Family Historian User Group

I haven't backed up for ages and now when I try to save my file to hard drive or cd drive it says I need an app to open it, which I don't have.
Is this because I am using an old version of FH? ie 3.
I don't want to lose all my work

I assume you mean you are trying to save a copy of the Gedcom file? I can't remember whether FH 3 had any inbuilt backup options, but you should be able to use Windows Explorer to navigate to the Gedcom file on you computer and make a copy of it and save the copy elsewhere, just as you can with any other file type.

If you try to open that file on another device you will need the FH program (the 'app' it is asking for) to open it, but your data will be safe.

FH3 did/does have Backup/Restore function entries in the File menu. The Backup function 'simply' creates a 'zipped' copy of the GEDCOM file and, as it was prior to the introduction of project structures, there were no other options to backup linked media files. FH3 also prompted for backup by default when closing down, unless that option was disabled by the user.

As far as I remember, all fully updated Windows 7; and all later supported Windows operating systems, have the in-built capability to pack/unpack standard 'zip' files without additional software, so I'm not sure why any warning would be produced unless the OS is earlier than Windows 7.

Mervyn

Thank you for your kind replies.
I have FH loaded on the computer so if the app the pc is asking for is FH I cannot understand why it does not find it.
When I look for an "app" named FAMILY HISTORIAN I cant find one.
Do you think I should buy a later version of FH and copy my files into it ?
My OS is Windows 10

FH v3 DOES have File > Backup/Restore... command options but only for the GEDCOM file.

As it is a standard Compressed ZIP file the Windows OS may ask what app to use to open it.
However, FH Backup ZIP files should rarely ever be opened outside FH.
The File > Backup/Restore > Restore... command must be used.
See Backup and Recovery for full details.

You could upgrade to FH v7.0 but beware that it will be a steep learning curve for over a decade of new features.

The message about an app being needed arises because Windows does not know which application to use to open *.ged files. Presumably, the FH3 installation does not associate *.ged files with FH.

It is not a problem, and there is no need to upgrade. Your backup file is perfectly safe. If the GEDCOM file is the only file that FH3 uses, it makes no difference whether you just copy that file as you have just done or use FH’s built-in backup.

Not having *.ged files associated with FH is not a problem either. All it means is that you can’t open the file directly from Windows, you have to open FH first, then load the file. I actually have *.ged files associated with a text editor, so double-clicking on the file opens it in that application for quick and easy viewing if necessary.