Back up error, lost all my own routes.

[olblucat]

I was attempting to make a backup on my Mac in the time machine!. I think I messed up the location map file.
Trainz runs great except my own routes are missing!
they are there in the backups for that day. There is the build for that day and two tsarc files plus two Kuid files with my route name on them.

this is about three months work gone!
Any help would be appreciated!

 

[JackDownUnder]

I believe that there is a backup directory under Users.................
Also I learned the hard way many moons ago and now I have this procedure
When closing program go to and open the Manage Content selection.
Select My Content
Seelct your route and session and save as a .cdp file in a location away from the trainz directory.

 

[pware]

Seelct your route and session and save as a .cdp file in a location away from the trainz directory.

Amen to that. Call me paranoid (I have been called far worse in these forums) but at the end of each editing session, several times a day, I use .cdps to backup my edits (using a backup utility program) to 4 different locations, none of them on my computer HD.

1. MS One Drive (which is in Singapore I believe, but physically as far away as possible)
2. 2 external USB drives (connected to my computer)
3. my personal network cloud storage server (sitting on a shelf in another room).

Paranoia Pays.

 

[clam1952]

I was attempting to make a backup on my Mac in the time machine!. I think I messed up the location map file.
Trainz runs great except my own routes are missing!
they are there in the backups for that day. There is the build for that day and two tsarc files plus two Kuid files with my route name on them.

this is about three months work gone!
Any help would be appreciated!

In your Trainz backup folder which should be in your userdata folder there will be backups, unless you set them to 0 many will have an intelligible name you may find your route under some incomprehensible name such as zy678ghjjt if you follow, open the folders and look.

Another Paranoid over backups user here, as well as having mirrored copies of TS12 TANE TRS19 and now TRS22 on different PCs, I backup to 2 external powered 4TB USB3 Seagates and one internal drive on a rarely used PC. I use Freefilesync and backup the whole Trainz folder including userdata. I also save the route I'm working on to cdp on the backup drives and Google Drive and also back up all my content creation stuff. I also backup my system drives on all 4 PCs here with Macrium Reflect. Plus I have backup copies of everything I have ever downloaded from third party sites, avoids the need to hunt for things if the worst happens.
Having more than one backup paid off when I dropped one of the drives and killed it!
Lesson learned a long time ago of the need for more than one backup when a power surge took out my PC and the PC I was using as a backup.

 

[JCitron]

Raises hand too.

I also backup data diligently. Recently, I had a longtime route become corrupted. The route took a very long time to open which is unusual and when it did all the water was gone and the hills were flattened except for one baseboard. After suffering some minor chest pains along with numbness and tingling, I went through the process of grabbing my most recent backup and restoring it. I lost a day's worth of edits, but nothing I couldn't rebuild better anyway.

In addition to the CDP method, I too utilize a couple of external hard disks for full backups. This has saved me as well when an older hard disk was having issues. The backup was done as usual the night before, so all I had to do was restore that backup to my new hard drive and I was up and running in no time.

 

[boleyd]

Question: Is a CDP (N3V controlled backup) to a USB SSD a waste since any electrical event may get to the USB (plugged in drives)?

While I use a manual Microsoft controlled backup there should be something that is better (flexible) and automatic? Just unplugging/and reconnecting makes me concerned for the fragile USB plug system as well as voltage spikes. Physically removing the USB connection seems to be the only "sure-fire" way to protect files.

 

[pware]

While I use a manual Microsoft controlled backup there should be something that is better (flexible) and automatic?

The destination I use when a create a .cdp file using CM is my Trainz/Project folder on my MS One Drive, so technically it is on my HDD but it is automatically sent by Windows to the external (in Singapore I believe) One Drive.

Just unplugging/and reconnecting makes me concerned for the fragile USB plug system as well as voltage spikes.

Both the USB external drives I use are full HDDs, not SSDs, and I do not disconnect them from my system. SSDs are great when you want ultra fast storage devices but that is of no real advantage when used purely for backup devices. Throw in the significantly higher extra cost of SSDs (which is falling but still not enough) then HDDs are still the better option (in my opinion, others may reach different conclusions).

Physically removing the USB connection seems to be the only "sure-fire" way to protect files.

That is true of any storage system - stored offline and in another building. Its the inconvenience and risk of physical damage caused by constantly plugging, unplugging and removing the devices that is the main disadvantage. So an "electronic isolation" solution such as cloud storage has obvious advantages but does carry with it the risks of less privacy and that its security is out of your control.

My thoughts.

 

[clam1952]

If you use USB drives with their own PSU you don't have to disconnect them from the PC, just switch them on or off as required, advisable to use the Safely remove USB option if turning them off with the PC still running. I have three 4TB Externals, two for backups one currently spare, plugged into switchable power sockets mounted under the desk, that saves wear and tear on USB sockets and plugs which get a bit unreliable if frequently plugged and unplugged, especially here as my PCs are under the desk not on the carpet but on a wooden base, so I can leave all USB stuff plugged in to the ports on the rear of the PCs thus I've got the three Externals permanently connected to this PC and shared on my Lan to the other three PCs.