Qiqqa is down since weeks. I need your support extracting or sync my web library. Constant crashes are also an issue. Unable to find any email id of support contact

[arunendramishra]

Hi There, I am in deep trouble. All my research work is on Qiqqa we and I am unable to access as Qiqqa website is down since weeks. I need your support extracting or sync my web library. Constant crashes are also an issue. Unable to find any email id of support contact

[emanelbanna]

Hi, I have the same trouble...Did you find a solution?

[arunendramishra]

Hi, I have the same trouble...Did you find a solution?

Hi , sorry but couldn't find anything till now. Unable to contact anyone from Qiqqa and surprisingly no email or support link provided. It's a loss of almost 4 years work for me.

[GerHobbelt]

Re Qiqqa.com and web libraries: also note the blurb here: https://github.com/jimmejardine/qiqqa-open-source#warning-notice-for-commercial-qiqqa-users-with-a-user-account-and-web-libraries

So I guess qiqqa.com (the original commercial Qiqqa site) is finally down 🤔 (Quantisle announced back in 2019 that this would happen somewhere around Q4 2020, so we've had an extra year.

But that doesn't help resolve the actual problems. So here's how to approach this:

First off, Qiqqa has always kept a local copy of your libraries so my first question for anyone with a library issue is always:

Do you still have access to the machine you've been running Qiqqa on?

If the answer to that one is YES, than we can 'recover' (or rather: continue to use your libraries). More on that below.

If the answer to that is NO, than things will be quite hairy as any 'recovery' of Qiqqa databases starts with having access to the local harddisk in your machine where you have installed and been using Qiqqa on, even if only using that machine some of the time, e.g. when you've been using Commercial Qiqqa in a both-at-home-and-at-the-office(s) type of scenario.

^^^ Anyone who's in the latter category, will have some tough time. We may be able to help, but all positive results start with getting (or having) access to any of the actual Qiqqa machines.

That being said, I will assume you still have access to your local Qiqqa machine you've been using before.

For the risk-averse, it's a two-stage process:

1. create a full backup of the current library collection to ensure nothing can get lost.
2. install a new Qiqqa version and have it (auto-)discover your library set.

1. create a full backup of the current library collection to ensure nothing can get lost.

Re stage 1: all Qiqqa user data is stored in a directory set inside the so-called "Qiqqa base directory": you can find out where that directory is located in your personal machine by following the guide here: https://github.com/jimmejardine/qiqqa-open-source/blob/master/docs-src/Notes/FAQ/How%20to%20locate%20your%20Qiqqa%20Base%20Directory.md

Do note that the last bit of that guide addresses so extra work that's irrelevant here, as it was originally written for someone who had a specific issue with one particular library in their Qiqqa library set, so ignore the last couple of paragraphs in there that go on about inspecting the subdirectories and config files, hunting for a specific library.

What you need to do instead is BACKUP EVERYTHING in the QIQQA BASE DIRECTORY. (ZIPping it (or using other archival tools) and storing that ZIP archive elsewhere would be a fine idea.)

2. install a new Qiqqa version and have it (auto-)discover your library set.

All Qiqqa v8x (v80, v81, v82, v83, ...) releases are binary compatible and can be installed over one another, replacing the existing install. These are also binary compatible with the last Commercial Qiqqa release (v79), so you can safely install an open-source Qiqqa 'over' the current Qiqqa.

While Open Source Qiqqa does not support Qiqqa Cloud access, you can still access and use those libraries locally as we can access that local copy that Qiqqa has been using all the time anyway. (The Cloud Access code and keys were never open-sourced by Quantisle, so even if that site were still up, I wouldn't bee able to add that functionality back into Qiqqa again.)

TL;DR: open-source Qiqqa doesn't ask for a log-in code, does auto-search and import all existing Qiqqa libraries it can find, including your original Qiqqa Cloud libraries as it will inspect their local copies, which should be up-to-date if the machine you're using now has been the machine you used Commercial Qiqqa on last. (Otherwise your local copy will only carry the material state of affairs at the time of your last Sync action in this local Qiqqa.)

