Citing ‘Accessed date’ – after computer crash?

By Anonymous on Sat, 07/05/2014 - 09:53

Forums

I’m in the process of cleaning up 30+ years of research. 

My current problem stems from not always documenting when I accessed records.  However, I have hundreds of media file images of these source indices, vital + census records, etc. 

When I restored my media files after a computer crash last year, it dated all the media files to the date of my restore, 28 April 2013. 

My question:  What do I put for the accessed date for the images no longer available or not available in the same format as the image I have.

Accessed date unknown

Accessed date before 28 April 2013

OR ???????

Submitted byEEon Sun, 07/06/2014 - 11:29

Debbie, with project of my own that go all the way back to my own beginner days, I feel your pain. Both or either of your approaches seem to be the practical solution, if you have no other way of dating the files.

Submitted byyhoitinkon Sun, 07/06/2014 - 13:05

Debbie,

In some cases, the file properties will have the original 'Created on' date. If you have a Windows machine, right-click and select Properties. The 'General' tab should have three dates: Created, Modified, Accessed. If you're lucky, 28 April 2013 will be the modified date, not the created date. 

Alternatively, you could check the file you restored it from (a hard drive or .zip file, possibly) and see if the backup contains the original file properties. If so, you can check these to find the correct date. 

Submitted byrootsjockeyon Sun, 07/06/2014 - 17:57

Debbie, Sorry to hear that your computer crashed!  You could consider trying to access each item back on the Internet as you go through.  In addition to updated URLs, it may have the added bonus of showing previously unrecognized clues.  

Good luck to you and good for you for cleaning up 30 years of research.  Well worth the effort, especially if you produce a family history to pass forward.

Submitted bydebbiepelletier21on Mon, 07/07/2014 - 09:27

First I’d like to say thanks to all.

Rootsjockey, I have been doing what you suggested and have found some new gems.  My concern is the photos of records I no longer have access too; i.e. records I took copies of years ago from distant relatives that are on longer with us and their children didn’t keep the information.

Yvette, your post made my think ‘Why didn’t I think of that.”  It was the modified date. But… the created date is 6 months AFTER the modified date on both my computer and back up hard drive. I’m not even going to try to figure that out.  You did make me remember I kept my old backup CD’s, 3.5, and 5.25 floppy disks.  I should be able to get most of the information I need from those.   I hadn’t even thought of that.

Thank you all again,