Unable to import Diarium backup onto iPhone iOS 18.1.1

c0c0nut

Hi there. I’m new to this forum & hope I’m posting this in the right place.

When I now try to import a Diarium diary backup onto an iPhone iOS 18.1.1 with Diarium rls 3.1.10 Pro it claims to have worked successfully but only wipes the existing database erasing all previous records.
This procedure has worked successfully for some time and only started to fail after the iPhone iOS update from rls 17.x.x to 18.1.1 yesterday.
Also, if I try to make an entry on any day and the try to return to the main calendar page it closes the app and the entry is lost?
Has anybody else had the same issue.
Art

timo

Are you sure you are't importing an empty diary file?
I tested this on my device with the latest version and it imports the backup file correctly.
That the existing data of your journal is replaced during the import process is expected and has always been like that.

About the second issue, would it be possible to make a short screen recording video and send it to me via mail so I better understand what's going on? I can't reproduce any crash on my device at the moment

c0c0nut

Thanks for checking this out.

Lenovo X1 running W11 - (Version 22H2 - OS Build 22621.4317)
iPhone XR - (iOS 18.1.1)
iPad 2019 - (iOS 17.7.2) (As a test)
Diarium - (Rls. 3.1.10)

Apologies for this but I should have explained that I am using Diarium on a W11 Pro platform on a Lenovo X1 Carbon.
I should also point out that I do not use the Cloud.
I use the X1 to update daily Diarium entries & back that up to the local X1 drive.
I email those backups intermittently to the iPhone (IOS 18.1.1)
I then import that backup into the Diarium app on the iPhone.
I only use the iPhone to check on entries as I'm moving around but use the X1 for all updates.

When I now transfer a backup (taken on the X1) to the iPhone (via email) it issues the usual message that the Import has been successful but actually wipes the entire Diarium diary database completely.
This has only started to happen since the iPhone was updated to iOS Rls. 18.1.1 a couple of days ago and was working perfectly well up to that update for over 2 years.

This issue seems only to relate to W11 Diarium backups, at least according to the following tests.
I loaded Diarium temporarily onto an iPad (Rls 17.7.2)
I emailed a fresh W11 Diarium backup to the iPad & imported it to the iPad Diarium app & it works fine.
If I then take a backup of the iPad Diarium database & transfer it to the iPhone & import it there this also works fine.

So, W11 Diarium database imported to iPhone (18.1.1) - wipes iPhone Diarium database completely.
W11 database to iPad (17.7.2) - works perfectly.
iPad Diarium database to iPhone (18.1.1) - works perfectly.

The issue overall is that W11 database exports will not import to an iPhone running Release 18.1.1

Hope this makes more sense.

Note:
The second issue is just a result of whatever goes wrong when the database is wiped so can be ignored

timo

c0c0nut Backups from Sep 11th onwards wiped the iPhone Diarium database when imported

This is normal behavior. Importing a database always replaces the existing one, the app informs you about that when clicking the "import diary" button.

c0c0nut The issue overall is that W11 database exports will not import to an iPhone running Release 18.1.1

Can you create an example database without real data that shows this behavior? I cannot help as long as I can't reproduce it and have no other clues on what the issue is.
Also, what do you mean with "it does not import"? Is there any error message or alike?

timo

I am still unable to reproduce this on my side. Backup created on Windows 11 imports correctly on iOS 18.1.1.
Please send me an example database file via mail that you believe to be empty/broken.

c0c0nut

Some of the following info has been added to since original post.
Note: All Diarium software has been uninstalled & refreshed along the way
Lenovo X1 - W11 (Version 22H2) (Diarium (Rls 3.1.12.0)
iPhone XR - (iOS 18.1.1) (Diarium Rls 3.1.10)
iPhone SE – (iOS 18.1.1) (As a test) (Diarium Rls 3.1.10)
iPad 2019 - (iOS 17.7.2) (As a test) (Diarium Rls 3.1.10)
iPad 2022 – (iOS 18.1.1) (As a test) (Diarium Rls 3.1.11)

Thanks for having a look at this.
Apologies for not getting back sooner – I had no power here for 2 days after storm Darragh.

I was uneasy about sending on a full copy of my backup as there’s a lot of personal info included.

In an effort to provide an earlier backup with just the first months use I discovered that
backups up to & including Sep 10th ’24 actually imported successfully to Rls 18.1.1 iPhones.

Backups from Sep 11th onwards wiped the iPhone Diarium database when imported to any
Rls 18.1.1 iOS system as before. No problems importing any W11 of backup on the iPad 17.7.2.

The entries on Sept 11th consist of only normal text so I’m not sure why it should cause an issue.
I thought it maybe an issue with file size but Sep 10th & 11th appear to be exactly the same size.

I loaded the Sep 10th backup (to the X1) & entered random text on Sep 11th & backed this up.
I transferred this file to the iPhone & imported it – this worked fine.

If I loaded a Sep 10th ’24 database and copied in the exact text from Sep 11th (which I had pasted into Word), then backed it up & transferred it to the iPhone - this failed as before & wiped the database.

I tried this on both another iPhone & another iPad but both were Rls 18.1.1 and gave the same results as my iPhone XR .
I’ve tried a number of other options manipulating text & dates etc but only managed to fry my brain.

I’ll keep at it for another while & see if I can make any progress.

Thanks for any input.

c0c0nut

Note: This issue only began immediately after the iOS upgrade even though the problem only seems to affect Diarium backups from Sep 11th onwards this year. All subsequent backups from Sep 10th '24 imported as normal to my iPhone up to around 9 days ago when the iOS Rls 18.1.1 iPhone upgrade came down.

c0c0nut

It would take too much time & effort to create an example database that I would be willing to share so
you will be glad to hear that I have put us both out of our misery and have since started using the Cloud option to synchronize both W11 & iOS Diarium data which works perfectly although I do so reluctantly as I'm no fan of the Cloud.
I posted this issue in the hope that somebody else had come across the same issue. It is apparent that I may be the only one to have come across it. I still believe it is a bug though.

timo Can you create an example database without real data that shows this behavior? I cannot help as long as I can't reproduce it and have no other clues on what the issue is.

Also, what do you mean with "it does not import"? Is there any error message or alike?

timo This is normal behavior. Importing a database always replaces the existing one, the app informs you about that when clicking the "import diary" button.

To try and be clear:-

I backup the W11 Diarium database
I transfer that backup to my iPhone via email & save it to "Files" on the iPhone
I select "Settings" on the Diarium app on the iPhone.
I select the "Import Diary" function
I am informed by the app that "This action will replace the current diary irrevocably"
I press "Continue"
I select the most recent W11 Diarium backup from the "Files" folder
App tells me "Diary has been imported successfully"
The screen defaults to the Calendar as normal but there is no data available

All of the information for the past 2yrs or more has disappeared
i.e. both the original data has been wiped & the new backup information has also been wiped.
I get the same result as if i have used the "Reset Diary" option to wipe all data?

Thanks for looking at this.