Getting Started

Transferring Data into Family Historian

To transfer data into Family Historian from another program, you should create a new Family Historian project, and import the data into the new project.  To create a new project, click New Project on the Project Window and follow the instructions.  The Project Window is normally the first window you will see, when you start Family Historian.  If when you start Family Historian you don't see a dialog box titled 'Project Window', you can access it by clicking on Project Window on the File menu.

You may be able to import data directly from the data file of the other program (this is the "Import from other family tree file" option).  If you can, this is likely to be the best way of importing the data.  If you can't import the data directly, the alternative is to import data using a GEDCOM file.  In that case, the first thing you need to do is run the other program and look for an 'export' facility which allows you to export your data as a GEDCOM file (use version 5.5 if given a choice). Make a note of the name and location of the exported file and select this file when you create a new project within Family Historian (using the "Import a GEDCOM file" option).

It may be that you already have a Family Historian project and you want to import data into that project.  In that case, we still recommend that you first create another Family Historian project and import the data into that.  To avoid confusion we suggest you give it a distinctive name, such as "temporary", so you don't confuse it with your normal project.  By doing things this way, you can see exactly what data was imported, and identify any possible problems.  Did the pictures transfer correctly for example?  This can often be a problem, because with many programs the pictures are kept separately from the data, and may not have been included.

When you are satisfied that the data has been imported correctly into the "temporary" project, open your normal project.  To protect yourself against any possible problem, be sure to start by taking a full backup of your normal project.  To do this, use the command Full Backup (Entire Project Folder) on the File menu, within the Backup/Restore submenu.  When you have safely backed up your project, use the Merge/Compare File command on the File menu, and select the "temporary" project, to merge it into your normal project.  Click on the Help button within the Merge/Compare dialog for help on how to use that dialog.

You may be asked if you want to copy pictures and other media into your project.  You are strongly recommended to do this - especially if you plan to delete the "temporary" project after the merge is completed.  When you have completed merging the "temporary" project into your normal project, the normal project will contain copies of all the data from the "temporary" project, but the "temporary" project will still be there unchanged.  At this point, you can delete it if you wish.  To do that, select the "temporary" project in the Project Window, and choose Delete Project from the More Tasks menu.