that you have renamed the downloaded Plugin to Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings exactly.

Can you tell me the full folder path for your GEDCOM file.
e.g. C:UsersMikeDocumnetsFamily Historian ProjectsProject-NameProject-Name.fh_dataProject-Name.ged

Post by **tatewise** » 26 Mar 2012 23:50

There is a V1.2 download with updates that may help workaround or diagnose the problems.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 27 Mar 2012 02:55

Mike,

I got a little confused about when to skip and when not to, but what I ended up doing was always saying skip except when I used the button to migrate from the beta to version 5. Then I told it to restore the data and to restore the registry entries. Then I had to tell it to skip one last time.

In any case, it seems to have gotten everything migrated to version 5 including the preferences.

Thanks!

Bill

RogerF · Post by **RogerF** » 27 Mar 2012 07:28

Mike said:

Can you please confirm whether you are use genuine V4 Project structures, or Standalone GEDCOM.

Genuine projects throughout.

Can you double check that you have renamed the downloaded Plugin to Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings exactly.

Double checked.

Can you tell me the full folder path for your GEDCOM file.

C:UsersRogerDocumentsGenealogyFamilyHistorianNorthern FirthsNorthern Firths.fh_dataNorthern Firths.ged

There is a V1.2 download with updates that may help workaround or diagnose the problems.

Which I've downloaded and tried... and it seems to work perfectly; that is to say, it backed-up my FH4 and FH5beta files without any trouble.

Whatever the problem was, you seem to have fixed it. Many thanks!

Post by **tatewise** » 27 Mar 2012 10:24

BIG sigh of relief here ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Nevertheless, I think I will let you, and any other brave souls, use the Plugin for a while before adding it to the FH Plugin Store.

I also need to add some FHUG Help pages for it before releasing it.

Post by **tatewise** » 27 Mar 2012 15:22

I have just installed the new FH V5.0.0 and started checking out the Migrate to FH 5.0 option.

I had assumed that all Standard installation files would have the same size and modified date in both FH 5.0 Beta and FH 5.0.
Thus the Migrate would not copy these Standard files.

However, it turns out that there is always a 1 hour difference in these file modified time stamps.
So I am changing the Plugin to take account of this fact.
I advise that you do NOT follow through with the Migrate until this version is available.

Bill, no great harm will result from you already having 'Migrated'.
The time-stamps will be 1 hour different from the original installation files, and the file copying would have taken a bit longer.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 27 Mar 2012 17:08

Mike,

I saw the 1 hour time differences when I was migrating, but didn't really worry about it.

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 27 Mar 2012 22:35

It is just my inclination towards correctness.
If there is no need to copy a file then it should not be copied.
Furthermore, I want to keep the installation files in their original condition, just in case there is any doubt later as to what might have changed them, and added 1 hour to the modification date.

Regarding the Restore Data buttons of Program Data Files and Registry Data Keys and Skip Operation, I also had concerns that they might lead to some confusion.
Would it better if the Program Data Files or Registry Data Keys button is removed once it has been used?
Then whichever of the two remaining buttons is used, the Restore Data popup window would progress to the next FH Program.
This would be more like the Backup Data operations.
What do you think?

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 28 Mar 2012 00:28

Mike,

I think it is pretty easy to understand for regular backups and restores. I think it is really only confusing for migrating from the beta to version 5.

What confused me was having to twice click on skip before I ever even saw the migrate button and then clicking on skip again after the migrate was finished.

Would it be possible to put the migrate button on the first window that comes up when you start the plugin? And then don't even present the windows that have to be skipped?

As an alternative, could there be some text on the first two windows that says something to the effect that you should select skip if you are doing a migrate from the beta to version 5? Also the same verbiage on the last window that comes up after you do the migrate?

This same plugin could also be used for migrating to other versions in the future.

Thanks for all the work in putting this together. It made migrating to version 5 much easier.

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 28 Mar 2012 11:58

I am not keen on offering the Migrate option at Plugin startup, because the Plugin does not know if you want to Migrate or not, and won't know when you have successfully Migrated to stop offering the option.

It is a bolt on extra that only applies to a limited number of users, and only gets used once.

I shall focus on adding Help pages to describe the process, because users also need know to switch between FH V5.0 and FH 5.0 Beta and enter the correct Licence Key each time.

You always have the Skip option during Restore, especially when there are multiple versions of FH installed.
The FH Program to Restore is listed in the main panel above, as each Skip is offered.
Perhaps what needs explaining is the Migrate button does not actually Migrate the settings it simply adjust the Backup database.
That is why the FH Program entry says FH 5.0 Beta Version 5.0.0.7 to FH 5.0 Version 5.0.0.9 and gives you the option to Skip the Migratory Restore.

malcolm6 · Post by **malcolm6** » 28 Mar 2012 12:17

I would like to try the Plug-in but will it work with Windows 7 32-bit?

Post by **tatewise** » 28 Mar 2012 12:50

Yes, it should work on all supported versions of Windows.
I have tested it on Windows 7 (64-bit) and on Windows Vista (32-bit), which is very similar to Windows 7 (32-bit).

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 28 Mar 2012 17:02

Mike,

Makes sense. I think some help explaining what to do will help. It did work once I figured out what to do.

Thanks,

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 28 Mar 2012 17:12

I intend to add the Help pages later this evening (UK time) and update the Plugin to link to them.
The Help will cover the basic use of the Backup tab, Restore tab, and Options tab, plus special advice for Migrate Beta to V5.0, and for Synchronised PC using such as Dropbox.

If anyone has any other improvements they want to suggest then please do so ASAP.

Post by **tatewise** » 28 Mar 2012 23:55

There is a V1.4 download with Help and Advice pages and a few other minor improvements.

If there are no adverse reports, then I am tempted to publish it in the FH Plugin Store on Friday.

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