Disaster on Flash Drive

[leslie]

I have two non-networked computers with OneNote 2007 installed on
each. I do NOT ever share these notebooks with any other party or
over the internet, nor do I plan on doing this. The help files seem
to only address shared notebooks. Although both my computers can be
connected to an ethernet network, I've never been able to get them
properly networked and gave up years ago. A OneNote pro (maybe Kathy)
years ago told me how to use a flash drive to update OneNote on my
laptop. The flash drive has "died" and I can't remember how to set
this back up, nor can I find directions on any OneNote site or via
search. As a result, I cannot update my laptop notebooks.

I don't use any other Office software, only OneNote into which
WordPerfect documents are moved for OneNote's superior search
capabilities. These notebooks contain about twelve years of
complicated notes and I'm desperate to get them working again on my
laptop.

I'm running OneNote 2007 under XP Pro (no chance that I'll update the
OS). Can anyone help? I helped out years ago with a process to
repair OneNote after a critical update "broke" the "print to" command
so I'm hoping someone can help me out here.
Leslie

 

[Bernd]

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

I have two non-networked computers with OneNote 2007 installed on
each. I do NOT ever share these notebooks with any other party or
over the internet, nor do I plan on doing this. The help files seem
to only address shared notebooks. Although both my computers can be
connected to an ethernet network, I've never been able to get them
properly networked and gave up years ago. A OneNote pro (maybe Kathy)
years ago told me how to use a flash drive to update OneNote on my
laptop. The flash drive has "died" and I can't remember how to set
this back up, nor can I find directions on any OneNote site or via
search. As a result, I cannot update my laptop notebooks.

I don't use any other Office software, only OneNote into which
WordPerfect documents are moved for OneNote's superior search
capabilities. These notebooks contain about twelve years of
complicated notes and I'm desperate to get them working again on my
laptop.

I'm running OneNote 2007 under XP Pro (no chance that I'll update the
OS). Can anyone help? I helped out years ago with a process to
repair OneNote after a critical update "broke" the "print to" command
so I'm hoping someone can help me out here.
Leslie

1. Nothing is really lost (except closed notebooks residing only on the
flash drive).
==> All OPEN notebooks do exist in the so called ON cache.

2. There are TWO caches in your case:
one per your two computers.

3. Select one of your computers.

4. The most important question now is:
What is the old path to the notebooks on the OLD flash drive ?
You can see it by holding your mouse over a notebook to the left
navigation bar. Write it down.

5. Insert a new flash drive to that computer

6. Now for EACH notebook (the tabs on the left):
- select the notebook

- now for EACH section of the notebook (the tabs at the top)
Save it with File -> Save As on the new flashdrive, into the old
path of the notebook (remember: notebook = windows folder)
one section = one file with type .one in that folder

- after saving all sections of a notebook: CLOSE the notebook

Now you have a new set of "original" notebooks !

7. Now Re-open all that notebooks from the location on the flash
drive. Now you have a new up to date cache (= copy) on one computer

Now go to your 2nd computer:

1. Insert the just filled flash drive
2. ON should synch automagically, you can press the synch button which
should turn to green.

Now you're ready, your old configuration is rebuilt.

Additional comment:

It is absolutely necessary to use the same path (same drive letter !)
to the new flashdrive.
So you have not to worry about potential differences between the cached
notebooks on your two computers. They will be synched as before.

Good luck ;-)

Bernd

 

[Rainald Taesler]

I have two non-networked computers with OneNote 2007 installed on
each. I do NOT ever share these notebooks with any other party or
over the internet, nor do I plan on doing this. The help files seem
to only address shared notebooks. Although both my computers can be
connected to an ethernet network, I've never been able to get them
properly networked and gave up years ago.

This is a real pity.
ON works so great with computers connected as a network.
And - apart from ON - one just looses far too much when running two
computers side-by-side without being connected.
It's not a big problem at all to create a peer-to-peer network under XP.
Perhaps you may find a friend or so who might help you. It's worth it!

A OneNote pro (maybe Kathy)
years ago told me how to use a flash drive to update OneNote on my
laptop.

I understand that you kept the notebook files on the stock. Right?

The flash drive has "died" and I can't remember how to set
this back up, nor can I find directions on any OneNote site or via
search. As a result, I cannot update my laptop notebooks.

Didn't you have a *backup* of the stick stored on one of the computers
or burnt to a CD??
I could hardly believe that.
If one uses a stick (flash drive) for *working* on it (and not only
transportation of files between computers) it's a most basic thing to
make complete backups of the data held in the stick (possibly by
synching them to a folder in the HDD if a computer). Flash media still
are "critical" and easy enough the may fail (like in your case). It
means true carelessness not to save the data on a reliable device.

So do yourself a favour and copy/synch the data held on your new stick
to one of the computers and update things regularly.

As we are at backup issues:
Don't you have backups of the notebook-files on the computer?
Using these would having the easiest way to restore your data.

Making backups of the ON-data is really easy: O dies that automatically!
Under "Tools | Options | Backup" one cab set the frequency if the
automatic backups (as well as the number of backups to be kept).

I don't use any other Office software, only OneNote into which
WordPerfect documents are moved for OneNote's superior search
capabilities. These notebooks contain about twelve years of
complicated notes and I'm desperate to get them working again on my
laptop.

Using backups (if there are any) or following the steps Bernd has
outlined, you should be able to recover from the disaster.

All the best
Rainald

 

[Bernd]

Using backups (if there are any) or following the steps Bernd has
outlined, you should be able to recover from the disaster.

