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paf-digest V1998 #31
paf-digest Friday, July 24 1998 Volume 1998 : Number 031
In this issue:
[PAF] Personal Ancestral File(r) User's Groups
[PAF] Re: Archival Storage & ZIP drives
Re: [PAF] Re: PAF 2.31 vs deskjet 690 series printers
[PAF] "Betty Harris" <bharris@inetnebr.com>
Re: [PAF] "Betty Harris" <bharris@inetnebr.com>
[PAF] Fix Data Files
Re: [PAF] Fix Data Files
Re: [PAF] Fix Data Files
Re: [PAF] Fix Data Files
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Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 17:36:15
From: Joan Lowrey <jlowrey@connectnet.com>
Subject: [PAF] Personal Ancestral File(r) User's Groups
Received today, 21 Jul 1998, from FH Support:
>Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 11:53:08 -0600
>From: "Family History Support FHD" <FHDFHSUP@ldschurch.org>
>Subject: Personal Ancestral File(r) User's Groups
>
>
>Dear Personal Ancestral FileŽ User Group Leader:
>
>We appreciate your ongoing support of Personal Ancestral File (PAF) and
your continued efforts to help the members of your group with their family
history work. The following information may be useful to you and your group:
>
>General Information
>
> * Family History Support*s e-mail address has changed. It now is
FHDFHSup@ldschurch.org. The former e-mail address can be used through 1
August 1998. If you or someone in your group would be willing to receive
your group*s copy of these letters via e-mail instead of regular mail,
please forward to us the e-mail address. Please don*t forget to notify us
of changes in person or address for all mail addresses.
>
> * Running *scandisk* and *defrag* on personal computers on a regular
basis helps keep the hard drive fine-tuned.
>
>Personal Ancestral File 3.0
>
> * If PAF 3.0 was originally installed at a DOS prompt, the update (PAF
3.0M) also needs to be installed at a DOS prompt. If there are problems,
reinstall the original PAF 3.0 and then the PAF 3.0M.
>
> * *Convert* did not work correctly in the April 1997 release of PAF 3.0.
A work-around for moving the PAF 2.x data into PAF 3.0 is to make a GEDCOM
file of the old PAF 2.31 data and import the GEDCOM into PAF 3.0.
>
> * Some Alpha releases of PAF were mistakenly sold during the latter part
of 1997. The diskettes show file dates of November 1996 or January 1997.
Anyone with such a release should follow these steps:
>
> * Contact Family History Support to have a complete August 1997 release
sent to them.
> * Create a GEDCOM file of each PAF 3.0 data file (before installing the
August 1997 release). Any PAF 3.0M diskette labeled *August 1997
maintenance release for owners of 3.0" is not complete and should not be
installed.
>* Delete the Personal Ancestral File 3.0 program, run *scandisk* and
*defrag*.
> * Install the August 1997 release, then import the GEDCOM file into
that program.
>
> * When using PAF 3.0 with Windows 95, the screen saver sometimes causes
problems. The screen saver can be disabled for PAF 3.0 in the *PAF Icon
Properties*.
>
> * When using PAF 3.0, increasing the file-size number in the CONFIG.SYS
can help it run smoother:
> * Files=65 and Buffers=30 for lower-end computers (286, 386, 486).
>* Files=100 (they can go up to 120) and Buffers=30 for Pentium computers.
>
> * When preparing names for TempleReady*, a DONTDOIT problem often
occurs. When selecting an individual for ordinances with the *I* selection
(selecting an individual), and if the individual has a RIN number higher
than the parents, and if the parents* names are later included as
individuals in the same submission, these parents will not have their names
cleared for ordinances. The word *DONTDOIT* will appear in the LDS
ordinance field for the parents in the GEDCOM file. The problem does not
happen if the individual has a RIN number lower than the parents* number.
Also, if the GEDCOM file was ever imported into PAF 3.0, then the word
*DONTDOIT* will appear in the ordinance field. It will replace any
information that was previously in the ordinance field. Some work-arounds
are: (1) edit the records for the parents in TempleReady or (2) when
submitting the names, use the FAMILY option instead of the INDIVIDUAL option.
>
>Notes in Personal Ancestral File
>
> * Because the PAF 2.31 program uses the DOS text editor, a hard return
is placed at the end of each line. This hard return is retained in the
notes when bringing in PAF 2.31 data, whether converting with PAF 3.0 or
importing a GEDCOM file. Ann Turner has written a freeware program called
GEDWRAP which can be run on a PAF 2.31 GEDCOM file before it is imported
into PAF 3.0. In January 1997 Ann Turner came out with PAF3WRAP for those
who have imported their PAF 2.31 GEDCOM file or have converted their PAF
2.31 data into PAF 3.0, and have since added new individuals and notes,
etc. Users can now make a 3.0 GEDCOM file, run PAF3WRAP, and import this
GEDCOM into a new datafile. You may download this from the Internet at
http://members.aol.com/APTurner/Gedutils.ntm. Any questions about this
program should be directed to AnnTurner@aol.com.
