Support Overview

Quick Start Guide

Family Historian comes with full documentation. All new users should read the Quick Start Guide to get you started.  If you bought an installation pack, it comes with this guide as a printed booklet.  It is also available on the Help menu within the program for on-screen viewing, for purchasers of the download version. 

The Help

There is also extensive, searchable, context-sensitive Help within the program, which includes more than 500 topics with over 300 graphics and screenshots.  The How to… area of the Help, for example, is the first place to check to find out how to perform standard tasks.  As well as being accessible within the program, the Help can also be accessed online here: The Family Historian Help

In many contexts within the program there may be a Help button.  Pressing this button takes you to Help that is relevant to the current context.  If there is no Help button, pressing the F1 key will usually take you to help that is relevant to the current context.

Other Resources

In addition to the Quick Start Guide and the Help, here are some more options that are available to Family Historian users:

  • Getting the Most from Family Historian 6, by Simon Orde, the creator of Family Historian, is a comprehensive guide to the program, for beginners and advanced users alike.  Although written for version 6, it is still very relevant and useful for version 7.
  • All users are encouraged to join the Family Historian User Group which is an excellent resource for Family Historian users.  Among many other things, it has forums where Family Historian users can post questions and get help.
  • All Family Historian users are also recommended to join Family Historian at Groups.io.  Members can post queries to the group and get answers that way.
  • There are video tutorials on the tutorials page (as well as many more in the Family Historian User Group site).
  • If you bought Family Historian through a specialist genealogy supplier, you may find that they provide technical support by telephone, email or both.
  • Various groups provide courses on Family Historian.  When available, these will usually be listed on the Family Historian Events page.
  • For help and advice on creating language packs, please see Create Your Own Language Pack.
  • For help and advice on creating data entry assistants, please see Help for Data Entry Assistants.

Upgrading to Version 7 from earlier Versions

Please see How to Upgrade for instructions and Lost Licence Key if you have lost your licence key.

Support Tickets

We encourage users to use the above options where possible, but you can also contact Family Historian Support directly if necessary via the Family Historian support centre.