Thanks for your advice Lynn. I am trying not to panic! However I cannot open my own Paf file - nothing happens when I click on the icon. so I can't read the Paf instructions. I have 2 new icons on desktop - one with the new downloaded but uninstalled file which comes up with Security Warning saying the publisher could not be verified - choose Run or Cancel. And the other icon is the one for my niece's Paf which opens to the same page as John Walden gets -" an opening screen with a photo of a dozen or so people in a family environment but can not get anything more" My inclination is to delete the new download which incidentally is called PAF5English setup - does that sound right? ----- Original Message ----- From: <lemow@email.com> To: <paf-5-users@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 11:26 PM Subject: Re: [PAF-5] lost Paf > > Marg, > Don't panic. > > You should not need more than one copy of the PAF program files on your > computer. The latest version of PAF is 5.2.18. Downoanding and > installing an updated copy of the PAF program should not impact your data > files. They are probably still on your computer. > > If I understand right what you want to do is to have more than one data > file. Yours and your neices. A data file is different that the program > files. > > What I suppect happened is that you did not set your preferences the same > in the new downloaded program as they were in your old program. Click on > tools. Click on preferences, Click on folders. The top line should list > the location of your data files. Make this entry the same in your new > program as it was in your old program. You should then be able to open > your data file. > > To read about preferences start PAF, click on help in the top menu line > and click on user's guide. When it opens scroll down the menu on the left > side until you see preferences. Click on that and read up on to do it. > > To use more than one data file just make sure they have different names. > > Good luck > Lynn > -----Original Message----- > From: Marg & Neil Andrews <margay@tadaust.org.au> > To: PAF-5-USERS@rootsweb.com > Sent: Thu, Feb 17, 2011 5:56 am > Subject: [PAF-5] lost Paf > > > Hi everyone, > am helping a niece in NZ with her research and thought it would be a good > idea > o download > nother Paf file onto my computer to fill in her tree. > I have the new one downloaded but not installed yet, because I must have > done > omething stupid in the process as now I can't open my own Paf file (or any > ack-up dvd's either). > ave I somehow uninstalled the original PAF program? > s the new download overruling my own records? > am hesitant to continue on the installation of the new download as I no > longer > eel confident about what I need to do. My old version of PAF is 5.0 and > I > hink the new one is the same. > am using Windows XP. > If anyone can help solve my problem or suggest where I can go (apart from > to a > ental Asylum thinking > have lost many years of work), > would very much appreciate some help. > Marg Andrews Queensland Australia.

If you have the typical installation, then select Start>Programs>FamilySearch>PAF and start PAF5. It should open with the last file you were using unless you closed that file before quiting PAF5. In any case, you can then select File>Open and select the appropriate PAF file. I would not delete the download, but keep it in case you decide to reinstall. It is always a good idea to keep copies of program files you install for future use. So you might already have the file on your system some place else (that is why it is a good idea to use the default download folder in Windows or oen you create to do the same thing). Before reinstalling, I would suggest you go to the START>Control Panel>Add Remove Programs (or Programs and Features in VISTA and Win7) and select remove/change of PAF5. When it opens up select English (or the language you desire) and then a repair and that should fix your issues. If you get nothing with the icon select, you might try to use the right button on the icon (I am assuming this is a PAF file -- I never use this method of opening my PAF files) and select Open With, then select PAF5. Bill > Thanks for your advice Lynn. I am trying not to panic! > However I cannot open my own Paf file - nothing happens when I click on the > icon. so I can't read the Paf instructions. > I have 2 new icons on desktop - one with the new downloaded but uninstalled > file which > comes up with Security Warning saying the publisher could not be verified - > choose Run or Cancel. > And the other icon is the one for my niece's Paf which opens to the same > page as John Walden gets -" an opening screen with a photo of a dozen or so > people in a family environment but can not get anything more" > My inclination is to delete the new download which incidentally is called > PAF5English setup - does > that sound right? > > > Marg, > > Don't panic. > > > > You should not need more than one copy of the PAF program files on your > > computer. The