# Flow gone, or not visible

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [16 August 2019 19:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406 "2019-08-16T19:25:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![edje11](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/edje11/32/572_2.png) [@edje11](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/edje11)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/1 "2019-08-16T19:25:02Z")

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I worked the whole day on a flow, it was 99% finished and now it's gone. 🤪  
The tab in the editor where it was on is gone, the other tabs are still there.  
Clicking on **search flow** and type in one of node names used will show the node, but clicking on it will not bring me to the flow.  
Looking in the _flowxxxxx.json_ with a text editor you can "see" that there is still something, functions etc that I made are there.  
Tried to restore the _.flowxxxx.json.backup_ file, but there's also the missing tab not available.

Anybody a hint/tip to get the tab with my flow back?

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/2 "2019-08-16T19:31:31Z")

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Have you got 2 flows files at different locations?  
If you stop/start node-RED and look at the log, it will show you the location of the flows file that is being loaded.  
Is the one that you mentioned above at the same location?

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**Author:** ![edje11](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/edje11/32/572_2.png) [@edje11](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/edje11)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/3 "2019-08-16T19:35:25Z")

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Yep, the file where we are talking about is the one the got loaded according the log.

Ps, _flowxxxxx.json_ was not the real name, _flows\_Desktop-Win10-64B.json_ is.

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/4 "2019-08-16T19:35:51Z")

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Do you have subflows ?

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**Author:** ![edje11](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/edje11/32/572_2.png) [@edje11](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/edje11)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/5 "2019-08-16T19:37:47Z")

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Yep, I have 3 subflows (but not used in the missing tab)

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/6 "2019-08-16T19:38:09Z")

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look in there.

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**Author:** ![edje11](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/edje11/32/572_2.png) [@edje11](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/edje11)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/7 "2019-08-16T19:42:48Z")

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No, missing flow is not in the subflows.

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 19:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/8 "2019-08-16T19:44:37Z")

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No additional "unused" subflow on the left ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![edje11](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/edje11/32/572_2.png) [@edje11](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/edje11)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 20:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/9 "2019-08-16T20:02:59Z")

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No, no "unused" subflows.

Meanwhile I got the missing tab back.  
Started NR with a new flow **Node-red Testflow**  
Copied everything from the _flows\_Desktop-Win10-64B.json_ file with a text editor.  
In the new **Testflow** Import -\> Clipboard.

Missing tab is now returned as Tab1.

I happy now again, thanks for the help.

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**Author:** ![afelix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/afelix/32/9743_2.png) [@afelix](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/afelix)\
**Post date:** [16 August 2019 20:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-gone-or-not-visible/14406/10 "2019-08-16T20:39:44Z")

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Please note that by default the flows use the hostname of the computer. If for whatever reason the hostname of the flow changes, it will create a new flow with the new hostname by default. This can be "prevented" by starting node-red with the name of the flow. See the command-line help for the full command:

```auto
afelix@Hewlett:~/.node-red$ node-red --help
Node-RED v0.20.7
Usage: node-red [-v] [-?] [--settings settings.js] [--userDir DIR]
                [--port PORT] [--title TITLE] [--safe] [flows.json]

Options:
  -p, --port PORT port to listen on
  -s, --settings FILE use specified settings file
      --title TITLE process window title
  -u, --userDir DIR use specified user directory
  -v, --verbose enable verbose output
      --safe enable safe mode
  -?, --help show this help

Documentation can be found at http://nodered.org

```