8913 - Recovering a Project from the MER File

Question

How do I recover a project from the MER File?

How to I open a project in Studio when all I have is the MER file?

Series/Revision: 1.0; 1.5; 2.0; 2.10.00; 3.0; 3.1; 3.2; 4.0

NOTE: As of Revision 5.00 the ability was added to restore an MER file back to design time. If the
Never allow conversion or Conversion protected bypassword options are selected when creating an
MER file then the Graphic Display (GFX) files will unrecoverable even following the steps below.

Answer

Note*: This procedure will only work on a 32-bit OS only. The importing of the .MED file step will not
work on a 64-bit OS because the older WATCOM Tag database is not supported on a 64-bit OS.

When the development project files have been lost, some of the project information can be recovered
from the MER (Machine Edition Runtime) file itself. However, the following cannot be recovered:

Parameter files
Alarm Setup
Datalog files
Macro files
RSLinx Enterprise shortcut information

Under some circumstances, the Tag Database cannot be recovered either (described below under Tag
Database Recovery).

Recovering RSView Machine Edition 3.x or 4.0 Application Files

In order to recover the application files, it is assumed that you will be using a Win2K or WinXP machine
that is already configured as a development station (for example, RSView Studio 3.x is installed).

This procedure involves accessing temporary files on the computer. Temporary files are normally hidden
by Windows. To make hidden files visible open Control Panel ->Folder Options ->View and select "Show
hidden files and folders".

1. Run the program RSView Machine Edition Station from Start Menu>Programs>Rockwell
Software>RSView Enterprise. If you do not see it there, open Widows Explorer and browse to
C:\Program Files\Rockwell Software\RSView Enterprise\MERuntime.exe The application should
look just as it does on an PanelView Plus.
2. Load the application MER file that you wish to recover from, but do not run the application, it
may display an error but ignore it.
3. Start RSView Studio ME, and begin to create a new application. Type in a new name that is not
already in use on your computer and click the Import button.
4. Select the MED file type to be imported.
5. Now you need to locate the temporary files created for your running application. They should
be located in the C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\~MER.00 directory
 on Windows XP and in the C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\~MER.00 directory on
Windows 7
o NOTES: username will be the user that is currently logged into the computer. The Local
Settings and AppData folders are hidden, see note above. ~MER.00 may be named as
~MER.01, etc.
6. Once the ~MER.00 folder has been located, select the MED file to be imported and follow the
remaining prompts.
7. After the import has completed and the application is finished loading into RSView Studio, close
RSView Studio and RSView Machine Edition Station.

If you are using FactoryTalk View Studio 5.0, you may encounter an error if the MER file was originally
created with revision 5.10 and saved as a version 3.x or 4.0 MER. In this case, please install the patch
roll-up for FactoryTalk View Studio 5.0and repeat the above procedure.

At this point, the Parameter, Alarm Setup, Datalog, and Macro files are not useable and will need to be
removed (see Removing unrecoverable files below).

NOTE: While attempting to import the project an error may occur: Failed to import project, unable to
rename file.
In order to work around this issue, perform the following:

1. Create a new project with the same name as the .med file of the ~mer.00 folder.
2. Right-click on the Displays in the Applications Explorer (of this new project) and choose
Add component into application.... Add all the gfx files from the Gfx folder in the
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\~MER.00 directory.
3. Copy the rest of the folders from this directory to the new project directory:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\RSView Enterprise\ME\HMI
projects\ProjectName

Removing Unrecoverable Files

While most of the application can be recovered from the MER file, the following files cannot be
recovered:

Parameter files
Alarm Setup
Datalog files
Macro files

Although the files will be listed within the application, they are not recognizable by RSView Studio and
must be removed.

1. Open Windows Explorer and locate the MachineAlarms.mal file in the recovered project folder
M_Alarms.

Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\RSView Enterprise\ME\HMI
Projects\<MED_ProjectName>\M_Alarms\MachineAlarms.mal

Windows 7:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\RSView Enterprise\ME\HMI
Projects\<MED_ProjectName>\M_Alarms\MachineAlarms.mal
 2. Delete the MachineAlarms.mal file.
3. Start RSView Studio and open the recovered application.
4. Locate and delete all of the following files from the Application Explorer window:
o All Parameter Files
o All Datalog files
o All Macro files

Recovering RSView Machine Edition 2.x and earlier project files

In order to recover the project files, it is assumed that you will be using a Win2K or WinXP machine that
is already configured as a development station (for example, RSView Studio 2.x is installed). If the Tag
Database is to be recovered, the same computer that opened the original MED (Machine Edition
Development) file will be required (see below under Tag Database Recovery).

