Over 200 pages of content has disappeared in my book while using V1 Affinity Publisher

[Doozybird]

Many days of formatting and editing work have just disappeared while finalizing my 240-page book in V1 Affinity Publisher. The page panel is still visible, with Master A and 240 blank pages with no content are visible (though the material from Master A is still applied to the blank pages such as page #, footer, etc.) All the text styles are still there too. I was trying to add a table to a blank page, and it didn't work as expected. I can't be sure about the steps I tried after that. I'm pretty sure I tried clearing the master from the page where I wanted to add a table, and that didn't work either. I thought using the table tool was like using the text box tool - just drag an area where you want the table to be. Apparently not. Also, the first and last pages in the book do not have a Master applied to them and their content is still there.

Instead of going through the history as I should have, I closed and restarted the program. This is a book comprised of a list of 777 items in 21 chapters. I have all the info in an Excel spreadsheet in the correct order so I can rebuild the book but the formatting and editing will take a lot of time as I did not always duplicate the editing changes in Excel but only in AP.

Is there a simple switch somewhere that I inadvertently hit that hides content or something like that? Does AP create saved copies somewhere of the work that is done?

[Doozybird]

Upon further examination, my two Affinity Publisher files somehow show to be saved as Affinity Designer files. The icon on the far left shows as Affinity Designer as does the Type of file column. However, when I double-click them to open, Affinity Publisher is opened to show the files with blank content. Very odd. I'm thinking it's some sort of corrupted file. But I still need to fix it somehow.

[walt.farrell]

Don't worry about the icon as it's not reliable. And I suggest you configure File Explorer to show the file extension.

[Doozybird]

I updated File Explorer view to show the extension.

Not so much worried about the icon. Worried that over 200 pages of content disappeared without a reasonable explanation.

Just seems odd that the File Type column shows "Affinity Designer File" and File Extension correctly shows ".afpub". I'm just looking for some type of clues and I noticed that discrepancy and thought it may help someone more Affinity Publisher knowledgeable than me to have a solution.

Thanks.

[carl123]

Can you upload the problem file to the forum?

[Doozybird]

I could upload it but I'm not because it is a new book that I have not yet copyrighted or published.

[Callum]

Hi Doozybird,

It will be very difficult for us to look into this without a copy of the file if I provide a link to our private DropBox would you be willing to upload it?

Thanks
C

[Doozybird]

@Callum Thanks for your reply. If it were a different project, I would upload it to a staff member but for this project, I will not. But based on your reply, it sounds like you may think there is not a valid reason for the content to disappear and that the file may be corrupt. So it looks like I may need to rebuild the file from the info in my Excel spreadsheet and spend the 30-40 hours of editing it will take. I did try two other options to no avail: 1) I tried creating and applying a new master page in case it was corrupt and 2) I re-downloaded the software and ran the "repair" option. I considered spending the $125 to get the V2 deal you have right now but I have low expectations that would fix anything. Though I saved my work on this project often, I  did not "Save As" a different name, so  I am partly to blame. However, it makes me a little reluctant to use Affinity Publisher for a longer, more important project like this one unless I Save As a different name every two hours or so. Another option is to look at other software. I'm not sure if Vellum will do the job and I don't like its price. But I have a license for Atticus (Atticus.io) that is specifically for book publishers so I may look at that more seriously.

Thanks

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, Doozybird said:

unless I Save As a different name every two hours or so. Another option is to look at other software.

Although it doesn't help with your currently corrupted document it might help in future:

I use two files only, and I toggle between them with Save As. This way there is always the currently opened document plus a previously saved copy. If the copy gets saved in a subfolder there is even no need to switch names, for saving as the other (currently older) file I just click its existing instance in the Save dialog.

A useful "other software" could be a backup software, that enables you to access various saved states of your current document, with a flexible number of states depending on both your Save + the defined auto-backup interval.

