I have some files from my sister that I am trying to load and need some help.
She used a MAC and ran Reunion (I am running Windows 11). The GEDCOM files came through without a problem, however, her documentation files (file types are: file, jpg and zip) are another matter. I have no idea how to proceed and link them properly. Unfortunately, she recently passed and her husband has no idea.
I recognize this may not be enough info for you to give me a route to proceed. If you are willing to spend some time helping me get through this, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Make backups and then work on the files!
Are file, jpg and zip present on the Mac or are they on the Win11 machine, after importing?
Mac - then .file is part of BaseSystemResources
Win11 - then .file is a generic extension usually picked up when downloading i.e. if you look at the file icon then it could be a jpg or other…
Assuming you have the 3 file types on your Win11 machine:
.file - find out what the file actually is and change the extension accordingly.
.jpg - move to whatever folder is appropriate in the Win11 file structure.
.zip - right click and unzip.
You could end up with a mix of unexpected file types or, hopefully, the usual jpg, txt, pdf etc.
Click on Media in RM8’s sidebar and from the menubar:
Add new media
Fix broken media links
Build thumbnails
Without being present it is difficult to know what you will find. All I can say is that if it the media were linked and working for Reunion then RM8 should be similar.
The files are all on a USB drive! My sis had a “dislike” of all things IBM, and was a hard core MAC user so at this point, I am assuming that the “file” is the MAC convention. I totally understand the "make backups and work on the files. I was hoping for a “silver bullet” that would help me avoid that, but your suggestions on how to proceed are very helpful. Thank you.
I have a Win11 PC and an M1 iMac. The Win11 machine has RM7 and RM8 with Reunion and RM8 on the iMac.
From what you say your .ged export from the Mac is now on a Win11 PC? Is that an import to RM7 or RM8? If the .ged is on USB storage then connect to PC - copy to somewhere such as your desktop - install Rootsmagic - import .ged into Rootsmagic. The .ged file would include media links as per pyonker’s comment so these should appear on the Media tab of RM as Media file not found. It is your choice for how and where you store media files - see Rootsmagic guides and tutorials.
Attach the USB drive to your PC and copy the 3 file types to somewhere for easy access - your desktop is suitable - process the .file and zip files - transfer to your media storage folder - from RM link to media files using ‘Fix broken media links’.
Filenames could be something like:
/Users/your_user_name/Pictures/Media/your_media_here.jpg
in this case my media files are in a Media subfolder of the user’s Win11 Picture folder.
It is unlikely that these procedures will result in a clean setup! There will be missing and/or unlinked media which you will need to fix hands on.
I have a Win11 PC and an M1 iMac. The Win11 machine has RM7 and RM8 with Reunion and RM8 on the iMac.
From what you say your .ged export from the Mac is now on a Win11 PC? Is that an import to RM7 or RM8? If the .ged is on USB storage then connect to PC - copy to somewhere such as your desktop - install Rootsmagic - import .ged into Rootsmagic. The .ged file would include media links as per pyonker’s comment so these should appear on the Media tab of RM as Media file not found. It is your choice for how and where you store media files - see Rootsmagic guides and tutorials.
Attach the USB drive to your PC and copy the 3 file types to somewhere for easy access - your desktop is suitable - process the .file and zip files - transfer to your media storage folder - from RM link to media files using ‘Fix broken media links’.
Filenames could be something like:
/Users/your_user_name/Pictures/Media/your_media_here.jpg
in this case my media files are in a Media subfolder of the user’s Win11 Picture folder.
It is unlikely that these procedures will result in a clean setup! There will be missing and/or unlinked media which you will need to fix hands on.
Thanks for your info. I have also seen the webinar on handling media and it was a great help. Now that I know how to get those media back to their related files, I have a house-keeping question. How do you have your files organized? I know the folks at RM will tell us, "You can put them here, you can put them there, you can put them anywhere (with apologies to Dr. Zuess). I realize if I put this on main community I’d likely get 150 answers from 100 people. What I am doing is basically reconstructing my files from a long period in storage and different computers. My plan is to have two full RM set ups, one on my main PC and the other on my laptop. I also have the RM 8 on a thumb drive, but haven’t quite figured out how to make use of that yet.
An organized computer is much easier to manage. Suggest you have one media folder with subfolders which can be organized by families, etc. I use family folders like Smith john unilever mary and then name the inside files by person and type (Smith John 1921 Census). Pick a scheme and stick with it. Rootsmagic has an excellent fix missing media tool that handles subfolders well if you just point it at the top level folder (ie Sally’s tree media).
Just watched the media vid (Pictures and Media in RootsMagic 8 - YouTube) and tried it out. It is going to save me hours of transferring files. Your suggestion is spot on. Would you place the media folder at the same level as the document, download, etc file or do you recommend under one, for instance:
Documents
Media
Woolnough
It might be too much detail (read: my OCD) to take it down to each person, so is last name far enough, given some files (ie the Woolnough) will be a lot bigger than the more remote ancestors. Is my thinking sound?
Keep media and genealogy related files inside your Document folder along with folders for health, taxes, money etc as suits your use case. The media subfolder scheme you adopt should fit the way you want to break down the data. I use family folders (smith john jone sally) since the amount of data for 2 adults and some children not in direct line is reasonable. Just pick an organized approach that suits how you think and the amount of data in each grouping. having a family folder lets me quickly find missing or duplicate items which would be lost if all were dumped in one huge pile.
OK, Got it! So the base file is going to be under the Documents file. Question, you mention media file and genealogy files. Do you recommend both? If so, what needs to be separated? Seems to me all could go under media? Also, seems to me that I could use subfolders for family names and only do first name (individuals) if there is going to be a lot of media on that person.
Sorry about being a pest but since I am reconstructing, I want to avoid mistakes that will be a pain later, and worse, not correctable short of starting over. Unfortunately, I don’t have someone near me to consult with.
You seem to not understand what files and folders represent. The analog to paper and manilia folders with papers inside in is a good one even on Windows. You will have far more than just media for a genealogy hobby: the database file from whatever software you use; notes; emails from people; downloaded media, census and other documents not yet analyzed and processed. If your computer is a useful tool it will hold other files for you like taxes, health records, personal photos, etc. Ask Google for a basic book on using computers and see what your local library has.
I think you misread what I said. Although I may be a bit rusty, I totally understood what you said in your original com. I am re-activating, not beginning.
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