See inserted comments. Gary Templeman ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dick Cazier" <dcazier@comcast.net> To: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 12:31 PM Subject: Re: [PAF-5] ?moving PAF to new computer > Hi Group, > Somehow I missed this thread or deleted it, thinking I didn't need to worry > about it. I have now purchased a laptop computer to take with me on > research trips. So I need to transfer/copy, or whatever term is > appropriate, my master file (over 32,000 individuals) from my tower computer > to my laptop. Both computers have Windows XP Home Edition, with Service > Pack II installed. My need for help is about the following items. > > 1. Downloading PAF5. I have the setup file still on my tower computer > desktop. Should I transfer that file to my laptop and install from there, > or is it better to go directly to the website and download from there? If you have a broadband connection it is probably a wash, but with dial-up it will definitely be faster to transfer from the desktop to the laptop. The file is the exact same file, so the source doesn't matter. The choice is totally your preference. BTW, I suggest making a folder on the hard drive (NOT on the desktop screen) called downloads, and store all the downloaded program installation files in sub-folders within the download folder. That will help uncluttered your desktop screen, and saving the install files means you don't have to navigate to the web site and download over again should you need to re-install (unless a program has been updated). > > 2. Moving Data from one computer to the other. I plan to put my entire > database on the laptop initially. I want to be able to add information to > either one; mostly the laptop, while traveling for research purposes, and > then transfer it to my tower computer. I know there has been much > discussion concerning the importance, or lack of importance, of RINs and > keeping them the same for each individual when info is transferred. Until I > actually experience transferring and adding new data, then transferring it > back to the other computer, I'd like to keep existing people with constant > associated RINs and newly added people winding up with the same RINs after > transfers in either direction. I'm afraid transferring the data via a > GEDCOM won't maintain the RINs like I want them to. Correct. Go to File_Backup and make a backup file, then take that file on a CDE, flash drive or the multiple floppies to the laptop, start PAF 5 and go to File_Restore. Select the file you just created (say, cazier.zip) and go through the restore process. It will transfer EXACTLY as you have it now, RIN's, etc. Remember to also manually transfer any folders of multimedia to the exact same path on the laptop if you want the links to work. > > Can someone give me baby step instructions on what kind of files to create > and how to transfer them. My tower has a CD-RW drive and my laptop has a > DVD-CD ROM drive. I also have a 3.5" floppy drive in each computer, but > using a backup file still takes more than one disk to hold the data. > > Thanks for your help. > Dick Cazier > Lakewood, Colorado > USA > The biggest potential problem I see is in keeping the data in sync. If you accidentally take a backup from the computer with older data and restore it on the one you have been using for data entry, all the new data will be wiped out. Even having a historical backup will not replace the lost entries. While it is possible to use something like PAF Insight to keep things in sync, it is definitely safer to pick one computer and stick with it, or be absolutely religious in keeping a record of which computer has the most current information if you do not want to be doing the same data entry 2 or more times. Gary

Gary and Rollie, Thanks to both of you for your very clear and concise instructions and comments. Dick ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Templeman" <gtempleman1@comcast.net> To: "Dick Cazier" <dcazier@comcast.net> Cc: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 2:25 PM Subject: Re: [PAF-5] ?moving PAF to new computer > See inserted comments. > > Gary Templeman > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dick Cazier" <dcazier@comcast.net> > To: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 12:31 PM > Subject: Re: [PAF-5] ?moving PAF to new computer > > >> Hi Group, >> Somehow I missed this thread or deleted it, thinking I didn't need to > worry >> about it. I have now purchased a laptop computer to take with me on >> research trips. So I need to transfer/copy, or whatever term is >> appropriate, my master file (over 32,000 individuals) from my tower > computer >> to my laptop. Both computers have Windows XP Home Edition, with Service >> Pack II installed. My need for help is about the following items. >> >> 1. Downloading PAF5. I have the setup file still on my tower computer >> desktop. Should I transfer that file to my laptop and install from >> there, >> or is it better to go directly to the website and download from there? > > If you have a broadband connection it is probably a wash, but with dial-up > it will definitely be faster to transfer from the desktop to the laptop. > The > file is the exact same file, so the source doesn't matter. The choice is > totally your preference. BTW, I suggest making a folder on the hard drive > (NOT on the desktop screen) called downloads, and store all the downloaded > program installation files in sub-folders within the download folder. That > will help uncluttered your desktop screen, and saving the install files > means you don't have to navigate to the web site and download over again > should you need to re-install (unless a program has been updated). > >> >> 2. Moving Data from one computer to the other. I plan to put my entire >> database on the laptop initially. I want to be able to add information >> to >> either one; mostly the laptop, while traveling for research purposes, and >> then transfer it to my tower computer. I know there has been much >> discussion concerning the importance, or lack of importance, of RINs and >> keeping them the same for each individual when info is transferred. >> Until > I >> actually experience transferring and adding new data, then transferring >> it >> back to the other computer, I'd like to keep existing people with >> constant >> associated RINs and newly added people winding up with the same RINs >> after >> transfers in either direction. I'm afraid transferring the data via a >> GEDCOM won't maintain the RINs like I want them to. > > Correct. Go to File_Backup and make a backup file, then take that file on > a > CDE, flash drive or the multiple floppies to the laptop, start PAF 5 and > go > to File_Restore. Select the file you just created (say, cazier.zip) and go > through the restore process. It will transfer EXACTLY as you have it now, > RIN's, etc. Remember to also manually transfer any folders of multimedia > to > the exact same path on the laptop if you want the links to work. > >> >> Can someone give me baby step instructions on what kind of files to >> create >> and how to transfer them. My tower has a CD-RW drive and my laptop has a >> DVD-CD ROM drive. I also have a 3.5" floppy drive in each computer, but >> using a backup file still takes more than one disk to hold the data. >> >> Thanks for your help. >> Dick Cazier >> Lakewood, Colorado >> USA >> > > The biggest potential problem I see is in keeping the data in sync. If you > accidentally take a backup from the computer with older data and restore > it > on the one you have been using for data entry, all the new data will be > wiped out. Even having a historical backup will not replace the lost > entries. While it is possible to use something like PAF Insight to keep > things in sync, it is definitely safer to pick one computer and stick with > it, or be absolutely religious in keeping a record of which computer has > the > most current information if you do not want to be doing the same data > entry > 2 or more times. > > Gary > >