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.