One Drive Duplication of Projects

joanchop · Post by **joanchop** » 30 Aug 2020 16:02

Hi
This post was originally on the FH email forum but was asked for screen shots and told it would be better on the FHUG forum.
I have in the Project Window of FH two duplicate projects showing the laptop number and they both mirror exactly the 'One Name Study-Istance' project the file I work on. Ideally I would like to delete these two projects, which I understand have evolved from One Drive and using through using the laptop.
I mostly use the PC for working on the One Name Study and the laptop if I am going away and not sure how these projects have been added to the Project window.
Obviously I am wary of deleting them but I did try to delete one and nothing happened!! Can you help please?
I have two more screen shots if the ones added are insufficient. Hoping this makes sense.

Post by **tatewise** » 30 Aug 2020 17:23

Hi Joan,
You actually only have one Project folder for One Name Study-Istance, so do NOT try deleting anything via FH.

The real Project folders and files are the ones named One Name Study-Istance.

Project Window entries One Name Study-Istance-DESKTOP-JT76QSH...(Folder:One Name Study-Istance) 01/01/1971 00:00 are aberrations caused by the duplicated files and are NOT Projects.
The clues are the DESKTOP-JT76QSH suffix, (Folder: ... ) where they are located, and the 01/01/1971 date.

All the files shown in your other screenshots with suffix -DESKTOP-JT76QSH are due to OneDrive sync problems.
They include GEDCOM Files, Project Files, DAT Files, and probably others.
But judging by the Date Modified column that situation has existed since 14th February 2020.

Use Windows File Explorer as in screenshot 1 to move all those -DESKTOP-JT76QSH files to a backup folder somewhere for safe-keeping, and thereafter if everything is OK they can eventually be deleted.
You will need to look in all the sub-folders such as Public, Cache, Media, etc, to find them all.

There is also the ~fh982 TMP File that is a temporary GEDCOM file used by FH while Saving the GEDCOM.
That file can also be moved to the same backup folder and eventually deleted.

joanchop · Post by **joanchop** » 30 Aug 2020 18:17

All done!! Many thanks for your help Mike.

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 18 Mar 2021 21:52

I have a similar problem to Joanchop above. I decided to save files from my old laptop to a flash drive in order to transfer them on to my new laptop. Some of these files were from One Drive where I had saved many other files. I did NOT transfer any FH projects from the old One Drive folder, as I had them up to date on my new laptop. ( I gave up on One Drive some time ago as it was causing too many problems)
However when I opened up the Project Folder on my new laptop, I discovered all these duplicated Projects with different dates. I have several Projects but usually only have one version of each in the Project Window.
How can I move them out of the Project Window to a separate back up folder as you suggest above? Ideally I want to delete them.
Sheenash

Post by **tatewise** » 18 Mar 2021 22:33

In these situations, it is crucial that you provide as much explicit detail as possible.
Otherwise, we risk advising you to delete the wrong things.

What exactly did you copy via flash drive?
Full folder & file paths copied from the old laptop and saved to the new laptop would be useful.
I was confused about what was copied from OneDrive and was not copied from OneDrive.
Your description seems to contradict itself.

Please explain which Projects are which. Otherwise, I don't know which are good and which are bad.
The dates in the Project names and the Last Updated dates don't appear to correlate very well.
The 01/01/1971 00:00 ones are definitely faulty Projects.

I may need to see File Explorer screenshots of the Project folders as Joan provided.
Do you need advice on how to do that?

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 19 Mar 2021 13:48

Hi Mike,
I transferred a variety of files, some not to do with Family history at all, but also a few Certificates and photos that I found and thought that I had not copied into my Trees at FH. I wanted to clear any important files off the old Laptop before I dispose of it.
I later plugged the Flash drive into the new laptop (which I have been using for over a year) to check through those files and when I went to the Project Window, I found it as the screenshot above. I had not intentionally transferred any FH files or projects. The projects which are the current ones are :
FULLTR~Harling,Harrison, Richens Sep 2020
Guthries Apr 2020
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree Jan 2021
SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019. (First one)
When I acquired the new flash drive recently, I had saved these Trees to it as an extra backup which I carry with me when leaving the house. I regularly back up to Google Drive after adding details to a tree but do not always change the name of the project. The Guthrie and Scott- Borland ones have not had anything added for some time.
I hope this is clearer. I have been using Fam. Historian since 2004 but my IT knowledge is patchy as it is self-taught. I also do not use all the features of FH to its full and will not be upgrading to V7 in the near future. Having said that, I would not think of using any other software.
Thanks,
Sheena Harling

Post by **tatewise** » 19 Mar 2021 15:57

I have made several important comments below and asked some key questions.
Please consider them all and answer what you can.

