Hi Grace, Both Bill and Stewart have given good advice about backups. At the risk of repeating, let me just add a couple of comments and opinions. Bill was describing that essentially the PAF program creates a "backup" file in compressed (.zip) format, and saying that you could use PAF, or any other (.zip) readers/programs (including modern Windows XP itself) to later un-zip, i.e., read and use, that data if/when needed. Stewart suggests NOT leaving the program-default name for the program-created back-up which PAF will simply name as (whatever-your-current-data-filename-is).ZIP --(whatever-your-current-data-filename-is).PAF is what you/PAF are using for data entry and display in the PAF program. He rightly suggests adding a date code to the name, which with modern Windows can be written any way that pleases you. (i.e., no limit to length of filename or characters used) However I use a modified version of the older condensed type of name, and I name my back-ups with a continuous date format, thus: mycurrentdata_20050720.zip (you should always use a two digit format for month and day, i.e., 01, 02, etc. which will keep your data in correct chronological/alphabetical sort order) and if I need more than one file made per day, I would add a letter, thus: mycurrentdata_20050720a.zip, mycurrentdata_20050720b.zip, etc. As Stewart says, this has the advantage of keeping all your progressive days' backups in correct chronological/alphabetical order, which makes it easier later on to find the appropriate file/date you need and to delete older versions as they become obsolete. In simplest terms, a backup is just that, a backed-up copy of another file. Letting PAF create a "backup" results in the program creating a .zip compressed file. This format takes up less space, and thus is more easily transported, especially on older limited-size removable media. But an exported .GED (a GedCom) is also a backup as it too is a copy of your data. So I always make it a two step process when making a backup from PAF. First I choose the menu option of Backup in PAF, utilize the above naming technique, and let the program do its thing and create a compressed .ZIP file. Then I immediately create another backup by exporting a GedCom, by choosing that option from the menu, and giving it the same name (including date code). Of course, this file ending will be in (.GED) format. That way I always have two current copies of my working data file, and I have them in two formats as well. A third type of backup one can make is to simply copy the current PAF data file to a different directory, but even here I would advise to add the date coding into the name of the copy. Thus you would have (your-current-data.PAF) and a duplicate file with a different name (your-current-data_20050720.PAF). As long as you were careful to notice which file you opened when you opened the PAF program and only did data addition to the main file, (the one without the date code) this would be fine. If you chose this option in addition to the others discussed above, for added safety I would recommend moving that second .PAF file to some other "storage" directory on your system, as opposed to leaving it in the actual working program directory. (By the way, if you have not done so, you should create a series of folders, as Stewart suggests, using the PAF options. I think though that you have to actually go to the location on your drive using Windows, and create and name this group of folders/directories first, then use PAF to find them and set them as program choices. I don't think PAF allows you to create the directory structure, only just choose what has already been created. I may be wrong on this, it's been a while since I've done that. But anyway, that's exactly what I have too, as Stewart has, inside the (My Documents) folder, I have a folder called PAF, and inside that I have several folders called, Backup, Export, Import, Web, etc. This helps in organizing the data. Once you choose a location in the process of creating a PAF backup, the program will remember it and automatically open to that location the next time, but of course you can still always choose different locations whenever you want.) So you see, making a backup of your data is simply copying the information, but that can be done in many ways and in several formats. Whatever you choose, BE CONSISTENT! Figure out a method that works for you, but then DO IT! And do it regularly. Now just a word about placing the backup (or any files) on writable CD. The PAF program can NOT write to a CD. So you would need to do all or some of the above to actually create a file copy on your hard drive, then using Windows File Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer), navigate to your newly created file (that is, go find it!) and then manually copy it to the CD. There are various CD Writer programs which sometimes come pre-installed on your system or with a CD-writer and they are simply a different (hopefully more user friendly) method of navigating to your data and then writing that data to CD. But the bottom line is again, PAF can NOT write to CD (It can write to Floppy so using that was a bit easier to integrate moving the backup data to the removable medium before CD. If your data file is still not too big, you could continue to use floppy disks as back up medium instead of CD, but in the end CDs are now/and will be, more universally usable, and they definitely are capable of immensely larger file storage, and they are ostensibly less prone to file corruption so therefore more secure. Finally, as the others have pointed out: move your backups to some other secure physical location. It does no real good to make a back up of your current data and leave it on the harddrive right next to that current data! Sure if the program corrupts your working data, you'll have a back up copy, but if your hard drive crashes.....wears out, dies......and sooner or later it will....you'll have lost both your original data and your back up files! So get it off the hard drive at least. And out of the room, and out of the house, etc. As many precautions as you want to take. Print the whole thing out on a periodic basis too! That's a backup also! If you ever have digital problems, at least you'd still have all your data in one format to re-enter and restore later on. A lot of chatter this morning, eh? Sorry! But I think you've now got a better idea that backups come in many forms, and the real key element is: CHOOSE A SYSTEM, DO IT, AND DO IT CONSISTENTLY! Good luck, John Responding to the following quoted message RECEIVED 23:02 07.20.05, FROM Grace Inman : QUOTE: 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. END-QUOTED.

