Hi Richard. What a neat idea! Thanks for suggesting it, and also, for the detailed instructions to use it. Yes, I am using Win XP Home. I have never done much with Windows Explorer, although I did know it was there. You've opened new doors for me! You listers are the best ... Grace in Georgia, USA In God We Trust ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Rands" <rrands@cfmc.com> To: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 12:22 PM Subject: Re: [PAF-5] Backup files > Hi Grace, > There is one additional "best practices" item for backing up that has not > been mentioned in this thread. You should also keep some kind of log that > identifies in general terms what is different about each backup. For > example, you might have a log that contains entries for Date, Filename, > Comments with entries something like: > > July 14, 2005 Inman-2005-07-14 Completed Match/Merge for Millar line > July 16, 2005 Inman-2005-07-16 Corrected errors in Connecticut place > names > July 18, 2005 Inman-2005-07-18 Added birth of Georgina Helen Inman > July 20, 2005 Inman-2005-07-20 Added GEDCOM from Robert White > (rwhite04.ged) > > and so on. If you ever had to go back and restore from a back up, this > log of information about each back-up will be a great help in deciding > which backup to restore from. > > If you happen to be running Windows XP, there is a way you can do this > directly in the backup file. You will need to be familiar with Windows > Explorer to do it. This is not the Internet Explorer that you use to surf > the Internet. It is a utility program that comes with Windows that allows > you to navigate and work with your files on your system. To run Windows > Explorer, right click on the START button and select the Explore option. > That will pop up the Explore window showing the usual Windows file system > with folders listed on the left side and the folder contents on the right > side. > > With your mouse, click on the folder where your backup files are located. > You may have to click on more than one folder to "drill down" to your > specific backup folder. Once you have highlighted the backup folder on > the left, you should see your back-up file listed on the right. With your > mouse pointing to the backup file name, right click on it. That will pop > up a new dialog box with a Properties option at the very bottom. Once in > the Properties pop-up box, select the Summary tab. There you will find a > variety of fields you can use to enter information about your file. I > suggest you enter the comments about the file in the Comments box at the > bottom. Click OK. > > You now have saved the log information with the file itself. To show that > info on your screen, you will need to use the Windows Explorer program > again. So before you close it, click on the View pull down menu at the > top of the Explorer window. Select the option Choose Details. In the > list of details to be displayed, check the box for Comments and then click > OK. Now every time you use Windows Explorer, and navigate to your backup > folder, you will be able to view the comments with each backup file. I > recognize that this sounds complicated at first, but once you do it a few > times, it will become second nature. > > Good Luck, > > Richard Rands > > > > > > At 05:07 AM 7/21/2005, Grace Inman wrote: >>Hi Stewart. Your method looks good. It's easy to do and seems to cover >>all the bases. As mentioned in another email, I'm waiting for a tech to >>replace my CD and DVD drives, which should happen in a few days. Right >>now, they're both unusable. After they're replaced, I plan to do the CD >>backups you describe, plus send my PAF file to my husband's PC for >>additional protection (if he'll let me. :^ ) That thought occurs to >>me, though ... you've gotta have a friend or relative who has the >>available space on their PC, and is willing to use it for you. Thank you >>so much. I really appreciate the help I get from this list. God bless you >>folks in the U.K. Many prayers and petitions have gone up for you. >>Grace in Georgia, USA >> >>----- Original Message ----- From: "Stewart Millar" <sm999@tiscali.co.uk> >>To: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> >>Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 4:27 AM >>Subject: RE: [PAF-5] Backup files >> >> >>>Grace, >>> >>>Good Question! Despite backups being an essential safety net, over the >>>years >>>I have seen great confusion and actual loss of data because of the way in >>>which backups have been handled. >>> >>>The steps that I teach and advocate are as follows: >>> >>>1. In Tools > Preferences > Folders set up a specific folder for your >>>back-up files. This would be somewhere on your hard drive - mine are kept >>>in >>>C:\........\My Documents\PAF\Backup. >>> >>>2. When selecting or requested to do a backup - the suggested name of >>>the zipped backup is your PAF database name - this should be changed to >>>include the date of your backup - for example, my database is millar.paf, >>>which for a backup (today) I would change the suggested name to >>> >>>millar-2005-07-21 (the .zip extension will be added automatically for >>>you) >>> >>>This example of course is using the reverse European date system (Y-M-D) >>>which is recommended for keeping a series of files in date sequence. >>> >>>For any time where you have multiple backups on the same day - for >>>instance, >>>where you create a backup to take to a FHC or on a research trip - add >>>some >>>data at the FHC - then create a backup at the FHC to take home - simply >>>add >>>an additional version number at the end of the second backup file name, >>>for >>>example: >>> >>>Millar-2005-07-21-2 >>> >>>3. The backed-up file should then - for security reasons - either - be >>>burned onto a CD - copied to a floppy disc (if your PC still has a floppy >>>disc) - copied to a USB memory stick - attached and emailed to a friend - >>>uploaded (ftp) to a secure internet site. Whatever suits your off-site >>>storage arrangements. >>> >>>Using this approach you will then have a series of past backups - all >>>date >>>marked. >>> >>>Periodically you would delete the older backup versions. >>> >>>This way, any restored backup will create a PAF file with the same name >>>that >>>has the date incorporated in it. From any restored backup, you can then >>>make >>>the deliberate choice to rename the restored backup as your main file >>>(using >>>Save-As). >>> >>>Backups are not only a safety net for restoring a lost file but used in >>>this >>>way can allow you to open up (restore) a past back for a specific date >>>and >>>compare it with your current database to track any changes that you may >>>have >>>made. >>> >>>Good luck, >>> >>>Stewart >>> >>> >>>-----Original Message----- >>>From: Grace Inman [mailto:Grace@eufaula.rr.com] >>>Sent: 21 July 2005 04:03 >>>To: PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com >>>Subject: [PAF-5] Backup files >>> >>>Could someone please explain to me in real simple baby steps how to make >>>the >>>best kind of backup files? When I click "Backup" on the File menu of >>>PAF.5, >>>I always tell it to overwrite the current file. Is that the way I should >>>do >>>it, or not? If not, how should I be doing it to provide the maximum >>>protection for my file(s)? Please and thank you very much. >>>Grace in Georgia, USA >>> >>>In God we trust. >>> >>> >>>==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== >>>PAF @ FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service >>>http://www.familysearch.org/eng/paf/ >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== >>>FreeBMD - Free Access to England and Wales Civil Registration Index >>>Volunteer as a Transcriber Today! >>>http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/ >>> >> >> >> >>==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== >>PAF-5-USERS Mailing List >>http://www.ausbdm.org/p5uindex.php > > > > > ==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== > PAF-5-USERS Mailing List Search > http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=PAF-5-USERS > >