Can’t delete a tree entirely once started. Can’t print or show full tree. Didn’t like format.

Biggest Pro: I didn’t find one
Biggest Con: Very limited.

It’s useless. There is no pedigree view. When importing my gedcom file, it did not import the notes. It said there were issues with the tree and I could look at it, but could not save anything if I made changes.

Biggest Pro: None
Biggest Con: poor layout design

I am using the latest version of FTM for the PC as of May 2013.
I think it is very, very good. It is not perfect. But, it is getting better with each update.

It is a large complex product and there is a serious learning curve. If you are having serious problems, you may be doing something wrong or you may not have located the function you need to correct your problem. Google the problem and you may find a work around.

Example, I had a number of duplicate people problems because I had located new information at ancestry.com and accidentally added the facts to a “new” person instead of an “existing” person. The “new” people were also not correctly attached to the correct parents in my tree. Finally, I found that there were menu options in FTM to merge people and to attach or detach them to the correct families.

Synchronization of my local family tree with ancestry.com now works very well. The only issue is that it can be slower than I would like.

When FTM 2012 first came out, there were many synchronization errors.
If you are having synchronization problems make sure that you have updated all the fixes to the software.

Go to the menu item: help –> check for updates.
This will repair your synchronization problems.
Also, if your local family tree database has been corrupted by program crashes or previous sync errors, go to tools–>compact file.

There were also problems at first with some of their genealogy databases (census, migration etc.) that did not correctly make add a copy of the manifest or census images to the your local synchronized family tree. That seems to have been fixed too.

Remember that you have to specify that you want those images copied to your local tree. That is a “one time” setting. I have forgotten where that setting is located. The is really important to do if you expect to drop your ancestry.com subscription sometime in the future. If you don’t have local copies of the images and only have the url link to ancestry where the images are located, then you will lose access to those images if you drop your subscription.

I do like the ability in FTM to add detailed source information to each fact so that I know exactly where the information came from. I don’t like the fact that the sourcing info does not completely sync up to my tree at ancestry.com

I am running a fast, up to date PC with 16 GB memory and Windows 7. I have a fast FIOS internet connection.

My family tree consists of only about 1,000 people. I think that it is a lot to accurately track. Some of the reviewers here that report serious problems seem to have about 20,000 people in their tree. It is certainly possible that they are experiencing problems that I don’t see.

I have also read some reviews saying that transferring trees using gedcom files leads to inconsistencies between the different family tree programs.
I am afraid that this is just a fact of life with computer software.

Different programs interpret the data differently and they also implement features that are not contained in the gedcom definitions.
One example: “Nicknames” vs.”Also known as”. Some people will think that those fact definitions are identical and some people will think they are 2 different types of facts. There is no way to programmatically and automatically resolve that issue.

Remember also that FTM is using GEDCOM 5.5. That means that there have been many versions of GEDCOM files and that means that other family tree programs may be using a different or older definition of GEDCOM. Also not that FTM has had several different file formats itself.

Biggest Pro: synchronized with tree at ancestry.com
Biggest Con: It is complex and it is sometimes hard to locate the features that you need.

Have used BK since early 90’s. Nothing over complicated for one who is only marginally computer literate. I had fast and helpful response to problems recently when moving to Windows 8. The trick of moving Databases under DATA instead of PROGRAM FILES, as instructed on the Website, was most successful for me, and I commend that to anyone who is thinking of upgrading to Win 8. It’s a bit fiddly doing Backups, but I have decided for the time being, to run BK6 on two computers with XP and 8 until my old hardware gives up and/or I feel more comfortable with MS and Win 8.

Biggest Pro: ‘One to one’ help. Where else would one get this service?
Biggest Con: None.

I have been using this product for about 6 years going back to version 6. While version 6 was good, TNG has been continually enhanced and refined every year for a very small fee. Darrin Lythgoe’s calling has given we family historians a great product that can be shared among other family members wanting to document their lives,

Like most new product you try there is a learning curve but one that is very well worth it. Every year I find a another feature that is helpful in documenting my part of the family and helping other more distant members document theirs.

Biggest Pro: Web based, many options of how and what to include, mult-user with security for a particular segment of the family
Biggest Con: Cannot read my mind on what I want to do next.

have used BK for many years,appreciate the support when needed..it is prompt and helpful. User friendly, I have recommended it to many genealogy newbies.

Biggest Pro: easy to use, great support
Biggest Con: none

‘Adam: The GEDCOM Family Tree Builder’ produces clean, informative, and useful web pages based on your own submitted GEDCOM file. The various options can be daunting at first, but if you take a little time to understand and experiment with them, you soon realise that it makes the service very flexible and customisable to your own needs. With a little help from the Tim, the author, I was able to integrate the generated web pages into my WordPress blog. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend giving it a try for yourself.

Biggest Pro: Flexible, free, and very helpful support from the author.
Biggest Con: Not found one yet!

alles Gut

Biggest Pro: einfache Bedienung
Biggest Con: nix

I found this very easy to use and have filled my original with 32,000 names….looking to see if it can hold more

Biggest Pro: can easily print out family history for any person on the list

I could not find a way to add a picture of the involved people into the graph.

I have used this since you started (I think) and have filled it with 32000 names…Now I want to know if has been enlarged so that I can put more people on it. Have had trouble with my computer so you may have received a few emails from me inerror. kingstonviv71@yahoo.com

Biggest Pro: gives one everything that is wanted

Easy to use

Biggest Pro: Freeware
Biggest Con: non

I have used FTM, Legacy and Ancestral Quest. Unfortunately FTM is proprietary and the only program that syncs with Ancestry.com and there are ways to work around that. Once I started with RootsMagic, I didn’t search any further. RM is the easiest interface, user friendly and easiest to teach. It now syncs with Family Tree on Familysearch.org and again is very simple to understand. There is a free version that is free forever without all the bells and whistles. Since the price is very competitive for the full version, it’s a no brainer to upgrade. You can search the web from with the programs, so it fills in the information for you. There are many built in searches for Google, Bing, FamilySearch, Ancestry, etc. And it is easy to add your own preferred searches. Adding sources and citations can be so confusing, and RM simplifies that process. They have online training with over 40 videos that are free to view online or download. I could go on and on. The only item I miss in RM is the fixed pedigree numbering that is found in PAF. I give RM A+++.

Biggest Pro: User friendly interface
Biggest Con: doesn’t do fix numbering system on the pedigree charts (PAF is the only one)

Best program for the Macintosh Computer. I have used Reunion over a number of years am am now using the latest version and I am still happy using it. I have looked at some other programs and they still do not match it.

Biggest Pro: Easy to use - Great for linking multimedia to people & families
Biggest Con: Probably no windows version

Love this programme and I find it really easy to use. Its particular strength is the way it handles photographs. I haven’t really explored the new plugins on the new version but they look interesting. Couple of niggles-perhaps a field for an individual’s military service would be good. However I have just converted to a Mac and despite trying to run it through special software it has become unstable. Please, please can we have a Mac version.

