I used Family Origins for eons and I love it. If I could figure out why it all of a sudden locks up when I try to export a gedcom, I would still be using it. But - instead I searched other programs and settled on RM9. I am not totally happy with it. I don’t like the look and several other things about it. Anyway, I saw a screenshot of RM7 Family View and my heart skipped a beat! It is so close to Family Origins! So I downloaded the essentials and OMG, I love it! I am currently trying to clean up my sources in RM9, but before I go further, I need to know: (1) if I fix them in RM9, will they import properly into RM7 or should I leave them and fix them in RM7? (2) Can I export a gedcom from RM9 and import it into RM7 without losing anything important data-wise? I don’t want to get into a debate about RM7 vs. RM9 and why I should continue with RM9. RM9 is just not happening for me. The functionality that I’m used to is lacking. As for the OS, Windows 10 is as far as I’m going on this laptop, so no worries there.
The question you should ask first is “Can I unlock RM7 Essentials to the full version?”. I am assuming that you will find Essentials too restricted. RM Inc does not sell licences for RM7.
Good question, I will have to contact them directly to get an answer. I already purchased RM9 - and I’m not looking for a refund. I just want a new key for RM7 and the essentials I downloaded said I could get the license for $29.95. We shall see. When I click the “purchase” tab in the RM7 free version, it goes to RM9. Not very nice to put this RM7 on their website for download and then force one to buy RM9.
RM7 is on their website, not for new purchases, but for those who have already purchased it and need to download it again as they will already have a key. RM’s policy is no more sales of the old when a new version comes out. Much like there will be no more fixes or upgrades to that old version.
One way around this might be if someone has a spare RM7 key that they would gift you. RM ran a promo leading up to version 8 where if you bought a copy of RM7, you would get a free key to RM8 when it was released. This resulted in many people ending up with two RM7 keys.
Personally, I sympathize with the dislike of RM9 and I am still using my version of RM 7 and will continued to do so for the forseeable future.
There’s all kinds of wonderful things on ebay. 
So can I go backward from RM9 with a gedcom or should I do it some other way?
This may be the better way (GEDCOM is lossy):
The title may seem irrelevant but the iOS app was developed to use the RM7 database file and has not been updated to support the RM9 database. For some arcane reason, my computer lost the ability to support Export to Dropbox so I have been unable to test the exported file’s completeness and compatibility with the full RM7 app.
I developed other procedures in SQLite to revert from RM9 through RM8 (the app is not needed) to RM7. The writeup may give you some idea of what you could lose: Database Revert RM9 to RM8 to RM7 – SQLite Tools for RootsMagic
We no longer generate RM7 keys so they are no longer available. When you move from RM9 to RM8 via GEDCOM you will lose your groups, associations, and tasks. RM7 only supports one set of colors. RM9 had 10 color sets. There are also more colors per set so if you use the new colors added in RM9 they will be lost in RM7. I would not recommend moving backwards, but invest in learning the new layout in RM9. Things are slowly breaking in RM7. If you’re using the Essential version you will be very limited.
@rzamor1: Thanks for the insight. Until just recently, I used Family Origins, a program created for windows 95. It has held up some 18+ years through various versions of Windows, including Windows 10, but for whatever reason (Win10 update?) it will no longer export a gedcom, freezing up at 135 people. There are over 7K people in my db. I don’t know groups, associations, tasks, color coding, etc. You don’t miss what you never had or used. RM9 sadly, eliminated some of the elements of RM7 that I DID have in FOW and really miss. I don’t care for the aesthetics of RM9 either, preferring the clean look of RM7. Since you are here, you no doubt have read some of the comments about RM7 vs. RM8 and especially RM9. Perhaps you could pass them along to the developers and they could give people back what they are missing.
Such as? I have yet to find anything in RM7 that doesn’t work as it has, however I am sure there are some things in 7 that I don’t use and I would like to be prepared in case I think I am going to use them.
I deleted my previous answer because I had a scathingly brilliant idea. It worked, too. Uploaded RM9 tree to Ancestry via TreeShare, and downloaded a gedcom which I opened in RM7. Integrity was good, except for notes, which all became sources. At least I didn’t lose them and it will take some time to put them all back where they belong. Sources behaved beautifully, I’m happy to say. I am a happy camper. Thanks for your help!
You could download the Ancestry Tree to RM7 using TreeShare and see if the results are any better.
@TomH That worked much better! Thanks for suggesting that! Integrity is good as well, i.e. counts of people, families, events, sources, etc. are very close with very little loss. Not having to redo those notes or source files is fantastic. I’m going to delete the tree from Ancestry so they don’t share anything (even tho it’s marked private everything), they still share. Not ready to share yet. Now I can get to work!
UPDATE: In case anyone else wants to go backwards, export your RM9 file to a gedcom and close RM9; import that file into a new RM7 tree. Going through Ancestry totally messed up the sources; they have their preferred “Ancestry” source, bless their little pointy heads. The sources I worked so hard in RM9 to clean up were absolutely a mess. Doing a gedcom from RM9 to RM7 got me my sources, notes, etc. with great integrity from 9 to 7. So there you have it Thanks to everyone for your help. The End.
One of no probable consequence to you unless you use the iOS app is that Save to DropBox for Apps does not work in RM7 and stopped, iirc, even before RM8 was released.
The WebSearch internal browser is no longer accepted by some websites.
Despite the issues others are having, I still get WebHints from all providers. How long that will last…
(1) I am on a trial period with DropBox and do not plan to keep it after the trial. I have a Free Agent Go where I store my files offline and another jump drive just for genealogy files, docs, images.
(2) Never use(d) the internal browser.
(3) I am getting WebHints from the “Big Four”. I turned off 2 of them, Depending how annoying it gets, the other 2 may get turned off too,
I was going to share with my family via Ancestry but after seeing what they did with my sources, that is not happening. They just HAVE to brand everything theirs, even if it doesn’t make sense. I am happy with my RM7 setup and can now continue what I started in RM9.
The first two aren’t new and have been around for a long time, before RM8 came out. I don’t consider them as something beginning to break as Renee suggested was happening. I also have no issues with WebHints. They keep lighting up the little yellow bulb and I occasionally click on them. On occasion I have had times when Ancestry hints didn’t show up but that has also been going on for a very long time and predates RM8.