* Backup and Restore for V7

[LornaCraig]

Mike,
There is absolutely no urgency about this but I have noticed a few settings which are new to V7 which the Backup and Restore plugin is not checking for, as far as I can tell. These are:

1. Tools>Preferences>Diagrams Enable One-Click Diagram Display from Toolbar
2. Tools>Preferences>Sources> 'Book' Style and 'Title' Style settings, also Generic Source Formats (details to be included and chosen format)
3. Property Box 'Sources For' pane , cog menu>Display Citation As menu

These are trivial to adjust manually of course, so it's not a problem.

[tatewise]

They seem to be in the plugin backup files and restore OK for me.

As with most Tools >Preferences, those are Windows Registry settings.

Are you performing a Registry Data Keys operation and remembering to close FH V7 before say Y to the CMD script as instructed?

[LornaCraig]

It was a couple of days ago when I restored the V7 settings onto my laptop, and I was sure I had done the Registry keys. I just noticed today that those settings had not been adjusted so assumed they were not covered by the plugin. However I must have omitted the Registry settings after all. Apologies!!

[tatewise]

Even if you remember to enable the Registry Data option, and click the Registry Data Keys button, it is all too easy to forget to close FH.

I have never understood why FH insists on saving all the Windows Registry settings when it closes, because it always seems to immediately update each setting as the user changes it. If it did not save on close the plugin could update them directly and not need that external CMD prompt and FH closure rigmarole! It has been that way for too many years.

[dahliarose]

I've just downloaded Family Historian V7 and I'm trying to use the Backup and Restore plug in to restore my settings. I have FH V6 on my old laptop and I used the V6 Plugin to back up the settings. I downloaded the V7 Plugin on my new laptop. When I try and restore the settings I keep getting error messages that there are no V7 files to be found. I have the files on my desktop and in OneDrive and I can see all the files there. How can I get the plugin to recognise the files?

[Mark1834]

Mike's the expert, as it is his plugin, but it's not really designed to migrate settings between FH versions. It would be better to uninstall FH7, install FH6 on your new laptop first and restore the settings to that so it mirrors your old laptop. Then upgrade the new laptop to FH7 and it will inherit the settings. Your new laptop hardware signature is already registered with Calico Pie, so it should reactivate without having to enter the activation code, although you may need to re-enter your account details.

[tatewise]

As Mark says, the plugin is not intended to migrate settings between major upgrades of FH such as from V6 to V7.
The reason is that the format of the customisation files often change significantly, and V6 to V7 is a big change.
The plugin can be forced to restore your FH V6 custom settings into FH V7 but they may not work satisfactorily.

When you install FH V7 over FH V6 it converts the customisation file formats as necessary, in the same way that it converts the GEDCOM file format from v5.5 to v5.5.1, etc.

As Mark says, the best way forward is to initially replicate your FH V6 set-up on the new laptop by following the Migration Guide in the Knowledge Base. Then install FH V7 on the new laptop over the FH V6 installation.

WARNING: Do NOT synchronise your FH V6 Projects and FH V7 Projects via OneDrive.
The GEDCOM formats are totally incompatible and trying to sync via cloud storage is doomed to major corruptions.
If you are intending to run FH V6 on old laptop and FH V7 on new laptop, then keep them isolated from each other.

[Mark1834]

Other people have made that mistake as well, so I will add a comment to the Upgrading page on the KB about not using the plugin for that purpose.

[tatewise]

Mark, while updating that advice please consider the following two topics.

Ordering Your Upgrade
Mention FH V6 bought from other suppliers with a free upgrade to FH V7. The purchaser needs to contact the supplier to obtain details of how to get their download and activation code.

Using Version 7
Various customisations do not fully migrate. Property Box custom tabs need action by the user as explained in the FH V7 Help page 'Notes on Upgrading to Version 7' that has other useful nuggets too!
See https://www.family-historian.co.uk/help ... users.html

[Ron Melby]

mike.

maybe not useful, but like map life facts, if you have it perform a save, does it update reg keys without closing, so you can kipe the updated keys, or that's a nogo?

[tatewise]

Ron, if you mean the plugin Backup mode (not save), then yes, it backs up everything from the Windows Registry, ProgramData folder, etc, as per the Help page Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Backup tab without FH needing to close.

[dahliarose]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Rather than going through the process of installing FH6 all over again I'm wondering if I can just copy over my custom files given that I don't have that many. The relevant files are all in the program data file (eg, facts, property box and diagrams). The other important file is in the applications folder and is labelled prefs.dat.

I seem to remember going through this process a long time ago before the plug in existed.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Ordering Your Upgrade
Mention FH V6 bought from other suppliers with a free upgrade to FH V7. The purchaser needs to contact the supplier to obtain details of how to get their download and activation code.

The KB deliberately doesn't go into detail but refers to the Family Historian webpage rather than duplicate information which is there. Likewise, we won't duplicate what's in the FH Help file.

