* Exporting

[MickM]

I am a just turned 84 year old guy who is managing to cope with technology. I have been a user of Family Historian since 2014 having tried similar sites before that. I am just about coping with the FH system at a basic level. The possibilities/power of the FH system are quite overwhelming for me. I thought about upgrading to Version 7 when it came out but was concerned that it would be more complicated. After a bit of a hiccup earlier this year (2023) which was resolved through some posts on FHUG I finally gave in. In September I upgraded, perhaps a little against my better judgement.

I recall reading somewhere that I could export files to, say, family members so that they could pick up from where I have left off, or follow other tracks but, I can’t find the info now.

Basically, my thought is that I could purchase a" licence" for each of my 2 kids, now in their mid to late 50s., and let them install Fam Hist. on their own machines, then, they will have the latest version of the software and the Sample Project. When I back-up at the end of each session, I always “back – up full project” on my machine. So, then, I hope that I can send them copies of my “project back-up” files of the two projects that I have for our family in the hope that they will each then have what I have.

I have read some of the posts about Exporting Gedcom Files and they frighten the living daylights out of me.

Any observations /advice would be helpful

[tatewise]

Mick, your proposal to give FH V7 to your kids is the simplest solution.

You are correct that you can send the FH Full Project Backup file to them so they can import it onto their PC.

You will have to discuss with your kids how best to send the Backup file.
That file might be too big for an Email attachment, so may need to be copied onto a memory stick and posted.
We can discuss the options once you have agreed with your kids that they want to go that way.

[MickM]

Thanks for the quick reply. It's a relief to know it can be relatively simple. I had already thought on the lines of a memory stick each. There will be some finessing first because one of the recipients lives abroad with a "Hit and Miss" postal system and uses a MAC, but visits us from time to time. The other lives in the south of England and at the moment only has a work computer. So - - negotiations and arrangements need to be done.
Can I just pay for a subscription for each of them or is it a little more complicated than that?

[tatewise]

Ah! That introduces a couple of complications...

FH only runs on Windows and not on a native MAC computer. There are ways of running Windows programs like FH on a MAC but involves extra expense and some technical skill. Plenty of users here run FH that way and there are user guides. So you need to discuss it with that recipient. If they sign up to the FHUG we can give advice.

The FH licence terms restrict its installation to computers owned by the license holder. So that probably rules out using a work computer. They would need to buy a Windows PC for themself.

Yes, you can simply buy a gift subscription for them both but the technical issues above need to be resolved first.

[egn]

If you want to collaborate work then going with multiple copies of a genealogy program like FH, and exchanging GEDCOM files is probably not the best way.

I recommend to look for a genealogy website like MyHeritage, FamilySearch, Ancestry, or others. Then all participants can do cooperative work. Some allow privacy of the data and you can invite more family members to contribute. And the websites can be used from any computer platform from mobile phone, tablets, Windows pc's, Macs, Linux, ...

Of course FH can still have its place by using it to generate diagrams and reports by using GEDCOM files form the websites and doing import into FH. Here FH can exploit its power.

But collecting and entering of the data will all be done on the website you choose. They also do backup of the the data, but an occasional GEDCOM backup to the local computer protects from catastrophic failures.

[tatewise]

Emil, that is certainly an alternative worth pursuing if using FH as the primary option becomes unworkable.

However, Mick said the posts about Exporting Gedcom Files frighten the living daylights out of him, so that may be a step too far for him.

[MickM]

Thanks to you both Mike and Emil.
Firstly, to Mike, the MAC user/owner operates their own business on line with the MAC and uses quite a lot of Windows/Microsoft stuff and said a while ago that using Windows on the MAC is not problematic for them. I realised early on that the works computer would be out of the running and a few suggestions have been made. When we have that matter resolved I will be in touch via FHUG.

To Emil, thanks for your comments. Whilst my two kids are always interested in "what's new on the Family Tree Front Dad ?" neither is interested in getting into doing the research. On the occasions that we meet up I'd rather not spend time getting out the 6.5 metre long "Everyone Diagram"! If I had to put a % figure on things I would say that I am 95% done. The flitting from site to site and system to system, exporting this and exporting that, would as I have already said, frighten the living daylights out of me and take all the enjoyment out of it.

I am happy with the information I have researched, collected/found over the years, and there are quite a few binders full of it. I am now just filling in and want them to have the story so far.
Mick