Comments on: Why Do I Need a Backup of my RootMagic Database?

By: David Danielson

David Danielson — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 22:25:34 +0000

How about a web-based version that we can get to from anywhere we can connect to the web. That would allow even iMac and iPad users to access their research wherever they can connect to the web. It would require RootsMagic to store and backup the databases continuously/regularly but I would be willing to pay a small monthly/annual fee for this service so I could access my data from anywhere including my mother’s computer when she needs assistance rather than carrying my personal laptop to her home.

By: Carol Katsulis

Carol Katsulis — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:28:04 +0000

I have been a RM user for the past 10 years. I have gone thru 3 computers which the hard drive crashed. Back up, yeah, but lost those too, as I didn’t use external sources. My lost databases, could not be used as they were always added back on my new computerss in read only mode. Very frustrating. I like the suggestion to use HD back up, external source as a email to oneself and or to a “Cloud” source. If anyone has new “EASY” Suggestions, please pass them on.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:14:40 +0000

I’m here to tell you that backups are not always going to save your life. I was recently dismayed to learn that my RM3 database somehow became corrupted. I do not know how, or when. Because RM does no error-checking at the time a backup is made, it seems that I had gleefully made backups of corrupted data for at least the past YEAR, without knowing that the backups would be worthless. Sure – I found a backup old enough that it pre-dates the corruption. Problem now is that I have no sure method of determining everything I had entered since the time of that good backup, and no way of determining what has been lost.

So …. what to do? Restore a year-old backup and start over?

By: Cheryl Brickey

Cheryl Brickey — Wed, 04 May 2011 19:00:26 +0000

I am a new RM user. I have always saved up my material on my hard drive and external media; however, I didn’t use the “backup” feature as well. I didn’t realize compressed backups were less likely to get corrupted. Also, until today I didn’t know what a “cloud” service was. I will look into that feature. Thanks for the info.

By: Kevin Wornell

Kevin Wornell — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:33:42 +0000

A bit disappointed that no mention was made of backing up your linked media files.

By: Van Hoyt

Van Hoyt — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:13:19 +0000

I always back up. Normally, I only throw out a backup when the choice is offerred to overwrite it.
However, the reminder to back it up to the external drive or flashdrive is a good reminder. I have a flashdrive in my pocket on my keys normally. It is easy to do it. I forget to. Thanks for more good advice!

By: Jonathan McColl

Jonathan McColl — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:10:27 +0000

I’ve used the RM backup facility since I started with your application. It is quick and easy to save it to my external hard drive and I don’t have to remember to do it. I wish more apps did it your way!

By: Peter Bradish

Peter Bradish — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:31:57 +0000

Making backups has been a glaring omission of mine in the past. I’ve never had an HDD crash in my computer but other things have happened in both my computer and my wife’s which have caused no end of grief.

When Dick Eastman described DropBox some time ago it sounded good but I didn’t jump on it. Last fall I did start a DropBox account (2GB free) for valuable data and RootsMagic’s “Backup”, “Data”, “Multimedia” and “Report” folders were immediately included. A “GEDCOM” folder was added a little later. Last month I added a 1TB “ClickFree” external HDD ($150) which made it easy for my wife to backup her computer) which has many Gigabytes of pictures) and mine. I have several other external drives I’ve tried to use for backup, but haven’t not found simple, “easy to remember how to use” software which would do backups for me.

I could use DropBox for her pictures, but the volume is just way too high (10′s of GB) for us since we travel 8 months of the year and depend on cell tower data broadband for Internet connectivity in our coach. It has a limit of 5GB/mo total traffic for the both of us, therefore the external “ClickFree” fills that void. However, you have to attach it and do the synchronizing backup for it to be effective. I’ll be copying the “ClickFree” onto other external drives each time we return to our home base to have a data vault separately located from the one that travels with us.

All of this is a habit we have to learn just like locking the coach or house when we leave. It’s one of those “just do it” things.

By: Alex Graywolfe

Alex Graywolfe — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:25:35 +0000

Even if its on a thumb drive, flash drive, stick what ever you call it back that up too. Those can die. I know from experiance. And its hard to sit and retype what you have already done.

At my family history center we have said put one online, put one on a CD, and back it up on your computer too. Even if you are in the middle of the day entering stop and back it up after 50 or 100 names.

Don’t forget to back up the photos and media as well with it.