Data/Auto Backup File Path

[Jeff47]

Unfortunately, my operating system (XP) crashed and needed to be reinstalled. The data on the hard drives were recovered by my geek service. However, when I went to my FM files, nothing had been recovered. For some reason, probably of my own doing (but I don't recall why) my data files and backup were stored in a Program Files folder, which I was informed by my geeks is not where data files should be stored. Thus, they weren't recovered and reinstalled. They will endeavor to check my system again to see if any of the files can be recovered, but since the drive was formatted, there's only a small chance.

By some stroke of luck (?), I had duplicated the FM program on my laptop when we were away for a month, but it is only through the end of March. I can probably reconstruct the ensuing transaction data with great pain. But, in hoping to avoid the problem in the future, I went to the Options/General Preferences/ Data screen to see what the save path is. It shows it to be in a Documents and Settings folder, and not in the Program Files folder, which would appear to be correct. However, the My Data and Autobackup data still exists in the Programs Files folders when I check it out in Windows Explorer. And when I do a Save As function, it takes me to the Program Files path, not the one specified by the program. When I opened and closed the FM program after I had confirmed the "correct" path, it still shows all date stored in the Program File folder.

I guess two questions: do I need to off-system transfer the My Data and Auto Backup files to my FM folder in my Documents and Settings folder, or can it be done within the FM program, and do I need to make any other system changes to ensure the data in the future is saved in the right location. Or, what else am I missing.

As always, thanks for your help.

Jeff Broderick

[Mark]

Hi Jeff,

The automatic backup location is independent from where your regular data files are stored. It is best that both your regular data and your autoback folder both by outside the Program Files area. The default location is under your "My Documents" folder inside another folder called "Fund Manager". In very old Fund Manager versions the default used to by "My_Data" under the Program Files/Fund Manager folder. It sounds like you may have been using Fund Manager when that was the default.

If your data is currently coming from the Program Files area, here is how you can fix it. Exit Fund Manager, and move the contents of the My_Data folder into "My Documents\Fund Manager". You can do this using Windows Explorer. Re-start Fund Manager and use "File / Open Portfolio..." and browse to your My Documents\Fund Manager folder, and open your portfolio from there. Verify that all of your investments are coming from this same location. You can create a Custom report with "Path and filename", so you can see where all of your investments are coming from.

When you create new investments manually you are prompted for a location and filename. Make sure you save to this new desired location.

When you create new investments automatically (like retrieving from your broker), there is an "Options..." button next to the option "Create new investments automatically" where you can specify the folder to create your new investments.

[Jeff47]

Thanks Mark. I've transferred all the data on my laptop to the correct folders. I just took my other pc back to the geeks. They did find where they stored a number of other "unknown" files including an FM dat file of about 9.5 mb, which they renamed ntuser.dat. We tried to open it in FM and received the message about the file being prepared under a previous version of FM and would need to convert it to the current version. I said Yes to All but then got the message that the "file is incomplete or in a different format" and thus "can not open from command line". Do you have any suggestions on how to repair/recover, etc this file? Do you do any recovery work?

Thanks again.

Jeff

[Mark]

Hi Jeff,

I suspect that ntuser.dat file is not really a Fund Manager investment file. Other programs (including Windows) also use the .dat extension. That sounds like a Windows file, and 9.5MB is unusually large for an investment file.