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General => Technical Help => Family History Programs, Tree Organisation, Presentation => Topic started by: Ronda231 on Thursday 09 May 24 21:12 BST (UK)
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Just over a year ago I purchased a Rootsmagic 8 license for £40.
Right from the start, the program didn't work fully in that the maps and place-name geo-referencing side of the program refused to function. Despite numerous discussions with the software tech-help team, they were unable to find the problem, so that was that and no refund offered.
The program still had limited usefulness though in that it could interface with the Familysearch website and generate GEDCOM files.
However, now I find that this semi-usefulness has been even further curtailed as the program can no longer interface with the Familysearch website, not due to a program fault - its just been switched off!!
(http://)
What's my opinion on this - an unhelpful software company? or a pack of money grabbing crooks?
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First, Roots Magic 9 came out 1 Jan 2023, are you sure that you are using version 8?
If you are using version 8 are you really expecting support for an old version?
The Tree Share feature now requires a second authorisation process to be initiated, this is probably what you are falling foul of. It works just fine in Roots Magic 9.
It is not just Roots Magic that has this second authorisation process, others do and this has been forced on them by Ancestry and familysearch in response to data breaches that have happened in the genealogy sector, specifically 23&me being hacked.
My Roots Magic 9 interfaces with Ancestry just fine, I would never, ever put any extensive tree on Familysearch so cannot comment on that site.
If you have a problem with the software and have raised a ticket but got no response then join the RootsMagic Forum and have a good whinge there, that will get a response as Staff frequent said forum.
Good luck getting it sorted, but do stick with it as it is one of the best Apps.
Finally
Your comment… What's my opinion on this - an unhelpful software company? or a pack of money grabbing crooks?
Is inappropriate.
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Hi Biggles
I bought Rootsmagic 8 software in October '22 and version 9 came out January '23.
When I bought it, I did not have the expectation that I would have to buy it again every year.
If the log-on procedure was modified then Rootsmagic should have provided a patch to owners of version 8 to give the product that they sold some sort of reasonable life.
I did raise quite a few tickets about the mapping problem, but got no useful solution from their tech guys and after re-installing the software multiple times, with different operating systems, on different PCs I decided to give up on it and I used the free version of Family Tree Analyser, to plot my map data instead. They wasted a lot of my time with this problem and now you are suggesting I join the RootsMagic Forum to spend some further time whingeing there?
I have no intention of spending further time getting the Rootsmagic problem sorted - the reason I'm spending time now writing about it is to give others a heads up about problems with the two stage verification process (and my dissatisfaction with the software).
I think you should have qualified your final comment to read "In my opinion your comment is inappropriate"
Best regards
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I have used RootsMagic since version 4 - never had any issues?
I don't link my trees with any other sites - certainly not FamilySearch!
I think your original post should have stated "In my opinion".
Finally RM8 was quickly superceded by RM9; I thought there was a free upgrade at the time?
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Hi Biggles
I bought Rootsmagic 8 software in October '22 and version 9 came out January '23.
When I bought it, I did not have the expectation that I would have to buy it again every year.
If the log-on procedure was modified then Rootsmagic should have provided a patch to owners of version 8 to give the product that they sold some sort of reasonable life.
I did raise quite a few tickets about the mapping problem, but got no useful solution from their tech guys and after re-installing the software multiple times, with different operating systems, on different PCs I decided to give up on it and I used the free version of Family Tree Analyser, to plot my map data instead. They wasted a lot of my time with this problem and now you are suggesting I join the RootsMagic Forum to spend some further time whingeing there?
I have no intention of spending further time getting the Rootsmagic problem sorted - the reason I'm spending time now writing about it is to give others a heads up about problems with the two stage verification process (and my dissatisfaction with the software).
I think you should have qualified your final comment to read "In my opinion your comment is inappropriate"
Best regards
I fell foul of that too, I bought version 8 in the Sept before version 9 came out in the January.
I whinged on their forum but bid buy the upgrade which @ £25 is not exactly a vast expense and even with the two costs the total was still less than the cost of other genealogy tree software.
As I stated the authorisation changes were not initiated by Roots Magic, so what were they to do? Ancestry (and familysearch) introduced two stage authorisation with very little notice and RM did well to issue the update to RM9 when they did but us Mac users had issues for another month until the RM team sorted the Patch out. No software company supports out of date software and as a user I would rather the team worked on current and future versions than on past versions. So calling them crooks is bang out or order.
