Where do you source the data if you're interested in getting started in your own family history and your personal archives are fairly limited?
Look into local archives, church records. Then go on-line at FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, Cyndislist.com. Where you go will depend on the country of origin of your ancestors.
Keep a careful record of your sources. You might have to revisit them when you come across contradictory information.
There are many free programs to record your information: Legacy, RootsMagic, Ancestral Quest.