COMPUTER FILE SYSTEM

The first thing you will need to do to use this system, is to set up a file structure on your computer. The reason that this is first is because once you start scanning photographs or typing in histories, you'll need a place to put them. If you already have images and histories and etc., you can rename them and move them to the proper place once you get the file structure in place.

Here are the steps to setting up the file structure on your computer:
  1. Either in your root directory OR on your computer desktop, create a folder called "GENEALOGY." This folder will house all other folders used in this system. This is like purchasing a filing cabinet used only for your genealogy - but instead of taking up space in your office, it simply sits on your computer. If you do not know how to create folders, please visit this site for help with Windows and this site for help if you have a Mac. [Illustrations A and B]
  2. Once you have your GENEALOGY folder, you will create folders inside that folder. If you are doing genealogy for more than one person in your household, create a folder for each person. You can just give these folders the surname of each person (maiden name for married women). For instance, in my home we work on my husband's genealogy and my genealogy so I have folders (inside my GENEALOGY folder) named KUYKENDALL and LARSON [Illustration C]. If you will only be doing genealogy for one person, you can skip this step and go to step 3.
  3. In each person's individual folder set up new folders titled AUDIO, DOCUMENTS, IMAGES and VIDEO. [Illustration D] The other files stored in this folder are the saved files from your genealogy software. We use PAF (free genealogy software) at our house, so the PAF saved files for my husband's Larson genealogy are stored in his (LARSON) folder. [Illustration D]

That's it! If you want to see what a directory might look like once you have images in it, please see Illustration E. This will make more sense once you have learned the numbering system.

Illustration A:

Illustration B:

Illustration C:


Illustration D:


Illustration E: