Windows 7 / Family Tree Maker 2006 - compatibility problems

[***Carrie***]

Can anyone please, please help me.  Got a new laptop for Christmas with Windows 7.  Loaded my Family Tree Maker 2006 (version) and spent past 7 weeks building my family tree.  Backed this up on disc as a precautionary messure and seem to have lost everything and cannot seem to get the disc to open.  When I try to open the disc, I keep getting the message "The file you are trying to open is either write protected or not a valid Family Tree Maker file.  Change the file attributes or use a different file.  When I hit the retry button nothing happens.  (This is another language to me).  When I initially try to access the Family Tree Maker it states "Family Tree Maker 2006 has one or more drivers with known incompatibilities with this version of windows.  Please contact MyFamily.com to obtain a compatible version of the drivers prior to installing this softwear..   I tried to access this site but it seems to be similar to setting up a facebook account so I'm confused about where I'd get to the download drivers from.   When I try to open the disc on my home PC I get the message "Critical components are missing, please uninstall and reinstall Family Tree Maker.  Your date files have not been affected".  Does this mean that everything I stored on my family tree is OK.  I also have Norton 360 and I don't know if this has been causing my laptop to run slow and to make the Family Tree Maker go loopy.  I was having a lot of fun building my family tree and I'm now beginning to wish I'd just bought a notepad and pen.  If I ask my hubby to take another look at my computer, I'm sure we'll end up in the divorce court.  Any advice you can give a technophobe like me would be greatly appreciated.          Carrie     

[LizzieW]

I can't help, just wanted to say I hope you haven't lost all your hard work.

[downside]

You have not lost your data - you are having problems importing/viewing it.

I have FTM-2005 and Windows 7 Professional 64bit edition and am able to view my data using my old filename.FTW file. 

When you install, make sure you install as the Administrator.
Go to the Family Tree Maker website and downloaded a patch.
Then import your FTW file.

The main problem is the reporting facilitiy using the PDF output format.  The patch mainly fixes the PDF compatibility problem.  It doesn't matter whether you want PDF reports or not, the program will not run until it is fixed.

[annieoburns]

Please let me piggy back on this thread.

  I have FTM 2006 and know I had trouble moving data from one laptop to another.  Now I hope to get a netbook and it will have no disc drive to install the basic tree so not sure how best to proceed if at all?  Can it be put on a memory stick?  I think the last time I transfered data via a GEDfile sent to myself?

Similar non techie here ....

[downside]

Hi annieoburns

If you are going to use the FTM program then it is always best to save your .ftw file rather than a .ged file.  The .ftw file sometimes contains extra features that are only available to the FTM program so that is why it is always best to use that file if you can.  If you are going to use another program then you will have to export a gedcom file out of FTM and then import it into your new program.

If you do not have an optical drive on your netbook then you could copy the whole FTM installation CD to a flash drive on your othe computer and then install it onto your netbook from the flash drive.  You could also copy your .ftw file onto the same USB drive and import it from your USB drive once FTM has been installed onto your netbook.

[veeblevort]

Hi Carrie.

I'm not a techie, and you do not say what format you saved your work in,
but it sounds like your software wants to open the data as read/writable,
and that it is FTM that is objecting to the file, not Windows.

Perhaps if you copy the data from the disc onto your new laptop, your software will be able
to access it from there.

The driver problem I would suggest is a different issue to be dealt with as per your
original post.

vv.

[[Ray]]

Hi Carrie

Main question is... why are you trying to read the backup file?
Why aren't you working with the (normal) working file?

When you view the files on the cd,
( Right-click START, then Explore, then select the cd drive )
what do you see?
ie how many files? one / two ? What is its/their names and sizes?

Regards
Ray

[annieoburns]

Thank you for that advice Downside.

Yes a timely reminder also to 'back up' FTM.  I seem to use it more and more to store odd bits of information in the 'notes' section.  I think I lost a lot of information when using GED way to transfer data to different machine, I think it left the notes behind.

Anne

[downside]

I think it left the notes behind

No - a gedcom files always preserves the basic data + the notes section.

The things that it does not preserve are links and embedded photographs from scrapbook.
There are also other bits such as relationship categories e.g. marriage STATUS = Divorced or more complicated relationships e.g. STATUS = partners.

Basically - your notes should be there.