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Observing lists on Google drive

Art F

March 14, 2017 23:30

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I am using SSPro 5 version 5210 and I cant get my observing lists to match up between my devices. I get the following message on my phone stating that " the following observing lists were not found in online storage, would you like to delete them locally as well?"

There are 2 options. Delete local files or keep local files.

Why isn't there the option to UPLOAD THE LOCAL FILES???

The problem is that the program isn't uploading the files on exit as it should. I am logged in to Google drive as otherwise I wouldn't get the message in the first place. My mobile data is fine and most of the time I'm on wifi except when connected to my scope. Is this the problem????

Can you please give the option to manually upload a list? a simple button or menu item would do so it can be done after scope disconnection.

I have been creating lists and recording my observations since having version 3pro then 4pro now 5pro. I sometimes use my phone and sometimes my tablet.

Because these aren't being backed up properly I have recently lost all of last years records!

Please help me with this.

PS I did try to sort this before on the Yahoo forum but due to an  illness I couldn't complete the process and I believe Bill was dealing with it.

Arthur

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7 comments

• 0
  
  Bill Tschumy March 15, 2017 14:01

  The upload happens automatically when the app is put into the background.  There is no need for an explicit button.  If it is failing when putting the app into the background, it will fail with an explicit button.   The message "...would you like to delete them locally as well?" is a failsafe just so you won't loos anything local if there is an error.  I'm not sure how you lost anything unless you selected YES to this question.  If you did lose something I apologize.

  Of course, it can't upload anything if you are connected to the scope via Wi-Fi.  However, it should just save those changes for the next time you do have Wi-Fi.  If you have created **new** lists when you don't have internet access, then the first time you open the app with access you might get the message about the file only being local and do you want to delete it.

  I'm going to convert this into a support ticket.  I'd like you to put the app into the background, wait a few seconds, and then foreground it again.  Then go to Help and at the bottom choose "Send Log File".  Send the log file to yourself and then attach it to the support ticket.  Maybe the log will shed some light on why the backup is not working.

  If you go to you Google Drive in a browser, do you see a SkySafari directory at all?  Is there anything in it?

   

   

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  Ken Christensen March 17, 2017 00:20

  Android kitkat, marshmallow, and nougat.

  When you say "app is put into the background", on Android, what do you mean?

  When I 'back key', then ss5p asks if I'm serious, I say 'exit', and I get back to my launcher. Still, if I check for 'open apps', ss5p shows with the exit prompt.

  Is this what you mean background? If so, how long should I wait? I usually like to purge 'open apps' (yes, I'm a little OCD 😉).

  Also, minor thread highjack: should the directory structure for Google Drive be the same as it is on Android?

  Thanks. Great product.

   

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  Bill Tschumy March 17, 2017 13:24

  Putting the app in the background would be either (1) exiting the app or (2) using the task switcher to bring another app to the from.  Either will cause file changes to get pushed to Google Drive.  You should see the changes on Google Drive in 10-15 seconds.

  No, the directory structure on Google Drive is different.  All files are in a single directory.  Google Drive has a very poor file system structure and it is hard to manage files in a number of subdirectories.

  So are yo seeing any files on your Google Drive?

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  Art F March 17, 2017 14:01

  Hi Bill I have looked into my google drive folder while making changes to an observing list. The changes do indeed happen on exiting the program. However when I lost all of my data for last year, it was due to a phone fault and I presumed it had been backed up but it hadn't been. There is no way to confirm that the backup has taken place from the app as it is closed. I really don't want to check on google drive everytime to confirm that it has.

  I still don't understand why the app asks if I want to delete local files. Why doesn't it simply upload the files that are on your phone? There is stacks of space on google drive so an extra file there would make no difference but deleting a local file that isn't on there is crazy! The simple option to upload any local file thats not on google drive as well as the option to keep or delete would solve this issue.

  I purposely upgraded to version 5 from version 4 for this reason as I thought my data would be more secure however this isn't the case. 

   

  Many thanks on an otherwise excellent app.

   

  Arthur

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  Bill Tschumy March 17, 2017 15:06

  Art,

  I don't know why you have lost data.  The prompt asking if you want to delete them if an best case attempt at making sure you don't.  

  If you went to Google Drive and deleted some files there and then started SkySafari, the app would detect that they had been removed and ask if you also want to delete them locally.  You would not want it to automatically upload them in this case.  If you say no, leave them locally, then they will get pushed back to the server when you exit the app.

  I really think the data storage is pretty robust.  In the year since this feature came out, I may have had one other person report data loss and that looked like user error.

  It is always a good idea to back up important data.  Cloud syncing is **not** a backup strategy.  You might want to periodically copy all the files on Google Drive to another backup folder.

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  Art F March 17, 2017 17:51

  Thanks Bill

  I don't use Google drive for anything other than this. If I remove a list from my tablet, that would remove it from Google drive? Would that then cause the keep local file message on my phone?
  It could be that I'm using the tablet, then at a later date using the phone and thats why the local file is different. I don't know if this is the case but it would explain it.

  I will try this later while logged on to Google on my pc and change things from one device to another to see what happens.

  Arthur

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  Bill Tschumy March 17, 2017 18:41

  Arthur,

  Yes, if you remove a list from the tablet, that will also remove it from Google Drive.  That is why it is call Cloud "Synchronization".  Yes, when you next activate the app on your phone, you will probably get the message about whether you want to remove it there.