Depending upon how you use RM it can be frustrating due to its quirks, the most annoying is Tree Share, it works but a lot of mouse clicking is required for each and every change in data.
Software that syncs with online family trees is not that readily available, so your choices are somewhat limited.
Other software like Family Tree Maker sync far better, but do be warned a new version is coming out supposedly soon.
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I use the free version and find it enough for my needs. It enabled me to see where I have gaps. In areas, I find Family Search poor, so would not want to link to it.
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I use the free version and find it enough for my needs. It enabled me to see where I have gaps. In areas, I find Family Search poor, so would not want to link to it.
The full version of Roots Magic has a mobile version which I believe is the free version you write about (Roots Magic Essential).
Roots Magic can write the Essential version to the USB Memory stick, add the Family Tree including all the linked media, hence it is useful for sharing with Family.
This is the big + point in Roots Magic and IMO makes the £40 cost the best value Family Tree Software there is.
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Dear all,
Well it looks like Rootsmagic is currently getting a big thumbs up from its Rootschat users.
However, today I needed to download a Gedcom file from the Familysearch website, so I downloaded & installed the free version of Ancestral Quest, I was then able to log in to Familysearch from the Ancestral Quest program straight away with no issues and download what I wanted.
Deciding to give Rootsmagic a second chance I also downloaded & installed the free version of Rootsmagic 9. When I tried to log into Familysearch from Rootsmagic, I was presented with the Familysearch login, as usual, and after putting in my details and pressing enter I went into some sort of dynamic login loop with new browser windows continuously opening every 2 seconds - I had to close the browser and the Rootsmagic software rapidly before a major crash occurred. Tried again and the same thing happened.
In my original post I asked the question - "What's my opinion on this - an unhelpful software company? or a pack of money grabbing crooks?"
Regardless of the ringing endorsements above, I still haven't quite made up my mind on this.
Best regards
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Many years ago, when I first started work on my tree, I downloaded the free PAF program from FamilySearch. It went extinct several years ago, but that's okay. It works fine for me and I'm still using it. There are a few tweaks I would have liked, but I have no serious complaints. I have no online tree and I don't want one. If I want something from FamilySearch, I just log in and download the records I need; no mess, no fuss. I no longer have an Ancestry subscription, but when I did, I used it in just the same way. I do my mapping on Google Earth.
I recommend this approach.
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I'm with Erato on this :)
I never try to access FamilySearch from within RootsMagic.
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I’ve not simply used the Essential version except to test our the USB drive which has the App and tree and It worked just fine.
Other options may be better for you, depending upon how you want to use it.
Repeatedly in reviews Family Historian comes out top or very nearly, personally whilst I have it, it is only Windows so no good for me. I have tried it but cannot say I like it, but as it has a 30 day free trial it is worth installing and giving it a go.
Family Tree Maker, I like better than Roots Magic as it syncs with Ancestry far better than Roots Magic. Unfortunately there is no cut down version or free trial and a 2024 version is due for release.
Roots Magic 9, it works, there are quirks and I have it on both my PC and our MacBook. RM is great for its error checking tools, IMO better than the others mentioned.
Presently our trees are on Ancestry and Roots Magic and Family Tree Maker are just used for Backup and error checking. When the time comes to consolidate, I will use both Roots Magic and Family Tree Maker.
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Many thanks to Biggles, Erato, Talacharn and KGarrard for your advice, I do agree that synching with an online database is generally something that should be avoided.
However, I do a lot of work on the Familysearch family tree and the reason I need to link to it is to periodically download Gedcom data for that part of the tree I have worked on - before it is modified by someone else. So the synching of data between my PC's tree & the Familysearch tree does not really occur - I just download a new & dated Gedcom file whenever I want, for my records.
That being said, I do need to visualise and query these records from time to time and this is the reason I bought commercial software.
Being retired, a subscription type service or expensive, cutting edge software is not something I need or wish to take on.
I have checked out the Ancestral Quest software and this seems to be inexpensive, easy to use and to do what I want, without drama.
Of course the AQ interface is quite dated, but for me this is a plus, because both me and my hardware/software setup are also quite dated. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that the other, more expensive genealogy software offers, but it seems to be tried, tested and reliable.
