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

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

Genealogy Year-End Backups

Genealogy Year-End Backups

Because I can't remember the things I think I can remember I keep a steno pad notebook for note taking. At the bottom of each page I write a label for the page and the date I used the page.

Today, 7 Jan 2018, I created a page for recording my RootsMagic Backup. My goal was to accomplish year-end (seven days late) backup of my genealogy files.

The RootsMagic program maintains a list of the last ten genealogy files I accessed on my C: hard drive.  A prudent backup strategy demands backing up to media external to the computer itself.

RootsMagic Steps

• I ran the RootsMagic Backup Tools on each of the ten genealogy files to insure file integrity. 

• I backed up each of the ten files to my laptop hard drive to create a backup with today's date.

• I deleted all but the last three backups of each file from the hard drive, to free up hard drive space.

External Backups

• I copied the ten latest backups to my genealogy thumb drive (with the green happy face sticker).

• I copied the ten latest backups to my 30GB Dell external hard drive.

• I uploaded the ten latest backups to my Box account cloud storage. 

Storage Used

I used Properties to check how much available storage remains on the thumb drive, the external drive and the Box account. There was plenty of space left, so I didn't consider deleting old backup files from those three media.

Storage Strategy

The end result of this backup strategy is I have four backups of the ten genealogy files I'm actively accessing, three reside in our house and one is in the cloud.

Dick Henthorn
7 Jan 2018

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

Some RootsMagic7 Glitches

Yesterday I installed RootsMagic7.  I noticed several disappointments.

The problem with wrap-around text when you save a report in .txt format hasn't been fixed.  When I mentioned this yesterday to Tech Support the person I talked to brushed me off saying that no one had ever reported the problem.

The installation procedure suggested that I let them uninstalled RootsMagic6.  I followed their suggestion.  I'm not sure this was such a good idea.  They didn't warn me that the newly installed version of the program would forget all of the formatting information such as color scheme and toolbar button icon placement.  I'm not happy about that.

I installed a copy of the program on a thumb drive for the first time.  I had a new SanDisk 4Gb thumb drive on hand.  After the installation I copied one of my files to the thumb drive in order to test drive how it works. This is a very handy way to take your genealogy with you if you travel and don't want to take your laptop. I think I'll take the thumb drive to the computer club meeting to show Dale Grant who does genealogy.

Dick Henthorn
6 January 2015