* Updating FH on my laptop

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Peter May
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Joined: 10 Nov 2015 15:54
Family Historian: V6.2

Updating FH on my laptop

Post by Peter May »

I am a very basic user (pensioner) so I'm not too familiar with technical jargon. I have FH (6.2.7) on my desktop and laptop computers. I can create updated backup files [and copy to my laptop] but find with the laptop, that in order to load the latest, updated copy, I have to make two shortcuts dragging them to the desktop:

(a) May Family Tree (2010) 2.fh_data [in the May Family Tree (2010) 2 folder], and
(b) the file May Family Tree (2010) 2.fh_proj in the same folder.

Then I have to load the latest copy of FH on my laptop by clicking on the desktop shortcut: May Family Tree (2010) 2.fh_proj

Is there any way I can get those shortcuts into my FH to bring up the latest amended copy when I click on the FH in my task-bar?

Many thanks

Peter May
[petermay463@hotmail.co.uk]
09.10.2019.
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davidf
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Family Historian: V6.2
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Re: Updating FH on my laptop

Post by davidf »

Peter,

I think the answer is "no" - if I have understood you correctly.
  1. Your main FH work is on your desktop, but you like to copy this to your laptop and view it (but not edit it) on your laptop.
  2. You do this by using the FH backup command - which creates a zip file
    • What this zip file contains depends on what type of back up you choose
    • It sounds as if you are using Medium or Full
  3. You then copy this zip file across to your laptop
  4. You then effectively unpack the zip file by dragging the two files described from the zip file to your desktop (or are you creating shortcuts into the zip file?)
  5. You then click on the project file to open FH
If I have understood correctly:

To be able to open the file by clicking on the FH icon on the task bar, you have to copy the files into the place where FH "expects" to find them - I doubt that this is the desktop.

If in FH you go to the Project Window (from menu /File /Project Window) and then select "More Tasks" and "Project List" and "Choose Location for Projects" you will find where FH expects the project files (and associated folders) to be found. It will probably be a folder like "Family Historian Projects", put there when you installed FH.

You can either set this to the desktop (probably unwise), or when unpacking your zip file you can drag the files to this location (being aware of what you may be over-copying)

Does that help?
David
Running FH 6.2.7. Under Wine on Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS + LXDE 11)
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Jane
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Re: Updating FH on my laptop

Post by Jane »

As David says you are not restoring your Projects to your laptop.

If you use the File>backup & restore>Restore option in Family Historian it will at least restore to the correct folder. If you delete the old Project copy first I believe it will install with the original name.

Personally I would recommend using Dropbox or one of the other sync systems as once set up you don't need to do anything to keep the two computers in Sync. fhugdownloads:contents:dropbox|> Utility ~ Dropbox
Jane
My Family History : My Photography "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad."
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tatewise
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Re: Updating FH on my laptop

Post by tatewise »

Peter, if you are not familiar with technical details, then although Jane's suggestion to sync via Dropbox is valid, it may be too complicated for you.

Can we assume that you never update your May Family Tree (2010) 2 Project on the laptop?
If so, then the following process will work.

You are correctly creating a backup .zip file via the File > Backup/Restore > Full Backup command on your PC.
You are correctly copying it to your laptop, but what you do next needs adjusting.

First you need to remove the old copy of the Project.
On the laptop, run FH, open the File > Project Window and select the May Family Tree (2010) 2 Project.
Use More Tasks > Delete Project, click OK in warning, tick confirmation at bottom and then Delete All.

Then you need to import the new Project copied across.
Use File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup and select the backup .zip file copied over from the PC.
That is it.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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