I have just noticed that your Project Window screenshot shows an unusual Location: setting.
C:\Users\sheen\Documents means that your Project folders are held directly in the default Documents folder, which is where all files tend to be stored. Is that intentional?
The usual Location: installation default setting is C:\Users\sheen\Documents\Family Historian Projects or in its more common short format My Documents\Family Historian Projects.
That needs to be corrected if not intentional and may be an explanation for those rogue Projects appearing.

It seems you inadvertently copied some old versions of Projects from the flash drive onto the new laptop.
That would be quite easy to do into the default Documents folder as described above.
However, that requires complete Project folder structures to be copied and not just one or two files.

You say Guthries Apr 2020 and SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019 have not had anything added for some time.
But SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019 has a Last Updated date of only a month or so ago. Is that correct?

What is your backup regime?
If I advise deleting Projects, etc, and some important data goes missing can you get it back reliably?

Since I cannot be sure what has been copied to where, any advice I give carries a certain risk.

Could please provide feedback on the above topics before taking any further action.

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 20 Mar 2021 14:00

Hi Mike,
I have been examining my laptop storage, the Knowledge Base and Google Drive to see if I can work out what I have done wrong.
The storage on C Drive\ Users\ sheen\documents dates from when I got my new laptop in Jan 2020 with W10. When I installed FH on it, I must have chosen this target. I see that Family Historian is listed under Public. I see that on the old laptop (Windows 8.1) the Projects were stored in Family Historian Projects in Documents.
Thinking back over the last year, there was a point at which I brought up the Project Window on the new laptop and found every project had disappeared!! No idea what I had done, but I was able to put it right, after consulting the KB, by copying from Flashdrive back into the FH programme as I have done when installing the FH software on a new laptop- at least twice.
How the old projects got on to the new Flashdrive, I just do not know. I have copies of all Projects on the previous Flash drive that I used, up until a few weeks ago when it was full. I usually save another copy to another Flashdrive as well as to Google Drive. I now also have all full projects saved to the new Flash Drive.
The Scotts-Borland Project updated recently as I had added a photo that I found on my old laptop when trawling through Files. I had forgotten that.
So- if I delete all the files in the Project Window, I could re-install from most recent Flashdrive? I will wait for your advice before doing this, if it is the right thing to do.
I will take steps to make sure that the Projects from now on are saved in My Documents, Family Historian Projects.
Sorry for making such a muddle.
Sheena Harling

Post by **tatewise** » 20 Mar 2021 19:07

If you are happy that you can recover from the flash drive Project backups then we can try and tidy things up without any risk.

You didn't say but presumably, you would prefer the Projects in the default Family Historian Projects folder?
Does such a folder exist in your C:\Users\sheen\Documents\ folder?
If not, can you please create that folder by using Windows File Explorer.

Once that is in place we can start rearranging the Projects.

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 20 Mar 2021 21:32

Hi Mike,
I have now created the Family Historian Projects Folder in My Documents. I could now save the current Projects to it.
Should I now create a new folder there and save/backup the old irrelevant projects to it? eg Temp. FH Folder?
Then I could delete them from this Folder? Would that work?
Sheena Harling

Post by **tatewise** » 20 Mar 2021 22:32

Please don't jump the gun. Please wait for my advice tomorrow as it is getting late. Yawn!

Post by **tatewise** » 21 Mar 2021 12:19

Good morning.
You have just created that Family Historian Projects folder, so it will be empty, which is good.

To populate that with Projects use the following steps.