Biggest Pro: I find it really easy to use with so many great features
Biggest Con: There is no Mac version

I chose Family Historian due to it’s claims of Gedcom handling as well as the queries and the dropline trees. I have upgraded twice now but what has been a minor annoyance has now become a major one, and other problems have now reared their heads as well. If you have multiple ancestors that are descended from a single common ancestor in the charts these are denoted by the common ancestor being duplicated with arrow between each instance denoting the link. The FH die hards in the user group think this is a real advantage but I find it a major annoyance. Some of it can be averted by better tree design. If you end up with a lot of aristocracy or even royalty in your tree the resulting charts can be impossible to look at. I am having to consider having to buy another program in order to get better charting capabilities. I have already had to fork out for another genealogy program for my ipad and iphone as they dont have an app yet. My other pet gripe is to do with how it handles names and titles (though I think this is true of all geneaolgy programs) the capabilities around names and titles of royalty, aristocracy and medieval ancestors is severely limited. yes you can use custom fields but using the title and or custom fields does not override what was put in the standard name field, so if you have a run of ancestors all of the same name say Joe Brown that’s all you will see in the index of persons in the database or printed on a tree.

Biggest Pro: Gedcom handling
Biggest Con: tree drawings where there multiple common ancestors

This is a poor to medium quality amateur level genealogy website. If one is serious about genealogy, do some research first. Ancestry.com has some nice features and has access to census data, user family trees, and other material. If you are computer savy, install geneweb on your home system or on a server and take advantage of the best professional level system there is. Also, geneweb is free, as opposed to Geni.

Biggest Pro: Some amateurs use it and have some useful information that can be accessed
Biggest Con: It costs money for a mediocre service and is not secure

Denkbar einfach ohne Schickschnack

Biggest Pro: Denkbar einfach
Biggest Con: Einige fehlende Eingabemöglichkeiten

Google translation: Simple without frills
Biggest Pro: Simple to use
Biggest Con: Some lack of input options

best of all for newcomers and users without prof-knowledge

Biggest Pro: free
Biggest Con: wishes will come soon …

My review depends completely on whether or not you can use foreign language fonts. As you know in Windows computers you can set up languages like EN, FR or PL (Polish) so you just choose the relevant icon and you are typing in that language. Before buying I was told that you could use foreign language fonts, but so far I have not been able to discover how to use them. As many of my relatives are Polish inability to type their names in correctly would kill this programme for me!

Biggest Pro: Have not really started due to font problem
Biggest Con: Does not (yet?) cope with foreign language fonts

Despite the fact than modenr genealogical research occurs on the road, this is the one desktop-based application which seems obstinately to avoid quite simple access to its MySql database from mobile devices.

I’d build one myself, but - as I say, my objective to to save time rather than fix someone else’s omissions.

Nope, a one-man-show application like TNG will always be up against it when others can work as teams, whether paid or open-source.

Biggest Pro: easy install
Biggest Con: Developer team is too small

A few days ago I ran into a minor bug that appeared in a rare corner case when exporting a GEDCOM file. I sent a personal email to Darrin, with a summary of the problem. I sent no files, no examples, just a short explanation. I am not even using the latest version of TNG, because I had no reason to update.
Within hours, Darrin fixed the problem and notified me, asking for more time to conduct proper testing. Not even two days later, Darrin sent me some updated files, which worked perfectly and fixed the bug. When I looked at the changes in the PHP code, they were absolutely non-trivial!
This is the very best customer service I experienced in a very long time. Much larger companies would have lot to learn from Darrin.

Biggest Pro: Customer service, Very powerful and complete

I stumbled upon WikiTree while researching my Topham ancestors. To find that myself, my father and my grandfather listed. My mistake was in making my Ancestry Tree a Public listing. On WikiTree member advice I applied to the profile manager several times (via his WikiTree contact email and his Ancestry contact email). I was met with no response at all. WikiTree finally has responded after a third appeal with a “so sorry, so busy”. However then responded with a form to be filled in for removal of my deceased relatives and the statement “you were removed 28 Feb”. Well now I appear as Anonymous Anonymous under the same profile manager. So he still is in charge of Me? My deceased father and grandfather? Can nobody see the unfairness of this? The misinformation, distress that this ability to “steal” relatives just to boost their own what?
This profile manager also has my maternal grandmother and my great-grandfather under his “management”. My grandmother (who raised me) married the profile managers grt, grt, grt grt uncle. Hello! Please someone help me to regain my history and the history of my beloved relatives who raised. me.
WikiTree is not a creditable website if these issues are not dealt with in an honorable, decent and compassionate way and very very soon.

Biggest Pro: None for me but for good for honorable input.
Biggest Con: Despair for grieving relatives

Great support and a very good product. A much needed software product for the world of genealogy website development.

Biggest Pro: Biggest Pro: Robust Feature Set
Biggest Con: Biggest Con: Some might find it difficult to get set up.

A VERY GOOD WEB APPLICATION, CAN SHOWA CHOSEN PART OF THE FAMILY BUT YOU CAN”T SEE THE LINKAGE UNLESS YOU NAVIGATE ON THE ITEM.
HAVE NO OPTION OF GEDCOM FILE, THE TREE GOES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT/
CAN ASK QUESTION AND HAVE ANSWER AFTER FEW DAYS.
CANNOT INVITE FRIEND TO WATCH THE TREE , ONLY MEMBERS FOF THE FAMILY TREE .
SAFETY, HAD NO PROBLEM WITH DATA

Biggest Pro: WEB APPLICATION, MANY DETAILS, CAN SEE MANY MEMBER ON THE TREE
Biggest Con: NOT SO FRIENDLY USAGE , HAVE NO GEDCM FILE,NAVIGATION THROUGH OPTIONS.

I been using tribal pages for a few years now, I started with the free site and now have premium. it is a great site to use and i find it very easy to work in. Im in it evey day. Never had any trouble, as of yet and i been with them for at least 6 yrs. As long as it remains low cost i will continue to use the site.

Biggest Pro: Low annual fee for premium
Biggest Con: nothing as of yet

I’ve used Gramps for years and used Family Tree Maker before that. Gramps wins hands down as far as features and ease of use goes but, like any other program, switching to it after using something else takes time.

If you’re not willing to spend the time to learn how to use gramps, stick to what you’re familiar with and don’t whine about how difficult this excellent program is to use. Anyone that invests the effort will find Gramps worthy.

Biggest Pro: Free, full-featured and runs on multiple platforms
Biggest Con: Not precisely the same as whatever…

Hilft sehr gur beim Überblick über die Verwandschaft

Biggest Pro: Gut einfach und schnell
Biggest Con: wenig

Google translation: Helps a lot when gur overview of the Relatives
Biggest Pro: Good quick and easy
Biggest Con: little

The site works very well, I’ve used it for years. It has always been free, but now I have one site that has been blocked from EDIT. It says that my subscription has expired. The site still says that it is free, but that in June 2013 the second site will no longer be free. I have lost control of my information. I have emailed tribal pages, but no answer them. I would like to remove my family information from this site. They seem to be wanting the information.

Biggest Pro: good site
Biggest Con: keeping family information for there gain

I use TNG at http://www.mcbridehistory.com. I have been using the product since 2007 when I started assembling my family history. It is extremely easy to use and setup. I went from install to adding data in less than 30 minutes. I have no complaints about the prodct at all. As the version have progressed it just keeps getting better.

Biggest Pro: Super easy to use and outstanding support
Biggest Con: I wish the PDF output were better for my purposes (not really a con just a wish)

heard its great can’t download??? why april.postert@hotmail.com

I bought this program several months ago and recently ran an update as instructed. Since then, program crashes about 1 second after I attempt to open it.
This is not a good program. I am very computer literate yet with this program, I am constantly going to seek Help - both within the program and online in general.

