* Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

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Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Hi Mike,
My back up FH file is now nearly 7GB in volume and I guess it will cost a premium rate to put it on OneDrive-would it be better to put it on Google's Drive?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

Yes, Dropbox offers 2GB free, OneDrive offers 5GB free, whereas Google Drive offers 15GB free.

Is your FH Backup a Full Backup of entire Project folder or a Medium Backup of Project fh_data folder?
The latter will probably be a bit smaller but excludes the Public subfolder.

Depending on your Broadband upload speed (usually about a tenth of download speed) it may take several minutes or even hours to upload 7GB to Google Drive. It may be better to simply copy your Project folder to Google Drive, because uploading multiple files can sometimes be more efficient.

Alternatively, move your entire Family Historian Projects folder to Google Drive and once synchronised, every time you modify any file it immediately uploads to Google Drive. Then you can keep your FH Backup ZIP file locally, preferably on another drive.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

I do a full back up currently to a portable hard drive and I've got fibre bband which is supposed to be much faster than normal.
I am unsure of the differences between different backups but always seem to go for the biggest so as not to lose anything in theory, also I back it up nearly every day as I'm still researching.
When you say move the entire project folder to Drive, what exactly do you mean? Do it from within the projects folder?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

The difference between Full Backup and Medium Backup is the Public folder.
They both include the ...fh_data folder that includes the GEDCOM file and all Media files.
Those are all that is really important. The Public folder only holds saved Diagrams, Reports, etc.

One other backup that you MUST perform involves the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin.
Otherwise, you may lose all customised Diagrams, Reports, Queries, Plugins, Fact Sets, Columns, Property Box Tabs, etc.

You need to grasp the difference between my copy and move suggestions that are quite different.

Copy involves using File > Project Window > More Tasks > Copy Project from time to time to put a backup copy into the Google Drive folder to upload to the cloud store. This may be more time efficient than putting the FH Full Backup ZIP file in the Google Drive folder. Your Family Historian Projects folder stays where it is now.

Move involves Windows File Explorer in moving the entire Family Historian Projects folder to within the Google Drive folder permanently. Then in the FH File > Project Window the Location must be adjusted to refer to that new folder path. Then all your Projects will synch with the Google cloud store as explained in fhugdownloads:contents:utility_google_drive|> Utility ~ Google Drive but just for one PC.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

So Mike, it's best to do a full backup as it includes all my media, photos, censuses, etc, rather than a small or medium one?
Would your recommendation be that I should move rather than copy my project to Google Drive? I guess that if I were to get a new pc it would be extremely helpful if my project was in Google Drive so that it could be transferred to the new pc without big problems as I had last time?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

Both a Full Backup and a Medium Backup includes all your media, photos, censuses, etc, as well as the GEDCOM file.
The ONLY difference is a Full Backup also includes the Project's Public folder that FH itself does not use.
Whenever you use Diagram > Save Diagram As > PDF/JPG File it defaults to saving in the Public folder, and similarly for Save Report As, so if you use a Medium Backup those saved Diagrams & Reports are excluded, so no great loss.

Either the copy or move will put your Project in Google Drive and make it easy to migrate to another PC.
It is a matter of which method you are more comfortable with.

But when migrating to another PC, and to protect against your current PC crashing, it is imperative that you have used the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin to backup your customisations.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Hi Mike,
Well, I'll continue with the full backup then.
However, when I enter the project window I can see 'copy' but not 'move' and if I choose copy I can't see the Google Drive anywhere?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

John, I am not going to repeat the instructions I gave earlier. Please go back and read & digest them.
The methods of using Copy versus Move are very DIFFERENT.

Maybe you have not installed the Google Drive app yet?
Its name is a bit misleading, because on a PC it has a folder named Google Drive just like OneDrive uses a folder.
It is NOT an actual disk drive like drive C:

See fhugdownloads:contents:utility_google_drive|> Utility ~ Google Drive and under Family Historian Synchronisation it explains how to install the app with the Google Drive folder.
I presume you have a Google account, which you need just like you need a Microsoft account to run OneDrive.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Sorry, Mike, You know I'm still the old technophobe but it seems unfortunate that my Drive box will be full if I add my project to it! However, it doesn't tell me what the 7.7GB is that's in it? If I could delete some or all of that I could move the project there.
Presumably, if all my family tree photos and media is included in the full back up, I need not save the photos separately?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

I assume you have the Google Drive app installed and synchronising on your PC.
If so, there will be a white cloud icon in the bottom right Notification area similar to the OneDrive grey cloud icon.
GoogleDriveOneDriveCloudIcons.png
GoogleDriveOneDriveCloudIcons.png (3.24 KiB) Viewed 10646 times

On your PC, either in or alongside your Documents folder will be a Google Drive folder.
You can open that folder by right-clicking that Google Drive white cloud icon and choosing the left-most icon:
GoogleDriveLinks.png
GoogleDriveLinks.png (2.73 KiB) Viewed 10646 times
By clicking the next two icons you can visit Google Drive or Google Photos on the web.

