Dan GnuCash will create a log file and a backup file copy each time it exits and depending on you preference settings will usually keep a fixed number of them in the same directory as the mainfile. It is good practice to keep your mainfile in its own directory for this reason. The trick is to pick the logfile with a date- timestamp just before the session in which you crashed. There will also be a similar number of timestamped backup files.
If your main file (the one with no timestamp) won't open after a crash, the best procedure is to rename the current mainfile by adding a ".old" or similar extension appended then copy the backup file with the most recent timestamp to the main file <filename>.gnucash. Run GnuCash opening the renamed backup file, import any log files in sequence with a timestamp more recent than the backup file you renamed as the main file. That should restore your file to the point just before the crash. If that succeeds then you can delete the copy of the main file you renamed to ".old" If this still causes a crash repeat the sequence but edit the most recent log file in a text editor before importing it and remove the last transaction which likely caused the crash. You will then have to reenter that transaction when GnuCash is up and running. Note In the above only a copy of the most recent backup is renamed to the mainfile and not the backup itself. This maintains the integrity of the file backups should anything go wrong in the subsequent import which allows you to repeat the procedure until you manage to correct the problem. David Cousens On Tue, 2022-01-18 at 09:10 -0800, Dan wrote: > Greetings, > > Several times I have tried to use logs to recover after a crash and never > seem to be able to make them work. (Please note that I am "intermediate > level" with GNUcash, and have very limited programming experience.) > After navigating to: File → Import → Replay GnuCash .log file, I am faced > with many .log files following the most recently saved .gnucash file. > None of the .log files I replayed seem to do anything. > My next step is to set up a test company and wreak havoc on the files > intentionally, and also recover correctly. Below are some questions I hope > will save me some time. > Thank you for your consideration. This site is very helpful. > > > My questions are: > > Am I missing a crucial step here? > > Will I need to replay several .log files? (To clarify, are the .log files > each for a specific time period, or does the most recent .log file contain > all activity since the last saved .gnucash file?) > > Which .log file(s) should I use? > > Which .log file(s) will "wreak havoc" on my accounts? > > Thank you again, > Confused Dan > _______________________________________________ > gnucash-user mailing list > gnucash-user@gnucash.org > To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: > https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user > If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see > https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. > ----- > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. > You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All. _______________________________________________ gnucash-user mailing list gnucash-user@gnucash.org To update your subscription preferences or to unsubscribe: https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user If you are using Nabble or Gmane, please see https://wiki.gnucash.org/wiki/Mailing_Lists for more information. ----- Please remember to CC this list on all your replies. You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.