Family Historian User Group

I now have two laptops that I would like to automatically synchronise with the latest added records. I used Google Drive in the past but had a lot of problems so stopped using it. Can anyone recommend where and how I can hold my FH data so that I can access it on either laptop. Thanks.

I have started a new posting as the topic is not really to do with FH 6.2.5 crashing problem (15379).

First see the how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide that explains the steps to copy everything to a new PC, including Ancestral Sources, and also under Further Advice alternative methods to synchronise the two PC.

An important question is how big is the contents of your Family Historian Projects folder?
Different cloud storage products offer different free limits, so may restrict your choice.

An alternative to using synchronised cloud storage is to use an external drive that can be attached to either laptop, preferably with the same drive letter, and holding the Family Historian Projects folder. That external drive could simply be a large USB memory stick, but do ensure you make full backups onto the laptop's drive.

Thank you so much Mike for your quick reply to my query. I will take a look at the areas you suggest before progressing further. Is there a recommended cloud storage that works well with FH - I have a lot of my research files on Google Drive but am reluctant to use that for FH because of my past problems. Thank again. Richard

I use Microsoft's OneDrive and don't experience any significant problems.

I'll let others report their experiences.

How much in total do you wish to share via cloud storage?
That impacts which service offers that much for free.

But note that you don't have to use cloud storage, and could use a USB memory stick instead.

I use a NAS (Network attached Storage) drive at home and back this up to Google Drive automatically once a day. No issues at all doing it this way. If I use the laptop away from home then before I go I download to the laptop and upload to the NAS drive if necessary when I return home.

I also use a laptop but keep a complete copy on my NAS, they are Sync'd by a program called GoodSync.
I don't use the cloud but it could.
You would have to be familiar with a File Explorer type display to be comfortable with it.
It is free for the first 30 days, chargeable after that.
It even sync's some of my selected Excel and Word files to my phone!

I use FreeFileSync to keep mine all in sync. It works well on both Windows and Mac and best of all it doesn't cost anything.

I use Dropbox for my data stored in the cloud - which is virtually everything. I'm paying for 1TB of it. I should add that currently I only work on my FH files from one machine - the only machines actively synching to Dropbox are my laptop and my Android phone.

I did use Microsoft OneDrive because it had oodles of free space, but when they started charging for above a small amount, I moved to Dropbox. Compared to the length of time before OneDrive condescended to tell me that it had synched stuff, Dropbox just works. (Although I have a vague idea that half the OneDrive issue was with the icons in File Explorer not updating after a synch.) Having said that, I still use OneDrive because I have (getting older each year) Quicken 2004 - for some reason Quicken doesn't play nicely with Dropbox but it does with OneDrive.

Thank you to everyone who has helped with my query. This has given me some good options to explore and I will come back once chosen. Thanks again.

I use Microsoft SyncToy v2. 1 Having finished working on whichever machine I've been using, and backup FH on exit. I then run SyncToy to bring the machines in sync. You can select the folders to synchronise and omit subfolders if desired (eg Sample Project, thumbnail casche.)

Thanks David. Sounds just the sync tool I need.

Aye Richard,

Like David, I too use SyncTool v2.1 for all my backing up of various internal drives to remote hard drives. Only amended/altered/additional files from the latest session of work are backed up, therebye reducing the potential volume of backing up required. It will also back-up to 'cloud' storage, without problem in my experience.

Link to SyncToy v2.1 website: SyncToy v2.1 website

My regards, Bill

Thanks Bill.

I use a free tool called SyncBack. The free version does everything I need. It too allows including or excluding subfolders and you can specify file name masks to exclude certain files from the sync. I've been using this for about 5 or 6 years and have never had any problems.

Thanks. Will take a look at it.

Like Adrian I too use Dropbox, and love it so much that I too pay for 1Tb. And I have always paid a little extra for unlimited storage of historical and deleted copies forever. I have Family Historian set to automatically save, and backup to Dropbox, every minute as I work. Syncing between desktop and laptop is automatic and trouble free. As Dropbox has always worked so well for me I don't begrudge paying the equivalent of an insurance premium for the extra space and peace of mind.

I still use Quicken 2000 UK which saves fine on Dropbox, but only when Quicken is closed at the end of each session.

And I use ARQ to automatically backup to Dropbox in real time the whole of my drive C including the registry and hidden files. And I can backtrack/restore to anything on my drive C going back months if need be.

Another satisfied Dropbox user here, satisfied enough to pay for 1Tb of storage which holds **all** my data. I've never had it cause a problem with FH. (I do have one badly behaved programme that doesn't get on with it, but that's something that has hardly been updated since Noah brought it out of the ark -- or rather, when it was written for DOS.)

I also use something called Boxifier to sync data to the cloud that can't be located in the Dropbox folder -- such as stuff on my Desktop, my NAS, and some settings files. (This isn't stuff I'm syncing with another PC -- I just want an offsite copy for safety's sake).

Thanks for helping out with my query. Richard