Genealogy Chat

See below.Update on 28th post.

Thanks to the kids i have lost big chunks or windows. The restore point seems to be before i installed FTM,and it needs a complete re-install of windows. As well as backing up my FTM files,re-installing FTM,Internet connection etc, are there any possible problems i may encounter. Will FTM request re-registering when installed again,will i still be able to access my homepage etc (thinking of the probs Heather had after her PC went sick) Any suggestions for things i need to do to ensure i can jump back into my routine without problems. Thanks Glen

Keep fingers crossed !! (worth 50p ???) or are you looking for some more serious suggestions - now they could be costly !!

Eeeeeeek Think you need to speak to Errol the sheep or Steve the Flirt or Judy if she's about!!! The simplest move would be to move the FTM programme and contents to a stick BUT I don't think it's as easy as that because I believe they can crash (or something like that - you can tell I'm very techie). Speak to the experts.

just thought of another - once sorted - buy the kids their own computer!!

sorry Glen - will be serious now ! Make sure you remember all your passwords that you have used for Ancestry / FTM / Genes / genealogical sites etc. I think one of the reasons Heather might have had trouble with was that when you re-register your FTM you must use the same email address (and I believe password etc) that you would normally use for Ancestry. PS I am still keeping an eye on your home page - your title is not coming up when I google it and your 'daft' name is not showing up either. I think registration with Cyndi´s list may be the answer - but you can sort that once you are back on line. Will keep an eye on it anyway. Can I be in charge of FTM queries while you and Heather are absent - promise to share any monies received!!

Oooh that smarts!! I can't even be sure that my CD backups are working,so will buy a memory stick and go that way for FTM,and the family pics. My adopted family file is so small i e-mailed it to my other half and she has saved it to AOL,so that just needs another disc/stick backup and i have two options. My birth tree file is too big to e-mail. I'm just panicing about access to my homepage and the FTM problems Heather had are ever present.Of course i can't ask her at the mo. I did try to export the file as a gedcom but it doesn't show as the 'bare root tree' icon,just the blue stripey one,and too big to e-mail to another place. My latest backup appears to have about ten individuals missing from my 'active file' which seems wierd. Glen

Glen - I wouldn´t worry too much about the access to your home page as I am sure you can overcome any problems with access - even if it means a few emails to Ancestry to do it. Would suggest you note down the web address of your home page. At worst you can always start again and upload your information to a new home page (I don´t know how many photos etc. you have on it but presumably if you back these up you can always upload them again) You must be sure however that your FTM file is backed up - and personally I would suggest doing it twice just to be sure. Have you got access to another computer where you could install FTM and import your FTM file from disc - at least you would then know that your back up was successful. I wish you well and hope all works OK. Think positive - I am sure you will be fine.

Elaine,the FTM Queen. Seems to have a nice ring about it. Be warned though,i get about 10 pm's a day for FTM help,and all i do is look at the help centre (why is it easier to find someone elses' answers than your own????) It also pays to have a debt collector for the monies owed,(mine is useless,must get another chap). The guy who built my PC says so much is missing it shouldn't be running,games,Nero,Paint and BIG lumps of the operating system are missing. It means about as much to me as Swahili but then i'm no techie. After some of the stuff the kids have downloaded was seen they should be banned from computers anyway.Parental controls are no use,they seem to get round them,hand out mobile and home phone on chatrooms etc.They are old enough to know better,but daft enough to do it,and they shange passwords three times a day (and delete their e-mails almost straightaway,so we can't see what they are doing.) Glen

No other PC access i'm afraid,and the last day or two my passwords for Ancestry and Genes won't store either. I have those recorded elsewhere luckily. I think i'll print proof sheets of my pictures,as well as the stick option.Belt and braces,i would rather have five copies i don't need,rather than one that might not work. Couple of things i can e-mail elsewhere too,just in case. Does that sound reasonable in the absence of another PC? Glen

