Crash & then my .htm topic files are gone

[LeisaLaDell]

The style sheets, and TOCs are still there, but Images, and .htm topic files, gone, gone, gone. Searched my entire hard drive high & low - gone, gone, gone. Oddly, the last .chm I created is there, and I had created a WinHelp project just for fun and testing, and it is still there.

But not all the hundreds of files that painstakingly I imported from Framemaker. arggghhh..

Not happy. Panicking, in fact. Have a deadline - soon. This is my first RoboHelp project, and I sold my company hard that this was the right way to go. Now I am scared. Real scared I was wrong. Please help.

Going home for a drink now. Hopefully can get some help from this Forum and/or helpdesk tomorrow.

thanks, Leisa

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Leisa and welcome to the RH community.

RH will not delete all your source files. Period! So if this has happened, it not the fault of RH. Are you sure none of your source files are there? Were they on your hard drive in the first place? It is a common mistake to place source files on a network drive.

If you imported the FM files, did the import complete successfully before the crash? if not, that could be why the HTM files are not there. Try importing again but only importing a few at a time to see if that is the issue.

[Fly_Molo]

And don't lose that CHM you found, if all else fails you can decompile it and get the .HTM files out of there.

[LeisaLaDell]

Hi Colum & others -

Glad to hear RH would not delete my files, but simple logic - one minute they were there, then RH crash & they are gone. If it didn't delete them, any suggestions where I might look?

Answering a couple of your questions, here is the sequence: I imported FM files to my hard drive (not network), converted to .htm files stored in My RoboHelp Projects in My Documents. Import was sucessful and I happily worked away (saving as I went) for 3 days - everything fine - then RH crashed and all the .htm files are gone when I opened it again.

So, I have the original FM files - but not the 3days worth of work updating them in RH. I have the .chm file, which I can uncompile - which would give me those files - but not all the other .htm files that weren't included in the .chm that I had also spent time editing.

Based on what I have heard, I guess this is what I will do:

Set up new RH folder on my c drive - not in my documents

decompile the .chm so at least I get those files back

re-import the FM files, and start again - heavy sigh

Create backup 2x per day - question - would it be OK to create the backup files on a network drive?

Here is my real concern - if this happened once, it could happen again. I have over 1300 pages of FM documentation to convert over, and I have laid my professional reputation on the line advocating strenuously against objections that RH is the right tool for building Help for our V1 Enterprise-level software. I am just now really scared - this happened when I am only 1/10th into the project. Have a made a mistake in choosing RH?

[LeisaLaDell]

here is what I am going to do (list formatting messed up in my original message)
1. Create a new RH folder on my C: drive - not My Documents
2. Decompile the .chm
3. Re-import the FM files
4. Back up like crazy 2-3 times per day - OK to do this to network drive?
5. Hope like hell this was just a fluke

If anyone has any other helpful suggestions, I would love to hear them. Thanks, Leisa

[LeisaLaDell]

Update on this issue. I resarted my computer, and now I am able to find the .htm files in the proper folder on my hard drive - so Colum was right - RH didn't erase the files. (still this is really wierd, because before I restarted, I had done a thorough search of the harddrive, and they were nowhere to be found).

However, even though they now show on my harddrive in the proper folders, the .htm files do not show up inside RH in the Project Manager pod or the Topic List under the folder name.

Any suggestions? I am calling technical support also.

Thanks, Leisa

[Guest]

Hi Leisa

To add to what Colum suggested when you import files a few at a time import each group into a folder within the project using some sort of logical grouping for the folders such as task or the original FM chapters.

That way if there's any further problems at least you'll be able to identify what you''ve pulled into the project so far.

Might be a good idea each time you import some files in, to save the project and make a backup copy.

One final thing, in the recent past I've had problems when working off of "my documents". It's a good idea to work from a local drive but it's more robust if you work off the C drive, not via a mapped virtual drive such as my documents.

Good luck and above all don't panic....

[kmaddox1]

Hi Leisa,

I've been following your saga with interest, hoping for a happy conclusion. Sounds like you're most of the way back to where you were. As for getting the htm files to show up, I had a similar problem last year. If I remember correctly, I solved it by opening the .HHP file for the project instead of the .XPJ.

Please let us know when and how you get this fixed. I'll sure you'll be okay. RH is not typically that troublesome of a tool...

Good luck.

[LeisaLaDell]

Thanks Kathy -

I am on the phone with technical support now. She had me delete the CPD & XPJ file, but when I opened the HHP, still no .htm files in the project. Now on hold waiting for a Sr. technician. Sounds like I will be able to get it fixed, and I am glad to hear that RH is not normally troublesome. Heck, I am learning.

I will report back with the soluction when I get it resolved. thanks,

[LeisaLaDell · Accepted solution]

OK. Well thankfully - a fairly simple solution. Since I had found the .htm files on my hard drive, it was just a matter of importing those files back into RH. Whew!

Thanks for all the help and encouragement. Onward!