* Isle of Wight ~ GEDCOM Import

Importing from another genealogy program? This is the place to ask. Questions about Exporting should go in the Exporting sub-forum of the General Usage forum.
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Garrow
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Family Historian: V5

Isle of Wight ~ GEDCOM Import

Post by Garrow »

Is there anyone on the IOW who could help me with Family Historian particularly in using GEDCOM to transfer from previous software?
Thank you, Bob.
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tatewise
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Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
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Re: Isle of Wight ~ GEDCOM Import

Post by tatewise »

Welcome to the FHUG Bob.

I have move this to the Importing and Exporting Forum that is more appropriate.

Please can you give us a bit more background...

Are you an experienced FH user and this your first import, or have you just started using FH in earnest and it's unfamiliar?

What software product are you importing your GEDCOM from?
There are several detailed guides and general advice in how_to:index#importing_to_family_historian|> Importing to Family Historian.

Depending on your feedback we can better advise how to proceed.

Even if there is somebody in IoW they may still be inexperienced at importing from your particular product.
I notice your Profile says you are using FH V5 so I guess you are a long time user of FH.
Also, since that is well over 4 years old, most users have moved on to FH V6 that does have differences.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Garrow
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Family Historian: V5

Re: Isle of Wight ~ GEDCOM Import

Post by Garrow »

Thank you for your reply. For many years I used Generations Family Tree but this ceased trading & in 2014 I bought Family Historian 5. I manually uploaded all the names in my family tree but since then I have done little further research. I am keen to start again but firstly I would like to add all the personal details relating to the people that I have in my old programme. I have looked in the support for Historian but found the advice re using GEDCOM for transferring these details rather daunting. I am also shaky on the subject of saving & backing up my files. So it is the “computer/digital” aspect where I would ideally like one to one help rather than the family history research aspect. I am also unsure whether I shoul upgrade to version 6 at this point or wait until I have entered the personal details into Historian.
Thank you again for your reply & interest.
With best wishes, Bob.
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tatewise
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Re: Isle of Wight ~ GEDCOM Import

Post by tatewise »

My first nugget of advice is don't lump all those issues together, because that may well make them appear daunting.
Break it down into separate tasks and tackle each one at a time, because they are largely independent of each other.
Remember that hundreds, if not thousands, have trodden the same paths, so it is unlikely to be as bad as you think.
Also the FHUG members are here to guide you along.

1) Upgrade to FH Version 6
Since you are intending to upgrade, then do it sooner rather than later.
Version 6 has bug fixes, improved backup options, and new features to help you.
See the how_to:reinstall_family_historian|> Family Historian Installation Advice.
Do spend some time becoming familiar with the new features. It will pay dividends later.
Look through how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers and focus on topics that are unfamiliar to you.
There are references to what's new in Version 6.

2) Backup & Recovery Strategy
One of the Key Features is Backup & Recovery including Snapshots new in V6.
Take note of the advice about backing up settings & customisations that are NOT included in Project Backups.
Experiment with the Family Historian Sample Project (see Key Features) as it doesn't matter if you damage it.
FH files are only some of the important data on your PC to backup securely.
Is there a local computer club you could join for advice on this topic, because it is not unique to FH.

3) Migrate Generations to FH
I presume you have seen how_to:import_generations|> Import from Generations Family Tree.
It does seem a bit more awkward than some other products, but again it can be broken down into small steps.
If your first attempts are unsuccessful, learn from them, make notes, and start again from scratch.
The original Generations data cannot be upset by unsuccessful imports into FH.

How many people are recorded in Generations? It can't be too many if you've entered their names by hand in FH.
Some users prefer to start from a mostly empty FH database, and use all its features to capture records afresh.
That can be easier and more productive than migrating and correcting records from Generations.
You can use the records already captured in Generations as a guide, but I suspect you will find the records available online have improved over the last 5 years, and you will discover new details that would be missed if you migrate the Generations records without question.


Bob, remember to tackle things step by step, and each success will boost your confidence.
The FHUG members here are only too willing to answer as many questions as you like.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Garrow
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Posts: 3
Joined: 08 Feb 2019 14:32
Family Historian: V5

Re: Isle of Wight ~ GEDCOM Import

Post by Garrow »

Mike, Many thanks for your advice, I will try to “make haste slowly”. On reflection I think I should also concentrate on the actual family history in the first instance as you are right in saying there has been a huge increase in available information since I last looked at it. Once again many thanks. Bob.
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