Am using RM8 on a Windows PC. When I want to backup to Dropbox when shutting down, it says “Unable to Connect.” It also says Firefox can’t establish a connection to the server at 127.0.0.1:8888." I went to a PC tech store, and they determined the problem was with RM and not my PC. My internet is working fine and so is my browser. Any help or suggestions are gladly welcomed.
Have you already done these steps?
http://wiki.rootsmagic.com/wiki/RootsMagic_8:Backing_Up_a_Database
To back up your database:
- Select the File page, then click Backup.
- RootsMagic suggests a backup file name that includes the database name and the date. Usually you would leave this as is.
- Choose whether to save your backup to:
- Your computer (floppy, USB, hard drive). If you choose to save to a floppy, USB, or hard drive, you will need to select the folder or drive you want to save to.
- Dropbox. You will be asked to sign in to Dropbox, and also to give permission for RootsMagic to save the backup. The backup file (.rmbackup) will be saved in the Apps > RootsMagic folder of your Dropbox account.
- Confirm the destination for the backup. The default folder (drive and directory path) are shown. If a different location is desired, click the Browse button to navigate to the desired location. You can create a new folder if required.
- Click the Backup button.
For saving a database to Dropbox
http://wiki.rootsmagic.com/wiki/RootsMagic_8:Saving_a_Database_to_Dropbox_(for_Apps)
Interesting question. I do store my RM7 and RM8 backup files on Dropbox, but I don’t use RM’s “Backup to Dropbox” feature on either RM7 or RM8. Instead, I just use the regular “backup to a folder of my choice on my C: drive” feature of RM and I direct the backup to my \Dropbox folder.
The “Backup to Dropbox” feature on RM7 has been broken for a very long time. I had never tested the “Backup to Dropbox” feature on RM8 because I didn’t need it. So I did test it just now.
It did work for me but only after a minor fight with Windows Defender and I had to answer a few security questions along the way. Also, it put the backup file in my \Dropbox\Apps\Rootsmagic folder and I had no option to put it anywhere else. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I really want my RM backup files somewhere else. Plus, I normally think of my \Dropbox\Apps\Rootsmagic folder as the place to put copies of my RM database so that they can be accessed by the RM mobile app on my iPhone.
You could try the standard RM “backup to a folder of my choice on my C: drive” feature of RM and I direct the backup to your \Dropbox folder yourself. That’s the way I have my Settings option for backups set on RM8, and it always works fine. I don’t have to choose Dropbox every time because I have made it default in RM. It doesn’t require any special security, and it doesn’t even mean that you have to be connected to the Internet to do your backup. Dropbox will sync your local Dropbox folder with the Dropbox server on the Internet the next time you are connected to the Internet.
Yes, I tried these steps, but they didn’t work for me. That is why I asked for another solution. Thanks for your help.
I’m afraid technology has almost passed me by. I appreciate your quick response. However I am not real “techy” due to my longevity. Could you please send a step by step procedure to your solution (i.e. How to find the "folder of my choice on my C: drive feature of RM8)? Thank you very much.
In RM8
Settings tab on the left side of the screen. It normally has the word Settings and gear wheel icon.
Folder settings tab a the top of the screen. There are no words, but it looks like a file folder and if you hover over it before clicking it, then it says Folder settings.
Second option down the screen is Backup folder. For example, mine is presently set to C:\Users\jbryan\OneDrive\rm8\rm8_backup_folder You can type in the path to your preferred backup folder. But you can highlight the field and a little tiny folder icon will appear at the far right end of the field. And I mean far right end. It’s almost of the right end of your screen. Click on that folder, and you will be in Windows File Explorer (or the Mac equivalent on a Mac) where you can navigate to your preferred backup folder.