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Archiver > BERLETT > 2000-10 > 0972876260


From: Barry Wetherington <>
Subject: [Berlett] "Best" Genealogy Software/BACKUP YOUR GEN PROGRAM DATA!
Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 22:24:20 -0500


Ann, (AND ALL ON OUR LISTS)
Do you use a Gen program such as FTM? Have you ever placed a Note in the "More"
sec on the Family Page? I want to be able to put bunch in there and can't.

BUT READ & UNDERSTAND THIS!!!
You must backup your Data (Tree, emails, Paper printouts, etc). Your HARD
DRIVE WILL FAIL. The only ques is when, and it is always when you can least afford
it.

Right NOW!!!, I want you to go to File on your Gen Program Tool Bar, select
'Backup", then select A: drive and backup if it takes 20 Floppies. I've read about 20
messages of people who are on the brink of suicide (one about 2 weeks ago, I should
have saved it to include) because 20 yrs of work was flushed in a microsecond when
the hard drive went belly up!, or the upstairs bathroom fixture broke and flooded the
storage room/ basement/ file cabinet (while you were away for the weekend, of
course). All the insurance in the world will not sit down at your computer keyboard
and begin typing, even if it knew what to type! That is ONE very good reason to post
to RootsWeb, send full emails to each other, make up CDs of your Gen, use a zip
drive, install a 2d hard drive (and use it to B/U), etc. At least you can recover
some of your impor stuff, although there are limitations here also.

Each of you, Report back when you have completed your mission, and make that soon
- We can not afford to lose our best operatives!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS TO ALL ON ALL OUR LISTS - DO IT NOW! NOW! NOW!!!!!!
BARRY

This still leaves your EMails and computer hard disk Gen storage to be backed up!
Your emails are located in a folder on your hard drive. They are all stored in
folders titled such as Inbox, Sent, etc, and are stored in ASCII/.txt format, easily
opened and read in any word processor. You'll likely find it in your ProgFiles
folder, in Netscape/User/... Inbox. If it is small enough (<abt 1.4MB), it will all
fit on a single floppy, but you will likely need many floppies. Save both Inbox
folders, and both Sent folders,along w/anything else impor. Once you have saved a
floppy (and moved the small floppy tab to the locked/can't delete position), open the
Inbox file in your word processor to see if it works. Let me know if you have any
probs. You will not likely be able to open your Gen b/u in a word processor, but you
can use your Gen program to open your backed up file, as a test. Spend an hour now,
10 mins a week, and feel better later!

Ann wrote:

> If I didn't know better, I'd think we were on Starship Voyager, or something. ...
> I'm so low tech. I print everything I send or receive and have a big file cabinet
> full of "stuff" with such titles as: "BW", "Carters", "Census", etc. About the time
> I start feeling good about my genealogy skills (vs) computer skills, I receive
> something like this. Glad I can just tag along with y'all. Ann

BWs note:
"Is there any chance you [addressee - Gen expert] are familiar w/the capacity of the
Notes selection in PAF? I started this search because my FTM ver 8.0 was inadequate
for the capacity of Notes storage. Have you experienced any limitations in the text
capacity of the Notes section (see my clumsy attempt below), or for that matter, the
capacity of any section? I NEED a large Notes capacity for individuals section. My
problem is that I share my Trees w/many of my subscribers. I need a method to share
all we have about a particular Line w/those interested, to collect in one place all
that is useful to present a relatively complete Gen picture of each individual. In my
opinion, any person developing a Tree for his descendants NEEDS a voracious storage
capacity.

Also, ref the future, I guess I'm betting the future on the survival of .txt
(ASCII) as a form to express our written expressions, and of .jpg (JPEG) as a form to
store images, stored on CD/DVD plastic media, altho I do intend to put together
Tif/Gif/bmp graphics backups and to fill my newly acquired 80Gig external HD. I
probably sound like a Survivalist, and perhaps there is a bit of that in the mix.
But the issue is this - some day I will no longer be here/there to put it all
together, and I'd Like the various Gen CDs I've created to pretty much stand alone
for my descendants. I doubt they will want or know how to chase my rather large and
complete emails, intricate subfolder WordPerf Folders/Files scheme, genealogical
Trees/Gen reports, GedComs, and graphics, all spread over my 9 different hard disks
and my zip/LS120 super disks and tape b/u, not to mention various many floppies, etc
I've acquired and been sent. I REALLY need massive Notes capacity.

BTW, I took advice to d/l and install a Free 2 week demo 'fully functioning'
version 8 of Family Origins, as offered. I liked the approach of the FO, and started
a database. I had trouble importing a family GedCom but kludged my way into it. I
then loaded an individual note and family note. They each held the exact same amount
of notes (21 consecutive pastes of a 30 line Blurb I use), which was also about the
same as allowed by the FTM notes (20 such Blurbs).

I also took advice (thanks again LL) and spent time at the Web Site of Bill
Mumford, who has rated many/ALL? Gen programs on more than 100 parameters:
http://www.mumford.ab.ca/reportcard/index.htm
leaving this message (haven't recd a Reply yet):
"As it appears, you have rated the various Gen programs (For which a big
Thanks!!!), including a field for Notes. I started this search because my FTM ver 8.0
was inadequate for the capacity of Notes storage, and learned about your site,
looking for a Gen program that provides a LARGE Notes section. ... It appears to me
that you do not rate the capacity of the Notes section:
Thanks for your Link and your time."

PS: Just as I am preparing this to send, I rec'd an excellent recommendation from a
great Genner Carol M:
"Barry try Legacy 3.0 it has a demo and you will like it.
www.legacyfamilytree.com
go to downloads and download the demo. You will not have any limitations here. I tend
to over document and find no limitations. Love the time line (events) and use the
general notes to do a biographical write up for the ancestors. The updates are free
and the people who do the progaming are always ready to help."

I'm headed there.
Barry

Barry Wetherington
21526 Green Hill Rd Ste 132
Farmington Hills MIch 48335
248-478-5181 Fax248-479-0329
(Witherington-L, Wetherington-L, Widdrington-L, Dare-L, Easterling-L, Fitchett-L,
Barlett-L, Berlett-L, Barlitt-L, Pocahontas-L)"

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