Personal Ancestral File 5.2

[Margaret N]

I have a disk of this programme and wonder if I can load it to my PC as well as having FTM on.

I already have a few PAF files of yesteryear on my PC and do not appear to be able to add to them.

I would like to review how it compares to FTM that I do not find particularly user friendly.

Any tips welcome of how to manage two different FT programes would one be the default.

[Elaine ..Spain]

You can safely load them Margaret.
On my other laptop I have FTM2006, FTM2010, PAF, Legacy and another program whose name I can´t remember!

No need to set one as a default. Just open the program you want to use and work with that, so if you are working on your old PAF files then open PAF, if you are working on FTM files then open FTM.

[Margaret N]

Thank you Elaine. Please bring some warm dry weather with you when you visit the UK. I live in the New Forest near the sea and my is it snowing at the moment.

[Elaine ..Spain]

It might be cold but I bet it looks lovely.
Know the New Forest area quite well - used to live on the south coast at Barton on Sea.

[Pipeman]

Hi Margaret, I am glad I have heard someone else admit to finding FTM rather unfriendly. I did use PAF before, but having everyone on this site talking about FTM how they did this and that, I thought I should get it too, it must be good. So for Christmas last year my wife bought it me. I haven't told her that it only lasted a couple of months before I went back to PAF. I'm sure for some it will be great, but I have to admit I'm not the brightest knife in the draw and find it just too complicated. They seem to speak a different language to me. So trying to find how to do something, you first have to find out what the action you want to do 'is called'. Plain english is just not enough!!
Though I use PAF, I actually only use it as a place to keep details. I'm sure I don't use it to it's full potential. Have you any idea if one canp rint family trees from it. I've never tried, becuase I don't know how!!!!! What was I saying about knives!!!!

[Mike Fisher]

you need paf companion from the familysearch.org to print out

[Mary from Italy]

I have both PAF and FTM, and I do prefer PAF for some things.

PAF does print out reports, but it won't print out your tree decently unless you buy PAF companion.

As you have FTM, I suggest you export your tree from PAF in gedcom format, then import the gedcom into FTM and print your tree from there.

[Margaret N]

Pipeman,

Welcome to the 'Unfriendly FTM Club' like you I only used it because everyone on this site raved about it. I think it is OK if you have all the time in the world to fiddle with it and think family tree only. I put my PC on most days (today an exception) about 21.00 hours and do other things as well and I find it irratating to have to study FTM in such depths.
PAF is simple but you do need the PAF Companion to print a tree. I think it costs about £19.00 which is not bad as the basic programme is free. I have very little on FTM after three years so plan to start again with PAF. I cannot trace my backup for PAF so that will be back to basic's it was on my old PC that failed me and I think that the backup went back with the old PC when I hoped it could be repaired but it was binned in the end.

One programme that I looked at years ago was Brothers Keeper and I thought that was good. I think that it is possible to get a free download. Problem is that as technology moves on so fast and it does't get easier it gets more complex. http://www.bkwin.org/index.html

Good luck with what ever you choose and don't forget to post a thread if you want help from the sites experts (sorry I am not one) and also let us know how you get on.