* Backing up data and settings

[Sallion]

I backup my computer regularly by syncing the My Documents folder with an external drive. Now I've installed FH are there any other folders I should add to this sync so I don't lose any data or settings in the case of a system failure?

[tatewise]

Yes, see the FHUG Knowledge Base Understanding the Scope of Features that explains where everything that is related to FH is stored. BTW: Don't forget AS.

For the Family Historian Settings that includes the ProgramData Folder, AppData Folder, and Windows Registry.
The first two folders can be added to your sync process but the Windows Registry cannot.
That needs one of the Backup and Restore FH Settings... plugins or a RegExport command to export the relevant data.
See Backup and Recovery under Program settings and the subsequent sections.
Consider all the risks associated with potential failure modes, e.g. many risks would destroy both the PC and external drive.

[Sallion]

Thanks Mike. I'll check out these folders. I suspect I only need to sync the ProgramData and AppData folders as the registry should sort itself out if I have to reinstall everything from scratch. I've never had a disk fail at home but I did have a motherboard failure at work once, and a couple of my colleagues had their PCs wrecked when the power went off during an update. I always do a sync before running windows updates just in case.

[tatewise]

I am unsure whether you understand the significance of the Windows Registry for FH settings.
If you reinstall FH from scratch you will lose all its custom settings that are saved there.
Please check Understanding the Scope of Features under Windows Registry and you will see the following are preserved there:

• Core standard Diagram Options settings
• Tools > Preferences settings
• Records Window customised column settings
• etc...

Beware of the risks of flood, fire, theft, lightning, etc, that are likely to take out both PC and external disk;

[Sallion]

The registry entries appear to be the preference setting from the Tools menu. I have not changed most of these so I am not too bothered about them at the moment. Those I have changed I can easily replicate. I have only been using FH for about a month and most of that times I was testing it to see how it compared to RM and whether I wanted to buy the software. Now I've purchased it I can start to dig a bit deeper.

[tatewise]

Maybe, but that will change as you get into FH more.
It is not just Tools > Preferences. Don't forget the Diagram Options and Records Window Columns that many users modify.

[HampshireLass]

I have just read this post with fear and trepidation!! I hope you don’t mind if I add my question here rather than starting a similar thread.
My laptop is about to undergo a Windows 10 re installation because of a software problem that Dell are unable to fix.
I am not technically minded and have asked my local computer shop to back up everything for me on an external hard drive I have also backed up everything to one drive.
I have taken back ups of all my projects and saved them in both places.
I have not altered anything anything on the FH programme as I haven’t started to add new data yet.
Even so is there anything else I need to do please? I am paranoid at the thought of losing work.
Please explain anything as simply, but detailed as possible please.
Thank you

[tatewise]

In the Producing a Timeline of events for a place (20177) topic back in January did you create a custom Query?
That kind of customisation is not backed up in Projects.

The best option is to run the new Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings via Windows plugin and save the backup to the external drive. Then you will be safe.

[HampshireLass]

Thank you Mike
I did play around with the time line for events query in a test project I created but didn’t actually save it.
I will back up as you suggest