Linking to ancestry tree with FTM

[Morfydd from Mid Glam]

I am linked to my ancestry tree by FTM on my desktop computer.
I purchased a laptop today and would like to link to my ancestry tree on this too, but don't seem to be able to.
Can I link to my ancestry tree on both computers or not please?

[Elaine ..Spain]

Found this on Ancestry:

Can I download and sync my Ancestry tree to more than one computer?
You may download your Ancestry tree to any computer that has Family Tree Maker installed by signing in through the Web Dashboard with your Ancestry.com username and password. However, you can only sync your tree to ONE computer. You may still invite others to work on your tree that is saved on Ancestry.com but that tree can only link and sync with one computer. This is true even if you have installed your copy of Family Tree Maker 2012 on two computers owned by you; be aware that you will not be able to synchronize a tree between your computers either.

http://ancestry.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ancestry.cfg/php/enduser/sab_answer.php?p_faqid=5362

It appears to be a current page - was last updated 24^th May, so it looks as if it's not possible.

[Morfydd from Mid Glam]

Thanks Elaine.
That's so disappointing, I was hoping to use the tree on either computer.
Looks like I'll have to start again on a new tree on the laptop.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Looks like I'll have to start again on a new tree on the laptop.

Do you mean that you will have two trees on the go for the same family - can't see how this would work ??

[Morfydd from Mid Glam]

I don't know what else to do, I would like to have the one tree, but be able to work on it from either the laptop or desktop. I didn't realise they didn't allow that.

[Elaine ..Spain]

It's not going to work having two separate trees for the same family - you are going to have to continually update any new information twice, once on the laptop and then again on the desktop.

When you say you want to work on it from either the laptop or desktop, do you do all your work (e.g. adding data) always via Family Tree Maker
- or do you sometimes do it via Family Tree Maker and at other times through the Ancestry tree (the uploaded one on Ancestry website)?

Are you going to swap frequently/daily between the two machines, or do you tend to use one more than the other.

[Morfydd from Mid Glam]

I know it's going to be a pain, with two trees, but at the moment, I can't think of any other way, think I'm getting duller as I'm getting older or I need sleep lol.

Yes, sometimes via FTM and other times through Ancestry.
Once I get used to using the laptop, I'll probably use the two machines equally.

[Elaine ..Spain]

In my opinion it really is not going to work have one tree on your desktop and the same tree on a laptop. Take for example you spend a couple of hours working on your tree on your laptop adding quite a bit of information. The next day you decide to use the desktop - the first thing you would have to do is to add all the data that you added the day before on the laptop.

I don't use the Sync facility on FTM 2012 for the simple reason that I NEVER work on my tree via Ancestry. I always work via FTM - so what I do is to do my work on FTM and then every so often upload a tree to Ancestry - very easy to do with FTM 2012 - just a click of a button - no need to export a GEDCOM as before, it takes the file straight from FTM.

There is a way to get round using the SAME tree (just the one file, not the two that you are proposing) on more than one computer, and that is by using some form of "cloud computing". There are two common programs and I have used both of them, one is Dropbox and the other is SugarSync. These are both free programs. I'll explain as simply as I can how they work!

You have downloaded the program SugarSync on to your computers (both). The installation creates a special folder, in the case of this program it is called Magic Briefcase, and is a folder in My Documents. You copy your Family Tree Maker data file into this folder. You work on the FTM program on computer no.1. When you have finished and closed the file down it is saved in the Magic Briefcase folder and your computer automatically uploads it to "the cloud" (internet storage). When you next turn on computer 2 one of the first things it does is to check "the cloud" to see whether the files there are any different to those stored on that computer. It sees you have updated your FTM file so it downloads it automatically to computer 2. You can then use computer 2 to work on your tree - USING THE SAME DATA FILE THAT YOU LAST USED ON COMPUTER 1. You close down computer 2 and any updated files in the Magic Briefcase are uploaded to the cloud once again. So it doesn't matter which computer you are using, your FTM data file is always the most up to date one because your computer checks automatically that there is nothing more up to date stored in the internet storage.

Now how this will work trying to sync with Ancestry, I have no idea. I use the SugarSync system on my computers at home, sharing the same FTM file between my desktop and laptop - but as I said I do not use the FTM/Ancestry sync as well.

It sounds complicated, but it's very easy. You could always download SugarSync and just have a play with any sort of document - a word document for example - works in the same way. You create a word doc on computer 1, save it to the Magic Briefcase folder. Computer 1 uploads it to the cloud. You turn on computer 2 - it checks the cloud and sees there is a new or updated file there, so it downloads it to computer 2 for you to work on .... etc.

I really cannot think of any other option for you. The use of two separate trees on two different computers for the same family would be a definite NO NO!!!! It will only lead to neither tree being up to date and accurate.

[PhotoFamily]

Concurrency control is difficult when you have multiple users editing the same copy, much less when the information exists in two spots.

Forget that thought I just erased.

You can still just login into ancestry and make updates. You'd have to have an internet connection, of course

[Morfydd from Mid Glam]

Thanks both.
Elaine, my son uses Dropbox and tells me it's really good, so may give that a try.
Thanks for your explanation, made things very clear for me.
Grateful for your help again.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Dropbox is good, in fact I prefer it, but make sure the freebie version has enough capacity for your tree file. I know SugarSync offers 5Mb free space - I think Dropbox initially is only 3Mb.

[Morfydd from Mid Glam]

I downloaded Sugarsync last night, so I'll see how I get on with that.
When I visit my son, I'll have a go at Dropbox on his computer, that'll make it easier to decide which is best for me.
Thanks Elaine, I'm grateful for your help.xx

[Elaine ..Spain]

One word of warning. When you close down your file, do not turn your computer off straight away. Give it time to upload the new file to the internet storage. You should see an icon at the bottom right of screen (in the bottom task bar) which shows the progress of the upload (or download when you turn on).

[Morfydd from Mid Glam]

Glad you told me that Elaine, or I'd be asking you shortly why things are not saving for me lol.