Knowledge Base

PRB: Default for Removing Orphaned Files May Cause Data Loss

Article ID: 190763

Article Last Modified on 3/7/2005

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q190763

SYMPTOMS

The default response to remove the local copy of a file deleted from the user's master Web project is "Yes." This introduces a scenario where the user may inadvertently delete the file from the local project permanently.

CAUSE

This is a design feature implemented to simplify synchronization of the master Web project and the local Web project.

RESOLUTION

Several methods of restoring lost data are available to the user in this scenario:
  1. If the project is under Source Code Control (SCC), that is, Visual SourceSafe, the user's local file may be replaced with the file in the SCC database.
  2. If the file resides on another user's client computer, the file may be copied from there. NOTE: If the user of the second computer refreshes their local project, the user is also prompted to delete the local copy of the file. At this point, the user should respond "No" to the dialog box, and add the file to the master Web by right-clicking the file in the Project Explorer and selecting the "Add to master Web" command. This should reset the project to its original state.
  3. The file may be restored from a recent backup or archive of the project.

STATUS

This behavior is by design

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Create a Web project and add files to it, ensuring that they are also added to the master Web.
  2. Close the project.
  3. Use Windows Explorer to delete the file from the master Web. Another alternative is to delete the file from within the Visual InterDev Project Explorer on a separate client computer.
  4. Reopen the project on the original client computer.
At this time, a dialog box informs the user that the file was deleted from the master Web. This dialog box asks the user if he or she would like to delete the local copy of this file as well. The default response to this question is "Yes."

Keywords: kbprb KB190763


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