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General => Technical Help => Family History Programs, Tree Organisation, Presentation => Topic started by: snowyw on Friday 21 April 17 16:29 BST (UK)

Title: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: snowyw on Friday 21 April 17 16:29 BST (UK)
I have a new laptop running Windows 10.  I also have a very ancient version of Family Tree Maker - so old it is practically antique - but it was ok on my old (now dead) pc running XP.  I don't really want to buy new software, so can anyone recommend a free program that I can download.  It doesn't have to be fancy - I just want it to do the job.  Thanks
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: 3sillydogs on Friday 21 April 17 16:34 BST (UK)

I use the free My Heritage and Roots Magic both of which work with my Windows 10 Pro
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: snowyw on Friday 21 April 17 16:51 BST (UK)
Lovely!  I'll give them a whirl.  Thank you very much.
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: judb on Wednesday 26 April 17 07:49 BST (UK)
Would be interested to hear how you get on, snowyw.  I have a tree on Ancestry so I suppose I should back it up somewhere else and am so poor after paying for Ancestry that i'd like to use a free one!!   ::)  I don't think my Windows is as flash as Windows10, though. 

Judith
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: 3sillydogs on Wednesday 26 April 17 07:56 BST (UK)


I have been using the My Heritage one on various versions of Windows, the latest of which is Windows 10 Pro and have had no issues with the upgrades as they have been done.

The Roots Magic basic which is free has also worked hassle free on the various versions that have been on my pc.
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: KGarrad on Wednesday 26 April 17 08:03 BST (UK)
A Gedcom reader won't be the same thing as FH software?
Nearly all FH software can import a Gedcom file.

And be aware that a Gedcom file is a special kind of text file; it won't contain any images.
So, no photos or copies of documents! :-\
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: LizzieL on Wednesday 26 April 17 08:13 BST (UK)
Have you tried loading your old FTM on your Win 10 laptop. I have a laptop which was bought a month before win 10 was released, so originally had win 8 installed, but was upgraded to Win 10 soon after. My OH has a newer laptop which came with Win 10. Both of us are successfully using FTM for Win 95 -
 the version before it was taken over by Ancestry and was made by Broderbund / Banner blue. The only thing that doesn't work properly is Help text - but I still have original box with massive instruction  manual so that isn't a problem.
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: snowyw on Tuesday 25 July 17 09:42 BST (UK)
I did download the free version of Roots Magic - which did the job, but while installing another really old programme I have for cross stitch, I though I would give my FTM another go.  It was a bit long-winded by hey! I managed it.  So all is well. 

Thanks for your advice.   ;D
Title: Re: Free Gedcom Reader?
Post by: Johnf04 on Tuesday 25 July 17 10:13 BST (UK)
I use a free program called Gramps.