1. Locate the program MERuntime.exe in the Rockwell Software\RSView Machine Edition directory
(default is C:\Program Files\Rockwell Software\RSView Machine Edition).
2. Run the MERuntime.exe program and open the project MER file that you wish to recover from.
3. Press the Run button. Once the project is running, leave it running.
4. Then locate the temporary files created for your running project. They should be located in the
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp\~MER.00 directory.

NOTE: username will be the user that is currently logged into the computer. Also, ~MER.00 may
be named as ~MER.01, and so on.
5. Once the ~MER.00 folder has been located, open it and copy all of the folders and files into a
new directory (for example, C:\Temp\MED_ProjectName)
6. You should now have a directory (for example, C:\Temp\MED_ProjectName) that contains the:
7.
o MED file for your project
o Project folders Accounts, ActivityLog,Startup, and Tag.
8. Once the files have been copied over to the new directory, you can now close the running
project.

At this point, there is no current Tag Database for the newly recovered project. Also, the Parameter,
Alarm Setup, Datalog, and Macro files are not useable and will need to be removed (see Removing
Unrecoverable Files in a section above).

Recovering the Tag Database for an RSView Machine Edition 2.x project

The recovered project files so far do not include a Tag Database with them. It is necessary to add a Tag
Database back into the project before you can open the project in RSView Studio.

It is only possible to recover the original Tag Database if you are using the same Windows2000
workstation that opened the original MED file. The Tag Database cannot be recovered from the MER file
itself. However, an ODBC data source should exist on the machine that previously opened the MED
project. The Tag Database can be recovered using this data source.

If you are not using the same Windows2000 workstation that opened the original MED file, then skip
Part A and proceed to Part B.

Part A

1. Open up Administrative Tools from Start Menu\Settings\Control Panel.

2. Open up Data Sources (ODBC).
 3. Under the User DSN tab, look at the list of names for the User Data Sources. Verify that the
name of your recovered MED file is listed under the Name heading (for example,
MED_ProjectName).
o If it is there, you should be able to recover the Tag Database for your project. Proceed
on to step 4.
o If it is not there, the Tag Database cannot be recovered. Proceed on to Part B.
4. Open up the Database Import & Export Wizard for RSView Studio. It should be located in the
Programs directory of the Start Menu under Rockwell Software\RSView Studio Tools\ Database
Import & Export Wizard.
5. Export the Tag database of the recovered MED to a CSV file.
6. Open the newly created CSV file in Microsoft Excel and verify that the Tag Database is listed
there correctly.
7. Go back to Data Sources (ODBC).
8. Under the User DSN tab, look at the list of names for the User Data Sources. Locate and select
the name of your recovered MED file under the Name heading (for example,
MED_ProjectName). Press the Properties button.
9. In the Data Source Name text box, append _bak to the name (for example,
MED_ProjectName_bak). Press OK, and then OK again.

Part B

1. Start up RSView Studio, and create a blank project with the exact same name as the MED file
you are currently recovering. You will need to do this in a separate directory than the recovered
project (for example, C:\Projects\MED_ProjectName).
2. After the project has been created, close the project and shutdown RSView Studio.
3. In Windows Explorer, locate the recovered project files folder (for example,
C:\Temp\MED_ProjectName) and copy all of the files in it.
4. Paste the copied files into the project folder of Step 1 (for example,
C:\Projects\MED_ProjectName).
5. You will be asked if you wish to overwrite files. Click yes to all.
6. Start up RSView Studio and open the recovered MED file from your new project folder. (for
example, C:\Projects\MED_ProjectName\MED_ProjectName.med)

NOTE: If you performed Part A successfully, then proceed on to Step 8. If you did not perform
Part A, then proceed to Removing unrecoverable files.
7. Open up the Database Import & Export Wizard for RSView Studio and import the CSV Tag
Database from Step 4 into your recovered project (for example, C:\Projects\MED_ProjectName\
MED_ProjectName-Tags.CSV)
8. Verify that the Tag Database is correct by looking at the Tag Database Editor in RSView Studio.

Additional Information

If you had Macro, Parameter, or Datalog files added to your project, you will encounter error messages
when you run it. This is because there are references to files that no longer exist. You will need to create
these files again and re-assign them (for example, Re-assign the startup macro for a Display).

Also, objects with tag assignments may not work as they are right now. You may need to open the
display, delete the tag assignment and then reassign the tag. Save the display. In most cases, you need
only do this for one object per screen.