* Comparing Files and Merging Required Differences

[rfj1001]

I had a major problem at the end of March where I could not access any of my FH data file. Luckily I had a full back up taken a couple of weeks prior to this problem occurring so have been using that since then.

Now I've got access back to my end March files but I know there is two weeks work that will be on this old file (data + images) but not on the one I'm currently using. So perhaps 50-100 records.

Any advice (other than back up everything before I do anything significant <G>) on the best steps to go about this.


Many thanks.

[LornaCraig]

In the older project any records, of any type, which were added or amended after the date of the full backup will have a Last Updated date later than the backup date. So you could use this to select a subset of records to be exported and then merged into the current work. The choice of whether to use the FH merge feature or do everything manually might depend on how many records there are!

Any missing media files can be identified after the merge, using Tools > External File Links. This will show which files need to be copied from the old project into the Media folder of the current project (if that is where you keep your media files).

[rfj1001]

Thanks Lorna,

I'll do this over the next weekend.

Kind regards,

Robin

[rfj1001]

The selecting of a subset of people and exporting/merging into my current file really went quite well. By looking at a sorted 'updated' field on the old file, I was able to identify exactly the transactions I'd added after the last full back up so it was only necessary to export these.

There was a bit of a problem where one or two couples had duplicate marriage entries that initially caused havoc on some of the diagrams. They were all people who changed their surnames and first names quite frequently (Jewish immigrants) and I'm guessing that the default names were different on the two files. That's now sorted

There is a problem with image links which are not in the new default directory. There are about 40 out of many hundreds that were successful.

The screenshot is of the missing images and is from the External File Links window of FH. All the images are on the P drive (a usb drive) so I need to get them across to the default directory (which is onedrive). My complicator is that each of the directories on the P drive contain hundreds of images and I just need these.

Am I right that the easiest way to do this is individually - by adding the media as a new file and copying it to the new default location.

.. or is there another quicker way.

Thanks in advance

[tatewise]

Presumably, those links were/are broken in the original Project that you are importing from since the P: drive is not online.

As long as you don't change the Filenames, and preferably keep the sub-folder structure, then FH should find them.
I assume the OneDrive default directory is the Media folder inside the Project folder.
i.e.
Use Windows File Explorer to copy the sub-folder structure from the P: drive to the OneDrive Project Media folder.

Dismount the P: drive and in FH Tools > External File Links and click the Auto Repair Links button.
That should fix all the broken links.

Now you can run the Check for Unlinked Media plugin from the Plugin Store.
That will list and optionally delete any Media files that are not linked to your Project.
However, it relies on all Media being inside the Project Media folder and not elsewhere on your PC.

So if your default Media directory is outside the Project folder you will have to copy each file one by one.
Then the Auto Repair Links button should still work to recover the links.

[rfj1001]

So if your default Media directory is outside the Project folder you will have to copy each file one by one.
Then the Auto Repair Links button should still work to recover the links.

Thanks Mike. This is the one I'll need to do.