Can’t describe how nervous I am using it - I am scared that my hours upon hours of research may disappear one day. I simply don’t like it or trust it.

Biggest Pro: I read that I can merge my ancestry.com trees using this program. Haven’t found out if I can yet - program is not intuitive.
Biggest Con: Crashes.

Family treevmaker

My primary genealogy software for a number of years. BK’s John Steed adheres to keeping the BK software simple and straight forward. My cousins in NL also use BK, thus crossing the language barrier when sharing genealogy info is less problematic.
Hebben een goede dag,
Piet

Biggest Pro: Export trees to PDF.
Biggest Con: None that have not been corrected with quick updates.

If your tree is small fine. But if it goes over 30000 it is too slow to be uefull.

Biggest Pro: design
Biggest Con: slow

For some reason it crashes frequently. If it would stay up and running it would be wonderful!

Biggest Pro: Wonderful interface and synching with ancestry.com
Biggest Con: Crashes daily

The programme has some brilliant features and capabilities, hence I bought it. I was using FTM 2012, and am going back to it.
You search through RM and then have to type in any new people to your tree, as RM will not import the name and relationship, as FTM does so very well.
If RM would do that, I would love to use it …….. As it is, it is not suitable for what I need - take too long to add people to the tree.

Biggest Pro: Easy to use. Full of features that makes using your tree easy.
Biggest Con: Cannot import data from the Internet (eg Ancestry) direct to your tree. Makes it poor for my needs.

I cam across TNG while researching a method for converting my GEDCOM files to XML or similar format for the purpose of moving my tree to a hosted web site. Not only did I find that TNG handled the conversion piece (to a MySQL structure) but that it was a full featured Genealogy program as well. I have been working on my family’s genealogy for about 12 years and have used four different programs both on Windows and Mac machines and none compare to the features included with TNG. I also have 20+ years in IT/software development. The scalability and speed of TNG are unsurpassed by anything out there today. You end up with a highly functional web site with an open source (PHP) front end that you easily customize and a MySQL backend which provides tremendous opportunities to query and build your own reports. I do not recall being so pleased with a purchase - this is a well designed and highly functional solution for a web based genealogy requirement

Biggest Pro: GEDCOM to MySQL converson
Biggest Con: Be patient with your host account. I needed to change over from Windows to Unix on GoDaddy to allow the direct access to the MySQL Database.

Ein für mich einwandfreies Programm

Biggest Pro: Ich bin zufrieden
Biggest Con: Kein Contra

Google translation: A perfect program for me
Biggest Pro: I am satisfied
Biggest Con: No Cons

Für eine Freeware unwahrscheinlich gut! Supper Forum - immer hilfsbereit.

Google translation: For a freeware unlikely good! Super forum - always helpful

I wish I had upgraded to this program 2 years ago. It exceeds all my needs on everything including user support.

Biggest Pro: open source php and mySQL
Biggest Con: nonte

This site is full of crap, allowsw people to steal your info and add names that no one has a clue to who they are or proof of source this site is just a name collecting site ,m Private is jsut that Private but here its means nothign , I have woirked very hard researching my tree and I will Not have have anyone waltz into this site and steal it. this site needs an over haul and or totally deleted is even better.
why send emails to me if thqt there is other matches if I cant get to them without paying,
This site needs to be abolished never heard frim again take it off the net

Biggest Pro: No pros
Biggest Con: all you what you claim is bogus

Biggest piece of garbage ever!!

I have used FTM since it came out on a 3 1/4″ floppy disk and loved it, but the Mac version is a complete waste of money…. why?
……It crashes daily
…… uses way too much memory
……it crashes daily
…… NO support from Ancestry.com

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS PIECE OF CRAP!

Biggest Pro: Nothing ‘cos it doesn’t work long enough to let me find out
Biggest Con: Crashes multiple times per day

I have already gone through unpteen versions and now it looks like I will not be able to take Verion 7.0 to Windows 8. The least expensive alternative is to stick with what you have. Purchase a used lap top and use it just for FTM and never update again.

Biggest Pro: up to Version 7.0, good software
Biggest Con: cost of continued up-dates as well as learning curves on newer version are prohibitive.

This programme is fantastic and takes a load of pain out of downloading the images from the Familysearch,org collections. BUT when one clicks on the link above one gets to a FORBIDDEN 403 link so BYU has plugged the gap and we have to go back to downloading images one by one.

Biggest Pro: It works quickly and in the background
Biggest Con: It sometimes only downloads half an image

intuitiv zu bedienen

Biggest Pro: intuitiv zu bedienen

Google translation: intuitive to use
Biggest Pro: intuitive to use

FTM12 is horrible! I’ve been using FTM for many many years. I was excited to have the synch feature, but unfortunately has turned into a nightmare! Even IF you get your tree date uploaded (which is seldom) it cannot handle images. You get the ancestry icon (a gray pathetic icon) instead of the actual images you uploaded and it you have a title on your image ancestry even puts your title on their stupid gray icon! So, obviously an image got uploaded to ancestry but it does not display it (just the title). If you image is not titled, it just puts the gray icon w/o a title/name. Pathetic product! Now what do I go to?

Biggest Pro: None really - since sync and images cannot be handled by ancestry s/w
Biggest Con: EVERYTHING!!!!

I have used TMG since version 4, for data entry the programme is excellent the problem occurs in production of reports as something seems to go seriously wrong over time and when yo try to produce journal reports TMG just stops and you have to reboot it, the same problem occurs with othe reports. The only way to create a report is to transfer the data to another genealogy program and produce it from that. The current version I have is the update to v8 problem with that is it wont unlock the programme when you enter the licence code. This has finally tipped me over the edge and have decided to stop using TMG and get another programme that works properly

Biggest Pro: Excellent data entry
Biggest Con: Reports don’t work

If there was a negative 5 rating, I’d give it to this program. Program is very slow compared to version 16. While program handles sources and media in a more efficient manner, it still runs out of available RAM and crashes.

Biggest Pro: Integrates with Ancestry.com
Biggest Con: Slow and Buggy

Program very slow and crashes frequently (out of memory) possibly corrupting your data.

Biggest Pro: Integrates with Ancestry.com
Biggest Con: Slow and Crashes

I have two premium accounts on tribal pages costing me approx. £20 a year each. Normally it works reasonably well but I have been unable to access my accounts for 5 days now and although I have e mailed their support team twice I have still received no response from them. As I have years of research and irreplaceable family photos. stored on their domain I am becoming very concerned.

Biggest Pro: Easy to use.
Biggest Con: Lack of technical support.

RM4 and RM6 have been great. They are reliable, easy to use, and have most of the tools I want.

My only other experience has been with FTM. See my review of FTM2012 (yesterday) on this website. I switched from FTM to RM4 for good reasons and now I’m staying with RM6 for equally good reasons.

I really like the ability in RM to include an alphabetical index at the end of a report.

I wish I could temporarily privatize my file in order to make a privatized report before sharing information as a pdf. It’s time consuming to privatize by exporting to a GEDCOM and import into a new RM6 file in order to share a privatized report.

