Backup, Backup, Backup!

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Backup icon by ByLUTFI GANI AL ACHMAD

You can find articles everywhere that computer users might read, urging us all to back up our trees, our files, our DNA matches, etc. 

One of our members recently brought this up in our Genealogy Chat after discussing the future of the genealogy DNA industry, which is slowing, thus making less money for the companies offering these services. 




Back Up Your Tree

If they did not back them up, Ancestry.com Y and mtDNA testers lost access to their test results and matches as of September 30, 2014. So there are examples of this happening before. 


All of the genealogy tree-building sites offer a way to back up your bare-bones tree via a GEDCOM, which is a simple text file. If you also want to download your images and other records, you will need instead to"sync" your files using a desktop genealogy application which uploads to and downloads from the online trees. Your DNA Guide has an article comparing what is offered to sync with Ancestry, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage. It seems no application yet syncs with FindMyPast. 



Back Up Your DNA

If you want to back up your DNA results, that is easy with all the testing companies - just download them. 

Instructions for doing that:

AncestryDNA: https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Downloading-DNA-Data.

23andMe: https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/212196868-Accessing-Your-Raw-Genetic-Data.

MyHeritage: https://www.myheritage.com/help-center?a=How-do-I-download-my-raw-DNA-data-file-from-MyHeritage---id--TcyMs9SCRpe9xXSv1UGPHg

Family Tree DNA: https://help.familytreedna.com/hc/en-us/articles/4415184836367-Downloading-Family-Finder-Data-. Y and mt DNA downloads are also discussed on the same page. 


Download Your DNA Matches

DNA Match data is also easy from all the companies except Ancestry. Family Tree DNA mentions it on the page just mentioned above. Your DNA Guide also has a tutorial, including for Living DNA.

23andMe Matches: I didn't find an 23andMe howto, but the FamilyHistoryFanatics have a video showing how to download, access, and analyze - 23andMe: How to Download DNA Matches to Analyze. You can use this same method with GEDmatch, FTDNA and MyHeritage. Your DNA Guide also has a tutorial, including for Living DNA.

But first, save the files to a backup drive! Then use a copy to do your analysis.

The FamilyHistoryFanatics to the rescue again - How Can You Download Your AncestryDNA Shared Matches?

Roberta Estes explains How to Download Your DNA Matching Segment Data and Why You Should.


Back Everything Up!

In short, backing up the files on your computer is a critical task, but just as important is make a habit of regularly backing up the data you need to work with. Perhaps the DNA testing market will turn around, but what happens if one of your matches gets sick, dies, or changes their mind about having their results online?

Back it up so you don't lose it.

Valorie Cowan Zimmerman   

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