I do sympathise! My kids have long left home - it was OH that used to muck up the computer - solved that problem now - one each - he can do what he wants as long as he doesn´t touch mine! As you say its always easier to answer other peoples problems and most of the answers are on the help line anyway! One other suggestion if you are seriously worried about losing your FTM data (which by the way I am sure you wont) - why don´t you print out some genealogical reports, including all the attached notes and source material. Of course you may already have this on your home page - I don´t know! Don´t know what other help to offer - but I´ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Regards Elaine

Hi Glen, just had a quick read of the thread, and I hope I am not saying something that has already been suggested or you have tried BUT if you can access your FTM if you go into file and export entire file, go onto the drop down menu and one of the things you will have a choice of doing is saving it onto a cd...apologies if this has been mentioned. Am in a bit of a hurry, but heart went out to you when I read this. My eldest son visited sites he ought not to have last year and picked up a virus. I had to do a system recovery, which basically means re-loading the whole system!! I lost the virus, but everything else, it takes it back to like when you have just bought it home from the shop. Took me two hours to wipe it and two hours to load it back on!! (Good job I worked in computers for a living) Needless to say more than a few words were exchanged and none of them pleasant! Good Luck mate, my thoughts are with you (bloody kids eh?!!!) Fuzzy x

Part of my problem is that the copies to CD aren't successful. I keep getting the CD wizard closing down BEFORE the operation has finished.(so that is why i'm heading for the stick option too,but i have to get one yet). The CD writing problem only started this week,but i want to be safe. Glen

Glen - have a look at this Emailing LARGE files www.yousendit(.)com If have a file that's too big to send out by e-mail -- usually because the recipient's e-mail account won't allow file transfers over a certain size, try You Send It. You can upload files up to 1 Gigabyte in size, and the recipient receives an e-mail directing them to the site to download the file. You can even send your file securely, if necessary. Best of all? The service is FREE. Have you got another computer you can send your large FTM file email to -. if not am more than happy to help out if you want me to look after it until you sort things out. Promise I wont peep!

sorry meant to say I found the link on the following web page http://totd.squarespace(.)com/tip-of-the-day-blog/2004/10/4/emailing-large-files-wwwyousenditcom.html have heard that it works well.

Glen - there are a number of issues you need to be aware of if you are attempting a complete reinstall of Windows but it is not as daunting as it may sound. I'm a little busy at the mo but will try to catch up later if you need some advice (sorry I can't be of more help right now but promise I'll bbl).

Elaine I think the free 'yousendit' service has a 100 meg limit not 1 gig - but that ought to be ample anyway. As far as the email is concerned, it doesn't need to be downloaded - it can sit on your email service provider's server until ready to download as normal

Hi Errol Thanks for the reply, I won't be doing the job myself,the chap who built the PC will be doing it. It came about when i found Paint and Games were missing,he checked last night and carried out a restore,some programmes reappeared but not all of them. It looks like certain components of Windows have been deleted over a period of time.The restore point would be so far back it is pre FTM installation. He advised the best thing is to start afresh. Elaine Thanks for the link,IF my cd copies are ok i have three backup sources (cd,memory stick and the link you sent). I think that might just about be the best chance i have to ensure i keep my information. Glen

Glen there are certain things you will need to back up such as email messages, addresses and settings if you are using an email client such as Outlook etc - I posted a guide yesterday about backing up and restoring messages and hope to post later today about backing up other things including addresses. As far as your photos are concerned there are plenty of online storage sites with facilities for that, including y*hoo. Depending on your ISP you may also have your own personal online 'briefcase' where you can store files too. Just remember that when Windows is reinstalled you will lose EVERYTHING currently on your computer so make sure you have a good look and decide what you want to save. I'll be about later anyway if you need any advice.

Any e-mails that have a major importance are stored on my ISP facility,things like e-mail notification of GR messages are not a major problem. I always save cert order confirmations etc and print out a hard copy of card transactions and suchlike.I think that is pretty much sorted,just got to record the e-mail addys i have as a safeguard too. At least my GR messages are off the pc anyway,so anything that is a major need there is safe(ish) Glen