Biggest Pro: Works great. Alphabetical indexes at the ends of reports.
Biggest Con: You have to export to GEDCOM and import in order to privatize.

I’m glad I found this forum … an arena where I’ve learned about other people’s FTM2012 problems before I committed to a change I could soon regret … a place to alert others about my own problems … and a place to empathize with others. I hope our reviews are also read by independent reviewers and by the makers of FTM2012.

I started out with FTM for DOS. It feels like it must have been in a previous lifetime. It was great, and FTM for Windows 3 was even better. I really miss those function keys for navigating, especially F8 for Next Sibling. Why take away one keystroke and replace it with many mouse clicks? Just reminiscing about the good old days.

Three years ago, I switched from my out of date Family Tree Maker 2005 to Roots Magic, because RM could separate my embedded photos in FTM and put them in linked files. At the time, nobody else could do this, not even the newer versions of FTM. I was delighted with the smaller file size, which was easier for sharing. (Now FTM has finally followed the others and uses linked photos instead of embedded photos.)

I was considering switching back to FTM2012. I was swept off my feet by the allure of being able to (1) upload my data to an Ancestry Member Tree, (2) continue to synch to my online tree, not needing to continuously update both databases, and (3) invite my two sisters to become editors so we could all work from different locations on the same file and all be continuously up to date. Nobody else is offering that!

Today, I’ve decided not to make the switch or attempt synching to an Ancestry Member Tree, in part due to the reports I’ve read here. I feel your pain.

But I had already gone so far as to purchase and test drive FTM2012, and my own experience wasn’t good. First off, it’s slower … 12 seconds to open instead of 2 seconds to open RM6 … and from what I’m reading, ot will get slower.

I exported my data from RM6 to GEDCOM and imported to FTM2012, and found several problems. I also imported the data back from GEDCOM into RM6, and there weren’t any problems. In my opinion, this proves the problems weren’t in RM6 or GEDCOM. They have to be FTM2012 problems, failing to align themselves with the GEDCOM standard.

First, the Nicknames field in GEDCOM gets imported into an Also Known As fact in FTM, and I’m not pleased. I just want to use AKAs for things like Johann Leonard Schlepp changed to Leonard Slip. Adoptions, etc. So I went through 22,000 people, looking for AKAs and changing them, adding nicknames in quotation marks into the Given Names field and deleting the AKAs.

Second, FTM2012 didn’t capture one of the fact description fields from GEDCOM. For example, for Deaths, it caught the Date of Death, Place of Death, and Cause of Death fields OK. But there’s also a field called Place Description, where you could add “at home” or “My Town Regional Hospital”. The information has been completely missed. This is true for other facts too. I’ve lost Cemetery information that I’ve been entering under Place Details for burials, Church information under Place Details for marriages, and so on. This is a major disappointment.

Third, FTM2012 inserts a blank space once after every 72 characters (approx) into “Notes” and “Sources” imported from GEDCOM. It would take months to search the 22,000 individuals in my file, checking each Note and Source and fixing this. This not only looks like I’ve made typos. It will also pose a real nuisance if someone tries to copy and paste a long URL from my notes and it doesn’t work because I failed to find and remove a space that FTM inserted. This problem has been explained to me as “Yes, it is a bug in FTM. The GEDCOM spec says the CONC tag should break lines in the middle of words, but FTM treats CONC lines as if they were broken *between* words so it inserts a space when it concatenates lines.” That’s way over my head, except for “Yes, it is a bug in FTM.”

FTM has known about these three problems for several years, and hasn’t done anything to fix their noncompliance with industry standards.

Conclusion: I’m glad I switched to a different product several years ago, and this isn’t the right time to switch back to a product and organization that is giving so much grief to me and to others … especially when people are saying the online synching feature that appeals to me is such a headache too … and especially when the product I’ve been using has features that I feel are equal to and sometimes better than FTM2012.

Biggest Pro: Privatize feature works well
Biggest Con: Failure to adhere to the GEDCOM standard

Einfach zu bedienen

Biggest Pro: Sehr übersichtlich
Biggest Con: kann leider nicht alle Personen in einer Grafik darstellen

Google translation: Easy to use
Biggest Pro: Very clear
Biggest Con: Unfortunately can not represent all individuals in a graph

Please, please, I want to know how to use FTM 2006 on Windows 7. I HATE the 2010 - 2011 format. Please bring back the prior format. I don’t understand the concept of changing everything around. The new format makes it very time consuming to find anything. Do they really need money this badly? Shame on them!
I can’t even cut/paste from the 2006 to 2010 version. All it transfers is the name!

Biggest Pro: Not a darn thing
Biggest Con: everything

Have used original Clooz for years and am really enjoying the enhanced new version. I use clooz to track all of the source documents I’ve collected on both my personal line and those that I collect for clients. What a boon it is to have a single master list of my documents available. It makes report writing easier, it organizes my materials and provides me a safe and consistent place to manage my data. The team is really working hard to make this an extra-ordinary product, kudos for a job well done. Love how it interfaces with Legacy too!

Biggest Pro: Saves me time, keeps my work organized and easily accessible, great value for the price.
Biggest Con: None, I liked it before and still love it, but can say I wish the new generation was here years ago!

working with the program since 2004. You have to know exactly, what to do before you start.

Biggest Pro: good support, easy to use
Biggest Con: reports could be better

I have used this program for a number of years. I bought it for its GEDCOM compliance but you would never believe that the data is not held in a fancy relational database. You never need to enter, or update, data in more than one place. The reporting features are amazing. It is hard to think of nything I want that the program does not provide ‘out-of-the-box’.
Version 5 has introduced plug-ins which are tiny additions that are free to download and add functionality to be dreamed of. My favourite is the Census Checker. It asks for a starting person, or persons, and produces a webpage list of all the ancestors who have not had census records created for all the censuses when they were alive. The webpage includes two links with each record which connect to the search engines at FindMyPast and Ancestry. Click the link and another tab opens for the search for the right person in the right census (I haven’t tried the Ancestry link but the FMP one works perfectly)
If I find another problem I can’t solve a quick email to the very friendly user group will tell me how or someone will offer to write another plug-in or maybe Simon Orde will tell me why the problem can’t be solved. The last usually means that the problem is in my head.
There is an additional program called Ancestral Sources (FREE) which guides you through entering a Census entry, a baptism record, and a marriage certificate (birth certificates, death, burial and probate records are planned). These things can easily be done ‘by hand’ but the program reminds you to fill in ALL the data available and it creates occupation and residence records and birth records, when necessary. It also creates source records and citations.

My family history would be much less well organised and very much less well recorded without Family Historian.

Biggest Pro: It can do anything I can imagine needing.
Biggest Con: I don’t think it has one.

I have worked with FTM for many years, and the latest version I have been using is FTM16, which I love. I should say up front that I have a large, complex database (over 86,000 individuals and over 300,000 source references) as I have been researching the early families of an entire county in Vermont. Thus my data is not a single family tree but a web of inter-relationships among many families over many generations. Yet I have never had a problem with FTM 16. I can add data with a single click. I can link and unlink. I can make corrections easily. It is simple and straightforward. No fancy bells and whistles. Just wonderful data management.

But I have been uneasy as my database has grown, and twice in the past many years, when I have had occasion to contact Ancestry, I have asked whether there was a limit to the capacity of this program, either in megabytes or number of individuals. I have been told that the capacity was “unlimited.” That’s a direct quote.

Recently the program has slowed a bit (meaning it takes 6 or 7 seconds to open a field so that I can enter additional data). As it is no longer supported by the Ancestry.com help line, I had to submit my questions/concerns via email. The situation was not resolved and after several back-and-forths, I was asked to send my database to Ancestry for further evaluation, which I did grudgingly.

The database came back “partitioned,” which is a misnomer. True partitioning would have removed a section of the database to another file and reduced the existing file. This would have given me two files to work from - the new file and the old file minus the section that had been removed. But Ancestry’s idea of partitioning was to copy about 29,000 individuals into a separate file, leaving the original file intact and having the same difficulty with slowness. This was not helpful. I was advised to purchase the new 2012 version of FTM.

Let me also say that I have upgraded twice in the past many years, to the 2008 version and to the 2010 version and did not like how they functioned. So, I returned to my tried and true Version 16. To me the new versions felt like ornate Victorian chairs as compared with the simple Shaker chair I’d been using. Complex though my database may be, I want the operation to be smooth, simple and efficient.

Nevertheless, I was worried that I might be reaching the capacity of Version 16, so I purchased the 2012 Version and loaded my data (a several-hour process) into the new program. Then, I set to work learning the new format. Knowing that I have never met an upgrade I liked, I steeled myself to persevere despite the inner revolt that ensued.

Then tonight I discovered that my database is too large even for the 2012 version, which crashed repeatedly when I tried to make a minor addition to an existing burial source. That source references over 3200 separate bits of information because it pertains to a large number of gravestones. But as I feel compelled to document the origins of my data, I use the source whenever it applies. The 2012 version could not handle this situation. It took 55 seconds just to open the field which would allow me to enter information. And as soon as I entered the brief gravestone inscription and clicked, “OK,” the program crashed. I tried four more times, always with the same result.

For test purposes, I returned to my Version 16 file, opened it to the appropriate individual, and clicked on the icon to add the burial information. (It took 7 seconds to open vs the 55 seconds for FTM 2012.) I typed in the gravestone inscription, clicked, “OK,” and was on my way! No fuss and no muss
.
As I’ve already said, I love Version 16 and am heartbroken that Ancestry does not see what a gem they have. And I don’t understand why they can’t produce two versions - the streamlined 16 and the one with bells and whistles that will make you “the star of your family reunion.”

I will add one more bit of information. My computer consultant and I spoke with the support staff at Ancestry earlier today to ask whether there was a limit to the capacity of the 2012 version. We told the representative that we had been having a slowing problem with Version 16. “Oh, the limit of that program is 80,000 people!” she said. No one had told me this. Not when I’d spoken with other support staff over the years. And not in this latest slowing situation, when the technicians had my actual database in hand and could see the number of individuals, the number of sources, and the total size (198 MB). And the answer to my question about the capacity of Version 2012: “It’s unlimited,” she said. If you believe that, perhaps I can sell you a bridge in the Mojave desert.

I don’t know what I will do now. Certainly I can’t continue with the 2012 version as it is already overwhelmed. Neither can I truly partition the existing database because, while it will allow me to copy a tree to another database, it will not let me delete a whole segment from the existing database. To delete the necessary 30-40,000 individuals, I would have to do them one by one.

In just 2 days, I have encountered several other problems with 2012, which I won’t detail here. But rest assured that I am not talking about matters of window-dressing, or things I wish were different; I’m talking about what-to-me are insoluble problems!

Biggest Pro: Can’t think of one.
Biggest Con: Nothing is simple.

I have worked with FTM for many years, and the latest version I have been using is FTM16, which I love. I should say up front that I have a large, complex database (over 86,000 individuals and over 300,000 source references) as I have been researching the early families of an entire county in Vermont. Thus my data is not a single family tree but a web of inter-relationships among many families over many generations. Yet I have never had a problem with FTM 16. I can add data with a single click. I can link and unlink. I can make corrections easily. It is simple and straightforward. No fancy bells and whistles. Just wonderful data management. But I have been uneasy as my database has grown, and twice in the past many years, when I have had occasion to contact Ancestry, I have asked whether there was a limit to the capacity of this program, either in megabytes or number of individuals. I have been told that the capacity was “unlimited.” That’s a direct quote.

But recently the program has slowed a bit (meaning it takes 6 or 7 seconds to open a field so that I can enter additional data). As it is no longer supported by the Ancestry.com help line, I had to submit my questions/concerns via email. The situation was not resolved and after several back-and-forths, I was asked to send my database to Ancestry for further evaluation, which I did grudgingly.

The database came back “partitioned,” which is a misnomer. True partitioning would have removed a section of the database to another file and reduced the existing file. This would have given me two files to work from - the new file and the old file minus the section that had been removed. But Ancestry’s idea of partitioning was to copy about 29,000 individuals into a separate file, leaving the original file intact and having the same difficulty with slowness. This was not helpful. I was advised to purchase the new 2012 version of FTM.

Let me also say that I have upgraded twice in the past many years, to the 2008 version and to the 2010 version and did not like how they functioned. So, I returned to my tried and true Version 16. To me the new versions felt like ornate Victorian chairs as compared with the simple Shaker chair I’d been using. Complex though my database may be, I want the operation to be smooth, simple and efficient.

Nevertheless, I was worried that I might be reaching the capacity of Version 16, so I purchased the 2012 Version and loaded my data (a several-hour process) into the new program. Then, I set to work learning the new format. Knowing that I have never met an upgrade I liked, I steeled myself to perservere despite the inner revolt that ensued.

Then tonight I discovered that my database is too large even for the 2012 version, which crashed repeatedly when I tried to make a minor addition to an existing burial source. That source references over 3200 separate bits of information because it pertains to a large number of gravestones. But as I feel compelled to document the origins of my data, I use the source whenever it applies. The 2012 version could not handle this situation. It took 55 seconds just to open the field which would allow me to enter information. And as soon as I entered the brief gravestone inscription and clicked, “OK,” the program crashed. I tried four more times, always with the same result.

For test purposes, I returned to my Version 16 file, opened it to the appropriate individual, and clicked on the icon to add the burial information. (It took 7 seconds to open vs the 55 seconds for FTM 2012.) I typed in the gravestone inscription, clicked, “OK,” and was on my way! No fuss and no muss.

As I’ve already said, I love this program and am heartbroken that Ancestry does not see what a gem they have. And I don’t understand why they can’t produce two versions - the streamlined 16 and the one with bells and whistles that will make you “the star of your family reunion.”

I will add one more bit of information. My computer consultant and I spoke with the support staff at Ancestry earlier today to ask whether there was a limit to the capacity of the 2012 version. We told the representative that we had been having a slowing problem with Version 16. “Oh, the limit of that program is 80,000 people!” she said. No one had told me this. Not when I’d spoken with other support staff over the years. And not in this lates slowing sitution, when the technicians had my actual database in hand and could see the number of individuals, the number of sources, and the total size (198 MB). And the answer to my question about the capacity of Version 2012: “It’s unlimited,” she said. If you believe that, perhaps I can sell you a bridge in the Mojave desert.

I don’t know what I will do now. Certainly I can’t continue with the 2012 version as it is already overwhelmed. Neither can I truly partition the existing database because, while it will allow me to copy a tree to another database, it will not let me delete a whole segment from the existing database. To delete the necessary 30-40,000 individuals, I would have to do them one by one.