In the FH File > Project Window select a 'good' Project to copy, e.g. FULLTR~Harling, Harrison, Richens Sep 2020
Use More Tasks > Copy Project... and OK the message
Set Location for Copy: to C:\Users\sheen\Documents\Family Historian Projects
Leave Items to Copy: at Entire Project Folder and click Copy button

Repeat those steps for Guthries Apr 2020 and MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree Jan 2021 but NOT SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019 which needs more investigation.

If you can post some screenshots of the following folders in Windows File Explorer it will help:
C:\Users\sheen\Documents\SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019
C:\Users\sheen\Documents\SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019\SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019.fh_data
C:\Users\sheen\Documents\SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019\SCOTTS, BORLANDS Dec 2019.fh_data\Media

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 21 Mar 2021 18:08

I have printed off your instructions so that I can follow them to the letter.
Will get back to you when I have done that. Possibly tomorrow.
Sheena

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 22 Mar 2021 14:44

Hi Mike,
I started to follow your instructions but got this message. I think I may have had the folder already from some months back but somehow the destination was later changed. I have copied the first Project over but thought I had better not go any further. See "Message re Project copy"
Sheena

Post by **tatewise** » 22 Mar 2021 16:31

Sorry Sheena but you need to get into the habit of reporting all the details of the process.
You mention a folder, a project, a destination, a change, etc, but I cannot possibly guess what they are.

On Saturday you said you have now created the Family Historian Projects folder in My Documents.
So that Family Historian Projects folder must have started out empty this morning.

That is the folder you should have chosen as the Location for Copy: as per my instructions.
No other folder or destination should be involved, so I suspect you chose somewhere else?
What did you enter as the Location for Copy:?

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 22 Mar 2021 21:04

Hi Mike,
I used Destination instead of Location- where the Projects were saved.
I had the Family Historian Projects Folder in my Documents, I thought.
It contained the Sample Project and older copies of my FH Projects. I removed the older Projects which I have saved in Google Drive and on Flashdrives in any case. In Properties it said that its location was still C:\Users\sheen\Documents.
I have just made a New Folder and called it Family Historian Projects 2 in My Documents. It is empty. I looked at Properties for this folder and it is still giving the location as C:\Users\ sheen\ Documents. This probably means that all the files/folders in My Documents are in the same location? Yep, just checked Properties for another random file and same location is given. When I tried to copy a Project per your instructions this C:\ Users\ sheen\ Documents came up in the Location for Copy box. I " browsed" for the FH Project Folder in Docs but ended up in the same place.
Where do I go from here? I am at a loss to know how I got here. I have no local family member to call on for help with IT. If this problem is not in your remit, I will find a local computer person to help me, when it is allowed.
Sheena

Post by **tatewise** » 22 Mar 2021 22:45

Yes, the Properties Location for all folders & files in C:\Users\sheen\Documents will be C:\Users\sheen\Documents.

Yes, when you use More Tasks > Copy Project... the Location for Copy will default to your current Project Window Location and you must use Browse... to choose the new location.

That should be your latest creation of the C:\Users\sheen\Documents\Family Historian Projects 2 empty folder.

Therefore, the Copy Project dialogue should look similar to this just before you click the Copy button.
It cannot possibly go wrong:

: LocationForCopy.png (22.07 KiB) Viewed 5461 times

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 23 Mar 2021 13:53

Mike,
I followed your instructions and had the Location to Copy as Family Historian Projects 2 as in your screenshot illustration but when I tried to Copy, I again got the message as previously "you have specified a folder location that appears to be within another project folder " I did not proceed with the copy.
I can see both folders listed under My PC, My Documents.
Sheena

Post by **tatewise** » 23 Mar 2021 14:34

Sheena, when mentioning items please give them a name. I am not a mind reader.

You say: "I can see both folders listed under My PC, My Documents." What two folders?

I have performed some Copy Project tasks with folders organised just like yours and they copied just fine.

I think I need some Windows File Explorer screenshots of your C:\Users\sheen\Documents folder so I can see what folders are located there. It would useful to see the Family Historian Projects 2 folder and Family Historian Projects folder and some of your FH Project folders. It should look something like below.
It might save time if you post similarly for the content of Family Historian Projects 2 and Family Historian Projects folders.