All the best
Rainald

I have intentionally not mentioned the standard backup, because there is
a risk to be not up to date. I would have mentioned it AFTER realizing
my suggestion wouldn't work ...

Bernd

 

[Rainald Taesler]

I have intentionally not mentioned the standard backup, because there
is a risk to be not up to date. I would have mentioned it AFTER
realizing my suggestion wouldn't work ...

I understand.
And I'm awfully sorry to have crossed your strategy. {siiiigh}
But AFAICS with mentioning Backups the OP could have been advised to
check how current possible backups would be.

Let's hope the OP is successful in following your path.
In a number of cases I had to hear that restoring from the cache did not
work.

Rainald

 

[Bernd]

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

I understand.
And I'm awfully sorry to have crossed your strategy. {siiiigh}

Ok. ;-)

But AFAICS with mentioning Backups the OP could have been advised to
check how current possible backups would be.

I just wanted to avoid these checks, because, in the worst case we could
have FOUR different versions (two caches, two backups at different
times).

Let's hope the OP is successful in following your path.
In a number of cases I had to hear that restoring from the cache did not
work.

The OPs configuration is not affected by trouble from the OS, so we can
hope ... and wait ...

Bernd

 

[leslie]

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Bernd and all, thanks for replying (delay in response thanks to sudden
onset of human virus). Will try the suggested fix . . . problem is
that the motherboard of my main computer died unexpectedly (relatively
new) shortly after the flash drive problem. Old main computer now
exists as a virtual machine (at least I could run it long enough to
transport all the data) . . . . . I am not at all certain that the
precise same path is available now, but here's hoping. Right now the
virtual machine is suspended, but I'll make the attempt tomorrow at
fixing the problem. Yes, everything was backed up, but . . . . . .
it's possible I could attach the laptop to the Seagate backup drive
and access OneNote's backups, but there are some issues there (the
easiest-to-access backup is older than desirable, the most recent one
is a standard-complete backup and therefore the data is a bit harder
to access).

I never have both computers operating at the same time; the laptop is
used only for library research. If all else fails, OneNote 2007 works
(as always) inside the virtual machine (initially it burped a time or
two, but now works as always) and I can get by without it on the
laptop. Annoying, but doable given that all my notes are made in
WordPerfect in the first place and only ported into OneNote. I just
liked the functionality of having it available on both computers. The
irony is that I knew flash drives could be problematic, but never
expected to actually have a problem with non-recoverable data on one
(duh!).
Leslie

 

[Rainald Taesler]

I just wanted to avoid these checks, because, in the worst case we
could have FOUR different versions (two caches, two backups at
different times).

You seem to be only too right :-(

The OPs configuration is not affected by trouble from the OS, so we
can hope ... and wait ...

... and pray ;-)

Rainald

 

[leslie]

Bernd: I went to my OneNote notebooks on the main computer and
checked the path. There is no path to the old flash drive. The path
goes to where these project files are stored on the computer. [I have
a rule that no program or data files are ever placed on the C: drive
so I always perform a custom installation of any program so files can
be placed on virtual drives I kept separate from the C: drive on which
the operating system resides.]

I don't use OneNote regularly. OneNote notebooks are backed up on a
stand-alone drive regularly, but I haven't needed to use the stick to
update the laptop computer for over a year because virtually all of my
work is transferred to OneNote on the main computer. I may take notes
on the laptop, but they are revised and completed on the main
computer, then "sent to" OneNote on the main computer.

I'm planning on visiting a library where it might be useful to have an
updated copy of OneNote research notebooks on my laptop. Otherwise, I
might not have even thought about updating it on the laptop.

It sounds as if doing a backup onto the new flash drive is the way to
go.
Leslie

 

[Bernd]

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Bernd: I went to my OneNote notebooks on the main computer and
checked the path. There is no path to the old flash drive. The path
goes to where these project files are stored on the computer. [I have
a rule that no program or data files are ever placed on the C: drive
so I always perform a custom installation of any program so files can
be placed on virtual drives I kept separate from the C: drive on which
the operating system resides.]

I don't use OneNote regularly. OneNote notebooks are backed up on a
stand-alone drive regularly, but I haven't needed to use the stick to
update the laptop computer for over a year because virtually all of my
work is transferred to OneNote on the main computer. I may take notes
on the laptop, but they are revised and completed on the main
computer, then "sent to" OneNote on the main computer.

I'm planning on visiting a library where it might be useful to have an
updated copy of OneNote research notebooks on my laptop. Otherwise, I
might not have even thought about updating it on the laptop.

It sounds as if doing a backup onto the new flash drive is the way to
go.
Leslie

Mmmmmhh ...
There exists a big misunderstanding between us. Rainald and I thought,
you were using ON sharing with a flash drive the "official" way.
So the "original" files/notebooks would reside on the flash drive.
That's the reason why I asked for the path to the notebooks. Now I
understand you had only a copy on the flash drive.
Now I don't understand why you cannot update your laptop, only having
lost an old copy on the flash drive. You only needed a ne flash drive.
But the way you use ON with 2 computers without any of the 2 safe
possibilities: sharing over a network (home or internet) or sharing by
using a portable data store and synching by alternating connection to
the used computers, is dangerous.
Dangerous because you have to synch "in your head", that means you must
think about when to make a copy, when to close a notebok to clear the cache.
Don't you have Internet access at home ? Using a modem router would
allow an easy way to create a home network. So the original notebooks
could stay on the desktop, but the laptop could use only the cache,
automagically synching after coming home and connecting to the home network.
By the way: that's the way I'm using ON.

Bernd