Biggest Pro: Simple, streamlined, easy to use, reliable.
Biggest Con: Can’t be partitioned.

Excellent means of publishing your genealogy data online in a dynamic fashion. Very customizable, but great right out of the box. Superb support from TNG and from user forums.

Biggest Pro: Easy to use, but can be customized; dynamic, easy and fast to update. Excellent support.
Biggest Con: None

Longtime users of TNG, with each release Darin makes this product better and better

Biggest Pro: Fast Easy to use, great mods
Biggest Con: you need to have database skills to setup

I used the free version when I began my journey over 11 years ago. I then bought the deluxe software and find it meets my needs.

I’ve used TMG for over ten years and have no complaints, except the UI is getting dated. I’m a family historian with probably 7,000 individuals in my database and every year I become more adept at collecting and attaching information to individuals and so I’ve employed more and more of the TMG bells and whistles, in fact it’s fun to explore different features I haven’t used yet to see what they offer. I use this on a small laptop (13.3″ screen, 3 GB RAM, Pentium SU2700) and while it is slow to load, it has never choked or locked up. I do believe the program is due for an overhaul soon because the UI and screens look dated.

Biggest Pro: Many useful features, flexible, stable (few if any bugs).
Biggest Con: Look and feel is dated.

Simply the best genealogy software program out there - with “simply” being the operative word … so easy to use … yet so rewarding visually. No attempts have been made to introduce needless complications for the user (which, it seems to me, is where all the other major names in this area fall down and fall down badly).

Modern, bang up to date, software that works a treat with my Win 7 64-bit.

I have to say I cannot understand how they can distribute this for free - I would have paid good money for it - but, hey, aren’t I lucky.

I cannot recommend highly enough.

Biggest Pro: It does what it says on the box it’ll do!
Biggest Con: I can’t find any cons of any significance

This site is a total scam. we just paid $119.40 for a years membership 3 weeks ago. After a week, I was unable to log in (Password or user name had changed).

I sent several emails to complain and received an automated response saying that a ticket had been created and they were looking into it. Their replies said to click on a link to see the status. When I clicked on the link, it takes me to…wait for it…the log-in page! Of course they don’t even have a telephone number, although when I contacted my bank to dispute the charges, the bank gave me a phone number for them 310 651-2004. I called it and was transferred to voice mail. I’m pretty sure I won’t be hearing from them.

I’d like to see these scumbags wind up in jail.

Sehr einfaches Programm und leicht zu handhaben

Biggest Pro: gibt es auch für den Stick

Google translation: Very easy to program and easy to handle
Biggest Pro: there is also the stick

FTM 2012 has lots of nice bells and whistles but it cannot convert a large database, I have over 8100 names in my tree, into an ancestry report. Conversely, when I export that file into the 2010 FTM format, it quickly and easily generates an ancestry report. I have reported this to FTM tech support and their answer has been a shrug of the shoulders.

Biggest Pro: is great at finding additonal family members
Biggest Con: software is extremely poorly supported

Generally intuitive; no major issues; installs fine; no crashes.

Biggest Pro: Works as advertisec
Biggest Con: Not idiot-proof.

Definite mistakes can be found here. Little privacy for those who choose to remain anonymous!

Biggest Pro: Seriously??
Biggest Con: No way of removing data!

Full of glitches. Constantly needs reboot. Not intuitive. Does not sync like it is supposed to. Unable to fix duplicates. Just the worst software.

Biggest Pro: Syncs with Ancestry.com
Biggest Con: Sync with Ancestry.com does not work.

I purchased the deluxe version because some of my friends have it and I liked it, and some friends use both Legacy and Ancestry, I struck my first very major problem when transferring my data from FTM via a gedcom file. the baptisms, over 3000 went into events, not into the christenings, doing a Google search I discovered the only way to put a baptism into the christenings, is to do each baptism manually, that means one at a time, and not only is it several clicks to put the baptism in, the place does not follow and also has to be done manually, more clicks of the mouse, and then of course you need to delete the event, which is several more clicks of the mouse. I’m doing a manual check of my tree as I have discovered some people didn’t transfer at all. I’ll be keeping my FTM as well as the legacy. I did get confirmation from my email to customer service, (after a few days) that manually is the way it has to be done.

Biggest Pro: easy to swap information with other family
Biggest Con: the problem with not matching information via a Gedcom file

I’ve been reading everything I can find about recent FTM2012 Sync Failures and Data Corruption, and conclude that the only feasible solution left for users of both AMT and FTM is to “place (and work from) separate trees on Ancestry.com and in FTM2012″; i.e., do NOT Link NOR Sync trees, to avoid risk of corrupting your family trees.

Linked FTM and AMT trees cannot be “synced” with any confidence of not corrupting data, which causes huge wastes of time to review and repair frustrating sync damage; therefore, users should try to use better features of both trees SEPARATELY, as if the Tree Sync feature did not exist. How?
1) FTM2012 lets you download AMT (Ancestry Member Trees) as GEDCOM files, which can be MERGED into desktop FTM trees, which in-turn can be uploaded and RE-LINKED (but do NOT ever Sync, to avoid data corruption) so that your do not lose the AMT shared links, media links, connections with other trees, etc.
or
2) import an AMT into a NEW FTM2012 tree which includes Media citation links only (actual media files can be downloaded by following steps in this webpage: http://ancestry.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5325/kw.), which can be RE-LINKED (but NEVER SYNC, or tree data becomes corrupted) as described above.
- unfortunately, users cannot upload a FTM tree and merge it into an online AMT, as Ancestry.com only allows them to exist as 2 separate trees; therefore, merging of trees appears to be possible only with the desktop FTM2012 software.

Growing problems with “Sync Failures” are a shame, since prospects of being able to link and sync AMT and FTM for efficient integration of genealogy data is a useful and powerful feature, but ONLY if it works flawlessly.

Unfortunately, the FTM-AMT sync program has become FATALLY FLAWED and UNRELIABLE for intended uses, and Tree-Sync should NOT be used by anyone, nor should it be offered by FTM until the software is completely fixed, if possible.

In addition, Ancestry.com should take responsible action by PROHIBITING SYNCs of AMTs (member trees) with FTM2012 trees until the 2 companies can jointly prove and show users that syncing linked trees will integrate genealogy data accurately and reliably for most PC systems.

The Sync FAILURE worsened for me in Dec 2012, and the 2 or more* companies involved are NOT serious about fixing this sync disaster. (*FTM2012 Help-About-Acknowledgements TAB shows software integrations with: whollygenes.com to provide GenBridge file import tech, bing.com/maps for places, and loresoft.com for dictionaries, which may be implicated in sync failures until ruled out as contributing to the problems.)

Instead of continuing to work with online and desktop trees linked together and synced as integrated databases, which Ancestry.com and FTM2012 “proudly promote”, one must resort to totally separated them until or if this serious sync program is fixed.

Since these companies’ software quality and technical support are deteriorating, evidenced by troubling patterns of indifference to and neglect of sync failures and data corruption, I too am actively searching for genealogy software alternatives to FTM2012 and Ancestry.com; even though I’ve used both for past 15 years starting with Broderbund versions. FTM and Ancestry are driving customers away by their negligence in failing to address and fix serious software issues and by their growing disregard shown towards negatively impacted users.

