Mapeo Support Materials
English
English
  • Introduction
  • Overview
    • About Mapeo
      • Mapeo tools
      • Peer-to-peer & Mapeo sync
      • How Mapeo is being used
    • Is Mapeo right for me?
    • FAQs
  • Quick start guide
    • Getting started
    • Mapeo Mobile
    • Mapeo Desktop
  • Complete Reference guide
    • Welcome – Introduction
    • 🗒️Essentials for a successful Mapeo project
      • Planning a Mapeo project
        • What is the project goal?
        • What outputs do you want?
        • What information to collect?
          • Data types within Mapeo
        • Who should be involved and how?
        • What are the parameters?
      • Security & risk assessment
      • Creating user protocols
    • ✔️Will Mapeo work out-of-the-box for me?
      • Default configuration
      • Default background map
    • ⚙️Customization options
      • Translating Mapeo & default configurations
      • Custom configurations
        • Creating custom configurations
          • Planning configuration & data structure
            • Categories
            • Icons
            • Details fields
          • Coding configuration
            • Adding icon files
              • Creating and exporting SVG files using Adobe Illustrator
              • Creating and exporting SVG files using Inkscape
            • Creating details fields
            • Creating categories
            • Defining geometry defaults
            • Adding a project key
            • Adding project name and version
            • Building configuration file
              • Via the command line
              • Using GitHub Actions
          • Testing and iterating
      • Custom background maps
        • Creating custom background maps
          • Generating map files in .mbtiles format for the experimental Background Maps feature
    • 📱Mapeo Mobile installation & setup
      • Installing Mapeo Mobile
      • Choosing Mapeo Mobile settings
      • Experiments: Turning on experimental features
        • Directional Arrow
        • P2P (peer-to-peer) App Updates
        • Background Maps
        • Security
          • App Passcode
          • Obscure Passcode
      • Importing configurations into Mapeo Mobile
      • Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Mobile
      • Updating Mapeo Mobile
    • 📱Mapeo Mobile use
      • Activating GPS and viewing current location
      • Creating observations
      • Viewing observations
      • Editing and deleting observations
      • Sharing data externally
      • Syncing data via Wi-Fi
    • 💻Mapeo Desktop installation & setup
      • Installing Mapeo Desktop
      • Choosing Mapeo Desktop language
      • Importing configurations to Mapeo Desktop
      • Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Desktop
      • Updating Mapeo Desktop
    • 💻Mapeo Desktop use
      • Mapeo Desktop for managing Mapeo Mobile data (Observations mode)
        • Synchronizing data
          • Synchronizing via Wi-Fi
          • Synchronizing with a file
        • Viewing observations
        • Editing and deleting observations
        • Exporting data & sharing externally
      • Mapeo Desktop for creating territory data (Territory mode)
        • Navigating around the map
        • Creating and editing territory data
        • Changing background maps in Territory mode
        • Importing and using external geospatial data
        • Exporting and syncing data
      • Synchronizing data with Mapeo Desktop
    • 💡Mapeo trainings
      • Defining goals and format
      • Structuring a training
        • Best practices for planning a training
        • Structuring the agenda, content and activities
          • Suggestions for the different sections of a training event
          • Tips and suggested activities for training key features of Mapeo
          • Materials and resources available for the training event
      • Preparing equipment and supplies for a training
        • Recommended equipment and supplies
        • Tech preparation before doing in-person training
    • 🔧Troubleshooting
      • I can't start Mapeo
      • Mapeo closes automatically
      • I have problems with the GPS in Mapeo
        • GPS is not activated in Mapeo
        • My GPS signal is very weak
      • I have problems with the camera in Mapeo
        • I get a black screen when using the camera
      • I want to update Mapeo Mobile permissions
      • I have sync issues
        • I want to connect to Wi-Fi
        • I want to create local Wi-Fi networks
          • With a portable router
          • With a smartphone
        • The device I want to sync with does not show up on my Synchronize screen
        • I get an error when I try to sync with another device
        • I can't sync with the sync file
        • The person I want to sync with has deleted valuable data
      • Sharing files between devices
      • Saving and printing Mapeo reference materials
      • How do I back up Mapeo Desktop data?
    • Glossary & quick reference sheets
      • Glossary of Mapeo related terms
      • Overview of Mapeo Desktop Territory mode screen
  • For developers
    • Mapeo architecture overview
    • Mapeo repositories
    • Localization
  • Support
  • Additional references
  • Digital Democracy website
Powered by GitBook
On this page
  • Check that both devices use the same configuration
  • Check that they use the same version of Mapeo
  • Make sure the sync file is not corrupted
Export as PDF
  1. Complete Reference guide
  2. Troubleshooting
  3. I have sync issues

I can't sync with the sync file

PreviousI get an error when I try to sync with another deviceNextThe person I want to sync with has deleted valuable data

Last updated 2 years ago

Currently, only computers with Mapeo Desktop installed can sync with a sync file (.mapeodata). If you're having trouble syncing with a sync file, explore the various solutions, in this order:

Check that both devices use the same configuration

To sync with a sync file, the configuration the sync file was created with must be the same as the configuration used by the device you want to sync with.

