In recent weeks there has been a lot of talk of using PKZip or WINzip for saving files. I have been using PKZip since the late 80's. I have hundreds of files and folders that have been compressed over the years. Last summer I was hit by a virus which destroyed my computer. Recently I was searching for some of my compressed histories and found that I could not open any of them. I checked about 30 disks, each with many files. Not one of them would open. These are all histories needed for my database. I have the data filed on both types of 3.5 disks as well as ZIP100 disks. All are the same. I even tried to open them on two other computers. Still the same. I can't remember the answer I received each time, but the indication was that it "could not open" the file. After seeing all the others with problems on Zipping files, I am begining to wonder if there isn't something wrong with the newer computers. Most were compressed using Win3.1 and Win95. I am now using Win98 and 2000. Anyone have any ideas. I now backup my FO by coping the files to another folder (backup) using the date as the file name. Yes, it does take up a lot of extra space, but at least I have no problems. Someone mentioned last month that they use a "Memory Stick" for moving files from one computer to another. I tried that and it works great. I no longer use the slow ZIP100 for moving my database as the Memory Stick works so much easier. I even tested out using the Stick for working with the files and that works great also, but I am not sure how safe it is, so I just copy the files to the second computer and work on them from there. I an still leary of compressing my backup. It is just as easy to copy the file to a different location as a backup. DonWright@footprints.org Webmaster of http://footprints.org "All Incoming and Outgoing Mail is Scanned with Norton Anti-Virus"