I hope they improve soon and fix their flawed software, but I doubt it based upon poor responses to many users.

Biggest Pro: Hints, with automated searches of potential sources for individual data; but Awkward navigation
Biggest Con: Sync FAILS and CORRUPTS Data, degrades to only 1-way sync AMT=>FTM then Stops working

Like many others who have complained I’ve had ongoing crashes with two of my four family files. I have been able to upload one of the files to Ancestry.com so I believe that the issue is not with my computers/operating systems, both Dell Insperion with 8 meg and W7.
Anyway, I have also gone through several levels of so-called help at Ancestry without any resolution of my issues. I have accepted the fact that large, complex files could become corrupt, despite the best efforts of the user and the developer to edit input data. What I find unacceptable on the part of Ancestry management is that they refuse to provide error messages that would help the user determine the location of the problem. In addition, they have only agreed to “consider” a diagnostic tool that could be used to find and report the problem area. Perhaps they will take me up on my offer to “beta test” such a tool.

Enough ranting so I’ll discuss one way I found to determine the cause of crashes. I had several instances when I clicked on a “thumbnail” and the FTM crashed. I couldn’t just deleat the media as I did’t want to lose that info. Anyway, if you go the Media->Collection and right click on each file you’ll get sooner or later to the one the crashes FTM. If you’ve made note of the name of the thumbnail, then restart FTM and go to Media->Detail and scroll through till you get to right thumbnail. You’ll then see the Windows file name and you can then go to Windows Explorer and move that file out of the FTM Media file. Then go back to FTM to the Media Detail and Delete the thumbnail, I found about a dozen corrupt thumbnails in about 2,000 media items.

I’d like to be able to tell you that fixed my crashes but “Not!!” I still crash when I try to synch with Ancestry, when I try to create certain reports, when I try to create a Gedcom file and probable more that I haven;t tried.

If anyone is interested in more details they can PM me at falong@hotmail.com

Biggest Pro: Ability to syncy with Ancestry
Biggest Con: Inability to synch with Ancestry

What a big piece of expensive junk. How did this program get such a great review from ancestry magazines? ($$$?). It won’t load properly, gobbles memory, crashes, needs to be reinstall, won’t load properly, gobbles memory, crashes, etc. etc.

Biggest Pro: None that I can see, since it won’t work properly
Biggest Con: Expensive and useless.

This is a web site where you can build your tree for free and has a very reasonable membership fee if you wish to be able to contact others searching the same ancestors, or at least those with the same name and close year of birth.
It is fairly simple to use, you can add photos and extra data on those in your tree. If you so choose you can give permission for other Genes Reunited members to look at your tree see if names match with their ancestors. This can give you contact with others researching the same families and the posiblility of sharing data There is also a privacy feature where you can keep living family’s names and data hidden to others looking at your tree.

Searching in their BMD and Census database is done by purchasing credits as in some other genealogy web sites. The hot matches feature can sometimes be a help, but more often is too general to be a good match

Biggest Pro: Making contact with others researching the same families.
Biggest Con: Hot Matches often does not match closely enough

I use FTM 2012 on a daily basis and with only 3,500 names in the index is small in comparison with some of the reviewers. FTM runs on a hybrid Intel i7 PC with 16Gb of memory running Windows 7 x64 so should be speedy…. BUT like other reviewers I find FTM slows down with constant editing and even compacting down to 0% doesn’t always help speed up processing. FTM never seems to crash, just hangs (not responding) until it completes processing. The only way I’ve found to improve speed is to regularly restart the application.

I have used earlier versions of FTM and always upgraded to the later releases. The look and feel of FTM 2012 is a good pro plus the integrated link to Ancestry.com is one of its best selling points. I’ve used other genealogy software products, but always came back to FTM.

I wonder if the performance issue will ever get resolved(?)

Biggest Pro: Integration with Ancestry.com
Biggest Con: Slow performance

Excellent. Pedigree, descent, sources, attachments and all from a usb

Biggest Pro: it runs on USB
Biggest Con: no multiple selection for deleting rubbish notes imported with your gedcom

Have done family history since 1954. Installed PAF as soon as it appeared. Have used it ever since for many family trees - never a problem. Absolutely great programme. Thank you.

Biggest Pro: Magic!
Biggest Con: None.

I moved to this program 4 or 5 years ago when I moved to the Mac from Windows. I really love it - It makes sense, you don’t need any manual, the basic diagrams and PDF’s it produces are great.

Very easy to navigate through and produce reports detailing any possible errors. Photos are also handled well

Biggest Pro: The Diagrams and PDF charts it can produce
Biggest Con: File structure of the saved folder isn’t very Mac like

Very comprehensive. Only few things that could be improved, incl. stability.

Biggest Pro: Most comprehensive software available
Biggest Con: Stability

Eigentlich gut, kann aber keine Paten, Trauzeugen verwalten. Sehr sehr schlechte Quellenverwaltung.

Biggest Con: Very very poor source management

Wunderbares Programm zur Ahnenverwaltung.

Biggest Pro: Einfache Bedienung
Biggest Con: keine

Google translation: Wonderful program for genealogical management.
Biggest Pro: Ease of use
Biggest Con: no

Unschlagbar, besser als alle mir bekannten Programme dieser Art.

Google translation: Unbeatable, better than all known programs of this type

I’m sorry I ever bought this. When it works, it works - at a glacial pace - the simple act of adding a photo to a person gobbled up 2Gb of system memory and nearly 60 seconds of my time - for what? This is not a program written to be run on a 64-bit Intel based Mac like mine. I’m not sure it’s even a 32 bit program. I’ve lost links to my tree on ancestry.com (the main reason I bought this program was for tree-sync and sharing with my relatives). Resolving a place name that is attached to more than a handful of people crashes the program. Just typing a name to find it in the index - the program pauses after three characters to do a search… Do not buy this program in its present state.

Biggest Pro: TreeSync
Biggest Con: Slower than molasses due to crappy memory management causing crashes.

I have used FTM Version 16 for a number of years (obviously since before 2008). I have to admit I am not a professional geneologist, but Ver 16 has been perfect for me. Now fast forward to 2012 when my old laptop disintegrated and I was forced to buy a new one, which of course has MS Windows 7 on it. Now most of FTM Ver 16 still works except for the book creation which I deem a critical part. Apparently Ancestory.Com isn’t interested in fixing it, but insists on selling upgrades, which apparently do not come up to the standard of Ver 16. I’m afraid Ancestory.Com is to interested in selling access to geneology bases to do right by FTM.

Biggest Pro: Ease of use
Biggest Con: Isn’t compatible with Windows ver 7.

Super Software

Biggest Pro: easy to use, freeware, updates

Top Software, Benutzerfreundlich, hervorragendes Forum,

Biggest Pro: Freeware, einfach zu bedienen,

Google translation: Top software, user friendly, excellent forum
Biggest Pro: freeware, easy to use,

Site works well for me. Used it a couple years. Never paid a cent. A change late last year removes the 100 ancestor limit. I’ve found a lot of ancestors that I’d probably not have otherwise. I’m a happy user.

Biggest Pro: not paying the monthly fees Ancestry.com would charge
Biggest Con: Geni is probably not as good as an ancestry.com subscription

I am using Ahnenblatt since almost 8 years. It is easy to use with a quick and simple overview. A lot of add ons possible and a lot of languages available.

