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FMdancer
Known Participant
June 24, 2014
Answered

What is the best way to use recovery files

  • June 24, 2014
  • 1 reply
  • 1184 views

I am working in FM 11 and have crashed FM a few times. What is the best way to use the recovery files and save them as the normal file? Then should I filter an explorer window for "recovery" so FM won't keep asking me if I want to use older recovery files? Thanks for your help.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Bob_Niland

> What is a MIF wash?

  1. Save all the component .fm files to .mif as format MIF.
    Save the .book as .book.mif in format MIF.
  2. Exit FM.
    Restart FM.
  3. Open the component .mifs. Save as .fm, replacing old (presumably backed-up .fm files).
  4. Open the .book.mif, re-save as .book.
    Note: do not open the .book.mif first and then attempt to open component files, or you will be opening the pre-MIF binaries.

FM11 and 12 may have a free add-on provided that does this as a single operation.

MIF wash creates new .book and .fm files that have syntactically correct data structures (and can have incorrect content missing). They are less likely to crash, but may yet have issues.

1 reply

Bob_Niland
Community Expert
Bob_NilandCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 24, 2014

> What is the best way to use the recovery files ...

Use a .recover file to extract only the new/changed content that would otherwise be lost if you were instead to open the .auto (if any), or .backup files.

> ... and save them as the normal file?

Don't. If the document crashed because of an internal data structure problem, the .recover file (although actually a MIF) is apt to contain that problem.

Before doing anything, preserve the debris. Copy the .backup and .auto files in particular, because as soon as you open the main .fm file, it's going to overwrite that .backup, and then the .auto at the next auto-save interval. You can dispose of any zero-length files or files with temporary names (which result from the crash itself crashing).

I typically:

  1. preserve a snapshot of the debris
  2. open the original file, and if it won't, the .backup
  3. open the .recover, .auto or .backup (whichever seems the most useful candidate as a sourcing file)
  4. copy in the changes from the .recover, .auto or .backup to the working copy
  5. save the working copy as the original.fm, close the sourcing file
  6. do a MIF wash on the new original.fm
  7. clean up the debris in preparation for the next crash
    F
    FMdancerAuthor
    Known Participant
    September 24, 2014

    Sounds good. Thanks. What is a MIF wash?

    Bob_Niland
    Community Expert
    Bob_NilandCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    September 24, 2014

    > What is a MIF wash?

    1. Save all the component .fm files to .mif as format MIF.
      Save the .book as .book.mif in format MIF.
    2. Exit FM.
      Restart FM.
    3. Open the component .mifs. Save as .fm, replacing old (presumably backed-up .fm files).
    4. Open the .book.mif, re-save as .book.
      Note: do not open the .book.mif first and then attempt to open component files, or you will be opening the pre-MIF binaries.

    FM11 and 12 may have a free add-on provided that does this as a single operation.

    MIF wash creates new .book and .fm files that have syntactically correct data structures (and can have incorrect content missing). They are less likely to crash, but may yet have issues.

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