: DocumentsFolder.png (57.19 KiB) Viewed 5416 times

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 23 Mar 2021 17:13

Here is a screenshot of my Documents

Post by **tatewise** » 23 Mar 2021 17:53

That looks OK.
Please post similarly for the content of Family Historian Projects 2 and Family Historian Projects folders.

I guess that all the other Project folders are off the bottom of the screen? Please confirm.
i.e.
FULLTR~Harling,Harrison, Richens April 2019
FULLTR~Harling,Harrison, Richens Sept 2020
Guthries Apr 2020
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree Dec 2019
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree Dec 2020
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree July 2020
SCOTTS, BORLANDS~Dec 2019 (2014_09_30 19_01_21 UTC)

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 24 Mar 2021 10:31

Mike,
Sorry-I am confused.
Do you want me to go ahead and copy over the "good" Projects from my Project Window into Family Historian Projects 2? Is the message about a folder within another folder not important?
I do have the other Project folders listed in Documents scattered amongst other folders. I had saved them but not into the original Family Historian Projects Folder. Should I move these older folders into that Family Historian Projects Folder now?
Sheena

Post by **tatewise** » 24 Mar 2021 11:33

I am trying to get a full picture of what exists in your C:\Users\sheen\Documents folder, and similarly what exists in your C:\Users\sheen\Documents\Family Historian Projects and C:\Users\sheen\Documents\Family Historian Projects 2.

With that information, I hope to explain the FH error message and resolve it, or tell you to go ahead and ignore it.
But I don't want to tell you to do anything that may make matters worse.

So use Windows File Explorer just as you did yesterday for the C:\Users\sheen\Documents folder.
But this time please do two things:
1) Widen Name column to show entire names by dragging the divider between the Name and Status column headers.
2) Scroll down further so all the good and bad FH Project folders listed further down are shown.
i.e. all of these folders:
FULLTR~Harling,Harrison, Richens April 2019
FULLTR~Harling,Harrison, Richens Sept 2020
Guthries Apr 2020
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree Dec 2019
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree Dec 2020
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree Jan 2021
MAINFA~Parker- Robertson Tree July 2020
SCOTTS, BORLANDS~Dec 2019 (2014_09_30 19_01_21 UTC)

Similarly, use File Explorer again to show the contents of the C:\Users\sheen\Documents\Family Historian Projects folder and again to show the C:\Users\sheen\Documents\Family Historian Projects 2 folder.

All three screenshots can be attached to the same posting.

sheenash · Post by **sheenash** » 24 Mar 2021 17:49

Mike,
Mike
You did not answer my questions but as you want to see what is in the two Family Historian Project Folders, I have copied over the named Files as follows:
FULLTR~Harling, Harrison, Richens April 2019- that worked.
When I tried the other one with same name but Sept 2020, it would not copy as it said a File already existed with that name.
Guthries Apr 2020 copied OK
MAINFA~Parker-Robertson Tree Dec 2019 - OK
MAINFA~Parker-Robertson Tree Dec 2020 did not copy. Got a message-"Invalid Project, files missing"
MAINFA~Parker-Robertson Tree Jan 2020. Did not copy.
Got a message saying "Copy failed. There is not enough space on the disk"
I will attach the two FH Folders as they are now.

Now, I have been getting a similar message about there not being enough space on disk in the right hand corner of the screen recently but I thought it was to do with Google Drive although I have plenty of space in Google Drive. I will attach a snip of my storage settings

BTW I have trouble getting back to this forum as when I search FHUG by the title of this thread then try scrolling down, the whole page goes quivery and unreadable when I try to click on the latest message. I keep clicking and eventually get here. I tried keeping the tab open but then there is a delay in getting the message.
I am in despair! What next?
Sheena

Post by **ColeValleyGirl** » 24 Mar 2021 17:53

Sheena, I'll leave it to Mike to carry on helping you with your Projects, but did you know you can bookmark a topic using the Spanner icon at the top or bottom of the topic (next to post reply). If you want to return to it, click on your profile name top right and View Bookmarks. That will be quicker than searching.

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One Drive Duplication of Projects

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