I have all of my RM11 files set for backup at
C:\Nancys Documents\Genealogy_Roots Magic Backups\RM11 Files
but when I go to do a backup it always defaults to
C:\Users\Owner\Documents
and I have to go browse for the correct folder. Why is this not working?
It’s hard to know for sure. One possibility is that something is spelled incorrectly in some very subtle way in C:\Nancys Documents\Genealogy_Roots Magic Backups\RM11 Files
I had a similar problem when i first installed RM 9, RM 10 and RM 11-- after importing when it was upgraded instead of saving it in the correct place, it defaulted back to ( usually) the RM 8 file..
Make sure to check out Jerry’s suggestion— then Try dragging and dropping your backup into the C:\Nancys Documents\Genealogy_Roots Magic Backups\RM11 Files
hopefully that will do it…
some characters may look quite similar ‘ycR’ the underline
I would double check the settings and reenter to refresh incase it had a bad space or something
Has it always been this way or did something change recently? Is the user login the same as back at the time of initial install? Assuming C:\Nancys Documents\ folder can only be accessed by one user… I’m wondering if that would be a conflict or permissions issue if RootsMagic was/is installed as available to be run by all user accounts, maybe? I am always only dealing with installation as the sole available user account and with full-permissions to access. Just guessing.
Make sure to click the folder icon at the end of the field when you click inside it. It will let you select the correct folder to use.
Thanks all. Took a while but I did find an error in the path name. Corrected it and all is working now.
Sometimes KISS applies – Keep It Simple “Silly”….
having spaces extra characters can have more risk for typos. Using notepad can also help.
on a related note for those of you who have subfolders by year – did you change yours? ( I sometimes forget when the new year hits)
One of the things I should have suggested early on is that you can go to the folder in question in Windows File Explorer and copy the file path. Then you can paste the file path into RM. Well, Windows File Explorer puts quotes around the file path which you should remove in RM. But this would assure that there are no subtle spelling errors in the file path that RM is using.
The Copy Path function may be found under the Home tab in Windows File Explorer.
Another piece of advice I like to give is never to use blanks in file names or folder names. I usually get a lot of pushback on this advice from users - very expert users - who report that they have used blanks in file names and folder names for many years without difficulty. But as someone who started programming in 1965, I assure you that somewhere along the way the blanks will bite you. The < 1% of software that has trouble with the blanks still exist. They are an accident waiting to happen.
click SETTINGS, then FOLDERS, and MEDIA folder, then click folder on right and select correct location. Problem solved.
This is an excellent solution which avoids typing in the name of the folder. One tricky part is that the “folder in the right” is virtually invisible. It’s tiny and and it’s on the far right hand side of the screen. But it’s there, and it works if you see it nd click it
Another tricky part is that after clicking on “folder on the right”, you do have to navigate to the correct folder. But you only have to do it once and RM then remembers it forever without you have to do the navigation again every time you use a File function in RM.
Well you got a little over 10 years on me – I started on a PDP 11 in the later 70s but yes I still come from the mind send nearly 40 years later, I was thinking of also copying address as text but your example likely easier
Nancy NEVER back up to c: drive …. If your computer and/or especially your hard Drive fails and you need to reinstall windows you will loose EVERYTHING your RM11 File, back ups etc …. EITHER use a memory Stick or an external drive Or BOTH
AND just thought …. if god forbid you have a break-in and your laptop/PC is stolen again bye bye research …..
Again, thank you all. The problem has been solved.
billharrison: The backup to the C drive is purely in case I do something really stupid with my file and want to back up a step. In addition to the C drive backup I have a cloud backup which is continuous - the second I generate or change a file it’s backed up. I know the dangers, have had a couple of computers die over the years and the cloud backup (Backblaze) has been a life saver not just for my genealogy files but all my files. The big risk where I am is that I’m in fire country.
