Ancestry.com How can I download a CD of a totally different family into my 2006 Family Tree Maker seperate fro

Question

One of my wifes distant relatives has copied her family tree on
to a CD. We would like to download it into the family tree that I have been working on. How is the best and proper way to do
that without effecting the work I have already done. Thanks

Answer 1

Hey Eslankard,

I use Family Tree Maker too. Depending on the format of the CD, you may need to do different actions. If the CD is in GEDCOM format. The menu has a FILE pull down, and there is an append/merge option. That is what you use, with your TREE open, and the CD in the CD player of the computer. So, you point the append at the CD. If it is in FTM format, then the merge will ask you to validate the connections data differences, tell the program that a person is the same, and some other merge type questions. In old versions, you could wind up with multiples of the same person. This latest version 16 is better now.

If it is a GEDCOM file the process is about the same. Email me if you have problems.

PS - be sure to save a copy of your original prior to starting this process, just in case you make a mistake.