Checking FH for Ancestral Sources input

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 09 Jun 2011 11:53

I've had a read through old posts but cannot see if there is a simple way to view which census images and hence data have beeen used in Ancestral Sources to record census facts in FH. Am I overlooking the obvious(again)? I have downloaded copies of census images from Ancestry to my PC and believe I have copied to the Media file whenever used with A.S. I guess what I am trying to do is see which ones are outstanding without going through all my individuals' records and property boxes.
Any suggestions most welcome
Dagwood

ID:5133

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 09 Jun 2011 12:07

If you use the records window for Media you can sort them by filename to check against the files in your download folder.

Post by **tatewise** » 09 Jun 2011 14:23

Jane's suggestion will only work if you chose to keep your original filenames when linking images using A.S.
If you chose the option to Rename file to match title then the filenames in the Media folder will be different.

Assuming your outstanding files all have filenames that identify the Census and Household either by Reference or Keyperson, and you use Method 1 in A.S. then there are other techniques you could use.

The Census Source Records can be sorted into title order, which assuming your A.S. Source Title Template is similar to the default, then they also identify the Census and Household by Reference &/or Keyperson.

Therefore, you should be able to match up each file with a census record.

Another way is to use a Query such as the Kinsfolk Census Queries in the Knowledge Base at http://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id ... us_queries.
This lists all completed Census entries and identifies outstanding ones, which again you should be able to match against your filenames.

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 09 Jun 2011 22:44

Many thanks both of you . I've downloaded a number of Custom Queries and it looks like between them I can get to all the info I require. Your advice much appreciated.
Dagwood[smile]

Post by **tatewise** » 10 Jun 2011 12:30

Another technique is to use a Duplicate File Finder utility.
There are several freeware products available and I have experimented with a few.
Just Google for free duplicate file finder.

I have tried the following programs:
Free version of Fast Duplicate File Finder from Mind Gems but found the free version restrictions too limiting.
Duplicate Cleaner from Digital Volcano but found it awkward to use.
Duplicate File Finder from Auslogics has an easy interface, was very effective, and is my recommendation, but when you install, remove the options to include the Ask Toolbar and Home page set-up.

Post by **NickWalker** » 10 Jun 2011 15:12

Although a bit late in your case (but you could adopt this method) what I do to avoid this, is to always download the files directly into the Media folder into the appropriate census folder. Then when I link the file in Ancestral Sources, I don't need to do the copy to project media and the file just gets renamed. I can then see which files I've added by whether they have been renamed or not.

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 10 Jun 2011 17:52

Nick and Tatewise, many thanks. I'll come back to the duplicate finder later as I'm trying to figure out how that would assist.
Nick, I like how you do it as it seems a neat way of getting the files into the correct census folder at the start.
I downloaded the Kinsfolk queries and in trying the Census Done query I notice that where I have a birth date shown as e.g. 'Abt 1865' there are blank spaces for census inputs req'd in 1841,51,61 and of course later censuses. I've quite a few 'Abt' entries and I'd like to cut down the blank spaces. Is there any way I can show an approximate DOB without FH assuming it might have been 25 or more years earlier or at least tighten up the assumed range?
Dagwood

Post by **tatewise** » 10 Jun 2011 18:54

Your date 'Abt 1865' is what is known as a Date Phrase and if you click on the [...] button to the right of any Date field you will see that the Date Entry Assistant lists it as such.
A Date Phrase is a text string and has no actual date value associated with it, which is why the Query cannot determine that n/a should be entered in the Census columns.

Change such dates in the Date Entry Assistant using the Date tab to an Approximate or Estimated date and fill in just the Year value.
This will display the date as something like 1865 (approx.) or 1865 (estimated).
Alternatively, you could specify a Range date such as Between 1864 and 1866.
In any of these cases the Query will fill in the n/a entries more reliably.

Post by **tatewise** » 10 Jun 2011 19:01

Regarding the Duplicate File Finder utility, it will allow you specify your FH project Media folder and any folders where your downloaded census images reside, and compare the files in these folders.
Any duplicate files are listed in pairs, so you can immediately see which images already exist in the Media folder and thus have been loaded in using A.S.
The comparison process looks at file contents, so it will find duplicates even if the files are renamed as they are copied into the Media folder.

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 11 Jun 2011 08:25

Excellent advice as ever Tatewise and I now understand both points and will try both. Many thanks
Dagwood[smile]

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