Debbie; You just said the magic word, I have had few major crashes since I started with my first computer in '82, and quickly learned to have copies of everything including programs (its legal to make a personal backup copy and recommended by most software companies.) All the crashes except the last two were totally unrecoverable, i.e. replace the drive and reinstall all software and backup files. The time before last I had a "current" backup tape and a boot disk. The last time I had just installed a extra hard drive (a full twin) and used the "DriveCopy" program. Although most computers are very reliable it is only a question of when, not if, it is going down. My last was strange because the only program and files that crashed were my genealogy files. It's important that a backup system is used and a copy kept in a safe, protected place. The alternate is time consuming reconstruction! and a lot of Maalox. Incidentally, some of the newer computers (all price ranges) have a minimal power supply, and if to much extra components are install it will cause all sorts of weird problems, mostly heat related due to the overworked p/s. Dick Smith Biggers and more dws@cet.com Spokane ----- Original Message ----- From: "Debbie Jennings" <debj@comsys.net> To: <INOWEN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 9:45 PM Subject: [INOWEN] Thanks > > The cause for all I do with my files is 3 computer crashes have taught me to > protect my files in whatever way I could. > I have developed ways to do this through careful thought and trial and > error.
Dick and rest of list: You are so right and I cannot stress strongly enough to have everything backed up. I don't think I know anyone who hasn't had some type of crash of the system. I realized from the start after the first crash, if I were loosing irreplacable items it was my own fault. I have been fortunate to have persons able to help me recover items not backed up such as personal addresses. My father and I keep copies of each others files just in case the other goes down. Recently upon my last crash many persons were very helpful in replacing addresses. My father,my great uncle and Nancy White, I also had offers from many others. I do hope everyone is considerate in these things as you never know, as Dick Smith said, "it isn't a matter of IF, but when". I know that Nancy White(VWhite0901@aol.com) recently had a crash and lost addresses and things and since I knew she would do it for me (and had) I was more than happy to return the favor. Incidentally, if any of you converse with her, you might want to send her your address just in case. I think the biggest loss (except your files of course) is the loss of addresses and look up persons. Look up persons are so invaluable and if you find a really great one, you hate to loose it. So now I keep those separate on a floppy. It's strange, cars wear out, clothes wear out, but most people think their computers won't. I do realize they are modern technology,BUT they are manmade and even brand new ones can have defective parts. If many of you are anything like most genealogists there are some items you carry around in your head with the thought of "one of these days, I gotta get that in my files", then you crash and when restoring without backups it is hard to remember (I always get crazy at that time) just exactly which of those little mental notes you did or didn't get into the file. Debbie Jennings debj@comsys.net "Following the footprints through time"