To conclude, when I open the Rootsmagic app today, I find the blue/green interface to be both unfriendly and unhelpful and, bearing in mind the functionality problems I've had with it, I will not be using this product in the future.
Best regards
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Your method does seem flawed.
Having a tree on Familysearch is not an action I would consider or suggest, rather the opposite.
Periodic Gedcom downloads from Familysearch could include all the flaws that others have introduced and to me the tree would require time consuming verification of each person before the Gedcam is generated.
As it is an Ancestry Worldwide Sub at £90 per year is not expensive nor is a one off software purchase.
Having your tree on a Computer and using the Family Tree App and researching via its links online is IMO inherently safer in maintaining the accuracy of inclusions within the tree.
I’m retired as well so yes, so cash management is prominent and when I will have been two years using Roots Magic 9 it will only work out at £22.50 a year so hardly expensive.
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Dear Biggles,
Thank you for your additional opinions.
Best regards
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Ronda231
Biggles is absolutely right about Familysearch. It's a bad idea to rely on gedcom downloads from there to maintain your tree. You really should consider maintaining your tree locally on your computer.
Sorry to sound patronising - my advice is offered in the spirit of trying to help you to do things a better way.
Martin
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Hi all,
I think that you are all providing comments and advice for me here on the assumption that I am maintaining my family a tree on my home PC, and then periodically updating this tree by either synching with Familytree or downloading Gedcoms, and then using them to update my local family tree on an ongoing basis.
This is not actually the case. I do have a local family tree, with good source material, going back approx 500 years, which is fine, and which as far as I am concerned is inviolate. This is never connected via software to Familysearch or any other online site.
But at the same time I do carry out a lot of research into the family name within the extended family tree on Familysearch and update that tree with source material and family links when this is appropriate. I then download the Gedcom of the work that I have done for records purposes only.
It is this work that I do on Familysearch that necessitates the use genealogy software:
i) to download and generate GEDCOM files
ii) to visualise the content of the GEDCOM files
iii) to query the data in these files
iv) to map locations
I started this thread complaining about a product I had bought which didn't function as it should have and which had a very short lifespan. The thread then seems to have evolved into some sort of scenario whereby 'the product is very good' and everything I am doing is wrong, with a lot of advice being given as to what I should be doing (without knowing what I am actually doing).
While I appreciate the constructive criticism and the spirit with which it has been offered, at the end of the day, my experience with the Rootsmagic software has been mostly negative and I am happy to advise that I have now purchased a functional, user friendly alternative,
Best regards
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Hi,
A technical question for Rootsmagic aficionados.
When using the Rootsmagic relationship calculator on a family line GEDCOM, downloaded from Familytree about 6 months ago, I find that one of my relatives is the 20th great grandson of William the Conquerer.
Using exactly the same GEDCOM file, but using the Ancestral Quest program and their relationship calculator, I find that the same relative is also shown to be a grandson of William the Conquerer, but via 12 separate & distinct relationship lines including the line indicated by Rootsmagic (which is the shortest line).
These differing relationship lines (via different but longer routes - 20th GGS to 24th GGS) are of interest to me so the question I have is:
Can the Rootsmagic program also give up the information on these missing relationship lines - at the click of a button, or is it solely focused on the shortest line?
Best regards
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I cannot answer your specific question, it is probably better asked on the Roots Magic Forum where Staff frequent.
There are multiple routes to all very distant predecessors, it is just a case of finding them.
My Wife has William the Conqueror in her tree as 26xGGF but there are multiple routes to get to him
She has different routes that take her to each of three of the sons of a member of the Stanley family so each one is both her xGGF and xGUncle.
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Bit late to the table with this thread but I am another longstanding RM user, since RM4 and it get's the thumbs up from me too.
Having said that... I upgraded to RM10 and have had to reinput all my DNA matches as they have totally revamped the DNA area, ok if you are new to DNA matches but a pain in the butt if you have already spent months if not years entering in connections. Once you have re-entered the DNA match info though, it is extremely versatile.
I will be giving RM11 a miss as I don't agree with AI suggested input! I mean seriously? where is the verification in that. Sounds like a step backwards to the old unchecked Family Search trees.
Jenny