New guy needs help.

michaelwaynewardle1

About 2 years ago my laptop decided to die. I had backed up my files to Carbonite. So, when I finally got my new laptop (HP) we transferred the files. The file came through as backup.paf.

I have tried to open the file, but the computer gives me options like "word" that don't work.

Carbonite suggests that i need to download a file or software which will open the backup file.

Does this make sense to anyone? Suggestions?

new to this so forgive me.

Chas Howell

You will need to have the original PAF program (that has been discontinued) to open the file or one of the newer software packages that will read PAF files.

See the Solutions Gallery https://partners.familysearch.org/solutionsgallery/s/

michaelwaynewardle1

Can you be a little bit more specific on which program may help me. Not the worlds brightest on computers or programs. I am using an HP laptop with Microsoft.

Chas Howell

Go to the Solutions Gallery link https://partners.familysearch.org/solutionsgallery/s/

then click FamilySearch Solutions Gallery tab

then choose Family Tree Management

then on the Filters tab, click your operating system, likely Windows

then you can review the descriptions of each program.

I have been told that Ancestral Quest is most like the older PAF program, but I do not use it myself.

melville,dl

install Ancestral Quest "Basics" on your computer and perform a "Restore" function. Ancestral Quest can read a PAF backup file directly. This is the only solution because the PAF backup file is in a compressed format and can only be restored with compatible software to uncompress the data. Google Ancestral Quest. call them if you need additional help. Good luck!

Julia Szent-Györgyi

One bit that people haven't mentioned yet that may help you make sense of things is that PAF stands for Personal Ancestral File, which was genealogy software offered by FS. It was discontinued a decade ago.

Dennis J Yancey

whenever you have a backup system in place (like Carbonite - or any other) - you need to consider that simply backing up data files - without backing up the application programs - can render your data files useless.

you should back up both.

apparently your new computer doesnt have PAF - but your old computer did.

Having the data file (backup.paf) without the corresponding program to read it - renders it useless.

You may wish to ask Carbonite if the Application or the installation program of PAF was backed up as well. and how you could re-install it on the new computer.

though PAF was discontinued and no longer supported (as others state) - if you did have it would still work . . . but you no longer have it (at least on your new computer).

so the question is - - do you want to upgrade to a new genealogy program and convert your old data files (this is probably the most recommended option)

OR are you interested in installing an old version of PAF and accessing your files "as is" - - do you by chance have the installation program?

another thing to point out - is that if you did have PAF on your old computer - I would not expect that the active database file it was using was called "backup.paf" - though indeed if it was a backup- it would be a copy. and either way you have the same problem. But I would not have expected Carbonite to have changed the file name from whatever it was to "backup.paf" - it would have backed up the files that you configured it to - and kept the names as is - so I expect that the "backup.paf" was not created by carbonite - simply that carbonite kept a copy of such a file that already existed as a backup on your laptop. Can you confirm that the PAF program was indeed loaded and working on your previous laptop??? My point is - if you found the backup file - one woudl expect you would have also found the OTHER PAF files from which the backup.paf file was made.