The PC Google Drive folder and subfolders hold all the files synchronised with the online web store.
So by using Windows File Explorer you can investigate those files and check their date, size, etc, etc.
Right-click any folder and choose Properties to see the total Size of all its contents.

Similarly, if you visit Google Drive on the web you should be able to find all the same folders and files.
Click the small black triangle next to My Drive to expand the folders, or click the Storage link lower down.
They both will list the synchronised files giving their date, size, etc.
GoogleDriveOnline.png
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

The Google Drive folder is in programs on my C Drive for some unknown reason? Also, I don't have a Google Drive Cloud on my taskbar just the One Drive cloud?
I'm now more confused than before!
I can click on settings in my Google Drive account and it says that I can view what's in storage but when I do there's nothing shown except I'm using 7.7GB?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

Can't explain why Google Drive folder is in the C:\Program Files folder.
Are you sure you don't mean C:\Program Files\Google folder where Google related products are installed?

Anyway, assuming the Google Drive white cloud icon is not hiding in an up-arrow in the Notification area, it sounds like you have not installed the Google Drive app. That is different from OneDrive that comes preinstalled with Windows.

In Google Drive online, before you click the Settings cog top right, does the left-hand of page look like my screenshot?
If it does, then you can follow the suggestions I gave earlier for discovering the folders and files.

To download and install the Google Drive app, click the Settings cog and choose Get Drive for desktop.
Scroll down to Backup and Sync For Individuals, click Download and in popup window click Agree and Download.
Save the installbackupandsync.exe to Downloads then double-click it to run it and install Google Drive app, and work through the install dialogues until it is running, then wait for it to finish syncing.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

I've tried downloading Google Drive several times but it seems to get lost and doesn't appear in the taskbar or documents, I even tried deleting Google from my pc but it wouldn't let me saying it was being used elsewhere!
I seem to have the Drive in my Google account and it says I've used 7.7 GB but won't tell me what is there, it shows 2 lots of docs that are not mine but 'shared' from others.
I've done a screenshot.
2020-05-17.jpg
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

Sorry John, but you don't seem to be following my instructions carefully enough, so here goes again...

In your screenshot, the left-hand side is EXACTLY like my screenshot earlier, with My Drive highlighted.
That is just like the way Windows File Explorer displays a folder, and FH displays the Records Window.

On the left of My Drive click the ► just as in File Explorer you click the > and in FH you click the [+] to expand the listing. That will show any folders inside My Drive and you can list the files there and so on clicking ► to expand any folder.
Also, as I said before, click the Storage icon lower down and it will list ALL your files in Gooogle Drive.

Now to installing the Google Drive app. Just downloading the installbackupandsync.exe file is NOT enough.
Just saying "it seems to get lost" does not help me understand where you are going wrong.

Make a note of where you downloaded it, perhaps in the Downloads folder. Only you know where you put it.
In Windows File Explorer navigate to that download folder and double-click installbackupandsync.exe to open it.
Alternatively, right-click that installbackupandsync.exe file and choose Open or Run as Administrator.
That will initiate the installation process and until complete nothing will appear in the Noticiation area.

If I remember correctly, there is a three-step sequence of settings that must be completed to get Backup and sync going.
It will create a Google Drive folder, and put the cloud icon in the Notification area on the right, and add a program shortcut to the Start menu called Backup and Sync to Google. Nothing gets added to the Taskbar.
If you get stuck on any of those steps then post again for advice, but please be specific or provide a screenshot.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Ah, Mike, some success at last! I downloaded the Google Drive and ran as administrator, it downloaded and then installed but ended abruptly. However I looked at my start programs and at the top found Drive with both One Drive and Google Drive in the folders, clicking on the Google Drive one brought the actual download and sync application on to my screen although it wanted to copy the E drive, desktop, and my documents.
So now I'm doing a medium backup of my project so as to put that on Google Drive instead plus I'll add the Backup Settings that you suggested.
It seems strange to me that the medium back up is the same size as the large backup but I suppose as I don't use diagrams that would be the answer?
I still don't know how to 'move' rather than copy the project to Google?
Is it possible that the 7.7GB of used storage is the folders shared with me?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Have done backup FH settings from plugin but all it says in the saved folder is 'Registry. keys' and Version.data is that correct?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by mjashby »

John,

See: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6374270?hl=en for information on what does and doesn't consume space on Google Drive. One thing to note is that files deleted (sent to 'Trash') will still consume space in Google Drive until the online Trash is emptied. However, (as I read it) files shared with you, won't consume your space (unless you save a copy in your own Drive), i.e. they aren't really in your Google Drive, they are just showing through from the Owner's Drive and will disappear if/when the Owner deletes them, or be updated if the Owner updates them.

