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Here is a list of common questions from users of My Family Tree.

? How do I share my family tree with others?

The best way to do this depends on what you want others to do with the family tree.  The simplest way is to make a pdf or image of part of your tree and share over email or social media app.
Printing a chart
If you want others to be able to view and navigate the whole tree, you will need to send them your family tree files.

? How do I send my family tree files to others?

Start by saving a copy of your tree:

If sending to other users of My Family Tree: Save a copy (see Save a copy) of your tree as a familyx file which can be loaded in their own installation of My Family Tree.

If sending to users of other operating systems / other genealogy apps: Export your family tree to a GEDCOM file (see Exporting a GEDCOM file) which can be imported into their genealogy app.

If GEDCOM 7 and GEDZIP support is available, use it to package the GEDCOM file and multimedia in a single, easy to transfer file.


Next, share the file with them:

To share using the cloud: Sign up with a cloud storage provider.  Upload the familyx or GEDCOM file and share a link to trusted individuals who can download the file.

To share using physical media: Copy the familyx or GEDCOM file to a USB flash drive.  Mail the media to trusted individuals.

Take special care when sharing any files or potentially private or personally identifying information online. If the data in your tree is private, use file encryption (see Encryption), or redact the private data (see Privacy) before sharing online.

? Can multiple users edit the tree at the same time?

My Family Tree is designed for one user to edit the database at a time.

? Where is my family tree information stored?

Most users save their family tree directly onto their device, safe in the knowledge that all the information is then kept privately on their device.  Some users choose to save their files to the cloud, which is very useful for backing up or sharing with other family members.  For more information on My Family Tree files click here.

? My computer hard disk failed. Can you recover my file?

Your family tree information is stored in a file on your computer.  We do not have copies because the data is stored on your device: it is never sent to us.   We recommend you keep regular backups in case of computer failure.  Many users choose keep regular backups of their files on USB pen drives, external hard drives, or the cloud just in case.

? Does My Family Tree support this database format?

Databases created by some applications can be directly imported into My Family Tree without the need for GEDCOM.  This process is called direct import and helps ensure all data is migrated from your existing database.  My Family Tree supports direct import of databases created by Personal Ancestral File (PAF), Ancestral Quest, Legacy, The Master Genealogist, RootsMagic, Family Origins, and several other applications.

My Family Tree also has comprehensive GEDCOM import option with full support for all known versions of GEDCOM.

Our support team are happy to help users who are struggling to convert their file.

? Is a portable version of My Family Tree available?

We do not offer a portable version of My Family Tree at this time.

? Why did images not transfer from my GEDCOM or database file?

When you load a database from another application or import a GEDCOM (*.ged) file, you may have to manually import the multimedia. This is because only links to multimedia files are contained in the database or GEDCOM file.  Multimedia files will be automatically imported if they can be found on the local disk.  Any links to online files or files which cannot be located will be imported as placeholders.  You will be prompted to search for them after the import, or you can resolve them at any time in the Multimedia view.

If GEDCOM 7 and GEDZIP support is available, use it to package the GEDCOM file and multimedia in a single, easy to transfer file.

? How do I print?

The main chart can be printed using from the chart toolbar.
Printing a chart
For more information on printing click here.

? Why are my printouts are blank?

Blank printouts are only caused by printer issues (and not issues with My Family Tree).

Printing tips:
• Check your ink levels.
• Check ink nozzles are not blocked.
• Print a test page.
• Ensure you're using up to date print drivers.
• Use the 'Export PDF…' option to make a PDF file and try printing that.

? How do I save the chart in vector format?

All the charts can be saved in a vector format by using the ’Export PDF…’ option. This creates a single page PDF file which contains all the chart elements and text as vectors.

Exporting the chart to PDF

You can convert this to other vector formats such as SVG using free tools such as Inkscape.
Inkscape import Inkscape editing

? How do I show all the people in the family chart?

By default, up to 6 generations of ancestors and 6 generations of descendants are shown, but you can change this in the chart options. To access the chart options, click the tool icon button at the top of the chart view.

The family chart tree is purposely focused on the selected person, so it shows just that person's direct blood ancestors (parents + their siblings, grandparents + their siblings, etc.) and blood descendants (children + their spouses, grandchildren + their spouses, etc.). You can optionally show adoptive / foster parents or adopted / foster children of the currently selected person. It is not possible to show children of aunts / uncles. However, in most cases, selecting a parent or grandparent will display the view you want.

For more information on the family chart see here.

? How do I delete a person?

There are several ways. The easiest way is to right-click on the person in one of the charts and choose "Delete person". Deleting the current person

? Which versions of Windows® are supported?

My Family Tree is compatible with the following versions of Windows:

  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10 (20H2 and later)

? Do we support Android / Linux / MacOS etc.?

As noted in the system requirements, My Family Tree is compatible with Windows only.  If you want to transfer information entered in My Family Tree to software on Android / Linux / MacOS, use the GEDCOM export feature.

? What is .NET and where do I download it?

.NET is an open source developer platform, created by Microsoft.  You must install .NET Desktop Runtime 9.0 or later to use My Family Tree.  You are urged to keep it up to date with the relevant security and performance updates. 

? How do I add a relationship between two existing persons?

This is achieved in exactly the same way as you would create other relationships. Look for the "Connect an existing person" option which will load up a list of other people. You can search the list to find the desired person.

If there are several individuals with the same name, click or hover over the person in the list to double-check you have the correct one.

Read more on editing and creating relationships here.

? How do I delete a relationship?

If you create a relationship in error, you can delete it without deleting the associated persons. First select one of the persons in the chart and load the relationships view from the sidebar. Then select the relationship you wish to delete and either use the right-click options or the Del key to remove it.

The relationships list

? How do I change the relationship status (divorced, adopted, etc.)?

You can set the relationship status when you first create the relationship. If you want to change the status, first select one of the persons in the chart and load the relationships view from the sidebar. Then select the relationship you wish to edit and choose the new status.

The relationships list

? Why have my web reports stopped working?

Web reports require an up-to-date version of the Microsoft® Edge WebView2 Runtime to be installed on your device. My Family Tree will notify you if it is not installed or a newer version is required. You can download the installer here. Once the WebView2 Runtime is installed, restart My Family Tree and reports will render normally.

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