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I Lost My Family File! What Should I Do?
Legacy files that contain family data come
in two types:
- Legacy family files with the extension
.FDB (as in family database). These
files are the primary data file for your genealogical
information.
- Legacy family file backups with the
extension .ZIP (a “zipped” or compressed archive file).
When you “lose” a family file on your
computer, there are three possibilities:
- Legacy has lost track of where the .FDB
file is located, but it is still in its original location on
your hard drive.
- Your .FDB file was
renamed or moved to
another location and Legacy no longer knows how to find it.
- Your .FDB file was inadvertently
deleted and may be in your system Recycle Bin.
Here are the things to try when searching
for your lost family file:
- Click on File and look at the
bottom of the pull-down menu below Exit. Legacy
will show the last four family files opened. Clicking on
a family file listed here will open it
(so long has it has not been moved, renamed or deleted).
- Click on File and select Open
Family File from the pull-down menu. By default this opens
the C:\Legacy\Data folder where your family file may be
located. If it is there, click on it and open it.
- Use the Import Wizard to locate
your family file (Legacy Family Tree 6.0 and earlier). Click on File and select Import
From > Use Import Wizard to help with any import.
In the Import Wizard screen select Another Legacy
Family File and click the Next button. Legacy will
search all available drives for any files with the .FDB
extension. Examine the results in the list and if your family file is
listed, make note of its location (path) and close the
Import Wizard. Next click on File > Open Family
File and browse to the folder where the family file
resides. Highlight the file and open it.
- Use the Legacy Charting
program to find genealogy files on your computer. Examine the
results in the genealogy file list and if your Legacy family file is
listed, make note of its location (path) and close the
Legacy Charting. Next, in the Legacy Family Tree
program click on File > Open Family
File and browse to the folder where the family file
resides. Highlight the file and open it.
- Use the Window’s Search feature to
find your family file with a wildcard search. First
close Legacy. Next, click on the Start button in the
lower left corner of your system’s desktop screen. Select
Search (in older versions of Windows this may be Find)
and choose All files and folders. In the All or part
of file name field type *.FDB; leave the A word
of phrase in the file field blank; the Look in field
should be your Local Hard Drives. Click on Search
(or Find). If Windows finds your lost family file,
double click on it in the results screen and it will open in
your Legacy program.
- If none of the above steps finds your
family file, open your system Recycle Bin and manually
scan the list of deleted files. If you find your family file,
highlight it and restore it to its original location. (Make a
note of the path since you will have to find it again using
step 2 above)
If you cannot locate your family file using
the five methods listed above, restore your family file from your
most recent backup copy.
- If you have lost your backup family file,
use the Window’s Search feature to find your family file
with a wildcard search. Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of
your system’s desktop screen. Select Search (in older
versions of Windows this will be Find) and choose All
files and folders. In the All or part of file name
field type *.ZIP; leave the A word of phrase in the
file field blank; The Look in field should be your
Local Hard Drive(s). Click on Search (or Find).
If Windows finds your lost backup file, make note of its
location; then open in your Legacy program and click on File
> Restore Family File, browse to the file and follow the
prompts. Please visit
http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/tipsBackups.asp for
additional help.
You can select a
preferred family file to open whenever Legacy is started. Here
are the steps:
- Click on Options and select Customize.
- In the Customize screen select the General
tab.
- Go to Starting Family File and select Always
Open This File.
- To select or change the filename, click the Down button,
find the preferred family file and select it.
- Click Save in the lower
left corner of the Customize screen to make the setting
permanent.
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