"How can I open a gedcom file made with a newer version of Family Tree Maker than mine?"?

Question

"How can I open a gedcom file made with a newer version of Family Tree Maker than mine?"?

Answer 1

Click File, Open..., Change the "Files of type" drop down to GEDCOM (*.GED).

Navigate to your file. Select your file. Click open.

Answer 2

If it really is a GEDCOM - filename.GED - you click on file -> Import and your version of FTM will read it into the data base. (I always read them into temporary data bases first, and check for errors.)

If it is filename.FTW, it isn't a GEDCOM, it is a backup and you will have to ask whoever sent it to you to try again, this time by exporting a GEDCOM.

If the extensions don't show, you are the victim of a Microsoft flaw. They assume their users are fluffy-headed people who find file extensions too confusing. So, the default is not to show the file extension. Go into Windows Explorer, click on

Tools -> Options -> View

find the box labeled "Hide file extensions" and un-check it.

The exact words may be different. I am still using Windows 98. The concept is the same, though.