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Family Tree Maker 2012

H

Helen G

Almost a Brummie
Has anyone had experience of Family Tree Maker 2012?


I have been using Family Tree Maker 2006 very happily up until now but the PC I have it on is on it's last legs.
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So, my darling husband bought me a laptop to replace it which is fantastic but too high powered for FTM2006. Apparently, this laptop is 64GB and too fast for the 2006 programme. I had thought that may it didn't work on Windows 7 but my husband's laptop also runs window 7 and FTM2006 works on his laptop which has only 32GB.

Now don't start thinking that from the paragraph above that I know what I am talking about, I know nothing apart from what I have been told and I didn't understand that!

All I want to know is, if you have used FTM2012 what you thought of it.

Please don't suggest I spend anymore time trying to get my new laptop to take 2006, my life is too short to waste anymore time trying top get this to happen!
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Looking forward to your thoughts
H
 
Helen, I've used FTM for years and about 6 months ago upgraded to 2011, partly because they gave away 6 months free membership to Ancestry. (They've recently emailed me to say I can extend the free period until Jan or Feb, so I have!).
Although the screen is very different to the older versions both my wife and I like the "new" one. I think that 2012 has only a few tweaks to 2011 but not absolutely sure.
One of the nice things is that because FTM is owned (?) by Ancestry, when you are on Ancestry, some of the searches suggest name matches that you have entered in FTM. I was on on the 1911 census and when I typed in a family name it suggested similar names and when I clicked on the right one it filled in all the other data like DOB, Spouse, Children etc automatically.
Hope that makes sense.
 
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David and Helen, is it easy to use and add entries too?
Having got lots of family info, I think I should try and put it into a recorded form, have tried the My Heritage but it is really long winded and you have to change everything if you upload extra info. Is this one easier to manage - I have a basic Ancestry subscription already.
Sue
 
I have got this too, Sue, and it is easy to use. You get a book about the size of a Bible with it, to take you though all the steps. You can add notes, etc and change things to suit yourself. You can print out trees in a variety of shapes and also it compiles data for you and then you can print out full reports. I have used it for about a month now, and I am only just beginning to use the book, for where I have gone a bit wrong. I can recommend it. I purchased it, it was £38 from Amazon, but on the day it arrived, I was given a £10 refund as the price had been reduced. That makes it a total bargain from where I stand, as free full Ancestry is available for six months - including Parish Registers. Brilliant.

Shortie
 
Thank you for all your replies.

Sue, I found FTM2006 incredibly easy to use and I was worried that 2012 would be more difficult but Shortie suggests this latest version is just as easy to use.


David and Shortie, will the 2012 version take all the information that I have amassed on the 2006 version easily or will it be a challenge? I have well over a 1,000 names will associated info on my old PC which I wil need to transfer over if and when I buy the new version.

I have had an Ancestory subscription since I bought the 2006 version which is up for renewal next month which is why I am thinking of sorting this all now and save myself 6months subscription!

Helen
 
Helen, My old version is on my laptop which my daugher has, so I don't get to see it, but you can import trees 'from any earier version' to quote the book. I don't think it will be much of a problem. I am at the moment totally starting from scratch as I want to have separate reports and separate trees for each family name. You can also merge what you have on Ancestry with the new programme, and when it is on screen, you can just dip into Ancestry from there without closing the programme. Not done that yet, but the book says it's possible. 2012 has more features, but as I said earlier, I used it without looking at the book initially.

I hope my comments have been of some help, no matter how small.

Shortie
 
I agree with Shortie, it's simple to import data from earlier versions. We've recently bought a laptop and both Chris and I have copied our two FTM data onto a USB stick and loaded it onto the laptop - easy! I also imported the old one into 2011 on my PC similarly.
 
David, I now have a questino for you - are you keeping to the same format on 2010 or are you altering it? I ask because I put all my lines on one tree on my old FHM programme - but when I printed it out it looked like a plate of spaghetti, possibly because I have included all children and all marriages I have found - the lines went all over the place. This is why I have decided to have each family as a separate tree. I could put my old one on a memory stick and transfer it, but I don't want such a mess again.

Shortie
 
hi helen
have you tried my heritage family tree builder its a free to use application and it stores and publishes all your info and you can do all sorts with it i have been using it for years try www.myheritage.com
hope it helps phil
 
The problem with My Heritage it only allows you to put 250 people on it after that you have to pay for the pre. one


philbee said:
hi helen
have you tried my heritage family tree builder its a free to use application and it stores and publishes all your info and you can do all sorts with it i have been using it for years try www.myheritage.com
hope it helps phil
Click to expand...
 
I bought FTM 2011 and have upgraded to 2012 the advantage with 2012 links automatically every time you shut done, I've found 2012 super, I was had in the price trap I bought it when it came out at £39 through Amazon.


My family tree in 5 weeks has gone from 245 on My Heritage to 1016 great.


So far I have found distant relatives in Australia, Canada Stockport , & Birmingham I keep in touch with all on regular basis to transfer knowledge.


But Family Tree Maker while it's cheap you get 6 months free subscription worth £77, can't be bad.


Ray
 
Hi Shortie, at the moment I only have 1 huge file. I agree that it would be preferable to split into individual name files but haven't looked at doing that yet. Probably over the Christmas hols!
 
Thanks to everyone for their advise. Have just ordered FTM2012 and will let you know I get on with it and transferring everything over from my old PC to the Laptop.

Regards
Helen
 
I have been using FTM for years now, still using my 2005 version even though i have the 2010 Platinum version, just never got around to installing it. I have no problems doing some of the things others are saying they couldn't do with the old one, i think the newer ones probably are a bit easier to organise charts, photo's etc, i can search Ancestry from within the Programme, slice and dice my tree at will, create and print reports on all or part, set up a web site through it. I think once Ancestry established FTM in the market they realised they could tweak it a little each year and bring out a new one and it will sell on it's reputation, there is no doubt it is a good programme and i will always recommend it, new or old version


bren
 
I have been using FTM for a few years and upgraded in 2010 which I am happily still using. I have had some great results with the link to Ancestry. My photo album seems to grow daily.
 
There is one thing i strongly suggest if you have any problem with FTM, Google it, there are some real experts out there when it comes to doing anything on FTM, they seem to be able to make it do things you didn't think possible, they have in the past saved me hours of work and frustration.


bren
 
I have ATM 2012 and find it very good with the ability to sinc between the computer and the Ancestry web, so which ever is updated it will sinc to that one, I have also split my tree in two very easy. The only problem I have is the hints are not always relavent but I suppose most already know that.
Lawrence
 
Dear All

Have just managed to load my new Family Tree Maker 2012 onto my new laptop, plus have managed to transfer my old files on FTM2006 from my old PC onto the new lap top AND I have managed to add the free 6 months subscription to Ancestry that came with FTM2012 to our existing subscription!!!

Not bad for someone who in not very computer literate.

The layout for 2012 is different to 2006 but I am sure with time I will get used to it.

Just wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement and support over this and to wish you all a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Regards
H
 
Thank you very much for the info. Just checked on Amazon. FTM Platinum has 6 ths free Ancestry. My membership comes up for renewal next month will order it ASAP £29.99.

Sandra
 
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