Upgrade to RH2020 Failed and Now the RH2017 Content is Not Available in RH2017

[bfreed01]

I've been using RGH2017 for a long time.  I installed RH2020 recently.  I can open my .XPJ in RH2017 but all the topics are missing.  I made a full copy of the entire project in a separate folder before I used RH2020 to protect it when I upgraded.  The topics are missing in that folder as well. When I attempt to view topics from the TOC, all the links are broken.

I tried to upgrade my RH2017 project to RH2020.  The conversion process took only 3 seconds.  The new output does not have any topics, just a few images. Nothing has been converted.   I ran the output as responsive HTML5 to see what was generated and all I got were folders.  There was no content. 

I can't even work on my project in RH2017 anymore.  And I honestly dread having to rebuild four years of content all over again. 

What did I do wrong?  

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

The upgrade process leaves the original Classic project intact, so it sounds like something messed up the source even before the conversion process started. How did you back the original up? Is there any source control at play here? You must have other backups kicking around, don't you?

On another note - make sure your RH2020 is running the latest patch (#3) before trying to convert - the process has improved since the first release.

[bfreed01]

I just found out about the patch this afternoon.  I backed up the originals before I started the attempt to upgrade.  No source control.

I installed RH2020 then immediately started having trouble using RH2017 on the RH2017 project files.

I had not opened and run RH2020 at that time; I was waiting until I had ample time to deal with the upgrade.

I made the backup before I launched RH2020 to start the upgrade. 

Now, I can't do anything.

[Peter Grainge]

I was about to respond but then I saw Jeff's reply and confirm the upgrade process is done with a copy that RoboHelp creates so that is not why your Classic projects are not working. The loss of the files must have occurred before the upgrade and that is why it took so little time.

Have you looked at the projects in File Explorer to see if the files are there and it is just that they are not showing in RoboHelp?

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[bfreed01]

The files are intact in their project folders.  However, they do not load when I open RH2017.  Nor do they get upgraded when I try to upgrade the project through RH2020.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So the files are there in the RH2017 project folders, but if you launch RH2017 and then load the project's .xpj file, the topics aren't showing? Have you tried deleting the project's .cpd file? RH will rebuild it upon starting up the project.

[bfreed01]

RoboHelp 2017 will no longer create a valid .CPD file.  Because I do not have a valid .CPD file, I cannot upgrade the project to RoboHelp 2020.  In the past, RoboHelp has easily re-created a new .CPD file.  So, some other element is in play.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

That doesn't seem to make sense - if you launch RH2017 and then load the project's .xpj file, what do you see? Are your topics all missing? If so, you've got a damaged RH2017 project - iirc  @Amebr has a temp folder trick she's described before to fool RH into realizing all the topics are really still there.

[bfreed01]

Indeed.  All the topics are missing.  The CPD file used to be 92,712 KB.  When RoboHelp 2017 rebuilds it, the file is only 1052 KB.  I have been suspecting that the project was damaged.  

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

The size of the CPD may be misleading - it's probably the .fpj (I think that was the extension) - anyway, she's got a technique where you create a new dummy folder inside the project & that has some effect on tricking RH into "finding" all the "missing" topics. Search around or wait until night (as she's Down Under, mate!)

[bfreed01]

Thank you so very much, Jeff.  I will wait for a day or two.  

[Peter Grainge]

The point of deleting a CPD is to reduce its size.

Are you saying the topics are missing if you look using File Explorer as well? It they are there but just not showing in RoboHelp, try this in copy of the corrupt project. 

If File Explorer shows some topics in the root and then say Folder A, in RoboHelp import one of those topics as if it were a new project. You might see all the topics in the root suddenly appear. Regardless of whether that works also create a Folder A and import one of the topics. I have seen that suddenly make all the topics reappear.

I repeat, do this in a new copy of the project so that if it doesn't work, you still have an untouched copy to see if Amber's trick works.

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[Amebr]

I've never seen all topics vanish, but if you want to try the trick:

1. Open the project in RH2017.

2. In the Project pod, create a new folder. It doesn't matter where and you can call it anything you want.

3. RH will think for a while - leave it for as long as necessary. For very large projects you might need to leave it for an hour or so, but for most projects it should be only a few minutes at most.

4. Once it's done thinking, you can delete the folder. Either the topics and files will be displayed in RH or they won't.

[bfreed01]

Thank you, Amebr.  However, I waited for three hours and the topics did not appear in the project pod.  

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Rats! Time to look for good backups?

[bfreed01]

Peter Grainge, all the files for the topics are intact.  I see them in File Explorer.  I have made backup copies of the project so I can try all the proposed tricks, but all those backups are corrupted.  The last time I had to go into RoboHelp was in December 2020 so I could generate some PDFs for someone.  At that time, the topics were missing, but deleting the CPD file worked and restored them.  But this month I opened RH2017 when the upgrade to RH2020 failed;  I cannot get the CPD deletion trick to work again in RH2017.  The upgrade failed because the CPD file has no information on the topics.   

[bfreed01]

Jeff, the backups are now corrupted.  It happened sometime between October and December 2020. 

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You don't have a backup from Sept or earlier to use? It doesn't sound like you're changing the content much at all in RH2017 or you would have run across the damage much earlier. 

[Peter Grainge]

Can you share the project? If you can, then see the Contact page on my site and send the project as instructed there. Do make sure you include a link to this thread and please do not email the project direct.

I'm not hopeful from what you have said it's worth a try.

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See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information

[Peter Grainge]

One other thought is does your Classic project have an HHP file? If it does try File > Open and using that file. As always, do that with a copy of the project.

Otherwise see my previous answer. I'm happy to take a look.

[bfreed01]

Peter,

I would not be permitted to share this project.  Sorry. 

When I open the project via HHP, there is no difference.  The topics still do not appear. 

[bfreed01]

Jeff, I use RoboHelp to create online help for our employees.  The content changes only when an application changes.  I fear I must rebuild everything that took me three years to build.  The most recent push to the content server was March 12, 2020.  That is the date stamped on my output files.  I encountered this issue in December 2020.  So, something happened between March and December.

[Peter Grainge]

Did you try the folder method I suggested, it's not the same as Amber's method.

Beyond that it's up to your management. You can't fix a broken down car without letting the mechanic work on it. Only I will see it and I'm sure I can get Adobe to vouch for me. I wish you luck.

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See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I'd go get the backup from March 2020 & use that.

[Peter Grainge]

You have the later files. With RoboHelp closed copy the topics from the corrupt project into a copy of the backup. New topics created since the backup will need to be imported. Beyond Compare is the tool I would use. 

________________________________________________________
See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information