>
> * Notes do not copy from one person to another when the names are being
accessed from the *Small Pedigree*. The notes can be copied when the names
are accessed from the *Large Pedigree*, the *Name List*, or the *Individual
Browse*.
>
>Personal Ancestral File Companion
>
> * PAF Companion files (other than register files) saved as a disk file,
cannot be brought up in a word processor to print later. These files can
only be printed using the DOS command to print a file (e.g., COPY FILENAME
PRN).
>
> * PAF Companion does not print the LISTS that are available in PAF 3.0.
The work-around for this is to print the file to a disk and open that file
in a word processor. When opened, adjust the top, bottom, right-hand, and
left-hand margins. Then change the font as needed. The document(s) can be
previewed in the word processor to see what document changes are needed
before printing.
>
> * PAF Companion has difficulty installing and running successfully
because there are not enough file handlers allocated to the program. We
recommend that in the CONFIG.SYS, the line *FILES=* be changed to 65 for
computers lower than a Pentium, and that a Pentium be changed to a setting
between 100 and 120. The buffers should be set at 30.
>
>Printer Information
>
> * Some printers are considered *Windows Only* printers. PAF will not
print using those printers.
>
> * When using Canon BubbleJet printers, *Epson 24 pin printer* needs to
be selected as the printer choice.
>
> * Some printer problems can be fixed by making changes on the *Printer
properties* and the *PAF Icon properties*.
>
>We appreciate your interest in Personal Ancestral File and welcome your
feedback.
>
> Raymond W. Madsen
> Product Manager
>
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 23:57:43 -0400
From: "Ralph Weidler" <rweidler@prodigy.net>
Subject: [PAF] Re: Archival Storage & ZIP drives
I have been using a Zip drive, I think, for almost 3 years (since they first
came out), I have had no problems at all with them or the data stored on
them. I use the disks all the time and have almost 20 of them.
Ralph Weidler
- -----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Hess <jahess@vivistar.com>
To: elijah-l@emcee.com <elijah-l@emcee.com>; paf@innernet.org
<paf@innernet.org>
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 1998 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: Archival Storage & ZIP drives
>At 11:09 AM -0700 7/14/98, Richard L Halliday wrote:
>> Cheryl Singhal of the PAF list wrote that she had been using her ZIP
>>drive to backup large numbers of files. I have been doing the same
>>thing. Upon checking with a friend, he told me that there are many
>>reports of failures of ZIP drives. His advice was to convert to a JAZ
>>drive which has more capacity and is a removeable hard drive ( with much
>>more expensive disks). Threse reports make me very nervous when I see
>>new computers for sale which contain only a ZIP drive and a CD-ROM drive.
>>
>> Personally, I am going to buy the best quality floppies I can find and
>>use the capeability built into PAF to make MULTIPLE (and dated) backups
>>onto 1.44 meg floppies.
>
>My experience tells me Zip disks are more reliable than floppies -- by far.
>I've also head that JAZ aren't all that reliable.
>
>I think the reports of bad Zip drives are just that -- bad zip drives that
>have catastrophic failures -- IE they're unusable for normal use. This is
>good because you know the thing doesn't work and you know you need to get
>it fixed.
>
>If your data fits on a single floppy and you only have a floppy, use floppy
>backups!
>
>But above all, use a rotating back up scheme -- IE multiple disks that you
>back up to. One week you back up to one. The next week another. Etc.
>Then, if you need to restore and your most recent backup doesn't work,
>you'll have another to fallback to.
>
>I also don't like keeping the backup disks all together or at the same
>location as my work computer.
>
>I've seen some people that have hard drives use floppies as their working
>medium. Mainly because they want to have a backup. Uck. Hard drives are
>so much more reliable than floppies or any removable media and so much
>faster. It is just you need the removable media backup in the event of a
>catastrophic failure or corruption of the hard drive.
>
>Floppies are probably the worse for LONG term storage. For long term
>storage of static data optical technologies (Writeable CD's) are more
>reliable. However, we're constantly updating our geneology data so we
>don't really need the ideal long term storage solution. We're looking for
>storage that lasts until we make our next backup.
>
>Finally, backup utilities often don't work. This is bad because you don't
>know they're not working until you need to do a restore. With the larger
>disks, like zips, I just copy files straight over using the normal file
>system.
