2020 Year-End Genealogy Backups

 2020 Year-End Genealogy Backups

I use the genealogy program, RootsMagic7.  I have many genealogy databases. There are four databases that I update on a regular basis.  Those are the databases (files) that need backup.

The backup process requires a number of steps and takes quite a bit of time.

1. Run the four-step Database Tools of RootsMagic on each of the four files. This is database housekeeping.
2. Create a backup for each database on the laptop hard drive.  To avoid overlaying, modify the name of each backup to include the word "Keep'' in the file name.
3. Create a normal backup of each database on the laptop hard drive without altering the file name.
4. Delete all of the backups done on the laptop during the year except the last four.
5. Copy the four backup files to an external hard drive.
6. Copy the four backup files to a thumb drive.
7. Copy the four backup files to my paid cloud Box account.
8. Delete all but the last 3 or 4 backup files from the external hard drive; thumb drive; and Box account.
9. Check storage usage on Box - 6.4GB of 100GB available.

Dick Henthorn

2 Dec 2020

Data Recovery Projects

Data Recovery Projects

On July 5th I completed data recovery projects and Family Group Sheet uploads to my Box account.

• Samuel Horatio Henthorn- 13 pages
• John Milton Henthorn - 8 pages
• Hector Ulysses Henthorn - 10 pages

Dick Henthorn

6 July 2020

More Data Recovery Projects

More Data Recovery Projects

I completed data recovery projects for:

• William David Henthorn and Susannah Parrott
• John Henthorn and Mary Eleanor Jarrett
• John Wesley Henthorn and Ursula Anne Hall

I'm working on:

• John Milton Henthorn and Annie Elizabeth Hougland

Each project entails various edits to the records in my old, PAFBIG, file followed by copying the records to my large, pafyoh, file. I'm also using RootsMagic7 to create a Family Group Sheet (FGS) for each project. These FGSs include the Note field information of each person in the FGS. The FGSs are uploaded to my Box account where they are available for Preview or Download by folks who have the URL.

Dick Henthorn

5 July 2020

Family Group Sheets

Family Group Sheets

I have a paid subscription to cloud storage on Box.

I created a folder on Box where I can upload Family Group Sheets created by my genealogy program, RootsMagic7. This Family Group Sheet folder has many family sub-folders. With the link shared below you can access the Family Group Sheets. Individual group sheets can be previewed online and/or downloaded to your computer. I believe Box works best when accessed via a computer. It is probably possible to access the family group sheets with a SmartPhone if you have the URL.

The family group sheets produced by RootsMagic include the Note field of the people listed on the family group sheet. Included in the notes are source citations, if I have them, Find A Grave memorial numbers, obituaries and other historical information. After the Note fields each family group sheet has a name index and a place name index.

Corrections and additions are welcome.

I'll also entertain suggestions for other family group sheets 

I'm a very active user of Facebook which makes that the best way to catch my attention. 

My Email address, which I don't check often is: Dick.Henthorn@gmail.com

Family Group Sheets

Dick Henthorn

26 June 2020

May 2019 File Backups

May 2019 File Backups

Today I ran the RootsMagic Database Tools on the nineteen files that I've updated since January 2019. 

For the first time ever I got a message about a file problem with one of my largest files, the one where I currently do the majority of my updates. I continued to run all of the database tools on this file and then returned to the first tool, where the error was reported, and ran that first test again. Fortunately the error was corrected by one of the other database tools tests.

After I ran the Database Tools for each file I backed up each RootsMagic file to a backup folder on my laptop hard drive..

Next, I copied all of the backups to a thumb drive that I use solely for genealogy backup.

I also have an external hard drive that I salvaged from a laptop that broke down. I copied the same files to a genealogy backup folder on this hard drive.

I have a paid subscription to cloud storage with the Box company. The final step in the backup process was to upload the nineteen files to my RootsMagic backup folder on Box.

The final result of my backup project is four sets of backup, one on my laptop, two external in my house, and one in the cloud.

I keep Notes in a Steno notebook. I created a page with a table that recorded the extent of my 24 May 2019 backups.

Dick Henthorn

24 May 2019

Year-End Backups

Year-End Backups

Today, in order to get 2019 off to a good start, I'm doing Backup on some of my genealogy files.

 I ran the Database Tools on the last eleven genealogy files I'd opened. RootsMagic keeps track of the file names of the most recently opened files.

 Then I backed up those eleven files to my laptop.

 Then I made copies to three external media
1) 4GB Sandisk thumb drive with green smiley face sticker
2) 30 GB Dell external drive
3) Box cloud account

I made notes in my Steno notebook to remind me when and how I did this backup. I spent about an hour doing this task.

Dick Henthorn
1 Jan 2019

Zachariah Prickett

Yesterday I uploaded a 147-page descendant report about the family of Zachariah Prickett to my Box account.  Access is by invitation or request only.

