recovering from a crash during edit (6.1)

[Dynamik]

Hello again,

      There used to be resource (.rsc) files that, post crash, one could rename .VI and open - sometimes recovering work after a crash.  I Don't remember what version(s) this was in, perhaps 4.x - maybe 5.x too.  Is there any such "recovery option" in LabVIEW 6.1, 7.1 , or 8.0 ?

Thanks.

(Most interest is in 6.1 options, as 7.1 seems very stable)

Message Edited by Dynamik on 01-26-2006 04:56 PM

Message Edited by Dynamik on 01-26-2006 04:56 PM

Message Edited by Dynamik on 01-26-2006 05:03 PM

[Travis_M.]

Hello!

Unfortunately I am unfamiliar with the process you are referring to.  It is certainly an interesting proposal, so I researched and even asked a couple of developers about this -- with no luck!  Unless there is some windows recovery feature, my only advice is to save frequently and make backups so in the event of a crash you have something to work with.  Sorry to bring bad news!

[Darren]

I think you guys are referring to the fact that there are a bunch of files in the OS temp folder with names like "lvtl22330448.rsc" or "nix102C.tmp".  Back in the day, you could sometimes rename files like this to have .vi extensions, and if you were lucky, they might open up as VIs.  I just tried it with several of the files in my temp folder, but with no luck.  I'm guessing this may have to do with the fact that the internal save mechanism in LabVIEW 8.0 has changed from previous versions (one of the benefits of this, by the way, is that your VIs should be smaller on disk with LabVIEW 8.0 than they were in previous versions).  Anyway, I remember trying the file renaming method to recover from a crash a few years back (don't remember which LabVIEW version), with no luck.

Who knows, maybe we'll see some sort of auto-recovery mechanism built in to LabVIEW in a future version.

-D

[Conseils]

I seem to recall that Labview used to create these .rsc files in revision 4.X as well as other temporary files.

If I remember correctly they were created in the temporary directory C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\.
You had to clean them out from time to time in Windows 3.X
   (crashing of course was a frequent occurence on Windows 3.1 and when Bill said we wouldn't  see GPF error message again, we never did - he changed the message)

I don't recall that you could load the .rsc files but the structure was certainly reminiscent of a LabVIEW VI of the time (it was a tantalizig glimpse of what could have been).
Perhaps someone else could recall more? Anyway I tried and coudn't load one; but then my Windows machines don' crash (honest)

But what an ace idea, a bit like the 'Edit Undo' feature, it was a long time coming but when it did we all wondered how we lived without it.

Perhaps they could addd an option to write open file formats (sort of XML) and really start something?

[Dynamik]

Hi Guys,

      Thanks for the replys.  Yes, the files had odd names; using modified-time and/or file size allowed quick identification of the most likely recovery-candidates.  I don't remember where they were located but do remember seeing a whole slew of them and thinking "there's one for every ab-end".  Thanks for helping refresh the memory - and confirming I wasn't imagining things.

I didn't mean to suggest NI should (re)implement this option, but I certainly wouldn't complain.  Until then, like Travis says, Save, save, save!

Cheers.

[MicTomReiSr]

Hello,

My condolences for the loss of your software. I know that this is of no curent consequence however, I thought I lost a day's work on a labview crash and happened across a pleasant surprise. It took me at least half an hour just to cool back down to a level head. I understand the frustration. I am using several sub VI's in my main program, so when labview crashed, I still had the most recent versions of my sub VI's in-place. Even though the main VI didn't have the current implementations of the sub VI's, it still only took me about 10 minutes to completely redo my day's efforts. Because sub VI's are so much smaller, you will write and save a sub VI more frequently than that of the main VI. This is yet another reason to write in sub VI's.

Mike R