* Missing files

[gwilym'smum]

Hello, I haven't been on AS forum before as fortunately all the time I have been using Gedcom Census and AS I haven't had a problem, until now. It is a few weeks since I came to enter some data. I have just opened AS and clicked on my project file but nothing happened. No list appeared. I am at a loss. I don't know what has happened.
Regards Ann

[tatewise]

It is possible that AS is not actually looking at your latest Project but some similarly named file.

Does your current Project open in FH with all details present and correct?

The best way to ensure AS is using the same current Project as FH is to use the Ancestral Sources Data Entry Plugin, which automatically preselects the current Project, and the Individual preselected in FH, and a chosen Data Entry Mode.

[NickWalker]

Hi Ann

Assuming your project opens OK in Family Historian, then (in Family Historian) go to the File menu and select File Statistics. At the top of the little window that appears there is a file path (actually labelled as File name) that describes the location of the family history file you're using. Now in Ancestral Sources with your project open go to the Tools menu and select View Log Files.... The File path displayed there should match the one in Family Historian.

If it doesn't then you'll need to open up the correct project in AS. You could do that in a few different ways. Try (in AS) File->Open FH Project and see if the project appears in the list there. If it does then open it and then check again whether you're looking at the correct file under View Log Files.... If this is still not right then reply on here (or email me via Nick AT Ancestralsources DOT com) letting us know the two file paths (the one in FH and the one in AS) and either myself, Mike or another user will suggest the next step.

Best wishes

Nick

[gwilym'smum]

Dear Mike and Nick,
Thank you so much for your replies. I am sure I used to open the project file as soon as AS opened. The last time I opened AS I had a message to say that there were no log files. (I also use Custodian 4 and all my projects have disappeared from there leaving just the program. Just before that I had opened a trial version of an American sources program, the forum gave me some advice and I uninstalled it. Perhaps this affected my other family history files)
Since getting in touch I opened FH and all the colours I had made a couple of weeks ago disappeared, along with odd pieces of information but not all the work I had done yesterday.
I have since opened AS and clicked on census, then my project file and the project list has opened. There are still no log files.
I have been doing an online genealogy course on organizing your records. We had to try out a program which we weren't using and I tried Legacy but when the exercise ended I uninstalled it. Perhaps these 2 programs interfered with AS and FH.
I will follow your suggestions, and in future will not go into things I don't understand!
Thank you once again, sorry for all the ramblings, I'm not very technical, I try things so I don't have to bother anyone but sometimes get into difficulties.
Regards Ann

[tatewise]

I hope you are able to untangle things and get everything working as before.
However, it reinforces the importance of backups, that we regularly bang on about in these Forums.
New programs, hardware malfunctions, power supply glitches, etc, can all disrupt your data.
See glossary:backup_and_recovery|> Backup and Recovery for detailed advice, not just for Projects, but also for FH and AS customisations (such as colours).

[gwilym'smum]

Hi Mike,
I do back ups following everyone's advice. The odd things about my Custodian problem was the backups disappeared. I had some Custodian 3 backups on an old external hard drive but they only kept opening 4. I appreciate you and Nick taking trouble with what is probably my own fault. I have now made a nice new colour scheme.
Regards Ann

[tatewise]

Ann, do you use the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin to save customisations such as colour schemes?

Do you keep your backups on separate media as advised in glossary:backup_and_recovery|> Backup and Recovery under Making a Safe Backup, so they cannot be affected by anything that happens to your PC?

[gwilym'smum]

Hi Mike,
I have not used the plug in. I will certainly look at that.
I used to use an external hard drive, which still has plenty of room on it, but it is a bit cumbersome now. However I do have some back ups on that but my latest are on a memory stick.
Thank you Ann

[tatewise]

Use the Plugin whenever you customise FH.
Remember to backup AS folders and customisations.
USB memory sticks are a good separate media, but unplug when not performing backups or restores.
Ideally use two or three USB memory sticks in rotation.

[gwilym'smum]

Dear Mike
I had not realised that I should back up AS. I was relying on the information going into FH. Being dim, what is the reason for using several sticks please? (This would be useful for my husband as he does all his accounts on his computer and backs it every week but on the same stick). Thank you again.
Regards Ann



Researching: Parr, Mayer, Simcock, Beech

[tatewise]

In AS you can use Tools to adjust its own Options, Templates, Flags, etc, and its Folders hold Settings, Logs, and Gedcom Backups that may all be useful in recovery situations.

The reason for multiple memory stick backups is additional security.
If any data corruption initially goes unnoticed, only one backup will overwrite an earlier uncorrupted backup.
Also any electronic device can malfunction, so if the one memory stick fails you have no backup at all.
With a history of three memory sticks, if one backup goes awry, then others exist albeit with older data.
This is particularly important with 'critical' data such as Family History, Business Accounts, or Precious Photos.

It is also wise to occasionally try to restore data from the backups, because if you cannot do that they are worthless.
The backup data can usually be restored to somewhere different than your current live data.
Also the practice alleviates the inevitable panic when you need to recover backups for real.

[gwilym'smum]

Dear Mike
Really useful information which I will act on.
Regards Ann