For a bit of extra help with installing Qiqqa (and places to get the various releases), see https://github.com/jimmejardine/qiqqa-open-source/blob/master/docs-src/Notes/FAQ/Installing%20Qiqqa%20-%20Updating%20Qiqqa.md

Additional, important bit of advice

When you're going to install Qiqqa, please use the latest v82 release first, as that is the most stable, generally. The v83 releases are okay for some people, but are all created as test releases for particular problems and have some known bugs, which may bite you.

What if I don't like/want v82?

If you don't like it at all, then you could opt for the closest possible equivalent of the v79 version, which is v80, the first (and last) OSS release from Quantisle / Jardine -- which is basically v79 with all Cloud Access stripped off plus a couple of quick tweaks to make the beast run without commercial license info & validation.

I don't recommend using v80 as it shared the same bugs with v79, which killed my own libraries and Qiqqa usage, but YMMV -- if you were happy using v79, you're probably okay with v80 as well.

However, do realize that v80 has some bugs around thee library discovery code, so my advice is to use v82. If you do not like it, you can always backpedal by installing v80, which will replace/overwrite it as any Qiqqa version will install over older or newer previously installed releases. Ergo: you can try any version you like from the list of releases and always go back to a version you liked better.

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Let me know how it goes in the comments below. 👍

[GerHobbelt]

Whoops, forgot to list this link: https://github.com/jimmejardine/qiqqa-open-source#download--install-qiqqa which is a bit more concise on where to find the Qiqqa software releases that aree ready for download and install.

[arunendramishra]

Thanks @GerHobbelt for such a detailed answer, I really appreciate. But the issue is my Windows crashed and I lost everything on my local machine and no backup at all. I regularly sync my work on my web library and that contains all my 850+ papers / pdfs. It's all my 4 years work. Any how; can I get the access to my web library and download/recover it. I am sorry, was not aware about Qiqqa's exit news.

[GerHobbelt]

Ouch!

can I get the access to my web library and download/recover it.

The only one who might be able to help you is @jimmejardine himself (Quantisle owner), but I expect your chances to be very slim.

This is, regrettably, a fundamental problem with all cloud storage services: when the (commercial) provider goes away/stops for whatever reason -- a management or other involved party action which by definition is outside the control of its users -- you instantly loose access to your data. As far as I know AWS or anyone else does not keep images beyond contract termination date for user access/recovery purposes, hence I believe you'ld be extremely lucky if you'ld get your cloud data recovered.

You are in a very bad spot, I'm sorry. 😢

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Next part is also for general audience who land here any time later.

How about local recovery? Can anything still be pulled off a crashed system/disk?

Local recovery chances are also very slim to not-doable, depending on a complex set of circumstances: I'll try & write down the decision tree here:

1. After a system crash, any recovery is predicated on whether the (drive) hardware has been written to afterwards or not. More writing afterwards decreases the chance of recovery, quickly.

   I have found over the decades while I work with these machines and help people out that very few people are aware and act on the knowledge that the safest thing to do is immediately stop operations, take a crashed disk and never write-touch it until full recovery has been concluded and verified to have succeeded. In practice this means taking a disk out, replacing it with a fresh one and installing the OS there. ("write-touch" includes any modification action, such as (re-)partitioning, (re-)formatting (including windows' Quick Format), (re-)installing Windows OS or other data/files on the same disk, etc.)

   I assume you're like (almost) all of us, hence I assume you re-installed Windows on the machine, using the same (drive) hardware.

   For those rare individuals who take a crashed disk out and store it safely without touching until they have their recovery process completed and verified, I can state from experience that the only viable software tool that works for me in such recovery scenarios is GetDataBack Pro when you need to recover a disk that's been used under Windows. It's commercial software and I have a license as I've been using it to good effect on several occasions. (Tested many similarly marketed tools; they all failed to deliver.)

   For anyone reading this now or later: Mind you, this 'success' is very strongly predicated on not having touched the drive at all after the moment of failure -- any write activity, either implicitly (by the operating system) or explicitly (user action), very quickly drops success rates from near 100% for OS software failures to way below 50%. (Drive hardware failures are a different kettle entirely and immediately proceed to step 2 below.)

