DNA Test. Is it worth it?

[GallowayLass]

Ancestry has an offer - save 20% on the test but P&P still apply.

A unique gift for a unique mum

This Mother’s Day, get 20% off so £63 instead of £79

*Offer valid from 26 February 2018 to 11 March 2018. Price excludes postage and packaging costs.

P&P in UK is £20 so total outlay £83. The cheapest I have ever seen was £59 so effectively for a total of £79 it was like getting free postage. Luckily I got mine in that offer.

[gloryer]

having trouble downloading the raw data. It wants to go to notepad but doesnt seem to be working

[gloryer]

it keeps trying to open in Ancestry DNA Notepad but its not happening on my computer. HELP

[Caroline]

having trouble downloading the raw data. It wants to go to notepad but doesnt seem to be working

You haven't tried to unzip or extract the file have you? It needs stay as a zip file.

[gloryer]

managed to get it on but all it is is a load of numbers!! No explanation
I was expecting a bit of a break down or is that all you get?

[gloryer]

oh dear, I just read on another forum that you dont open the file but it is ready to upload to another website!!

[Caroline]

oh dear, I just read on another forum that you dont open the file but it is ready to upload to another website!!

That was what I meant by my question. Have you got it done now?

Their instructions are well hidden, but here they are:

https://support.ancestry.co.uk/s/article/UK-CA-AU-Downloading-Raw-DNA-Data

Your computer may ask you about unzipping/extracting/opening - ignore those messages.

(Don't click on the lower black button! I've read the wails when somebody has done that - silly to put them so close.)

[Caroline]

Living DNA have announced at RootsTech what is to come for their matching later in the year - there are several articles about its, this is just one of them:

https://www.familytreemagazine.com/articles/genealogy-websites/living-dna-preview-unique-new-family-networks-capability-rootstech-2018/

[gloryer]

thank you, I think I have it sorted now. As for the DNA matches and circles, I am glad that I had found my 'unknown' cousins a few years ago as it matched me with them straight away, that would have been very confusing if I hadnt known about them. Also it has confirmed in my mind that my dad was indeed a smith and not a pearson. He always called himself smith and was married under the name smith but his birth certificate carries his mother's husband's name of pearson. the dna has connected me with smith ancestors but not the pearsons!!

now which website is it best to upload the raw data to?

[Caroline]

thank you, I think I have it sorted now. As for the DNA matches and circles, I am glad that I had found my 'unknown' cousins a few years ago as it matched me with them straight away, that would have been very confusing if I hadnt known about them. Also it has confirmed in my mind that my dad was indeed a smith and not a pearson. He always called himself smith and was married under the name smith but his birth certificate carries his mother's husband's name of pearson. the dna has connected me with smith ancestors but not the pearsons!!

now which website is it best to upload the raw data to?

Gedmatch is the recommendation but you can also send it to FTDNA and MY Heritage and LivingDNA - I've had little luck with any of them. If you've got recent matches with folk who are in the US you may have more luck than me.

[PhotoFamily]

There are people who only have their results at their original testing site. Uploading to more sites gives you the opportunity to find them. And if the upload is free or very low cost, it seems like a good opportunity.

I think I've been told that MH requires ongoing paid membership to see your matches? As does AncestryDNA. ftDNA and 23andme do not have monthly membership fees. Gedmatch allows you to use the basic tools without any membership fees.

[Caroline]

There are people who only have their results at their original testing site. Uploading to more sites gives you the opportunity to find them. And if the upload is free or very low cost, it seems like a good opportunity.

I think I've been told that MH requires ongoing paid membership to see your matches? As does AncestryDNA. ftDNA and 23andme do not have monthly membership fees. Gedmatch allows you to use the basic tools without any membership fees.

MH has just changed their rules and you can still contact matches for free, but you can't do anything else.

[gloryer]

try as I might with gedmatch I keep trying to register and await an e-mail with an activation code but just not getting one

[PhotoFamily]

try as I might with gedmatch I keep trying to register and await an e-mail with an activation code but just not getting one

Hmm. You've checked your spam file?

Right now, they've got a message on their login page that they're at RootsTech and will not process snail-mail until March 4. You can email tech support - except I'm having trouble finding it on their site. I'll pm the one that I have

[gloryer]

thank you. Think I am all sorted now. Only just got the activation code. Think my e-mail server was at fault. Certainly took more than a few minutes to come through.

[gloryer]

well I am having a whale of a time with my DNA results on ancestry but find it frustrating that some connections dont have their trees available to view. One lady is very cautious about the information she has given me. We have a close dna connection but dont know how but she doesnt know her fathers line but isnt divulging anything so cant really go any further without any names!!

[PhotoFamily]

Sometimes people who are searching for a genetic parent (or grandparent, etc) are unfamiliar with techniques that work. You could suggest that she look at the website, dnaadoption.com. Also, they (used to?) run a Yahoo group, DNAADOPTION that she could join. Finally, if she would be willing to transfer her results to familytreeDNA.com, she could join the adoption project group there. I'm sure there are others.

And the term adoption is used broadly - whether it was formal adoption, or "NPE", they will work with you. Not sure about now, but there have been big names in the genetic-gen community leading the groups.

Also - their techniques work for all of us. Worth reading their info even if you know your close lineage.