Knowledge Base

File Locations

General Folders

The default application folder of The Observer is:

C:\Program Files\Noldus\The Observer XT 17

You can change the application folder during installation. Your The Observer XT files are stored, by default, in:

• C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Noldus\The Observer XT\Projects
• C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Noldus\The Observer XT\Video files
• C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Noldus\The Observer XT\Audio files
• C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Noldus\The Observer XT\Templates

Project-Level Folders

Each project you make has its own folder. It is named as the project and contains the following subfolders:

• Analysis Results — with the analysis results files (*.arx).
• Episode Selections — with the episode selection files (*.esr).
• Event Data — with the binary observational data files.
• Export — with the exported files (*.odx, *.txt, *.xls).
• External — with the imported binary external data, or imported European Data Format Files (*.pbi).
• Intermediate — with files created by the external data analysis.
• Plug-ins — with settings of installed external plugins.

Other Folders

Import Profiles

The profiles for import of observational (*.oip) and physiological data (*.eip) are stored in:

C:\ProgramData\Noldus\Common\Profiles

Log and Dump Files

The Observer continually records computer events to a log file. If you encounter problems using the software, the Technical Support Department may ask you to send two files: the log file Observer.log and the dump file The Observer XT 17.dmp. These are stored at:

• Log file — C:\ProgramData\Noldus\The Observer\XT 17\Log
• Dump file — C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Temp\

Recover Data

Temporary Project

When you open a project, The Observer XT creates a temporary copy of the entire project folder in:

C:\ProgramData\Noldus\The Observer\XT 17\Temp

The ProgramData folder is usually hidden. To show it, open Windows Explorer and select Hidden files from the View menu.

The name of the temporary copy is the same as the project folder, but with a tilde (~) at the front. This folder contains the file ~[project name].vop and ~[project name].bkp. When you save a project, all files from the temporary copy are copied to the original project folder.

When you score observational data, data are saved every new event line to the temporary copy. When you save the project, the new data are saved in the original project folder.

The temporary copy only contains files created by The Observer XT. Other files, such as video files, are not copied to the temporary folder. The temporary copy can be used to restore a damaged project. Contact Noldus support if this is needed.

Autosave

The Observer XT by default automatically creates a temporary backup every five minutes. To change this, choose File > Preferences > Auto Recovery and specify the settings.

Backup in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Besides the Backup function in The Observer XT (to back up single projects), you can use the File History function of Windows 10 and 11 to back up multiple projects automatically.

1. Include your project folders in a Library. To do so, open Windows File Explorer, right-click the folder you want to back up, for example the entire Noldus\The Observer XT folder. Select a library, or choose Create New Library to make a new one.
2. Connect your computer to a network drive or an external hard disk.
3. In the Apps window, type File History.
4. Click the File History tile that appears.
5. Choose a drive for the backup.
6. Choose Advanced Settings, then choose how often the changed files are backed up and how long the files are kept.
7. Choose Exclude Folders and select the folders to leave out of the backup.
8. Click Turn On.

Notes:

• To restore the backed-up library, click Restore Personal Files. Use the arrow keys at the bottom to select the correct version and click the Restore button.
• To create a backup of an individual project, choose File > Backup in The Observer XT.

Source: The Observer XT 17 Help - File Management, Noldus Information Technology