   For those rare individuals who take a crashed disk out and store it safely without touching until they have their recovery process completed and verified: This is the first (and best) of two scenarios where I know a consumer-accessible toolkit is available that has a rather decent chance of delivering recovery. (The other scenario is when using dual partitions and being very strict re using second partition vs. primary one. See step 3 below.)

   Anything below this point in this list/decision-tree quickly runs up your costs and pretty soon arrives at solutions only available at extreme expense and govt/corporate access only (because anyone else simply can't bear the cost).

2. If the failure/crash was a physical problem, i.e. "hardware failure", rather than a software / operating system failure, then the above solution can work, as long as all conditions mentioned above apply, i.e. the hardware has not been written to by whatever means after the crash.

   Anyone who's in this particular boat: if your harddrive does not respond normally after the failure (e.g. after fatal head crash), then you'll need to look for professional services that take your drive and perform a "forensic recovery" (or words like that). Red flags here: if the company doesn't ask for your drive's model, type code and other model identifying data (such as a hardware manufacturing serial number on the label), then you should look elsewhere. Very few companies offer this service for real as it means they'll need to "swap parts" at least, where they must have your particular disk in storage, in mint condition (a.k.a. "known good"). Reckon with the bill easily surpassing the 500 USD mark, don't be surprised when you want a full recovery that that number got another significant zero added to it.

3. You have written to the disk afterwards. 😭 This is sub-scenario A and the one for, ahhh, a lucky few: IF you did partition your drive into two partitions (or more) and rigorously stuck to storing your personal / important user data on the second partition only, i.e. NOT in the C: Windows Operating System partition, NOT in the Windows "helpfully provided" Documents, Pictures, etc. directories, but in a separate structure and partition, e.g. D:, then the GetDataBack software has a pretty good chance at finding your original partition and the all-important $MFT where-did-stuff-get-stored index data for that partition -- and recovering it to another disk.

   Here too, I find, that very few people do this (I'm one of them), as this action completely bypasses/discards MS/Windows default installs and comes at a high initial cost: expending the extra effort of (manually) partitioning and installing Windows. I've also observed that many laptop hardware vendors make this well-near impossible to do by pre-installing locked OEM Windows on single-partition drives for your ease-of-use. It's indeed much easier to start with, but burns one badly on system failure -- unless you take out the drive immediately and insert a fresh one, then recover the old one separately.

   When this scenario applies (all user data on a separate partition on the same drive, failure mode was only a software failure, not a drive hardware failure, drive has not been re-partitioned or has been partitioned exactly as before, second (user data) partition has not been touched, OS has been (re-)installed on the first partition again, while not touching the user data partition for use as 'cache' during install or other Smart Alec moves by MS under the hood) chances are reasonable to good for getting your data back.

   This is the last very specific and rare scenario, where recovery chances are anywhere near 'good'. Anything else is "spin your prayer wheels like mad".

4. You have written to the disk afterwards. 😭 You have kept your user data and OS all on the same partition, a.k.a. Windows drive (almost always that's drive C:). You probably even re-installed the OS and (😰😰😰) any applications you use.

   This means you've been writing a lot of data to your drive afterwards. With every bit of additional data / applications that you stored/installed, chances are reduced even further. (This is not a linear scale, as the conditions are very complex. The chance of recovery we're talking about here is slim to none, anyway.)

   Anyone in this boat is usually SOL (Shit Out of Luck). GetDataBack may be able to still find and recover one or a few original files (that is, IF you did 'Quick Format' the drive; because a complete format will have nuked everything for sure!) -- while you might have one or two very important documents on there and no backup, buying GetDataBack and using it is only economically sane when you reckon with a 1% chance of recovery and you rate your lost documents at a worth at least 100x the price of said software plus another machine, where you will mount this drive and run this software, because installing it on a drive which you wish to recover from is writing more data on a drive you wish to recover and thus extremely counter-productive. In other words: that document you hope to recover should be worth at least USD 7900, or you should skip this option and see if the next one can provide any results.

   Specifically to the case of OP, recovering 800+ documents when this scenario applies is... not realistically doable this way.

5. You have written to the disk afterwards. 😭 Your original data is very valuable however and you're willing to throw significant cash at the problem in hopes and rate a partial success as a great result. IF NOT, your options are depleted and recovery is a 'economically non-viable option' at this point. Your data is regrettably lost permanently.

