Help with new ex Hard Drive

I just bought and installed a external hard drive.

I am fairly knowlegable about computers but this is my first Ex. Hard drive
and know very little about there use.

So what I want to know is how to save my Family Tree Makers files to it. And
once I do that how do I know for sure it is opening from my new drive and not
my computer C: drive?

I saved it to a DVD one time but when the time came when I needed it all
that was there was a short cut but no files.

Thanks much
--
ED
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--
ED

ED wrote:

> I just bought and installed a external hard drive.
>
> I am fairly knowlegable about computers but this is my first Ex. Hard
> drive and know very little about there use.
>
> So what I want to know is how to save my Family Tree Makers files to it.
> And once I do that how do I know for sure it is opening from my new drive
> and not my computer C: drive?
>
> I saved it to a DVD one time but when the time came when I needed it all
> that was there was a short cut but no files.

You will be better off running the Family Tree Makers program from the
internal hard drive and using the external hard drive for data backup.
Consult the Family Tree Makers help files or website for how to back up
that program's data.


Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

"Malke" <> wrote in message
news:...
> ED wrote:
>
> > I just bought and installed a external hard drive.
> >
> > I am fairly knowlegable about computers but this is my first Ex. Hard
> > drive and know very little about there use.
> >
> > So what I want to know is how to save my Family Tree Makers files to it.
> > And once I do that how do I know for sure it is opening from my new
drive
> > and not my computer C: drive?
> >
> > I saved it to a DVD one time but when the time came when I needed it all
> > that was there was a short cut but no files.
>
> You will be better off running the Family Tree Makers program from the
> internal hard drive and using the external hard drive for data backup.
> Consult the Family Tree Makers help files or website for how to back up
> that program's data.
>
>
> Malke



This is good advice!!! iI the data are saved on the C:
drive, then *copied* to a folder on the external drive...they are then
backed up!

ED wrote:
> I just bought and installed a external hard drive.
>
> I am fairly knowlegable about computers but this is my first Ex. Hard drive
> and know very little about there use.
>
> So what I want to know is how to save my Family Tree Makers files to it. And
> once I do that how do I know for sure it is opening from my new drive and not
> my computer C: drive?
>
> I saved it to a DVD one time but when the time came when I needed it all
> that was there was a short cut but no files.
>
> Thanks much



Might be interested in checking out the following URL for the Family
Tree Support web site:

http://www.familytreemaker.com/Support/Default.aspx

They also have a community available which you might want to access to
sound out rascals who actually use the program and have gone through the
experience of what you are equiring about.

I can tell you how to do it.....but then I'd have to erase your total
memory immediately after so it's probably better in the long run if I
didn't! <grin>

philo wrote:
> "Malke" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> ED wrote:
>>
>>> I just bought and installed a external hard drive.
>>>
>>> I am fairly knowlegable about computers but this is my first Ex. Hard
>>> drive and know very little about there use.
>>>
>>> So what I want to know is how to save my Family Tree Makers files to it.
>>> And once I do that how do I know for sure it is opening from my new
> drive
>>> and not my computer C: drive?
>>>
>>> I saved it to a DVD one time but when the time came when I needed it all
>>> that was there was a short cut but no files.
>> You will be better off running the Family Tree Makers program from the
>> internal hard drive and using the external hard drive for data backup.
>> Consult the Family Tree Makers help files or website for how to back up
>> that program's data.
>>
>>
>> Malke
>
>
>
> This is good advice!!! iI the data are saved on the C:
> drive, then *copied* to a folder on the external drive...they are then
> backed up!
>
>


Yes that method will work......but only if the user knows *exactly*
which files to copy.....there could be config type files, link files etc
besides the database files that need to be also transfered to keep his
files in sync with the main software program.

A better way a user could do it is, after installing the external
harddrive, tell the program to save any old files currently currently
accessible on his C: drive to the new drive.....that way, his program
knows where the files have been relocated to.......but this method will
only work **** if **** his program allows saving and/or subsequent
reading a different location than the current working sub/directory that
the program is installed in. Depending on how old the software is,
version #, running in previous Windows emulation mode or old DOS program
mode etc....there was no way to tell, IIRC, from his initial message.

To my mind, a far better course of action, as I and Malke, suggested to
the poster, is to explore the software's website for FAQ's, support and
to avail himself of the community there so he can actually get advice
from potential community participants on how to proceed with obtaining
the results he's looking for.

Anyways, these were just some of the things running through ma old grey
cells while I read his message........YMMV. :-)

"ED" <> wrote in message
news:54FBD59F-8633-4E08-B594-...
> I just bought and installed a external hard drive.
>
> I am fairly knowlegable about computers but this is my first Ex. Hard
> drive
> and know very little about there use.
>
> So what I want to know is how to save my Family Tree Makers files to it.
> And
> once I do that how do I know for sure it is opening from my new drive and
> not
> my computer C: drive?
>
> I saved it to a DVD one time but when the time came when I needed it all
> that was there was a short cut but no files.
>
> Thanks much
> --
> ED
> Was this post helpful to you?

I would save the pictures to the external drive, but I would not install the
program there.
Once you have the drive plugged in and recognized, formatted if necessary,
you should be able to move or save the files to the drive as desired by
dragging/dropping or using the 'save as' feature and picking that drive.