>
>(Actually I fib. I now backup to other computers on a network and even the
>internet. I rarely mess with removable media now. But I'm sure I'm the
>exception in this regard.)
>
>
>Jonathan Hess
>ViviStar Consulting
>http://www.vivistar.com/
>mailto:jahess@vivistar.com
>
>
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 08:48:25 -0400
From: Huesman <wajrhues@sover.net>
Subject: Re: [PAF] Re: PAF 2.31 vs deskjet 690 series printers
Hi Ray,
Have you gotten answer to this yet? I have run the same setup - PAF 2.3 and
HP printer 693C - here is the answer:
Go to configuration
to printer setup
Leave the LEFT MARGIN BLANK - do not put any numbers in it
Printer Character For - double line 61; single line 45; vertical line 124.
That should do it. Hope this helps.
Regards, Arleen Huesman
wajrhues@sover.net
At 08:43 PM 7/20/98 EDT, you wrote:
>While I have be using PAF 2.31 for several years, I recently purchased a
>DeskJet 692C printer. In several efforts to print reports from the PAF file,
>all came through the printer as though the page size/print (font) etc. had all
>been doubled.
>
>I contacted the tech rep for DeskJet and was told that DeskJet is "programed
>for windows based programs" and that as PAF is a DOS based program, PAF must
>be modified to set the correct font for the printing of reports.
>
>I admit to being "computer dumb" - that is to say I can follow the prompts,
>read the menu and enter data in a open file. However, I have no knowledge as
>to how to adjust the files in the PAF program to allow the printing on this
>printer. Can you provide any guidance or point of contact for guidance to
>solve this problem.
>
>I really do not want to give up my PAF, nor do I care for what I know of the
>3.0 version. But is that the answer?
>
>Thank you so kindly for your consideration.
>
>Ray Smith - MONDAYSR@aol.com (Case not important)
>============================================================================
>For assistance and help for the PAF Mailing List please contact
>ed.rogers@bigfoot.com or http://www.innernet.org/paf/
>============================================================================
>
============================================================================
For assistance and help for the PAF Mailing List please contact
ed.rogers@bigfoot.com or http://www.innernet.org/paf/
============================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 15:44:49 +0000
From: "Alice Harris" <akh@molalla.net>
Subject: [PAF] "Betty Harris" <bharris@inetnebr.com>
Hi Betty,
I have been very lucky I guess. It evidently depends on what drivers
your computer has. I do get extra pages shooting out with one letter
up in the upper corner with each list I print, but I just feed them
back thru.
I have a friend who has not been able to get hers to print either and
when she called HP they told her to download two drivers from their
internet site. I will give you her email address so you can email
her and ask what they were. Her Name is Pat Huff, her email address
is rosella@molalla.net. I sent this to you instead of to the list as
I hesitate to give her address out without her permission to all
those people. We could, either you or I, send that information to
the list if it works for you.
Good luck,
Alice Harris
P.S. My HP 722C does take what I think is alittle longer to process
the reports than other things, like my word processor, but then that
might be because PAF has to gather info too. I don't have much else
to compare with. I guess I should check out the dot matrix at the
FHC and see how long it takes.
I just remembered I have my preferences set for single sheet. I
don't know if that has anything to do with it or not. When I called
PAF Support to see what I could do about the extra sheet they said I
should set it for C for continous as that meant keep printing vrs
stop after each sheet. When I tried that it locked up.
Subject: From: "Betty Harris" <bharris@inetnebr.com>
To: <paf@innernet.org>
Subject: Re: [PAF] Re: PAF 2.31 vs deskjet 690 series
printers Date sent: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 18:09:26 -0500 Send reply
to: paf@innernet.org
How did you get HP 722 to work with PAF 2.31. I have AQ but it does
not let me print a certain focs file I use as an index so I have to go
to PAF . Just thought I'd ask how you did it. --Betty
printers Date sent: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 18:09:26 -0500 Send reply
to: paf@innernet.org
How did you get HP 722 to work with PAF 2.31. I have AQ but it does
not let me print a certain focs file I use as an index so I have to go
to PAF . Just thought I'd ask how you did it. --Betty
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 18:49:36 -0500
From: "Betty Harris" <bharris@inetnebr.com>
Subject: Re: [PAF] "Betty Harris" <bharris@inetnebr.com>
I thought I sent you a note only and then I saw it on the net. Anyway
thankks for the reply and I will keep it if I need to write her. I may have
found a way but have not retried it. Betty
>
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 12:58:56 -0500
From: "Dwight Vidito" <vidito@tigerpaw.com>
Subject: [PAF] Fix Data Files
What am I doing wrong. I had my PAF 2.31 in Utilities 'check' my data
files. It told me I had a problem. I made a backup and had it 'fix' my
data files. It printed out many pages and they all read 'fixed so-so
pointer, out of range. After all of this I brought the family records up
and they were all messed up. some family lines had ancestors missing and
had some folks married to the wrong people and children with the wrong
parents.
