Help! Lost files

[Maf. King]

On Monday, 3 April 2017 11:16:48 BST Anita Graves wrote:
> God bless you for your quick reply.
> 
> I had all my data for the fiscal year in one file and I renamed the Gnucash
> data file, but don’t remember in which location I saved it.
> 
> I searched every file to see if it would open but nothing will.
> 
> After I renamed my main data file, I moved all the files from one folder
> into another, but still, I cannot find the file with my data that will
> open.
> 
> I use a MAC.  I tried the file>open, but as you say Mac opens the previously
> open file, and said it could not find the background material or could not
> locate the file.
> 
> I have 3 main data files, and only one of them will open for me, but not the
> one I lost.
> 
> What can I do?  One thing that sometimes saves my skin is that I backup to
> external hard drives.  I had one connected yesterday when I did the work on
> the data.  That’s all I remember.  but this morning I renamed the file and
> now can’t find my lost data.
> 
> Apparently there is no safe way to rename a file or a folder or anything;
> Gnucash remembers only the exact file name and its location?
> 
> Anita
> 

Hi Anita,

Please remember to copy your replies to the list - "Reply All" may exist in 
your email software to do this for you.

I know next to nothing about the MAC & OSX, so hopefully someone who knows 
more can jump in.

You need to be able to find the file & location that you moved it to - there may 
be some search function in the MAC file manager (Finder?) to help you - maybe 
be a bit cunning and search for changes made today (as you say you renamed the 
file today).  I assume the files on the MAC are stored with a suffix (.gnucash), 
so finding those may help.  Maybe look for the .log files; they should be in the 
same folder as your main data file.  As you say, if you have a backup on an 
external drive, your skin may well be saved.  Perhaps you inadvertently moved 
the files to the backup rather than copy it?

It is perfectly possible to move & rename GC files - but if you do this outside 
of GC, then *you* have to remember where you put them - GC can't possibly know 
what you do while it isn't looking!  

BUT,  If you do a File -> Save As from within GC, then it will know & put the 
files in the "recently used" section of the File menu - which as you say, is 
the *Exact* path and filename. 

HTH,
Maf.