- is there anyway to merge two Task Folders?
- My task folders are being duplicated for some bizarre reason. I don’t know if this has anything to do with it, but I have copied a couple of people from another file into this one, but these task folders are in no way connected to those people.
I don’t use RM8’s Tasks, but I wonder if it’s the same problem that I have with RM’s Source Templates. If I use drag and drop to copy people from one database to another, any user defined Source Templates that come along with the people I copied are not merged. It sounds like Task folders that come along with the people you are copying also are not being merged, just like with my Source Templates which are not being merged.
I wondered the same thing, but it seems to copy the entire task folder file, not the tasks - just the folders - and none of the folders have anything to do with the person I copied. So weird.
The duplication is caused by all task folders importing with the drag n drop. If you drag n drop multiple times from the same database you will get duplicate folders. This issue has been reported. The Task Folders will only have tasks connected to them if the person drag n dropped was using them. You can safely delete the blank duplicate folders.
Thank you Renee. That helps.
I am running RM8.5 in Win 11. I am currently grappling with some irksome database stability and behavior issues, have been a heavy user of inter-database drag-and-drop, and also have accumulated a large amount of Task Folders in several of my databases. Is there a way to bulk-delete all of these (hundreds) of Task Folders?
Thank you.
It sounds like drag’n’drop in that version never left behind Task Folders unused by anyone in the transfer, unlike most other unused things. So the usual knee-jerk recommendation from Tech Support to do so from your working database to a new one won’t likely lose them either unless you upgrade, assuming the issue has since been fixed. Drag’n’drop can lose other things that you may value.
So the surest but highly technical way that would remove only the unused task folders is sqlite surgery on your database.
Interesting. I’ve already completely removed all of my tasks and am completely willing to remove all of my Task Folders - if it can help preserve my databases and RM functions with them. I used SQL a bit to do some light db maintenance back in my working days so I might be up to the task, no pun intended. I see the website “SQLite Tools for RootsMagic” - I’ll get set up. Any more specific suggestions before I move forward?
When developing something to modify your database using sqlite, always do so on a copy named something else!
Repost your problem in Forum – SQLite Tools for RootsMagic if you need some help working out the SQL. Explore the site for info on the database design, tools, how to get started…
Yes, thanks, but no, unfortunately I see I will quickly be over my head with SQLite and the risk/benefit ratio is too high.
The Task Folders issue appears to be a vicious cycle, because even when I try to highlight and delete a single Task Folder RM hangs and cannot recover; and if as you say, attempts to duplicate my database(s) will likely preserve the issue, not remove it; and further I have not found any indication that the drag-and-drop “residue” issues with Tasks have been fixed in any updates. Not to mention that until I get rid of the Tasks residue I won’t know if this is what is causing my overall database problems.
You could try RM9 Essentials, upgrade a copy of your database (make a copy with Windows File Explorer and put it into a folder for RM9 only) and see if you have the same issues.
There is an issue that has been reported to development. The drag n drop will copy all the Task Folders to the receiving database. So if you where dragging one person at a time it would add new Task Folders with each drop. You will need to manually delete the extra Task Folders.
The best solution appears to be to export my databases out to GEDCOM and import the data back in to a new database, with media and tasks checked OFF. My trees an the number of people in them appears to be identical, and the most recent facts that I entered are there.
Thank you rzamor1 but there are so many accumulated Task Folders that manually deleting (hundreds of) them one-by-one in multiple databases is not feasible, and regardless, the highlight-and-delete function crashes the program. I need to get back to doing genealogy so I’ll take what I can get from the export to GEDCOM and import to a new database.
I’m now on RM10, but RM9 had the same problem. The task folder list has 9 different folders, with about 30-40+ duplications each. thus somewhere around 300-400 folders. Deleting them one at a time is a pain. How do I get rid of them?
Thanks, Larry
Once those duplicate folders are in there the only way to remove them is one at a time.
Try dragging and dropping your file in RM10 to a new file ( give it a slightly different name)–I don’t typically use tasks but had 1 task in my test database–after the drag and drop, I had none…
BUT you MIGHT CHECK what could be lost on a RM 10 drag and drop here
Well, I was given 2 answers to get rid of the duplicate task folders. Option 1, delete one at a time. There were 884 duplicates, and deleting one is OK but slow, the second, hmmm, the third–there’s got to be a better way!!!
Option 2 Drag and drop into a new blank database. Happiness-- ended up with JUST 4 folders, all the duplicates and empty folders disappeared.
Now back to work. Thanks for the ideas, Larry