latest version of PAF is 5.2.18. Downoanding and > > installing an updated copy of the PAF program should not impact your data > > files. They are probably still on your computer. > > > > If I understand right what you want to do is to have more than one data > > file. Yours and your neices. A data file is different that the program > > files. > > > > What I suppect happened is that you did not set your preferences the same > > in the new downloaded program as they were in your old program. Click on > > tools. Click on preferences, Click on folders. The top line should list > > the location of your data files. Make this entry the same in your new > > program as it was in your old program. You should then be able to open > > your data file. > > > > To read about preferences start PAF, click on help in the top menu line > > and click on user's guide. When it opens scroll down the menu on the left > > side until you see preferences. Click on that and read up on to do it. > > > > To use more than one data file just make sure they have different names. > > > > Good luck > > Lynn

If something has damaged the PAF software installed on your computer, the simplest thing is to uninstall/remove it, then install PAF again from the download. (Your Windows Security may not be able to verify the source of the download, but YOU know where you downloaded it from, right?) Removing the PAF software will not remove your PAF data files. Once PAF is reinstalled, everything should work normally again. Bill Buchanan On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 7:28 AM, <wadavis@vt.edu> wrote: > > If you have the typical installation, then select > Start>Programs>FamilySearch>PAF and start PAF5. It should open with the > last > file you were using unless you closed that file before quiting PAF5. In > any > case, you can then select File>Open and select the appropriate PAF file. > > I would not delete the download, but keep it in case you decide to > reinstall. It is always a good idea to keep copies of program files you > install for future use. So you might already have the file on your system > some place else (that is why it is a good idea to use the default > download > folder in Windows or oen you create to do the same thing). Before > reinstalling, I would suggest you go to the START>Control Panel>Add > Remove > Programs (or Programs and Features in VISTA and Win7) and select > remove/change of PAF5. When it opens up select English (or the language > you > desire) and then a repair and that should fix your issues. > > If you get nothing with the icon select, you might try to use the right > button on the icon (I am assuming this is a PAF file -- I never use this > method of opening my PAF files) and select Open With, then select PAF5. > > Bill > > > Thanks for your advice Lynn. I am trying not to panic! > > > However I cannot open my own Paf file - nothing happens when I click on > the > > > icon. so I can't read the Paf instructions. > > > I have 2 new icons on desktop - one with the new downloaded but > uninstalled > > > file which > > > comes up with Security Warning saying the publisher could not be > verified > - > > > choose Run or Cancel. > > > And the other icon is the one for my niece's Paf which opens to the > same > > > page as John Walden gets -" an opening screen with a photo of a dozen > or > so > > > people in a family environment but can not get anything more" > > > My inclination is to delete the new download which incidentally is > called > > > PAF5English setup - does > > > that sound right? > > > > > > > Marg, > > > > Don't panic. > > > > > > > > You should not need more than one copy of the PAF program files on > your > > > > computer. The latest version of PAF is 5.2.18. Downoanding and > > > > installing an updated copy of the PAF program should not impact your > data > > > > files. They are probably still on your computer. > > > > > > > > If I understand right what you want to do is to have more than one > data > > > > file. Yours and your neices. A data file is different that the > program > > > > files. > > > > > > > > What I suppect happened is that you did not set your preferences the > same > > > > in the new downloaded program as they were in your old program. > Click > on > > > > tools. Click on preferences, Click on folders. The top line should > list > > > > the location of your data files. Make this entry the same in your > new > > > > program as it was in your old program. You should then be able to > open > > > > your data file. > > > > > > > > To read about preferences start PAF, click on help in the top menu > line > > > > and click on user's guide. When it opens scroll down the menu on the > left > > > > side until you see preferences. Click on that and read up on to do > it. > > > > > > > > To use more than one data file just make sure they have different > names. > > > > > > > > Good luck > > > > Lynn > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PAF-5-USERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >