Troubleshooting
What to do if an error occurs
In the unlikely event that the logbook loses data:
- Quit the application using this method: control-click
the icon in the Dock and select 'Quit'.
Diabetes Logbook X maintains 5 snapshots of the database: a snapshot is taken whenever an event is add, deleted or edited and during import, export and quit actions. Quiting via the Dock icon does not create a snapshot during a quit action, and so prevents potentially bad data from being added to the database, and from losing the oldest snapshot. In addition to the 5 current snapshots a daily backup is taken and then archives of daily backups whenever the new daily backup is smaller than the old daily backup.
- Make a backup copy of
- Preferences file
com.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX.plist - Preferences folder
com.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX Saved Prefs
- Preferences file
- You can now re-launch Diabetes Logbook X and review
the events, if they are all right you can continue using
it without any further action.
- If there is a problem with the data, quit as before
and copy the newest snapshot file
com.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX.plist.sav1up into the Preferences folder and rename itcom.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX.plist. - Now re-launch the application and review the events. Continue doing this with the snapshots until the event data is restored.
A bit more detail ...
If the logbook seems to have lost your data, the thing we need to do is to identify which is newest version of the preference file 'com.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX.plist' and copy it into your /Library/Preferences folder. The preference file we are interested in is the one with the plist file name extension; if you see other files that look the same name but have end with xml, these are text versions of the plist files but cannot be read by the Logbook.
There are a number of places that hold backup copies of the log file:
1. (Newest) In <your home>/Library/Preferences/com.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX Saved Prefs are saved 5 snapshots and are generated whenever the Logbook shows the saving data message. The newest is named the same as the pref file and then .sav1 to .sav5 are appended.
2. In <your home>/Documents/Diabetes Logbook X/Backup is kept a daily snapshot of the preferences file. This is automatically generated during a save action and if the daily files are over 24 hours old then they are replaced with the current preference files.
3. (Oldest) In <your home>/Documents/Diabetes Logbook X/Backup Archives is kept all daily snapshots where the old snapshot filesize was bigger than the new snapshot filesize. This is meant to stop a blank logbook preference file from wiping out all archived copies of files that had data in them. Each archive is in its own time stamped folder.
With Diabetes Logbook X not running: take a copy of the newest saved preferences file and rename it 'com.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX.plist' then move the copy into your user account Preferences folder <your home>/Library/Preferences. Launch the Logbook and inspect the data, if it looks correct then there are no further actions but if it does not look correct you need to close the Logbook and repeat this process with the next newest saved preferences file.
This will get the data back to where it belongs. The most important file is 'com.Nesfield.DiabetesLogbookX.plist' and if you have one in your Library's Preferences folder (<your home>/Library/Preferences)then the Logbook should work.
If you use a backup application such as Apple's Time Machine or SuperDuper! you may find other suitable copies there too: just follow the instructions for renaming the recovered file and testing it in the Logbook.
If you need more help
Just use the Support form and I'll help you to sort it out.