First of all, check that this is the case. To do this, check what configuration the computer you want to sync with is using, and find out what configuration the computer that created the sync file uses. You can check the configuration used in Mapeo Desktop at the bottom of the Synchronization screen.

If the configuration is not the same, you have two possible options:

Option A: Change the settings on the target computer

On the computer where you want to sync the file, import the configuration used to create the sync file. For it:

  1. In the popup window, navigate to the folder on the computer where you saved the configuration file (.mapeosettings) that you want to import. Click the file, then click Open. You may see a white screen for a few seconds while the configuration is changed.

  2. Try again to sync with the desired sync file.

Option B: Change settings on the source computer

On the computer where the sync file was created, import the configuration you're using on the computer you want to sync with and recreate the sync file. To do so, follow the next steps:

  1. In the popup window, navigate to the folder on the computer where you saved the configuration file (.mapeosettings) that you want to import. Click the file, then click Open. You may see a white screen for a few seconds while the configuration is changed.

  2. Re-create the sync file, from the Synchronization screen, by clicking the Create Sync File button. Do not close or exit the Synchronization screen until the process is complete. Closing in the middle of the process could create a corrupt sync file.

  3. Share the sync file with the computer you want to sync with. For more information on this point, see Sharing files between devices

  4. On the destination computer, on the Synchronize screen, click Synchronize with synchronization file.

  5. Browse the popup window until you find the desired file and click Open. Do not close the synchronization screen until you have finished the synchronization process. Closing in the middle of the process could corrupt data.

Check that they use the same version of Mapeo

Normally, the use of different versions does not cause problems when synchronizing, although if the versions are very different from each other, it can be problematic. If the sync file was created with a version of Mapeo that is very old or different from the one you use on the computer you want to sync with, you could have problems. To fix this problem, follow the steps below:

  1. Make sure the sync file was created using the same version of Mapeo that the computer you want to sync with is using. In Mapeo Desktop, you can see the version used at the bottom left of the Mapeo modes panel.

If they use the same version, skip to the next step.

2. If they are not using the same version, you will need to update Mapeo on the device that is using the older version. For more information visit Updating Mapeo Desktop

Make sure the sync file is not corrupted

There may be a few factors that lead to a corrupt sync file. One of them could be leaving the synchronization page before the process of creating a synchronization file has been completed. Another could be that you have synced the file with a corrupted database. But there could be more factors.

To address this issue, follow the steps below:

  1. If possible, create a new sync file and try to sync with the destination computer again. Do not close the synchronization screen until you have finished the process. Closing in the middle of the process could create a corrupt sync file.

Indicators of corrupted data

To investigate on your own if the sync file is corrupted, you can use the following clues:

  • If when creating the synchronization file, Mapeo has been frozen for many hours, it is likely that you have corrupted data.

  • If when synchronizing with a synchronization file, Mapeo Desktop freezes for many hours in the synchronization process, without increasing the number of Data or Images, it is likely that the synchronization file contains corrupted data.

  • If there are observations with photographs in your Mapeo Desktop or Mobile database that you cannot open, it is likely that those observations are corrupted.

  • If in your Mapeo Desktop or Mobile database there are observations with dates that don't make any sense (for example, 1970), it is likely that those observations are corrupted.

On Mapeo Desktop, on the Top menu bar, click File and select Import Configuration.

Restart Mapeo Desktop.

On Mapeo Desktop, on the Top menu bar, click File and select Import Configuration.

Restart Mapeo Desktop.

If it is not possible to create a new sync file again, or if you have tried it and it does not work, contact the Digital Democracy technical team through our multilingual mapeo-users chat on .

You can try deleting that data and creating a new sync file (.mapeodata), but we think it's safer to contact Digital Democracy's technical team via our multilingual mapeo-users chat for advice.

🔧
Discord
Discord
Check that both devices use the same configuration
Check that they use the same version of Mapeo
Make sure the sync file is not corrupted