   For those (generally in a company setting) who decide attempts at recovery are still 'economically sane' when the expected expense will surpass the 1K USD mark, here's the start for that particular action:

   Make sure any potential additional write activity on the drive which needs recovery, is immediately halted by physically unmounting and storing or by powering off the machine in which it sits and not touching it -- your next action there will be packaging and shipping or rather: couriering the valuable drive to the service site.

   Meanwhile, you find a "drive recovery" company, which has "forensic recovery" capabilities and has a long track record with this type of work. Those services will be costly! Red flags: see above at step 2 where I mention hardware failures: that's usually when those folks are called in and such a recovery service company must have all recoverable drives on stock in mint condition. Today, when you're here and this is your scenario, where we assume software failure only, followed by (possibly massive) data (over-)writes, then you need to check for something else instead: can the service company recover "previous write cycles" (this is extremely specialized work and will run up the bill like mad; the usual customers for this are governments, where they seek to recover data that's been intentionally 'wiped'). I don't have current price figures for this as it's been an age since I got near this scenario and back then it was a hefty charge -- worth it as it involved failed backups and loads of critical financial data. Long story, plenty headaches. In short: it exists, but it's not for consumers. Meanwhile, I only expect this to work on classic drives, i.e. "spinning disks". Been far removed from that bunch since long, so no idea how they approach SSD recovery, but you can bet your ass its cost is way more than your nett worth.

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TL;DR summary?

Any chance at recovery requires local direct access to the drive where Qiqqa has been used.

Any write activity (implicit or explicit through user action) AFTER THE FACT very quickly lowers your chances at recovery success, even if you're okay with a very much reduced "partial recovery" result.

Any non-recoverable (drive) hardware failure means you'll need specialized services. Costly.

Any chance at recovery starts with immediately stopping the use of the drive-of-interest. Thus any recovery done by you or other parties that may help starts with: load the drive-of-interest into another machine, where it is not mounted or otherwise directly accessed by any operating system as a regular partition/drive: the only software that may touch it is the (specialized) recovery software.

If you immediately stopped using the drive and it's not a non-recoverable hardware failure, then GetDataBack is a pretty good software tool to help you recover your data. I use it semi-regularly for this scenario (no writes after failure, etc.etc.etc. conditions apply).

Any other scenario results in steeply increasing costs, depending on circumstances (lots of variables there!) and/or a steeply diminishing chance at recovering part or whole. The key phrase here is "chances are slim to none".

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Advice to prevent recurrence / Don't let it bite you again

Yes, I am that dumb: I have been bitten several times during 30+ years working with computers. I am a hard learner that way; it didn't, ahhh, 'help' that I've usually been able to recover 80+% of my stuff anyway, despite a haphazard approach to backup-making-and-verifying (most folks forget that last critical part right there - including should-have-known-better parties such as banks).

So, yes, I know I am not exactly perfect about what I'm preaching here. Nevertheless, I somehow always managed to stick to the rule "don't write-touch it after it fails" and that, I feel, has saved my bacon several times.

• Cloud storage is nice, but fundamentally an "outside your control" store: when the cloud service decides to quit or cuts you off for whatever reason, you're done. (Then why is everybody using "cloud"? Good question! Think about what "insurance" (as a concept) means and does, and you'll see the answer to that question.)
• Always keep physical copies of the data/stuff that's important enough to you, that you rather don't want to loose it. Making this behaviour a recurrent pattern helps to embed it, but there's means, choices, etc. that can complicate matters, so make a copy once in a while, at least.
• Keep multiple physical copies (you may need to save money for additional (external) disk drives if you're on a tight budget) for all the data/stuff you really don't want to loose. You may consider storing one or more copies in a vault elsewhere or at trusted friends to account for events like "building burning down". (Updating your remote backup combines nicely with a social visit, that way. 😉 🍷 )

I know. That's extra money and time and effort you could be using more productively elsewhere, or at least that would be my initial thought. Trouble is, I've discovered the hard way that thought is a short-term truth and a very evil long-term lie. Hence I buy extra disks, have collected a couple of (USB) harddrive bays over the years and crashes still happen, but generally loose me (much) less important data than before.