Prickett's Fort State Park

Prickett's Fort Memorial Foundation

Dick Henthorn
12 Apr 2017

RootsMagic Backup Strategy

RootsMagic Backup Strategy

I've been thinking about my genealogy file backup strategy. I'm concerned that I wasn't ready for a computer disaster. I'm writing this article to describe how I decided to improve my backup policy.

I have about forty-five RootsMagic genealogy files. Ten of these files are listed in the RootsMagic "Open Recent" file list. That is to say, RootsMagic remembers the last ten files I opened.

The program always keeps track of the last ten files that were opened. Generally, whenever I update a file I have RootsMagic backup the file when I close the file at the end of the update session. RootsMagic writes the backup files to a folder on my laptop hard drive that I specified during program setup. This means that there are two copies of the file on the laptop. One is the RootsMagic file itself and the other is the RootsMagic backup. These files are in two different file formats. If I backup a particular file more than once a day RootsMagic asks if I want to overwrite the already existing backup file. I always choose "yes." If I back up once each day for a week there will be seven backup files on my hard drive.

This really isn't a very good backup method. If the hard drive fails or the laptop is stolen I will lose both the RootsMagic version of the file and all of the backups.

For more secure backup the backup files must be stored external to the laptop where the RootsMagic program resides and stores the data and backups.

With my new backup methodology I will be storing three copies of my backup files away from my laptop.

1. external hard drive
2. thumb drive
3. Box account cloud storage

I own a Dell 30GB hard drive that I salvaged from a failed laptop. I bought a case to protect the drive and I have a cable that connects the drive to the laptop. On this drive I have created two folders for RootsMagic backup. One folder stores the ten files that I am actively updating, the "Open Recent" files. The second folder stores the other files that are infrequently updated and therefore infrequently backed up.

I have a thumb drive dedicated to RootsMagic. There are two folders for backup on the thumb drive. Again, one folder stores the backup of the ten files that I am actively updating. The other folder stores all of the other RootsMagic file backups.

The third set of RootsMagic file backups is located "in the cloud" on my paid Box account. Again, one folder stores the backup of the ten files that I am actively updating. The other folder stores all of the other RootsMagic file backups. Having an offsite backup adds one more degree of protection to my backup strategy. If, heaven forbid, there was a disaster of some sort with our house and the laptop and thumb drive were destroyed or stolen I would still have a backup copy of all of my genealogy files on the Box computer.

Periodically, I do maintenance on the RootsMagic folder on my laptop hard drive where the backups reside. Remember that if I backup a file once a day for 30 days I will have thirty backup files at the end of the month. The purpose of the maintenance task is to free up space on the hard drive. I usually delete all backups of each file except the last two.

Currently the process of copying the backups to the three backup locations is accomplished via simply using the Windows file manager to copy the files from the laptop hard drive to the external hard drive and to the thumb drive.The Box account file manager is used to upload the files from either the external hard drive or the thumb drive to my Box account.

BTW I think you can still get 5GB of free storage on Box. Therefore, people who don't use a lot of disk space for their genealogy can set up storage "in the cloud" without paying for it. Also if you don't have an external hard drive you can used two thumb drives if you want to have three levels of backup.

Dick Henthorn
8 Mar 2017

Ancestors of Samuel Godard and Eliza A. Fair

Ancestors of Samuel Godard and Eliza A. Fair

The Samuel Godard Letter

On 13 Nov 1899 Samuel Godard wrote a letter about his family.  Researcher, Linda (Goddard) Stout, obtained a copy of the document and converted it into eight typewritten pages on 27 Dec 1982.  In early March 2016, Bev Baker scanned the eight pages, with some hand-written notes, and shared them on Facebook.  Researcher, Richard E. Henthorn, spent several days working with the document to make certain he had all of the decipherable information in his genealogy file.

Researchers Who Shared Their Information

Anderson, T. Vernon
Baker, Bev
Baker, Lendal
Baker, Mrs. Leonard
Bininger, Virginia L. (Baker)
Briggs, Ethel L.
Carson, Earl
Fedorchak, Catherine (Foreaker)
Finnicum, Ada (Smith)
Godard, Samuel
Headlee, Alvah Washington
Henderson, James
Kennedy, Beverly
Lincicome, Glen Allan
Mason, V. Kay
Stanley, Clarice (Eller)
Stout, Linda (Goddard)
Yoho, Denver Clayton
Yoho, Gail V. (Cecil)
Yoho, Hugh Lemoyne
Yoho, James Robert & Vivian
Yoho, Sullivan Blair

Mr. Henthorn Shares Samuel Godard Ancestor Report

Until Saturday, 12 March 2016, Richard is sharing his 67-page ancestor PDF report for the family of Samuel Godard and Eliza A. Fair with anyone who encounters the link in this blog report.  The report includes: a name index and a place name index.  The report is stored on Richard's Box account and can be viewed and downloaded from there.  The report starts with McLean Goddard, one of the sons of Samuel and Eliza Godard.  Note that the son's of Samuel spelled their surname, Goddard.

To obtain a copy of the document after the cut-off date you will need to contact Mr. Henthorn directly.

