link between locally stored files and published content

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11-05-2021 04:56 AM
Ness2
by
New Contributor III

Seems like a silly question but I can't seem to find anything written on the link between the locally stored survey files and content that has been published.  

I am transferring to a new laptop and obviously need to move all of my projects.  Long, long ago I recall deleting locally held files and then finding that resulted in the corresponding services being deleted online.  

How can I be sure to retain all of my published content?  Any advice for the transfer? 

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DougBrowning
MVP Esteemed Contributor

Copy everything from the C:\Users\username\ArcGIS\My Survey Designs folder to a backup location.  

Check the other folders in C:\Users\username\ArcGIS like Add-Ins to see if you have anything in there.  Probably not but maybe.  Back these up also.

Install Connect on the new machine.

Before opening it for the first time put all the files you backed up above on your new machine in the same spots.

Open Connect and login with the same user you used on the old machine.

It should then all match up and you are good to go.

 

Always backup these folders on the regular!  I have lost my laptop HD twice already and luckily I did this.  123 stores in a spot where most IT depts do not backup (I have asked them a number of times to move it or allow us to point to a diff dir but have not got anywhere.  I really really wish I could just point 123 to any dir I want - like a network drive - oh how my life would improve.  Not sure why.  Major bummer.)

Some will say you can log in as the user on the new machine and then download the forms from the service.  This does work for the most part but it will name all your folders with the item id instead of the form name (not sure why) and then it becomes a major pain going forward since all the folders look random.  Do not do this IMO, total pain.  Also sometimes the media folder does not work right on this.

Let us know how it goes.

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DougBrowning
MVP Esteemed Contributor

Copy everything from the C:\Users\username\ArcGIS\My Survey Designs folder to a backup location.  

Check the other folders in C:\Users\username\ArcGIS like Add-Ins to see if you have anything in there.  Probably not but maybe.  Back these up also.

Install Connect on the new machine.

Before opening it for the first time put all the files you backed up above on your new machine in the same spots.

Open Connect and login with the same user you used on the old machine.

It should then all match up and you are good to go.

 

Always backup these folders on the regular!  I have lost my laptop HD twice already and luckily I did this.  123 stores in a spot where most IT depts do not backup (I have asked them a number of times to move it or allow us to point to a diff dir but have not got anywhere.  I really really wish I could just point 123 to any dir I want - like a network drive - oh how my life would improve.  Not sure why.  Major bummer.)

Some will say you can log in as the user on the new machine and then download the forms from the service.  This does work for the most part but it will name all your folders with the item id instead of the form name (not sure why) and then it becomes a major pain going forward since all the folders look random.  Do not do this IMO, total pain.  Also sometimes the media folder does not work right on this.

Let us know how it goes.

Ness2
by
New Contributor III

Thank you for such comprehensive and explicit instructions! All went well.  I gather it is now safe to wipe my old laptop?! 

And yes, I agree, it's way too easy for these files to be overlooked and be lost.  Personally, I would prefer them to be stored with the rest of my project files.  Have you raised an "Idea" that we can vote for??  

DougBrowning
MVP Esteemed Contributor

I think here https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-ideas/survey123-ability-to-have-survey-stored-on-a/id...

Looks from here there is an enhancement logged also.

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-questions/can-the-media-folder-be-moved-to-a-network/...

I have asked the team directly several times as well.  This is one of those I would love to see happen vs working on more rare items.

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