Recovering from Drive backup

DEVONthink
1

Hello,
My IT department set up a backup system for me that included my Devonthink 3 databases. I understand that they cannot be there. What I haven’t been able to do is get them back from Drive. When I try to download them back to my computer each database shows up as multiple files in one folder and so try to download as, for example, 13 separate zip files. Nor have I been able to download them without getting a generic cannot download error message.

Is it possible to move the databases back? If so, what is the best way to make that happen?

Thanks!

2

Welcome @KM12

Your databases can’t be where? You didn’t state where the backups are stored.

PS: Your IT department should have had a discussion with you (and others) before this change was made.

3

Sorry, that is a vital piece of information. They were moved to Google Drive

4

No worries and yes, that’s not a place your databases should be, even for backups. What kind of backup schedule do they have you on?

5

Thanks. The idea was to have everything in a desktop alias folder that linked to the actual files in Drive but I am abandoning this backup plan completely for Devonthink. Once I get my databases back from the clutches of Drive (fingers crossed), I will likely stick to Time Machine, which is what I have been using

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6

Also, we have tried moving, copying, and downloading the Drive version back to my local drive. Nothing has worked so far

7

The database files which are macOS “packages”. Might be good if you make sure your IT people know that as it may affect how they are dealing with this problem. If they are Windows-based, they may not realise that. Just a hunch.

Do they have their own backups of your databases they can revert to? Also, perhaps your databases (as “packages”) might still be in Trash on your Mac?

Also, you seem to have completely separate issues which might be being confused based on what I read.

  1. returning the database “packages” back from Google Drive to your local disk. ~/DEVONthink would be a good place
  2. Getting access to the backups now on Google Drive. Frankly, I’m puzzled why this is difficult as IT wouldn’t (?) implement a backup system that didn’t work, would they?
  3. The “idea” of using a desktop alias folder pointed to Google Drive give me goosebumps. I don’t even want to think about it.
  4. If the IT folks insist on your database backups be resident on Google Drive, then if you export DEVON archives (which are single zip files) to Google Drive that will work, but if these are synced folders then I wouldn’t trust them as backups, frankly.
  5. No matter what IT wants for backups, if I were you I’d not abandon TimeMachine.
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8

Post a screen capture of what you’re getting back from the restore.

9

We figured it out. Rather than trying to move, copy, or download from Drive, you simply need to open the database. Devonthink then tells you that you cannot open it and asks if you would like Devonthink to safely move for you. Easy. And lesson learned.

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