One of the worst feelings a person can experience is when their computer crashes and they realize they don’t have a backup of their data. I have gone through this myself. Worse, I have had to deliver the bad news to others who have asked me to fix their computer and all I can tell them is its too late, the data is gone. Over the years, I have tried to teach hundreds of people how to properly back up their data. I even once included a chapter in one of my books on the subject. After two decades of watching the industry and general computer use, one thing I can for people today is most have learned their lesson about backing up their data. However, over time methods, strategies, and tools change. What worked well once may not be the best, most efficient, or most economical choice for backups today. Backing Up Your Genealogy Data is a CD copy of a webinar presented last year on Legacy Family Tree’s Webinars. This webinar provides all the up to date options and skills genealogists need to safely and efficiently backup their family history information from their computer.
Presenter Thomas MacEntee presents the basics of backups including identifying data, common backup methods, and how to use free online programs to help make sure vital data will always be available. Topics in the hour-and-a-half presentation include:
- Make a data backup plan
- Identify data for backup
- Types of backups
- Identify a method that worked for you
- Basic data backup methods
- CNET review
- Online data backup programs
- Backupify
- Carbonite
- Dropbox
- iDrive
- Mozy
- Simplicity
- SkyDrive
- Backup comparisons
- Free, freemium, or fee?
- Restoring data
- Best practices
- and other tips and tricks along the way
MacEntee is a professional genealogists who specializes in technology and social media. From this presentation viewers learn various methods available today for backing up their data, including “cloud” computing options like Dropbox. Included on the disk is a link for downloading related handouts.
Genealogists across the country have found Legacy Family Tree Webinars a boon to their genealogical and computing skills. Here are just a few comments made specifically about this presentation:
- Excellent. I thought I knew lots about backing up, but I learned so much. Thanks for providing these seminars.
- Thomas gave so many tips and suggestions for backing up programs..need to get started….will buy the CD.
- Easy to understand presentation, so much information packed into an hour, motivational, look forward to future webinars.
- An extremely enjoyable, well-paced, informative webinar. This was my first webinar – what an exciting way to learn. Thanks so much for making these available.
- I found Thomas’ explanations both thorough and clear….helpful for those of us who are novices.
- Thank you so much for the comparison of different online backup programs. Nice to know about the different elements within each program and that there is no “one size fits all.”
- Greatly enjoyed the presentation. Good information for practical use which if I apply it, may keep me from losing much valuable date.
- You provide an excellent, well organized, understandable presentation. Your answers were thoughtful and direct. Felt like you were sitting here next to me walking thru your slides. I would love to attend more webinars with you instructing!
- Very good presentation. Easy to understand, especially for someone who belongs to the “older generation.”
Get your own copy of Backing Up Your Genealogy Data from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: LEGweb4, Price: $12.69. Enjoy the presentation again and again on your own computer.