Samuel Godard Report URL

Samuel Godard Report URL

Comments About Using Box

By default Box displays the document with its own quick PDF viewer which doesn't do a very good job of displaying the text, it's poorly formatted.  Don't let this discourage you.

There is a gray tool bar at the bottom of the viewer screen (move the mouse over the page if the tool bar doesn't display).  Click on the Printer icon and the Adobe Reader will display the document. If  you decide you want a copy of the document downloaded to your computer click on the Disc icon button in the upper right while viewing with the Adobe Reader. You will be asked to supply a Folder name and File name for the download and then click, Save.

Request For Corrections and Additions

As always, corrections and additions are welcome and appreciated.

Richard E. Henthorn
6 March 2016

Frederick Ice, Sr.

As a New Year's gift to folks who can demonstrate a valid interest in the family of Frederick Ice, Sr. I created a 2247-page PDF genealogy of Frederick Ice, Sr. and his descendants. It's large, about 80MB. (I don't know why the Box Preview says there are 999 pages.)

This is a compilation of information from many sources. Thanks to everyone who shared information. This isn't everything that's available. I'm still working on adding more information to my file from time to time.

The PDF file is located on my Box account. It will be available for sharing until 9 January 2016.

Contact me to justify your interest and obtain the URL to access and download the report.

Dick Henthorn

Email: Dick.Henthorn@gmail.com

1 January 2016

Lazarus Rine

As a Christmas gift I am sharing a 1062-page PDF (36.5 MB) genealogy of the family of Lazarus Rine with the members of my secret Facebook genealogy page.  I posted the URL link to the document on the Facebook page.

The file is stored on my Box account.  The link to the file will expire on 26 Dec 2015.  Viewing the file with the Box "preview" is garbled.  Once downloaded the file can be opened with the Acrobat Reader and viewed without problems.

I'm willing to share the file with readers of this blog provided that I know you and that we have a reciprocal sharing arrangement.  Contact me to request the link.  In your message identify yourself, provide your Email address and justify why I should share this information with you.

Dick Henthorn
21 December 2015

What Is a Box Collaborator?

As part of my current project to review and improve what I know about managing a Box account I'm posting some information to my genealogy blog.  The following information was selected from Box help information and modified for posting here.

What is a Collaborator? 
A collaborator is an individual who has been invited into a folder. Collaboration invitations are a great way to share content for long term projects. Collaboration allows the Box account owner to invite people to a folder and monitor updates over time. In order to access a folder as a collaborator, a person needs a Box account and the folder will be listed under All Files when they log in to their Box account. If you send a collaboration invitation to a person without a Box account, that person will be prompted to sign up with Box before being able to access the content.
[Note: Until November 2015 my Box account was a starter "free" account.]

Who Should Become a Collaborator?
A Box account holder would invite an individual into a folder as a collaborator if the account holder and the collaborator are actively working together on long-term projects. Collaboration provides a two-way relationship; depending on the access level granted, collaborators can view, edit, upload/download documents, leverage collaboration tools (comments, tasks, etc.), and receive updates on actions taking place in the folder. 

Folder collaborators need a Box account.  If a Box account holder sends a collaboration invitation to an individual without a Box account, that individual will be prompted to sign up with Box before being able to access the content.

Dick Henthorn
5 November 2015

Box Shared Links Defined

I have a Box account where I sometimes share genealogy information.  Recently I signed up for a year of extended storage when they held a half-price sale.  This prompted me to review how the application works. As often happens with me, there seems to be quite a bit about Box that I either forgot or never understood.  I'm working on the problem.  Progress is slow.

As I understand it there are two ways to allow access to my content, either invite others to become Collaborators or via Shared links.

Here's a definition I found for Shared Links.

Shared link: A shared link provides a one-way relationship, allowing the recipient to preview or download a given file or folder. With customizable permission levels, security settings, and a URL that’s easy to copy and paste, shared links can be used to send important content both internally and externally. Unlike collaboration, individuals accessing your content through a shared link get "read-only" access and won’t be able to make changes to your files. They can continue to reference that link for the most up-to-date version of the content. Think of a shared link as a secure email attachment replacement.

Dick Henthorn
4 November 2015

Sharing a File

There are some genealogy files stored on my Box account. I restrict access.

Today I'm test sharing a link to a document in my Box account. This is a Hardesty piece about John Devaul of Monroe Co., OH. It's a "text" file of one page. 

John's first wife was Elizabeth Henthorne, a daughter of James and Elizabeth Rachel Henthorne.

I also shared the link on Facebook.  That worked.

John Devaul Biography

Dick Henthorn
30 August 2014

Welcome To My Box

Welcome to those folks I invited to have collaborator access to my genealogy information on My Box.

If you have any questions about how it works or any comments about the information in the files I'm sharing don't hesitate to send me an Email or post a private Message on Facebook.

I hope you will find something of interest in the material I'm sharing.

Dick Henthorn
14 Dec 2010