Hi Priscilla, The file with the L in a circle icon is the file that holds the data you enter. Provided you have that file, all is not lost. If you turned off "Hide extension for known file types" in Windows Explorer options, then you'd see that those files marked with the Legacy icon are .fdb files. (In Windows 8 in File Explorer, you turn on File Extensions on the View menu)
As you work with Legacy all sorts of other files are created in the same folder with the name of your family file and different extensions. You've noted some of them. These hold some of the settings - like the relationship settings - clipboards - and some of the research you do within Legacy if you use Research Guidance. Most can be easily recreated when needed but you'll see important ones listed in the backup dialogue - and it's a good idea to keep them all checked unless you really understand what is in them. The GED file may be the one you used to transfer your data into Legacy? or you've exported a Ged file from Legacy? In the Help Index search for File Extensions and you'll get a list. The usr files are found in the Documents/Legacy Family Tree/_AppData/usr/ folder and hold report settings etc. When do you use a backup? 1) If your computer hard drive crashes 2) when transferring your data to another computer 3) when you realise you've made a mistake and it's easier to go back before you made it than correcting it OR in the case of mistakenly deleting people, you can restore a backup file and give it a different name as you restore and then use Split Screen View to drag and drop over the people you now realise you still need. The backup file is restored using Restore on the File Ribbon. Media backup files are unzipped using Windows tools, not Legacy. Do practice restoring a backup before you need to use one for real. Just make sure you give it a different name so that you don't overwrite your current database. Cathy Stu and Priscilla Fanning wrote: > I underst and that it is a good idea to backup my family file on a > separate drive. I have been able to do that. It gives the family file > name, date and time, and that it is a compressed (zipped) file. > > When I look in my hard drive, I see files that have a circle at the > beginning with an L in it. The file type for those is Legacy Genealogy > Software. > > Then for some of my family files I also have GED, Text Document, and > TC files. > > For some other family files I have those 4 files plus FG file. > > And for another, those 5 files plus a PPL file. > **************************************************************** > When I am looking at a family file in Legacy and wish to open another > family file, I am offered only the circles with the L -- the Legacy > Genealogy Software type of files -- not all of the type of files that > are in the hard drive. > > That seems to work and what I have added to a file seems to be there > after closing the file and opening it again. > ***************************************************************** > What are all of these files -- GED, Text Document, TC, FG, and PPL ? > ***************************************************************** > At what point do I need to use the compressed (zipped) file and how do > I open that ? > When I am using family file "B" and want to go to family file "A" > which I have saved, I look in the other drive and it does not show up. > There is no possibility of finding a compressed (zipped) file. That is > not a type of file that is listed to open. > > Also, how many of these zipped files do other people keep? Do you > delete some of the older ones after you've saved the next one? > > Thanks, > Priscilla Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
