General Chat

Tried to export Gedcom to my pc as suggested. It won't open. I tried Adobe and now it thinks it's an Adobe file and still won't open. Any ideas please?

A GEDCOM file is only a text file which something like Notepad can read and display. But it will not make a lot of sense unless you are into programming although you will recognise a lot of the text.

You need a familiy history program to translate it into a useable form with tree display.

Thanks for info. I guess I can't do anything with it then. Since I tried to open it with Adobe it still opens in Adobe even when I try another export. FR ought to give advice on how to do this if not a programmer! I just want to be able to see it all at on one sheet :( I see there are companies who will do a one-off print but then you can't do updates.
Thanks for prompt info though :)

This thread contains some information about GEDCOMSs.

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/genealogy_chat/thread/724270

If you want to see what yours looks like in text form then put the cursor on it, right click and select Open with, and then select Notepad.

I believe there are free family history programs you can download to display it.

Useful stuff, but I can't now stop my pc from associating it with Adobe. I've tried exporting again but it still comes through in the GR email as an Adobe attachment!!!
:(

Go to Control Panel
Select Programs
Select Default Programs
Select Set Associations
Scroll down to .ged
Select Change Program

It should offer you a choice and presumably Adobe is there as default.
If you change it to Notepad then at leat you will be able to read it.
When you get a family history program you should be able to use this procedure to change to that program.

Worked a treat thanks KenSE! but fell at the last hurdle. When I tried to save the list of info to a Word doc., it crashed my pc! I should have waited with it in Notepad until I had another family History program. Thanks for your help :) Gedcoms are not to be trifled with, and I have learnt something new about changing file associations!

Just scrap the file you have downloaded and download it again.

Do not touch it until you have installed a family history program, you can download the full free program of Legacy Standard edition free from their website, www.legacyfamilytree.com.

Install that then import the gedcom into it.

A word of warning though, GR gedcoms can contain errors in the dates, if you have a date in non standard gedcom format it will corrupt to read 2014 instead of the year that it should be. We have problems with GR gedcom files but when a customer sends us a gedcom from GR we import it into a checking program that was especially written for us and that spots any errors in the file before we open it.

Carol
www.genealogyprinters.com

Wow Carol, thanks for the info. I'll give it a go when I have time at the weekend. Thanks for the advice.

GR have had problems with their gedcom exports from the very first day the site was online. We have been telling them about it for years. The original problem was that the site allowed you to enter a date such as 21st January 1881, when the file is then exported and imported into another family history program that (st) entry added to the 21 is invalid gedcom format and that date will become corrupted to read 21 January 2014. I believe they are now working on it but I cannot see any cure affecting the trees that are already on the site prior the mods. being carried out.

I can't say I'm very impressed with GR, but I am impressed with the Community help :)