Biggest Pro: free and easy
Biggest Con: non

Top Software, arbeite schon seit 3 Jahren damit.

Biggest Pro: einfache Handhabung, immer wieder updates
Biggest Con: Quellenverwaltung

Google translation: Top software for 3 years working with it.
Biggest Pro: easy to use, repeatedly updates
Biggest Con: Source Management

Easy to use online. Great for everything if u don’t mint sharing without being ask

Biggest Pro: Loved it until….
Biggest Con: they sell ur Dates

The features in Legacy are about average for what you’d expect of a family tree program but there’re many more user friendly programs on the market. I use Legacg, FTM, FTB, PAF and CGR depending on what I want to do and which reports I want to run.

But would you trust your family tree data, data that has been collected after years of painstaking research, to a program that does not correctly export to a Gedcom?

Legacy is more concerned with developing new features rather than fixing the bugs in their current version. Below is correspondence with their “support” department when I discovered a bug in the system..a bug they claim to have known about and fixed in Oct 2012 but the fix has not been released as at 8 Feb 2013..

< < Moderator note: Sorry, personal correspondence with the company should not be included in a review and has been removed >>

Biggest Pro: Photo Management
Biggest Con: Fixing bugs and support

Just the teasers are free - not the info they promise. Those are free for a week.

The free version is pitiful. If you are considering this program, skip this clumsy program and go directly to the fully functional version, which *may* be better.

Biggest Pro: Free
Biggest Con: Not very user-friendly or useful.

I tend to agree a lot with Carol Dickinson since I had a similar problem.

I have been doing genealogy for over 45 years and, like Carol, had been a loyal FTM user almost since it’s inception. I have many separate family files in FTM with only small overlaps. HOWEVER, my largest file HAD over 76,000 individuals in it. Yes, I said HAD. The last 3 versions I noticed continuing problems with FTM crashing or freezing up several times in the same day, everday. I “compacted” my FTM files, I defragmented my hard drive routinely, I continuely deleted temporary files and freed up space. I got a larger computer - bigger, faster, more, ugh, ugh - and it continued to crash and/or freeze.

I complained to Techs. I was told I had a virus. Nope, no virus. I complained to Techs. I was told I needed more memory and operating speed. Nope, just did that. I complained to Techs. I was told my file was corrupted. Oh, my God in Heaven, help me, please. No, my file is not “corrupted” but your program is causing crash and burn!

I am certainly no computer geek and am extremely grateful to those who are and can get results! However, my observation is that whether your file is large or new, you keeping working on it and it will crash or freeze. FTM doesn’t do a very good job of telling you to routinely compact your file, even if it’s small. Not only that, they tell you to keep compacting your file until it you get the result that 0% was compacted, THEN it’s all done compacting!

But they don’t tell you that. That’s a huge issue! HEY NEWBIE, COMPACT YOUR FILE AND COMPACT AGAIN UNTIL FTM SAYS 0% WAS COMPACTED. OH, AND DO THAT WITH THE FAMILY TREE CLOSED (DO NOT OPEN - NO, DO NOT OPEN THAT FAMILY TREE FIRST)! That should be in flashing neon signs!!!

Another issue that I think compounds the crash/freeze problem is page faults. Have you ever checked the page fault numbers you have when you’ve been using FTM for a few hours?? Well, mine runs into the tens of millions, but, guess what, so does my security software….

The nicest features of FTM which is being able to search, view, and download data and references from Ancestry.com directly to FTM is also the biggest problem. When you’ve been working a while, have you noticed how my screens back you can use your back button to view online information? Yup…that’s the killer! It goes on and on and on and all that stays in your memory, memory, memory while you’re using FTM so it slows down and down and down until it crashes/freezes. Couple that with very large files like Carol Dickinson and I have/had and I can wait 5 minutes or more for FTM to repopulate a screen and complete a transaction. When you get to this point, the only thing you can do other than through your computer out the window, is to shut FTM down ASAP, saving it if possible. If you can’t save it, when you reopen the tree (AFTER YOU COMPACTED THE FILE TO 0%) it SHOULD pop up to the last person you were working on and hopefully have saved everything except the very last transaction.

So, in my opinion, what makes this the best genealogy program is what makes it the worst. After working on genealogy for over 45 years, you know I ain’t no spring chicken, so, like Carol Dickinson, I also have arthritis issues - as well as sight issues. So the fewer keystrokes the better, and don’t try to keep making things smaller so more and more can get on the screen at the same time. What good is it if you can’t read it once it’s there???

These new “improvements” they keep wanting to add like the “enchanced” search feature - baloney, it’s smaller text, I get more garbage than I do with the old search if I get anything at all.

I’ve been complaining to FTM for years to quit adding to what you’ve got now. Make what you’ve got work better!!!! The search feature is terrible - has been for years - I have better luck doing my own search on the internet.

By the way, why doesn’t Ancestry.com, when I’m logged on through FTM, recognize that I’m logged on when I’m doing my own search on the internet (I have to log on again; dumb!)

I’ve also complained to FTM that they need to set the bar for genealogy newbies - tell them the rules - Ancestry is getting so much garbarge out there because people don’t know what they’re doing and/or simply copy information as absolute without verifying anything.

Oh, and what’s this about an Ancestry family file being a recognized reference??? Give me a break! Most of it’s garbage they’ve got!!! Ancestry family files might be an okay starting place but they certainly are NOT authenticated references!

Back to FTM. I, too, lost the majority of my largest file which I’d been working on for over 45 years due to the crash/freeze issue with FTM. In fact, here are some VERY SCARY numbers. For the same file (my big one) on 4 May 2012 it had 49,673 people (formerly I had over 76,000 people!) of 22 generations, 15,150 marriages, 6,689 surnames and 3,889 media items. Today, 3 Feb 2013, that same file had 36,638 people of 27 generations, 12,138 marriages, 5,800 surnames, and 1,771 media items. WHERE DID THE FORMER INFORMATION GO AND SINCE I CONTINUALLY ADD INFORMATION, HOW MUCH INFORMATION HAVE I REALLY LOST????

Compacting should reduce your file size but not get rid of data items! FAMILY TREE MAKER, YOU HAVE A SERIOUS, SERIOUS PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND YOU’VE LOST ONE LONG-TIME, FULLY-SUPPORTIVE USER.

Biggest Pro: NOT MUCH AT THIS POINT
Biggest Con: LOSS OF DATA AND CRASHING/FREEZING

Einfach zu bedienen und viele Praktische Funktionen wie Statistiken usw.
Sehr zu empfehlen.

Biggest Pro: Freeware und immer wieder Updates
Biggest Con: -

Google translation: Easy to use and lots of practical features such as statistics, etc. Highly recommended.
Biggest Pro: Freeware and repeatedly updates

Slow and buggy, just got garbage published and took 4 hrs for 2800 people

Biggest Pro: Online backups
Biggest Con: Old dated database software, bad GUI and will not handle large charts

A great site to backup online and share with your family

Biggest Pro: Online backups
Biggest Con: None

Tim
They say that USA and UK are countries divided by a common language. I have an example of an inappropriate UK wording in your text. Can you contact me off-line and I will advise you.
Regards
John
Harrogate, UK