# Flow Disappear; did not open it for at least 2 months

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-disappear-did-not-open-it-for-at-least-2-months/45164>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [4 May 2021 12:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-disappear-did-not-open-it-for-at-least-2-months/45164 "2021-05-04T12:13:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HereACE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/67e7ee/32.png) [@HereACE](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/HereACE)\
**Post date:** [4 May 2021 12:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-disappear-did-not-open-it-for-at-least-2-months/45164/1 "2021-05-04T12:13:04Z")

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Helppppp!!!!!!  
I have been working on the flow for months for my sch project and now its no where to be found.I'm like 80% done. Didn't open it for at least 2 months. This happen before perviously as well and i redo it.  
Any ways to retrieve it ???!!!?

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [4 May 2021 12:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-disappear-did-not-open-it-for-at-least-2-months/45164/2 "2021-05-04T12:15:56Z")

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what operating system is node-red running on?

are you using docker?

can you post the startup log - it will tell us where your files are stored. In particular

```auto
4 May 12:06:27 - [info] User directory : /pi/.node-red

```

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [4 May 2021 12:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-disappear-did-not-open-it-for-at-least-2-months/45164/3 "2021-05-04T12:26:46Z")

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Once you find your user directory you should be able to find a) some flows\_... files and also maybe some hidden files named .flows\_... (starting with a . )  
The .flows\_ files are one level previous version and the flows\_ files are the latest.

Sometimes what happens is that your machine may pick up a new hostname (unusual but does happen particularly with Macs on Wifi and/or DHCP on different networks eg home then school. The flows\_xxx file the xxx will change depending on the hostname - so you can just start Node-RED like `node-red flows_myfilejson` - Ie fully specify the flow file name on startup.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [3 July 2021 12:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-disappear-did-not-open-it-for-at-least-2-months/45164/4 "2021-07-03T12:27:22Z")

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