I've been looking at this post for a day and still can't make any sense of it. I just make a backup of my PAF to a floppy disc. Why would you "set up a specific folder for your back-up files"? John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stewart Millar" <sm999@tiscali.co.uk> To: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 2:27 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/ > >