Hey, John ... you've certainly given me a lot to think about. Your note makes a nice addendum to the notes from other folks. You do bring up a couple points not mentioned before, and clarify some others. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to me. I know that it can take as long as 45 mins. to prepare an email of that length with detailed info ... so thank you. I'm saving all the responses to my PAF-5 email folder so I can go over them after my drive is replaced and I can actually get down to business on this. Grace in Georgia, USA ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Waugh" <waugh.dube.dunn.lacroix@gmx.net> To: "Grace Inman" <Grace@eufaula.rr.com> Cc: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 6:23 AM Subject: Re: [PAF-5] Backup files > Hi Grace, > Both Bill and Stewart have given good advice about backups. > At the risk of repeating, let me just add a couple of comments and > opinions. > > Bill was describing that essentially the PAF program creates a "backup" > file in compressed (.zip) format, and saying that you could use PAF, or > any other (.zip) readers/programs (including modern Windows XP itself) to > later un-zip, i.e., read and use, that data if/when needed. > > Stewart suggests NOT leaving the program-default name for the > program-created back-up which PAF will simply name as > > (whatever-your-current-data-filename-is).ZIP > --(whatever-your-current-data-filename-is).PAF > is what you/PAF are using for data entry and display in the PAF program. > > He rightly suggests adding a date code to the name, which with modern > Windows can be written any way that pleases you. (i.e., no limit to length > of filename or characters used) However I use a modified version of the > older condensed type of name, and I name my back-ups with a continuous > date format, thus: > > mycurrentdata_20050720.zip (you should always use a two digit format for > month and day, i.e., 01, 02, etc. which will keep your data in correct > chronological/alphabetical sort order) > > and if I need more than one file made per day, I would add a letter, thus: > mycurrentdata_20050720a.zip, mycurrentdata_20050720b.zip, etc. > > As Stewart says, this has the advantage of keeping all your progressive > days' backups in correct chronological/alphabetical order, which makes it > easier later on to find the appropriate file/date you need and to delete > older versions as they become obsolete. > > In simplest terms, a backup is just that, a backed-up copy of another > file. > > Letting PAF create a "backup" results in the program creating a .zip > compressed file. This format takes up less space, and thus is more easily > transported, especially on older limited-size removable media. > > But an exported .GED (a GedCom) is also a backup as it too is a copy of > your data. So I always make it a two step process when making a backup > from PAF. First I choose the menu option of Backup in PAF, utilize the > above naming technique, and let the program do its thing and create a > compressed .ZIP file. > > Then I immediately create another backup by exporting a GedCom, by > choosing that option from the menu, and giving it the same name (including > date code). Of course, this file ending will be in (.GED) format. That way > I always have two current copies of my working data file, and I have them > in two formats as well. > > A third type of backup one can make is to simply copy the current PAF data > file to a different directory, but even here I would advise to add the > date coding into the name of the copy. Thus you would have > (your-current-data.PAF) and a duplicate file with a different name > (your-current-data_20050720.PAF). As long as you were careful to notice > which file you opened when you opened the PAF program and only did data > addition to the main file, (the one without the date code) this would be > fine. If you chose this option in addition to the others discussed above, > for added safety I would recommend moving that second .PAF file to some > other "storage" directory on your system, as opposed to leaving it in the > actual working program directory. > > (By the way, if you have not done so, you should create a series of > folders, as Stewart suggests, using the PAF options. I think though that > you have to actually go to the location on your drive using Windows, and > create and name this group of folders/directories first, then use PAF to > find them and set them as program choices. I don't think PAF allows you to > create the directory structure, only just choose what has already been > created. I may be wrong on this, it's been a while since I've done that. > But anyway, that's exactly what I have too, as Stewart has, inside the (My > Documents) folder, I have a folder called PAF, and inside that I have > several folders called, Backup, Export, Import, Web, etc. This helps in > organizing the data. Once you choose a location in the process of creating > a PAF backup, the program will remember it and automatically open to that > location the next time, but of course you can still always choose > different locations whenever you want.) > > So you see, making a backup of your data is simply copying the > information, but that can be done in many ways and in several formats. > Whatever you choose, BE CONSISTENT! Figure out a method that works for > you, but then DO IT! And do it regularly. > > Now just a word about placing the backup (or any files) on writable CD. > The PAF program can NOT write to a CD. So you would need to do all or some > of the above to actually create a file copy on your hard drive, then using > Windows File Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer), navigate to your newly > created file (that is, go find it!) and then manually copy it to the CD. > There are various CD Writer programs which sometimes come pre-installed on > your system or with a CD-writer and they are simply a different (hopefully > more user friendly) method of navigating to your data and then writing > that data to CD. But the bottom line is again, PAF can NOT write to CD (It > can write to Floppy so using that was a bit easier to integrate moving the > backup data to the removable medium before CD. If your data file is still > not too big, you could continue to use floppy disks as back up medium > instead of CD, but in the end CDs are now/and will be, more universally > usable, and they definitely are capable of immensely larger file storage, > and they are ostensibly less prone to file corruption so therefore more > secure. > > Finally, as the others have pointed out: move your backups to some other > secure physical location. It does no real good to make a back up of your > current data and leave it on the harddrive right next to that current > data! Sure if the program corrupts your working data, you'll have a back > up copy, but if your hard drive crashes.....wears out, dies......and > sooner or later it will....you'll have lost both your original data and > your back up files! So get it off the hard drive at least. And out of the > room, and out of the house, etc. As many precautions as you want to take. > Print the whole thing out on a periodic basis too! That's a backup also! > If you ever have digital problems, at least you'd still have all your data > in one format to re-enter and restore later on. > > A lot of chatter this morning, eh? Sorry! But I think you've now got a > better idea that backups come in many forms, and the real key element is: > CHOOSE A SYSTEM, DO IT, AND DO IT CONSISTENTLY! > > Good luck, > John > > > > > > > > Responding to the following quoted message RECEIVED 23:02 07.20.05, FROM > Grace Inman : > QUOTE: > 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. > > END-QUOTED. > >