Using Version 7

Various customisations do not fully migrate. Property Box custom tabs need action by the user as explained in the FH V7 Help page 'Notes on Upgrading to Version 7' that has other useful nuggets too!
See https://www.family-historian.co.uk/help ... _start.htm

You may have missed where Mark wrote:

ƒh7 will inherit all your settings and customisations from previous versions, although some minor tweaking may be required (details to be added…).

Also, your links to the online help are frequently wrong, because you're using the url from your browser (which never changes as you navigate the help) rather than the link provided via 'get link'.

I've edited the link earlier in this topic.

[tatewise]

Helen, I wasn't suggesting repeating information but just providing a few useful pointers, especially as both these topics have cropped up more than once recently in forums.

That KB page makes no mention of free upgrades at all, and only discounts. So though it worth a mention.

The reference to the 'Notes on Upgrading to Version 7' was intended to help fill in some of the "details to be added…".
Especially as it goes on to say "The one exception to a seamless transition ... is the way ƒh7 handles existing plugins." which is not entirely true, as several exceptions are referenced in the 'Notes on Upgrading to Version 7'. Also, the KB advice goes on to largely repeat what the 'Notes on Upgrading to Version 7' says about Plugins!

I deliberately referred to the whole help contents because there are other useful pages for upgraders.

[tatewise]

dahliarose, installing FH V6 takes only a few minutes. Just download & install the FH V6 30-day Free Trial from https://www.family-historian.co.uk/down ... ad-archive. 30 days will be plenty long enough!

You customisations are not just held in the custom files you mentioned.
Have you ever customised any standard core Diagrams? The ones that are invoked from the toolbar icons?
Have you customised any Records Window or Named List columns of data?
Have you changed any Tools > Preferences settings?
Those settings are NOT held in any files but in the Windows Registry.

Also, you can customise standard Reports, standard Facts, standard Text Schemes, etc, that are not in custom files.

What are your plans for running FH V6 and FH V7 in there near future?
Are you intending to run them side by side on the two laptops or will you shortly update both laptops to FH V7?

[dahliarose]

Mike

Yes I have customised the records window and columns. I'm not planning to use the old laptop as it's on its last legs. It looks like reinstalling V6 is the only solution. Thanks for the tip about the free download. That will certainly be easier than going through the multiple upgrade CDs.

[tatewise]

You don't need to go through all the multiple upgrade CD these days anyway.
Just install the latest FH V6 Upgrade CD and enter the licence keys for V6 and V5 that should be with the boxed sets.
Then download the latest free upgrade to FH V6.2.7 from the same FH archive.

In fact, I have realised you will have to do the above anyway, otherwise you cannot run the Backup & Restore FH Settings plugin.
Sorry!

See the FHUG Knowledge Base Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide for full details.

[Mark1834]

KB updated - possible free upgrade referenced to CP store, warning added on backup plugin limitations, link added to detailed CP upgrade notes, and duplicated details on plugins deleted.

[dahliarose]

I am going round and round in circles. I tried installing from the CDs but the back up and restore plug in wouldn't work because I didn't have the updated version of FH6 and I couldn't find it on the website. I uninstalled FH6 and though I would try the download but I can't get a download without having previously requested a licence key. I then tried to reinstall FH6 but it is no longer recognising my licence key for FH5 despite the fact that the first time I installed it the key was recognised without any problems. I think it might be quicker to start afresh with FH7 and transfer whatever files I can manually.

[tatewise]

Moral of story: When you are not sure don't guess ~ ask for advice.

The V6.2.7 download is in same archive as 30-day free trial for FH V6, which is what I said. You just have to scroll down.
https://www.family-historian.co.uk/down ... ad-archive
You install it over your installed FH V6 just as you must have done on your old laptop.

Just take a deep breath. Restart the laptop (not Shutdown and bootup but Restart) to get a clean sheet.
Maybe even wait until you have slept on it. Then reinstall the FH V6 CD.

If you really cannot get V6 installed then there are manual workarounds for the Records Window columns and standard core Diagram customisations described in the Knowledge Base. So you won't have to recreate them manually.
There are several ways to achieve what you want, but I don't reveal them all initially to avoid confusion

[dahliarose]

Many thanks. I think I've finally got it sorted. I was eventually able to install V6 (luckily we have an external hard drive). I was then able to install the downloaded V7. All my custom facts are there along with all my saved preferences but I'm still struggling to sort out the Property Box. Using the old version still doesn't bring back my original settings.

[tatewise]

See the FHUG Knowledge Base Upgrading to Family Historian 7 that under Using Version 7 cross-refers to the Help page Notes on Upgrading to Version 7 that has 'Important Notes on Restoring Property Box Customizations' among other things.

[dahliarose]

Thanks. I've seen that but I didn't understand a lot of it, especially the business about tabs. I've managed to restore my settings manually so that I can see all the baptisms, burials and marriages which were the main things I was missing. I will wait until tomorrow to try and understand what has happened to the sources.