Anki crisis: deleted cards, deleted media

AnkiMobile (iPhone/iPad)
1

I had a major crisis where a months’s work on Anki just went. I accepted it and restored from backup a month ago, but all the audio and media has gone, and to re record 1000s and 1000s of cards is too depressing to think about.

Any help would be a godsend.

Here’s what happened in more detail:
Yesterday I was doing my Anki. Suddenly a message pops up but I don’t read it I just hit confirm on autopilot. All my decks are gone from my phone. Blank home screen.
I turn phone off and on. Still blank. So I try syncing - it says there are no ‘local decks’ or something, ‘would I like to download from the web?’
I say no, delete and reinstall app. Same problem.
Go to Mac, only deck from a month ago and the audio says it’s missing, and pictures/video gone too :tired_face::weary::tired_face::weary::tired_face::weary::weary::weary:

2

You don’t appear to have synced any media deletions recently. Have you tried reviewing some cards on AnkiWeb to see if the media is working there? If it is, you may just need to wait for the media sync to complete, as if you deleted the app and installed again, all the media files will need to be redownloaded. https://faqs.ankiweb.net/media-files-may-take-time-to-sync.html

Both the computer version and AnkiMobile make regular backups, but I’m afraid when you deleted the app, it will have deleted the backups as well.

3

Thanks for the reply Dae.

Yes I did delete the backups when I deleted the app it was very unfortunate.

The media doesn’t work on Anki web either.

But unusually the missing audio files get restored if I export the deck and redownload it - but then I lose my reviews :thinking:

4

I had a look at some of the cards in your AnkiWeb collection and the associated media files are in your account. Could you point me to a card that is not showing up properly when you review it with AnkiWeb?

5

The media seems to be working on Anki web which is great, but I don’t know how to test the audio on Anki web

6

If they’re mp3 files, a play button should appear.

7

Hi Damien, the audio are m4a files and no play button comes up on Anki web when I review them.

The files are there when I go to edit the card (for example in my 1 :iran: deck) but I have no play button on my screen

Many thanks for your responses

8

AnkiWeb currently only supports playing mp3 files.

9

So if I just leave my deck eventually all the media and audio will automatically come back?

If so, any idea how long it takes for a few thousand audio files to migrate back - days, weeks, months?

Many thanks for your support

10

Also, in case it’s relevant, this is how my screen looks on Anki web (no play button for audio)
And the files say

image
image1242×2208 116 KB
image
image1242×2208 377 KB

11

Have you tried playing those cards in the computer version or AnkiMobile instead? Please make sure ‘media sync complete’ is shown first. https://faqs.ankiweb.net/media-files-may-take-time-to-sync.html

12

Okay I’m really confused

I go my reviews this morning (without audio)
Then go to sync so I can check the audio

It is syncing - the number is on like 3000 - then it crashes/times-out and all my reviews are reset
I try to sync again and I get this message !

image|281x500

(My phone is set to persian but I can change to English if you need to read all of it)

13

Now when I sync it seems to sync immediately - no loading 1000s of cards - but the media files are missing

:exploding_head::tired_face:

14

The rec1597790259169.m4a file from your above screenshot does not appear to have ever been uploaded to AnkiWeb. Is this a file you recorded inside the app in the past? If so, I’m afraid a possibility is that you had not synced the file to AnkiWeb prior to deleting the app, meaning a copy was never made. If that’s the case, it will not be possible to recover it. :frowning:

You do still have a large amount of media on AnkiWeb, so not everything appears to be missing. You can use the Check Media button in the Preferences screen to get a report on exactly which files are missing, and by searching for the filenames one by one, you’ll be able to tell which cards need to be recorded again. Sorry I don’t have better news. :frowning:

15

Thanks for all your help Dae

3700 missing media files :weary:

Lesson learned

16

Sorry to hear that :frowning: