Moving FTM to a New Computer, (any version)

 

Moving your genealogy to a new computer is mostly straight forward.  The steps are:

1.  Find your FTM install file for your computer and operating system.  If you need to you can download one from the Software Mackiev FTM replacement Center. https://support.mackiev.com/962348-Getting-a-Replacement-Download-for-FTM-2019

2. If you are also Syncing your tree files with Ancestry, be sure to do one last Sync of each of the tree files on the old computer.

3. Install FTM on the new computer and check for updates, (a newly downloaded install file will be UpToDate).  It is unnecessary to have any prior version of FTM installed on the new computer.  All current versions install as standalone programs. If you wish, you can optionally upgrade FTM versions on new computer.  The new version will handle the old files.

4. On the Old computer using FTM, make new Manual Backup files for each of your trees; “Include Media” and “Allow Restore to Resume Sync”.  You will need to copy those backup files(*.ftmb) to the new computer using any convenient method.  Making Backups is covered in the Companion Guide

5.  As manual Backups include only media stored in the Tree Media folder, those stored in other locations will need to be copied and moved to the new computer separately. If you do not sync with Ancestry, an alternative is to Export your trees versus using Backups.  Export will collect ALL linked media and will, when restored, copy and link ALL to the new Media Folder.  Export does allow resuming sync after restore.

6.  While still on the old computer, review and if desired make screenshots of your current FTM Program Settings.  WIN- TOOLS> OPTIONS, MAC – PREFERENCES.  As the new install will return to program defaults, you’ll likely want to change those settings on the new computer to what you are used to seeing.

7.  Using the FTM on the new computer, do a File > Restore of each of the recent Backup Files for your Trees.  FTM will unbundle the tree data file and the associated media folder, putting them in the location set for “Default Directory for New Trees”.  Restoring backup is covered in Companion Guide

8.  Open each tree file in FTM then review and verify the tree for completeness. 

9.  If you find Missing Media, it is likely that those files were linked to a location other than the tree media folder on your old computer.  You can review the path where FTM was previously linked to those files, then copy them or their folder to the new computer.  Once those files are on the new computer you can use the FTM Find Missing Media tool from the Media Menu to relink them to your data.  The Find Missing Media tool is covered in Companion Guide

10. Be sure that the New FTM is logged into Ancestry and then verify that you are able to continue sync.  You may need to make a small change to trigger the need to sync.

11. Make new manual backups for each tree to collect and save any of your recent changes.

NOTE:

a. Auto backups are not usable to move to a new computer.  They do not include media and only backup the last opened file in each session so will be incomplete.

How FTM stores and keeps track of Media

How FTM stores and keeps track of Media

 As media files are added to Family Tree Maker (FTM), it maintains links to those media file’s location in two main ways.  COPY and LINK.

Let me start by reviewing a bit of the program's design.  FTM by default will create a default Media Folder for each Tree that is created.  This folder is named the same as the Tree Name but with the word Media appended.  This folder is created in the same folder as the tree file resides.  FTM uses relative addressing for this folder and the media within, so if that folder is ever renamed or moved away from the tree file, FTM will not be able to find the media it contains.  As long as the media folder and the tree file reside in the same folder on the hard drive, all is well.

As we add media into our trees, the program allows us to either COPY the media to the Media Folder or LINK to files located external to the program’s media folder.  The default setting upon install is Copy.  (That setting is in Tools > Options on Win and Preferences on Mac)

Many users wish to have Media named in a specific scheme and to store media in nested subfolders.  While FTM will allow that, there are several drawbacks.  
1. If those media files or their folders are moved or renamed FTM will lose track and declare them as “Missing Media”.  FTM provides a Find Missing Media Tool to assist in relocating and updating the links.
2. The program Backup function can be set to include media, but that only applies to the media stored in the tree’s default media folder. Upon restore, the media folder and the file it contained is recreated. However, Media stored externally are not included and they must be protected by another backup method.
3. If the tree is Exported it can also include media, that function will capture ALL media linked into FTM and put it in the Export file.  However, upon restore, all that media will be saved to the new default media folder and the links adjusted accordingly. The original name is retained, but the external links are not.
4. Moving FTM to a different computer is complicated when media are stored external to the default media folder.  Attempting to copy those folder, subfolders and files to a new computer will almost always result in them being in a different path than FTM is expecting because the new computer basic path structure is different. So, Find Missing Media will need to be run to update the links.

So, my conclusion has been that FTM is just happier having all linked media be stored in the default media folder.  For any media I want to be stored externally (for whatever reason) I rename and file them in my external folder structure as desired, but I also as I add them to FTM I allow it to Copy them so FTM has its own file in the media folder.

As an aside here, because Backup is the only function that can “Allow restore to resume sync), I have submitted feature requests to either add “collect all media” to Backup or to add “Allow restore to resume sync” to Export. If you agree or have a better idea, please submit your feedback to MacKiev using the Help Menu item.

People Workspace

Hint: There is more to the People Workspace than just the Tree and Person tabs.  

In the People - Tree Tab of course there is the Index which can be sorted to display different lists, the Center panel is the Tree itself, below that is the Family Group panel.  To the right is the person's Information Panel [AKA Editing Panel].  That panel displays selected facts about the individual.  We can Customize that View.  But wait, there's more.  In the Information Panel there are 5 tabs; Facts, Media, Notes, Weblinks and Tasks. If you have not explored those yet, you should.  The Media tab shows ALL the media for that person linked either to citations of to the person Directly.  Tasks entered under the Task tab are linked to the individual but still show up on the Plan Workspace Tasks area.

Switching to the Person Tab which has the Individual & Shared Facts panel, that displays ALL the facts you have collected for the selected person.  Below that is the Person Panel.  There you will see 4 tabs; Notes (Person & Research), Media. Weblinks, and Tasks.

The Media tab here shows the Media Linked directly to the person.  Weblinks and task work the same as the tree tab.  To the Right is another Information Panel.  This one displays information about the Selected Fact.  The Panel also has 4 tabs; Sources, Media and Notes.  These tabs are all related to the selected Fact.  The Media tab only displays media linked to Source Citations. 

Back to the Facts panel, there are three columns of numbers which indicate how many Sources, Media and Notes are linked to the selected fact.  Then there are three tabs at the Top bar of the Individual & Shared Facts panel; Facts, Timeline and Relationships.  Each changes the main panel to display relevant data for the selected person. 

Knowing what each of these tabs and panels displays will benefit you in using FTM.  As an example, if I am entering basic data for new persons, the Tree - Information Panel [Editing Panel] is very handy, but if I am looking to determine what Facts I have collected for a person I move to the Person - Facts panel.  Also if I am reviewing a person with lots of Media its easier to use the People/Person Media Tabs:  either the bottom Media panel if it is a photo or snapshot Or the Right Media panel the media is associated with a Fact.

I encourage all to explore all the displays that are available on the People Workspace and if you need more information on what all is there, just press F1 to see the Program Help page which explains each panel, icon and button.