Sharon I think what you are doing is great, with one exception. I would never make a Backup to the hard drive. The data is stored in a separate folder on the hard drive; I have about 12 different databases with 70,000 records. My initial Backup is made to a Zip Drive, (external drive) and then periodically I copy that to my Flash Drive. Every 2 or 3 months I replace my Zip Disk and also copy them to a CD for storage at my local LDS library with instructions to send them to Salt Lake, if and when I die. Ross GH Cotton, Burlington ON CAN 905)639-2929 Genealogy of the COTTON surname is my Enigma. I haven't sent an attachment if the details are not mentioned above. Check out my Genealogy Web Page at www.skylinc.net/~rgcotton GOONS member responsible for tracking the family name COTTON, #1437 Coordinator for Cotton DNA testing Project, Worldwide ----- Original Message ----- From: GenBound@aol.com To: PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 11:14 PM Subject: [PAF-5] Re: Backing Up Files I decided to add my input so that I can hear why it is not a good idea. I was going to buy a new computer, but have now decided to wait for Windows Vista next year...long time I know. I do not have a CD burner (have CD player of course). I still have parallel port so many add-on options are not available to me. This is how I back up my files -- and frequently I use the backup to make certain it is good. Hear a lot about CD's that turn up blank. I back-up my files this way: 1. First I back it up to the PAF file that opens when I click on backup. 2. Secondly I back it up again to the same file adding the date -- Sharon 072305+ the ext. When I have several then I delete the oldest dates, keeping two or three. 3. Third I back it up again to my zip drive using the file name - -it overwrites the file there. 4. Fourth I back it up again to my zip drive using the file name and the date. The zip disks I use in pairs of four -- today #1, tomorrow #2, etc. I regularly open them to see they work. At the end of the year (or sooner if I have been doing lots of research) I put those away for a year and start with four new zip disks, say beginning 2005. Next January I will discard 2004, save the four 2005 disks and start four new ones for 2006. If I am spending the entire day adding to the file then as I do backup's I add A-B-C , etc., for as many times as I use that date. I have 16 different PAF files -- various lines of family, a "may be related" file, and files for friends and other family I am helping with their research. I have never had to use a backup to restore a file. Am I unknowingly walking on dangerous "PAF'S" (paths) here? (Everyone groan) Sharon in HOT HUMID So. California ==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== PAF @ FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service http://www.familysearch.org/eng/paf/