Topic: Lost my Forms!

My computer shut down before MVD completed saving the project. Later I found lots of forms missing and the project wouldn't run.How can the project be recovered? Please help. Last month's work is at risk of being lost.

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Attachment icon DAMAGED.7z 1.72 mb, 601 downloads since 2019-04-05 

2 (edited by tcoton 2019-04-05 20:57:17)

Re: Lost my Forms!

which version of MVDB and  version of Windows do you use?

3 (edited by tcoton 2019-04-05 21:07:41)

Re: Lost my Forms!

Did your computer crash or did it just perform a normal shutdown? This looks like a hardwork, you should not share this on internet!!

Re: Lost my Forms!

I am using version 5.2. The project was getting saved, while the Windows10 Pro (version 1709) restarted for scheduled update. Now after  the restart, forms are missing. I am working on this project since November last year. It was almost complete, just adding data in look-up tables.

Re: Lost my Forms!

I have a backup of the project folder created about a month back. It has a form file. Will it be useful in any way? Lots of changes were however made over last month.

Re: Lost my Forms!

Did you enable the restore points for your C: drive? if so, you could probably restore your computer just before the last update. Still, it is weird to lose so many forms if they already were created. You should always create a double backup of your project every time you save it to avoid this kind of situation!

Re: Lost my Forms!

My project is in a pendrive. MVD is installed in both my home desktop and clinic laptop. I work at either location whenever I get time, by inserting the pendrive in the USB port. The incident happened  while working in the laptop. Nothing is stored in laptop hard disk. A backup of the project folder is present in the desktop PC, which is about a month old. Can it be problem with the pen drive? Can the forms be recovered?  Will make double backup for sure in future.

Re: Lost my Forms!

Hello eyeman303, Hello tcoton

With MVD, all the forms are storing in the file forms.xml.
Did you check this file ? Did you lost it so ?

JB

9 (edited by tcoton 2019-04-06 18:03:17)

Re: Lost my Forms!

@jean.brezhonek, the current forms.xml is corrupted, forms have been deleted...

@Eyeman303

It seems like your pen drive was corrupt, so you have two options:

1- you run a data recovery software on your pen drive and try to recover whatever is recoverable, then run a check disk and see if it can be repaired.

2- backup your current forms.xml and restore the one you have, you will just loose whatever has been done in the forms since last backup. It does NOT touch the database, nor the data. Or you can also copy parts of the backup forms.xml into the current one. Search for the <name_of_form CAPTION="NAME OF THE FORM"....>   .......CODE..........  </name of form> balises.

I have run a "form lost" simulation by deleting references to a form directly in the forms.xml file so the form was gone and restored the file with success.
Good luck!

Re: Lost my Forms!

Thanks @tcoton and @jean.brezhonek for the guidance. Yes, indeed the pen drive has become corrupt and Windows fail to recognize it now. I backed up the available data just in time to the hard disk. I could not recover the most recent .xml file which was working. I created new forms from my older backup .xml file as you suggested and now the project is up and running. Thankfully the database too is working properly and hours of data input are not wasted. It's a great relief. Lesson learnt is the importance of backing up every digital work/asset.

Re: Lost my Forms!

Good to know you are up and running! You are very welcome.