* Fh_data import

[MikeC]

Not sure where to post this (please move if the wrong place) and couldn’t find my problem in the FAQs but ….

Help!
My computer failed. I had to reinstall Windows 10. I have a full back -up from June which is almost complete however since then I had added quite a few additional photos and text. I have reinstalled FH and run a restore to June which is fine. I also still have on a separate disc, all the additional media which was not on the backup so nothing actually lost.
After the crash I did find a folder “Crick Family Tree.fh_data”within the old My Documents folder on the PC which appears to have all the most recent media etc. (sub-folders of Books, Cache, Media and snapshots together with a host of Gedcom files going way back but can see no way of using any of these files/folders.

Is there any way of adding this folder to or as a project or do I have to re-input all the media and notes added since June but not in the backup.

Hoping someone can help me and save several hours/days of re-adding data.

Mike C

[tatewise]

Mike, sorry to hear about your problems.
I've moved the posting to the Installing, Migrating & Upgrading forum as it has nothing to do with Plugins.

Your problems emphasise the need for comprehensive regular backups on external media.

You should be able to recreate the data structure for a Crick Family Tree FH Project.
See the FHUG Knowledge Base Understanding Projects under Project Structure for an explanation of the folder & file structure of a Project.

Your Crick Family Tree.fh_data folder is equivalent to the Family Historian Sample Project.fh_data folder in the example.

I suggest you create a new empty Crick Family Tree Project in FH via the File > Project Window...
( If you already have a Project with that name then Rename it for the time being. )
Close FH.
Use Windows File Explorer to copy your Crick Family Tree.fh_data folder to replace the folders & files with the same names in your new empty Project.
Open FH and open the Crick Family Tree Project.
Hopefully, that will resurrect all the data and media.

BTW: I suspect there is only one Crick Family Tree.ged GEDCOM file in that folder.
The multiple GEDCOM you found are probably backups in the Snapshots subfolder.

One last consideration. Did you have many customisations for Diagrams, Reports, Queries, Plugins, Fact Sets, Records Window Columns, Property Box tabs, etc, etc... Did you make backups of those customisations? If not then you will probably have to recreate them all from scratch.

[MikeC]

Many thanks Mike, much appreciated help. and impressed by speed of reply.
I will work through your advice and see how it goes.

Luckily I had not done too much since the June backup. I had created just one custom attribute and one custom event and had been adding “Transport they had” with photographs/images and brief text of all the various cars, bikes and other forms of transport they had (or used) so not too difficult to re-add if the worst came to the worst but with over 1000 records there are a few images.

(I have got about as far as I can in adding new persons to the family tree ancestrally back to 1610 in part) and gone as wide as needed laterally so starting to add anecdotes and pictures. My next challenge will be trying to “publish” by creating “This is your Family” type booklets for close family members. Though I have been at it a while I am still a novice in use so once again, most grateful for support.)

Mike

[tatewise]

I will be interested to hear how it goes.

Was your full back-up from June an FH Project Backup or a Windows PC backup?

If it was an FH Project Backup then none of your customisations will be included.
i.e. No custom fact definitions will exist in Tools > Fact Types... not even for those created before June.

Even if it was a Windows PC backup it probably wouldn't include the FH customisations that are held in the folder C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\ as explained in Family Historian Program Data Folder.

[MikeC]

Hi Mike,

The June Backup was FH but the data file I later found was in My Documents so found in the Windows backup but when restored it could not restore the FH program files (nor Autocad and a couple of other programs for whatever reason) but I have the master discs so reinstalled FH as a new install and then ran Backup/restore to get back to June and then found the FH data file in a My Documents folder.

If I have lost the added attribute (customisation) it will not be too bad as it was the only change from standard and I have the data (media) and even then it is less than 40 photographs so no real issue.

Mike

[tatewise]

Thank you for that explanation.
File backups such as you describe usually do not automatically reinstall program applications like FH.
It is important to keep backups of the original installation media and licence keys so you can reinstall from scratch.

[MikeC]

Hi Mike,

As a close-out, all sorted so many thanks.

The reinstall of the FH program was fine as I had the original disc and codes. The FH backup of June was a full back-up so it was only a small amount lost as it were. I did lose the new non-standard attributes of “vehicle” and “qualifications” I had created but was able to recreate these.

In the end I found the Fh-data file I had in “my documents” was not complete so by twin screening was able to compare media etc. in that with the fh-data file in the FH backup and add the data into the FH backup version and recreate the links.

All in all it did not take too long but have learnt as you say, to do a full back-up after changes as the file size is modest and if necessary I always have the option to delete older backups but for the moment with several Tb internal storage plus external HDDs and cloud there is no reason to delete just yet.

Thanks again for your help.

Mike

Mike