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Help and support: The software comes with a built-in help center, and there are message boards on and, as well as online tutorials to get you started. It's always best to back everything up lest you lose work. One warning from Moore: Like any program, Family Tree Maker can run into problems when syncing online. A media tab keeps multimedia files organized, and automatic sorting works to slot family members into geographical and other categories. The program has a clean interface and automatically formats notes about sources into formal citations. The site's iconic leaf cartoon alerts users to potential connections and documentation found in the online database.Įase of use: Family Tree Maker gets top marks here.
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It also allows users to search through the major genealogy sites RootsWeb and, as well as through the search engines Google, Bing and Yahoo.Ī membership on is helpful for unlocking the full potential of Family Tree Maker. This program syncs with and is available for Macs as well as PCs. 2 pick also gets kudos from Moore, who said she recommends Family Tree Maker as among the easiest programs for those just getting started.
The website also hosts contact information for user groups, and a tech support hotline is available during business hours.įamily Tree Maker software syncs to.
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Help and support: The software's help section has quick answers about how to use the program, and Legacy's website includes a large support page with how to's and frequently asked questions. The program also automatically flags errors such as duplicate entries. New features in Legacy Family Tree 8 include an Origins chart for individuals to show what percentage of their ancestry comes from various countries a migration report and migration mapping automatic duplicate information checking and a feature that includes multiple family members in events such as weddings, bar mitzvahs and reunions.Ī Media Gatherer tool provides a one-stop spot to store genealogy-related multimedia. Unique features such as a list of potential interview questions to ask family members may give first timers more confidence and spark ideas for doing family research.
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One major downside of this software is that it is not Mac-compatible unless you have Windows for Mac installed.Įase of use: One reason Legacy scored high compared with other programs is that it is easy to use, even for beginners. It also collects family stats and trivia, like the longest-lasting marriage in the family or the average life span of family members. The program syncs with and the genealogy website FamilySearch to connect you to other genealogists. In Legacy, color-coding and an uncluttered interface help make complex trees easy to read. Legacy Family Tree 8.0 gets a top rating from Top Ten Reviews for its flexible options, which can handle divorce, adoption and other complicated branchings of the family tree. Legacy Family Tree 8.0 software is a top pick among genealogy programs. If you'd like to join the search for family members and think software might help, Live Science's sister site Top Ten Reviews has genealogy software rankings to help you choose. "It was like a total genealogy happy dance for so many genealogists," Moore said. Once they found that handwritten tree, however, the new maiden name opened up the door to all sorts of new knowledge. For example, someone once found a handwritten family tree in the bottom of a trunk that had the maiden name of an ancestor Moore and others had been researching for decades, without making any progress. Even if you decide not to delve too deeply into your family tree, information you post online can help others. "So many of us are writing blogs now where we're writing about our ancestors.
The ability to sync your tree with an online site can be a huge boon, too, because it connects you to other people, including distant cousins who may have also been investigating your shared ancestors. The more advanced genealogist will want something with sophisticated search-query possibilities (to look up everyone born in a certain place in a certain year, for example). Most programs have enough features to grow with you, she said. "There is starting to be more recognition that there are different types of families," Moore said. Obviously, that's not the case, so you may want to be sure your program allows for multiple family structures. For example, some programs automatically assume that if two people have a child together, they're married. To bring your genealogy research to your desktop, she recommends looking for a program that is simple - but also flexible. Moore recommends starting online, with a site such as, which allows you to search some records for free, even without a subscription. "For beginners, you really need something that walks you through it and has an easy-to-use interface," Moore told Live Science.