Just my two cents worth. I have never, and will never sink or upload or download from Ancestry, Family Search or any other web site. Anything I find I download the image and then enter the info into RM and list the url as reference. I want my RM tree to be mine, a complete virgin from any online genealogy site. Maybe as a result of this approach, I have had exactly Zero (0) crashes, Zero (0) lockups of RM8. I am using a laptop PC with Windows 11. Everything works great. As I get more accutomed to RM8, the better it works for me.
Glad your way of working suits you.
Having RM as my prime Tree does not work for me.
Most of my research is sat comfortably using my iPad Pro, sat for hours at a PC does my old back no good at all, but I do agree RM is the best software.
Another thing RMâs Book creation feature, my Wifeâs iMac has Reunion on it, they have a Book feature that looks very, very similar to the new RM one. It took 15 seconds to create a 12 generation ancestor genealogy book in Reunion complete with references 200+ pages long plus one minute to add an image of the ancestral/pedigree chart. The resulting PDF took 3 seconds to write, impressive.
I have just purchased RM8 and having trawled my way through all this advice, counter-advice on people problems, I am underwhelmed, confused and wondering if I have done the right thing. Are there others like me, the wrong side of eighty, and desperately hanging on to the modern age of technology. We are not catered for and generally forgotten,mostly by all and sundry and it is assumed we understand everything. We do once we have had some instruction on the basics.
After a recent brain scan I am supposed to have the noddle of someone 30 years younger. However, it isnât helping when it comes to understanding RM8.
Before I pop my clogs, I have an enormous amount of family history to get recorded, going back to the 1700âs. I just want to have access to a simple clear step by step introduction to get started. There isnât one as far as I can ascertain. I understand kitchen language, click this button and it will do this or that or give you an option to click another button ad infinitum. Thatâs all I want. So all you clever techies, can you help me.
You made the right decision as RootsMagic is one of the best programs out there-- donât pay any attention to our ranting and ravings on here UNTIL YOU HAVE A PROBLEM that there doesnât seem to be an answer for BUT AT THE SAME TIME DONâT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP!!!
As for getting started, there are many resourcesâone is
http://wiki.rootsmagic.com/wiki/RootsMagic_8:Introduction
-clicking on the link should open it up in your browserâŚ
There are also other resources listed when you open RM 8âon the HOME PAGE UNDER HELP AND SUPPORTâŚ
Basically after reading some and watching some of the Webinars, all you need to do is OPEN A NEW FILEâset up your preferences and start adding info for the 1st personâI will say that one thing you MIGHT want to do at first IF YOU DONâT KNOW WHEN A PERSON WAS BORN OR DIED is enter an approximate date or place under both â that way you donât have to learn how to create a fact right away UNTIL you ae familiar with the very basicsâand some on here have suggested not to worry abt adding sources/ citations right away UNTIL youâve had time to study how to do it-- then add any notes you want-- I personally add my notes to the GENERAL NOTES BUT you can add NOTES under Birth/ Death/ Marriage Fact if you want-- then hit close for the person and go to the nextâŚ
ONE THING YOU NEED TO DO EVERY TIME YOU CLOSE RM 8 is to CLICK ON BACKUPâ
after the 1st time, it will ask you if you want to OVERWRITE the existing backup-- say YES and it will keep a copy of your info just in case you need itâŚ
Hope it helps
Just to say, I use Tree Share with Ancestry all the time and value it highly. It certainly isnt useless.
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It was when the post was first written many months ago.
All I had with Tree Share was error after error and zero practical help from the RM team.
Since then I have upgraded my PC, upgraded RM and it is certainly much better.
I still get the occasional Error if trying to add more details for an individual via Tree Share than RM likes.
Now I live with its limitations and after adding about 50 people to my Ancestry tree tonight on my iPad, letâs see how the Tree Share goes tomorrow when I use my PC and RM
I was a little late to the party with Treeshare.
RM is a super program but I was a little hesitant with TreeShare because of the negative press about it.
But IMHO it is one of the stand-out benefits of RM.
Using a few other programs and Apps in tandem, it is an essential tool in my Geni kit.
Biggles, thank you so much! I switched from Family Tree Maker to Roots Magic because of the extensive syncing problems that developed in Family Tree Maker. All I want is a backup for my Ancestry tree that includes all the media and can be viewed offline. After I started using Roots Magic I was totally dismayed at the amount of work that would have to go into updating Roots Magic every time I made changes to my Ancestry tree. More time than it takes to make the changes in Ancestry itself! Very cumbersome. I was at a loss for what to do. The suggestion to periodically throw out all the Roots Magic files and start over by downloading anew from Ancestry instead of doing all that extra work saved me.
It is very onerous and we keep banging on at the Roots Magic team to give us the option of ACCEPTING ALL but they do not care.
Seems like they want us to use the program in a certain way that is as the main repository for our Family Tree(s) which quite a few if us simply DO NOT WANT.
I want to use Roots Magic as a Backup, and to use its very useful Tools to error check.
One has to get in the mindset to run Tree Share asap after you update and add to your Ancestry Tree. Once the Tree Share is done then use each of the Tools. Next is to run the Database tools. Finally create a Backup+Media, job is then done.
Next time you run Tree Share tick the option to only show changes.
I have responded in the forum with the text following. Do stick with RM, I have Family Historian, Reunion and MacTree and RM is imo the best simply due to the Tree Share festure.
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It is very onerous and we keep banging on at the Roots Magic team to give us the option of ACCEPTING ALL but they do not care.
Seems like they want us to use the program in a certain way that is as the main repository for our Family Tree(s) which quite a few if us simply DO NOT WANT.
I want to use Roots Magic as a Backup, and to use its very useful Tools to error check.
One has to get in the mindset to run Tree Share asap after you update and add to your Ancestry Tree. Once the Tree Share is done then use each of the Tools. Next is to run the Database tools. Finally create a Backup+Media, job is then done.
Next time you run Tree Share tick the option to only show changes.
Colin
Unless, that is, if you donât care about treeshare.
As pointed out, not everyone uses Roots Magic as their prime repository.
Tree Share is the only reason I am interested in Roots Magic.
FTM sync problem was resolved about a month ago and works fine doing all updating at once either up or down. RM treeshare is very different giving fine grained control but requiring exhaustive manual effort.