What does the 'pointer' mean?? My manuel doesn't seem to address this.
I put my backup back in and corrected this foulup. Could some one tell
me what I am doing wrong?
Dwight Vidito
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 08:50:51 EDT
From: ACWomack@aol.com
Subject: Re: [PAF] Fix Data Files
In a message dated 7/22/1998 11:00:59 PM Central Daylight Time,
vidito@tigerpaw.com writes:
> .
> What does the 'pointer' mean?? My manuel doesn't seem to address this.
> I put my backup back in and corrected this foulup. Could some one tell
> me what I am doing wrong?
>
PAF 2.31 done the same thing to me. Don't "fix" the pointer for this version.
I found out later it has a bug in it that is fixed with 3.0
Annette in Louisiana
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 07:47:11 -0700
From: "John J. Totten" <jjtotte@california.sandia.gov>
Subject: Re: [PAF] Fix Data Files
ACWomack@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 7/22/1998 11:00:59 PM Central Daylight Time,
> vidito@tigerpaw.com writes:
>
> > .
> > What does the 'pointer' mean?? My manuel doesn't seem to address this.
> > I put my backup back in and corrected this foulup. Could some one tell
> > me what I am doing wrong?
> >
> PAF 2.31 done the same thing to me. Don't "fix" the pointer for this version.
> I found out later it has a bug in it that is fixed with 3.0
>
> Annette in Louisiana
> ============================================================================
> For assistance and help for the PAF Mailing List please contact
> ed.rogers@bigfoot.com or http://www.innernet.org/paf/
> ============================================================================
This message is in response to the questions about upgrading to Windows
98 and is quoting PC Magazine August 1998:
"THE VERDICT
Although we encountered fewer problems with Windows 98 upgrades than
with others, any upgrade is risky. If your current system runs fine,
Windows 98 will provide some incremental improvements, but the risk of
upgrading may outweigh them.
We recommend the upgrade only for people whose systems aren't as stable
as they wou8ld like, or for those who want FAT32 or some of the other
new features---and who have the experience to deal with the occasional
glitch in the upgrade process. Also anyone looking to use USB devices
should consider upgrading."
John Totten
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ed.rogers@bigfoot.com or http://www.innernet.org/paf/
============================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 07:59:33 -0700
From: rhaldy@juno.com (Richard L Halliday)
Subject: Re: [PAF] Fix Data Files
On Wed, 22 Jul 1998 12:58:56 -0500 "Dwight Vidito" <vidito@tigerpaw.com>
writes:
>What am I doing wrong. I had my PAF 2.31 in Utilities 'check' my data
files. It told me I had a problem. I made a backup and had it 'fix' my
data files. It printed out many pages and they all read 'fixed so-so
pointer, out of range. After all of this I brought the family records up
and they were all messed up. some family lines had ancestors missing and
had some folks married to the wrong people and children with the wrong
parents.
>What does the 'pointer' mean?? My manual doesn't seem to address this.
I put my backup back in and corrected this foul up. Could some one tell
me what I am doing wrong?
>
>Dwight Vidito
>
Dwight;
I cannot tell you what you are doing wrong; I have never encountered
the problem you describe. When I have seen the "pointer out of range"
message, the "fix" worked. However, I can shed some light on the
pointers.
PAF 2.31 stores information in several separate files. The
individual's information (name & birth, christening, death and burial
dates and places) is stored in the "indiv2.dat" file. The records in
this file are sorted by the RIN number. The notes information is stored
in the notes2.dat file. The notes records for an individual are
connected to the individuals information in the individ2.dat file by a
"pointer".
Marriage information is stored in the marr2.dat file (I'm working from
memory and hope that the names of the files are close to correct). The
RINs of the husband, wife and first child are stored in the marr2.dat
file, not their names. In the indiv2.dat file for the first child is
stored a pointer (i.e., the RIN) of the second child, if there is one,
otherwise that field has an end-of-family marker (all zeros, I think).
You can see that if the pointers are messed up that the system will
collapse.
With PAF 3.0, there is only one very complex data file. When I asked
"SL" how it was organized, my request was ignored.
I hope this is of some help (comfort?)
RIchard L. Halliday rhaldy@juno.com
_____________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
End of paf-digest V1998 #31
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