[walt.farrell]

2 minutes ago, thomaso said:

I use two files only, and I toggle between them with Save As. This way there is always the currently opened document plus a previously saved copy. If the copy gets saved in a subfolder there is even no need to switch names, for saving as the other (currently older) file I just click its existing instance in the Save dialog.

The safest method requires a more complex procedure, I think:

1. Save As name-1. At this point you have saved the file, and are working in file name-1.
2. Immediately, Save As name-2. At this point you have saved another copy, and are working in name-2.
3. Immediately, Open name-1. If it works, this proves that step 1 saved the file successfully. You can keep working in this file, and close the tab with file name-2.

Then, the next time you decide to Save:

1. Save As name-2.
2. Immediately, Save As name-3.
3. Immediately, Open name-2. If it works, keep working in this file and close the tabe with file name-3.

With this approach you always verify that the Save As completed successfully, and gave you a file you can re-Open. If you don't try to Open it after Saving, you can't be sure that the Save actually worked.

Periodically you can delete older copies. E.g., when you've saved name-3 you might go back and delete name-1, keeping name-2 as a backup. Or you might keep several older generations.

[Doozybird]

1 hour ago, thomaso said:

Although it doesn't help with your currently corrupted document it might help in future:

I use two files only, and I toggle between them with Save As. This way there is always the currently opened document plus a previously saved copy. If the copy gets saved in a subfolder there is even no need to switch names, for saving as the other (currently older) file I just click its existing instance in the Save dialog.

A useful "other software" could be a backup software, that enables you to access various saved states of your current document, with a flexible number of states depending on both your Save + the defined auto-backup interval.

Good info. If I continue to use AP, I will utillize the Save As function. I do have a cloud syncing service I have used for years and all of my important files are saved both on my desktop and in the cloud. But, my bad, I didn't use Save As so I don't have a backup of a good file, only a backup of the contents blank file.

Thanks.

[Doozybird]

57 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

The safest method requires a more complex procedure, I think:

1. Save As name-1. At this point you have saved the file, and are working in file name-1.
2. Immediately, Save As name-2. At this point you have saved another copy, and are working in name-2.
3. Immediately, Open name-1. If it works, this proves that step 1 saved the file successfully. You can keep working in this file, and close the tab with file name-2.

Then, the next time you decide to Save:

1. Save As name-2.
2. Immediately, Save As name-3.
3. Immediately, Open name-2. If it works, keep working in this file and close the tabe with file name-3.

With this approach you always verify that the Save As completed successfully, and gave you a file you can re-Open. If you don't try to Open it after Saving, you can't be sure that the Save actually worked.

Periodically you can delete older copies. E.g., when you've saved name-3 you might go back and delete name-1, keeping name-2 as a backup. Or you might keep several older generations.

Thanks, good info as well. If I continue to use AP, I will utilize the Save As feature.

[ATP]

Might be worth a try, download the Affinity Publisher 2 trial and open a copy of the file in that. Be very sure to always operate with a second file as saving will make it impossible to open the file in version 1.

[carl123]

10 minutes ago, Doozybird said:

I do have a cloud syncing service I have used for years and all of my important files are saved both on my desktop and in the cloud.

Bingo.

Switch off synching for Affinity files
Work on local drives only
Invest in a proper backup system

 

[ATP]

2 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Bingo.

Switch off synching for Affinity files
Work on local drives only
Invest in a proper backup system

 

This problem seems to be far from exclusive to the Affinity suite of software. Some checksums and hardening of the files would be great to see in the future. Build in error-correction would be fantastic.

[thomaso]

2 hours ago, ATP said:

Might be worth a try, download the Affinity Publisher 2 trial and open a copy of the file in that. Be very sure to always operate with a second file as saving will make it impossible to open the file in version 1.

If one is working in macOS there is a similar option as a default option for specific, selected documents: Once you activate the according file property "Formularblock" = Engl. "Template", then always a copy gets opened (and named "… copy") if this file is selected to open. Handy: if you overwrite such a document (e.g. with Save As) then it does not lose this setting.