Grow Your Family Tree
Returning to a family tree you’ve not touched for years? Nick Peers explains how to…
Restart your research in a new program
This issue’s column is inspired by reader Sarah Webster, who recently picked up the thread of researching her family tree after more than 10 years. However, compatibility problems meant she was unable to install Family Tree Maker (FTM) 2005. She asked us how to transfer her old files to a newer version of FTM.
Sarah’s files were in the .FTW file format (FTM’S default before the 2007 version), which can only be opened in a handful of programs, including the latest version of FTM and Rootsmagic. We directed Sarah initially towards the free cut-down version – Rootsmagic Essentials – which you can download and install from www.rootsmagic.com/try/ Rootsmagic (choose the free Essentials version when prompted during installation).
Open FTM 2005 files in Rootsmagic
It’s a simple task importing the files. Open Rootsmagic, select Rootsmagic Essentials, then close the ‘News and Updates’ window that pops up. A Welcome screen will appear – choose ‘Import a file from a different program’, then select ‘Family Tree Maker (2014 or earlier)’. Click ‘I know where the file is’, then browse to the file and select it. Finally, give your imported file a new name, then click the ‘File location’ button to choose where to save it.
Once the import is complete, you should find yourself at the main Rootsmagic window, which displays a ‘Pedigree’ view (see screenshot above) of your family tree focused on its ‘home’ person, which is typically yourself. Your original file is left untouched – all changes you subsequently make will apply to the .RMGC file you created when importing your data. All changes are automatically saved.
Move your files to My Family Tree
Sarah later told us she didn’t like the horizontal pedigree view offered by Rootsmagic. To use the alternative top-down view (called ‘Descendants’), she’d have to pay £19.95 for the full version of Rootsmagic. As Sarah hadn’t yet invested a lot of time in learning Rootsmagic, we suggested she try a different program.
Now that her research was in Rootsmagic, she could export it as a GEDCOM file, which is the universal standard supported by all genealogy programs. To do this, choose File, Export, leave the default settings as they are to export all information, then click OK to select a location and name for the exported .GED file.
To meet Sarah’s preference for a top-down view of her tree, we directed her to the Microsoft Store where a search for ‘My Family Tree’ enabled her to install our favourite free program from Chronoplex Software (if you’re not running Windows 10, get it from www. snipca.com/32515).
Once installed, launch My Family Tree and choose the ‘Import GEDCOM…’ option to import your exported .GED file. The import process can take some time, so be patient. Review the import log – make a note of any ‘unsupported lines’ (any information in here will be discarded from the new file) – then click Close.
You’ll need to save all changes to your tree, so click File, then Save. We hope My Family Tree’s more configurable ‘Navigation’ view (see screenshot above) will meet Sarah’s needs better.