Thank you

[Mary Ann Wallace]

My sincere thanks to both of you for your very helpful comments.

I had overlooked rechecking the wiki website, Dave.  When I first 
visited it months ago, I was overwhelmed by it and since then had relied 
on the 248 page Guide pdf and the 198 page Help pdf (latest versions 
downloaded) in trying to figure things out.  The FAQs you linked to, as 
it states on the wiki website, "may or may not" be incorporated in the 
latest releases and unless I didn't go through those 450 pages 
thoroughly enough, I don't think the relevant parts that applied in this 
situation were incorporated.  I tend to rely on a Table of Contents or 
an Index is narrowing down a search and these particular FAQs slipped 
through the cracks.  So I am indebted to you for giving us this link on 
the list.  And yes, Dave - I'm sure at one time I must have opened a 
backup file - I had 3 computers go down on me within 6 months when I had 
little time to do much.  Will remember to rename it if I'm forced to use 
one in the future, but the fact that I know now what to do to save a 
copy of the original data file in a different location reduces the anxiety.

Thanks again for your help.  Others on this list were also very helpful 
back in January when I had questions after last computer breakdown.

Mary Ann

On 4/16/2015 10:51 PM, L. D. James wrote:
>
> Hi, Mary Ann.
>
> All your data is in one file.  It is the *.gnucash file.  That is the 
> only file that you have to backup.  Backing that single file will have 
> your data ready and available for any computer or any disaster 
> recovery  situation.
>
> This is the same way it is with Libreoffice writer and Microsoft Word 
> files.  You only have to backup (or open) a single file to start your 
> work or updates.
>
> As far as where you're working.  If you open up a Microsoft Word file 
> on your pen drive, when you close Microsoft Word, saving the file 
> would be the same place you opened it.  If that is a backup, you 
> shouldn't open it up from your backup drive.  You should leave the 
> backup in tact.  Copy the backup file to a convenient place where you 
> want your accounting data to be and open up the file (the *.gnucash 
> file) from that location.  You can open up the file for working just 
> by double clicking on the file (the same way you do with Microsoft 
> Word).  When you close the file it'll save it in the same place you 
> closed the file.  The next time you start Gnucash it will open up the 
> last date file (*.gnucash file) that you closed. You can go to File 
> menu option to choose a different recent file if to open if you want 
> to work on a different file. Again, this is no different from working 
> with Libreoffice Writer or Microsoft Word files.
>
> By the way, both Libreoffice Writer and Microsoft Word have options 
> for saving backup versions.  Gnucash has this activated by default. 
> That is why you have more than one version of the file in a directory 
> where you happen to be working.
>
> For conveniences and having a consistent place to look for your data, 
> you might consider making a subdirectory off your "Documents" 
> directory called "Accounting" (you could even go further by making a 
> subdirectory of that by a version name) and copy your *.gnucash file 
> there.  This way you'll know exactly where the location is and can 
> easier control the versions and backups you're working on.
>
> -- L. James
>

> On 4/16/2015 10:54 PM, Dave H wrote:
> > It might help for you people to read the wiki section on 
> http://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/FAQ#GnuCash_Files_and_managing_a_GnuCash_installation 
> which covers some of this stuff.
> >
> > The fact the both you and Richard have gnucash files with dates and 
> times included in the name of the data file I think indicates that you 
> have opened a backup file at some stage accidentally or not and used 
> that as your usual gnucash data file.
> >
> > Cheers Dave H.