Rootsmagic software - buyers beware!

[Ronda231]

Just over a year ago I purchased a Rootsmagic 8 license for £40.

Right from the start, the program didn't work fully in that the maps and place-name geo-referencing side of the program refused to function. Despite numerous discussions with the software tech-help team, they were unable to find the problem, so that was that and no refund offered.

The program still had limited usefulness though in that it could interface with the Familysearch website and generate GEDCOM files.

However, now I find that this semi-usefulness has been even further curtailed as the program can no longer interface with the Familysearch website, not due to a program fault - its just been switched off!!




What's my opinion on this - an unhelpful software  company? or a pack of money grabbing crooks?

[Biggles50]

First, Roots Magic 9 came out 1 Jan 2023, are you sure that you are using version 8?

If you are using version 8 are you really expecting support for an old version?

The Tree Share feature now requires a second authorisation process to be initiated, this is probably what you are falling foul of.  It works just fine in Roots Magic 9.

It is not just Roots Magic that has this second authorisation process, others do and this has been forced on them by Ancestry and familysearch in response to data breaches that have happened in the genealogy sector, specifically 23&me being hacked.

My Roots Magic 9 interfaces with Ancestry just fine, I would never, ever put any extensive tree on Familysearch so cannot comment on that site.

If you have a problem with the software and have raised a ticket but got no response then join the RootsMagic Forum and have a good whinge there, that will get a response as Staff frequent said forum.

Good luck getting it sorted, but do stick with it as it is one of the best Apps.

Finally

Your comment… What's my opinion on this - an unhelpful software  company? or a pack of money grabbing crooks?

Is inappropriate.

[Ronda231]

Hi Biggles

I bought Rootsmagic 8 software in October '22 and version 9 came out January '23.

When I bought it, I did not have the expectation that I would have to buy it again every year.

If the log-on procedure was modified then Rootsmagic should have provided a patch to owners of version 8 to give the product that they sold some sort of reasonable life.

I did raise quite a few tickets about the mapping problem, but got no useful solution from their tech guys and after re-installing the software multiple times, with different operating systems, on different PCs I decided to give up on it and I used the free version of Family Tree Analyser, to plot my map data instead. They wasted a lot of my time with this problem and now you are suggesting I join the RootsMagic Forum to spend some further time whingeing there?

I have no intention of spending further time getting the Rootsmagic problem sorted - the reason I'm spending time now writing about it is to give others a heads up about problems with the two stage verification process (and my dissatisfaction with the software).

I think you should have qualified your final comment to read "In my opinion your comment is inappropriate"

Best regards

[KGarrad]

I have used RootsMagic since version 4 - never had any issues?
I don't link my trees with any other sites - certainly not FamilySearch!

I think your original post should have stated "In my opinion".

Finally RM8 was quickly superceded by RM9; I thought there was a free upgrade at the time?

[Biggles50]

Hi Biggles

I bought Rootsmagic 8 software in October '22 and version 9 came out January '23.

When I bought it, I did not have the expectation that I would have to buy it again every year.

If the log-on procedure was modified then Rootsmagic should have provided a patch to owners of version 8 to give the product that they sold some sort of reasonable life.

I did raise quite a few tickets about the mapping problem, but got no useful solution from their tech guys and after re-installing the software multiple times, with different operating systems, on different PCs I decided to give up on it and I used the free version of Family Tree Analyser, to plot my map data instead. They wasted a lot of my time with this problem and now you are suggesting I join the RootsMagic Forum to spend some further time whingeing there?

I have no intention of spending further time getting the Rootsmagic problem sorted - the reason I'm spending time now writing about it is to give others a heads up about problems with the two stage verification process (and my dissatisfaction with the software).

I think you should have qualified your final comment to read "In my opinion your comment is inappropriate"

Best regards

I fell foul of that too, I bought version 8 in the Sept before version 9 came out in the January.

I whinged on their forum but bid buy the upgrade which @ £25 is not exactly a vast expense and even with the two costs the total was still less than the cost of other genealogy tree software.

As I stated the authorisation changes were not initiated by Roots Magic, so what were they to do?  Ancestry (and familysearch) introduced two stage authorisation with very little notice and RM did well to issue the update to RM9 when they did but us Mac users had issues for another month until the RM team sorted the Patch out.  No software company supports out of date software and as a user I would rather the team worked on current and future versions than on past versions.  So calling them crooks is bang out or order.

Depending upon how you use RM it can be frustrating due to its quirks, the most annoying is Tree Share, it works but a lot of mouse clicking is required for each and every change in data.

Software that syncs with online family trees is not that readily available, so your choices are somewhat limited.

Other software like Family Tree Maker sync far better, but do be warned a new version is coming out supposedly soon.

[Talacharn]

I use the free version and find it enough for my needs. It enabled me to see where I have gaps. In areas, I find Family Search poor, so would not want to link to it.

[Biggles50]

I use the free version and find it enough for my needs. It enabled me to see where I have gaps. In areas, I find Family Search poor, so would not want to link to it.

The full version of Roots Magic has a mobile version which I believe is the free version you write about (Roots Magic Essential). 

Roots Magic can write the Essential version to the USB Memory stick, add the Family Tree including all the linked media, hence it is useful for sharing with Family.

This is the big + point in Roots Magic and IMO makes the £40 cost the best value Family Tree Software there is.

[Ronda231]

Dear all,

Well it looks like Rootsmagic is currently getting a big thumbs up from its Rootschat users.

However, today I needed to download a Gedcom file from the Familysearch website, so I downloaded & installed the free version of Ancestral Quest, I was then able to log in to Familysearch from the Ancestral Quest program straight away with no issues and download what I wanted.

Deciding to give Rootsmagic a second chance I also downloaded & installed the free version of Rootsmagic 9. When I tried to log into Familysearch from Rootsmagic, I was presented with the Familysearch login, as usual, and after putting in my details and pressing enter I went into some sort of dynamic login loop with new browser windows continuously opening every 2 seconds - I had to close the browser and the Rootsmagic software rapidly before a major crash occurred. Tried again and the same thing happened.

In my original post I asked the question - "What's my opinion on this - an unhelpful software  company? or a pack of money grabbing crooks?"

Regardless of the ringing endorsements above, I still haven't quite made up my mind on this.

Best regards

 

[Erato]

Many years ago, when I first started work on my tree, I downloaded the free PAF program from FamilySearch.  It went extinct several years ago, but that's okay.  It works fine for me and I'm still using it.  There are a few tweaks I would have liked, but I have no serious complaints.  I have no online tree and I don't want one.  If I want something from FamilySearch, I just log in and download the records I need; no mess, no fuss.  I no longer have an Ancestry subscription, but when I did, I used it in just the same way.  I do my mapping on Google Earth.

I recommend this approach.