Cannot open exported GEDCOM

[ann255]

Have been trying to export my tree from Ancestry to a file on my computer.  Have eventually found the 'export GEDCOM' button and done so.  HOWEVER I then cannot open it.  It says windows cannot open this file and needs to know what prog. to use etc.  Can anyone help please?

[josey]

As far as I know, a .gedcom is a database designed to be only opened by family history software.
If you open your FH software & instruct it to import the .gedcom, [can't tell you the exact details as that will depend on your software] you should be OK. Otherwise you need to 'tell Windows' to use your FH software to open it - a list of programs should open up when you get the message. 

[alanmack]

A GEDCOM file is just a text file written in a particular way/pattern to enable it to be recognised and imported by other family history applications. You can inspect your GEDCOM file with Notepad or similar programs. You can even edit the GEDCOM but only very slightly, and only if you know what you are doing!

[Emjaybee]

Try the free download Uncleged.

[mike175]

If you don't have a family tree program installed, you could try one of the free demo versions available to download . . . like: http://www.rootsmagic.com/Try/RootsMagic/

Other programs are available 

[[Ray]]

Hi

A gedcom file is just a text file containing the details on a one item per "line" basis.

To open it as a text file, go into windows explorer, right click the file, open with (say) wordpad/notepad/word/ . . . . .

To open it as a gedcom (.ged) file you do need something that will process it.
Legacy (free) should do fine.
Be aware that some family history programs create their own versions of gedcom.
The (data) content will be different ( more items of data ) but the format will be the same.


Ray

Example
0 HEAD
1 FILE An Example
1 SUBM @1@
1 SOUR Family Tree
2 VER 4.0
1 DATE 1 FEB 2011
0 @1@ SUBM
1 NAME Shadow Enterprises Ltd.//
1 OCCU
1 NOTE
1 SEX
1 BIRT
2 DATE
2 PLAC
1 DEAT
2 DATE
2 PLAC
1 CHR
2 DATE
2 PLAC
1 ADDR
0 @I2@ INDI
1 NAME Albert/Smith/
1 OCCU Carpenter
1 NOTE
1 SEX M
1 BIRT
2 DATE 1 JAN 1801
2 PLAC Bangladesh
1 DEAT
2 DATE 20 AUG 1865
2 PLAC Sydney, Australia
etc

[ann255]

Try the free download Uncleged.

Have had a quick browse of this and does not say supports Windows 7.  Do you use it Emjaybee? How safe is it. I do find that often with this free downloads they attach 'bits' I don't want and find hard to get rid of, for example toolbars!

I do have Family Tree Maker 12 but of course this and Ancestry run along parallel.  What I was trying to do was to preserve a copy of all my data I have on Ancestry.co (kind of like a back up) and hopefully put it into my documents folder.  Then I had hoped to be able to copy it to a disk.  It rather looks as if this is not how it works.

You can tell I am not very computer savey, and nervous of trying things in case they go wrong and I cannot rectify, so please any help you can give, no matter how 'obvious' it might seem.

[mike175]

I have never used FTM but surely it maintains a database on your PC so that you can access the data when you're not online

Someone who uses it is bound to come along with the right answer soon 

As for backups, a GEDCOM stored in a safe place (or two) should be adequate. I also keep many folders of other documents, scans, etc. which I backup separately.

[Christine53]

If you haven't already got your ancestry tree loaded into FTM 12 you can do that by opening the program , selecting New Tree and then select Download From Ancestry. You can choose whether or not to link the trees so that they sync with one another. If you already have your tree in FTM you can back up the file to disc or an external hard drive but you won't be able to read the files , they will just be available to restore if you need them.