Restore doesn't work; I'm dead in the water!!!!!!!!

[jeknepley]

   

After fighting with IM5 for the past 8 hours and numerous GD posts, I decided to restore my DB (which I back up at least once a day; I'd do it 2 or 3 times a day, but it takes almost an hour for over 100K files).

I ran Pack&Go restore against the IMPAG file made yesterday evening before shutting down for the day. After P&G ran for about 30 minutes and completed, I started IM5. It didn't work. I got a cryptic IM error message. Worse, I have no idea how to proceed. I can't imagine how I could make it worse, but I'm sure at this point I will without knowing what's going on.

Log file??? Don't know how to do that when IM won't even run.

Help, Please...............



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[jeknepley]

OK I found the log File



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[jeknepley]

Panic attack over 

After several more passes through P&G and a variety of options and different IMPAG files, things are back to normal.

Next on my to-do list, another pass through the help system to read more about Pack&Go and its Restore option. I suspect it's more complete than I recall, but.... if it's not I'll suggest (write) some changes and additions.

What a day!

[Mario]

The log file reports that the database

E:\IMatch Database\New IM5 DB.imd5

is physically damaged. A defective database in a Pack & Go package can only happen when

a) The database was defective when packing the file
b) The user did not enable the option to diagnose and compact the database before packing
-or-
c) The very unlikely case that the database system does not notice a physical defect during the operations in b)

-or-

d) P&G fails to recognize that the database system has reported an error.

-or-

e) There was a problem restoring the file. This is unlikely because P&G uses check sums to compare the restored data with the data in the package to prevent exactly this.

Did you run a diagnosis before packing the database?

Please note that P&G is mainly for transferring IMatch to other computers, not as a replacement for your daily system backups.

[jeknepley]

I always use the diagnose & compact option - always.

As for c, d, & e - ??
The good news is that I eventually got it fixed. Just a few anxious moments thinking I might have to start all over from day-1 nearly four weeks ago, but that's what Betas are & it's not my 1st one by far.

My entire system is backed up daily - not just the IM parts.

Your comment re. the main role of P&G raises a question regarding DB backup in IM5 vs. IM3. Has the philosophy changed?  I didn't realize that IM3's backup was also primarily for transfer among computers (but there's a lot I don't understand  ). And I was under the impression that periodic optimize & compact served a valuable purpose in IM3 and assumed the same was true in 5. No need to waste your time if all of this is already in the help. In spite of how it may seem, I'm one of those who actually RTFM (and yours is almost without peer).

Thanks for your help. I wish it didn't detract so much from your "real" job.

[Mario]

I didn't realize that IM3's backup was also primarily for transfer among computers

I've added that simple backup to IMatch 3 after learning that many users did not do backups at all. That was in 2005 or so.

Today, Windows has built-in backups. There are free and affordable backup solutions available. Actually there is no real need to re-invent the wheel and add a backup feature to IMatch. Pack & Go is mainly intended for users who have multiple computers on which they work with IMatch, e.g. a photographer with a desktop in the studio and a laptop while working on-location. Or users who travel. Researchers. Insurance specialists.

Running compact and optimize or a diagnosis is a good idea (IMatch reminds you of that automatically). If you have a proper backup routine in place and you don#t work with IMatch on multiple computers, you don't need Pack & Go.