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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

John ~ It seems you can only cope with one topic and associated piece of advice at a time.
So I shall focus on discovering what is occupying 7.7GB of Google Drive storage, and return to the other issues later.

You are now synchronised between your PC Google Drive folder and Google Drive online so both should be the same.

1) Review the Google Drive folder on your PC
Single-left-click the Google white cloud icon in the Notification area and click the Open Google Drive folder icon.
GoogleDriveLinks.png
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That will open Windows File Explorer and list all the subfolders and files that constitute the 7.7GB of storage.
You will have to open subfolders and review files to discover everything on your PC that is using up that storage.

2) Review the My Drive folder on the Internet
Single-left-click the Google white cloud icon in the Notification area and click the Visit Google Drive on the web icon.
That will open your browser and display your Google My Drive folder online like the screenshot you posted yesterday.
Click the ► icon next to My Drive to open that folder online in Google Drive.
That should list the same subfolders and files as shown in Windows File Explorer above.
Open subfolders by clicking their ► icons.

Bear in mind what Mervyn said about the online Trash folder consuming storage.
Can you see the Trash folder? It is there in the screenshot you posted yesterday.
Shared files do NOT count against your storage quota.
Also, Google Photos on the web do NOT count against your storage quota.

When you understand what is using storage we can review the Google Drive preference settings to alter what is synced.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Sorry, Mike, I missed the 2nd page of this topic yesterday-it's my age...

I haven't got a Google Drive cloud icon in my taskbar only the One Drive cloud icon? I can find GD in the Start list with OD!
However, looking at the online Drive it's now at 14.5GB as it has taken 2 project backups for 2 different dates and put them in there and as they're 6.7GB each it's no wonder it's near the limit!

Can you tell me how to move the project as you said earlier rather than copy it to GD so that it'll back up there every time I do more research?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

We cannot move anything into Google Drive just now, as it is almost full ! ! ! !
Please don't jump ahead with saving backups, etc, until we have completed the current topic.

We must stick at understanding the Google Drive storage and what is saved there before we can move on.
Backup and sync Google Drive must be running, otherwise it would not have increased the size of its online storage.
In the Notification area bottom right (not the Task Bar) is there an up arrow ^ symbol?
NotificationIcons.png
NotificationIcons.png (2.68 KiB) Viewed 10492 times
If you click ^ Show hidden icons is the Backup and sync Google white cloud icon revealed?
If so, then drag that white cloud icon down into the Notification area.

Now you can work through the advice I posted yesterday to discover what is consuming your Google Drive storage.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Progress-found the GD in the arrowed part of the taskbar and moved it to the taskbar. When I open it from the taskbar it goes directly to my portable drive where 2 backups are stored so I'm guessing that's what is taking the storage as it is syncing them?

Going to the online version, it looks empty, see screenshot.
GDrive 200520.odt
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by tatewise »

John, there is something inconsistent going on and only you are in a position to resolve it.
This morning you said 14.5 GB of storage was used, but your GDrive 200520.odt shows only 7.9 GB used.
Just single-left-click the Google white cloud icon to get the icons in the screenshot shown below.
GoogleDriveLinks.png
GoogleDriveLinks.png (2.73 KiB) Viewed 10462 times
What Email address of the Google account is shown there?
Also, how much of the 15 GB storage does it report as used?

Go back to my Mon 18th May 2020 11:29 posting and work through ALL the instructions step by step.
Only use the Google white cloud icon method to open both your portable drive and to go online.
You should find the same folders & files on both your portable drive and online.
Don't forget to look in all the folders and subfolders, including the online Trash folder.

How do you open the online Google Drive account you posted in GDrive 200520.odt ?
I am beginning to wonder if you have two Google accounts involved.
In Google online, click on the circular photo of you top right ~ what Email address does it show?
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

Doc1.odt
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I have deleted 1 of the project folders in my portable drive so that is why it shows a lesser amount of GB used.
The GD white cloud shows my correct email address and I get to the online GD by going via my Google email account and going via apps to GD. Again it's the correct email. The cloud says 8GB and I've deleted the one shown on the screenshot.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

I think for some unknown reason GD is syncing all the folders that are in my Portable drive for projects and I'm getting fed up with it.
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Re: Google Drive for FH Backups and Projects

Post by Johnr65 »

There is nothing in any of the other storage other than the shared items. See screenshot.
Doc2.odt
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