problem with Ancestry Gedcom uploading to GenesReunited?

[IgorStrav]

Long story short

Have done an Ancestry family tree for a GenesReunited contact who doesn't seem to be very computer literate. We're still messaging on Genes, I've sent him my email, but he's not given me his.

He does have an Ancestry account of some kind, and I've tried inviting him to see the tree I've created for him using that.

In addition, I've used the new 'create a link' Ancestry facility and have sent that, in long format, and then with a shortened URL,

but he says 'his email system is not reliable' and he's not been able to open either.

So I thought I'd import the tree from Ancestry INTO GenesReunited, and I've created another Genes account to do this.

But when I try to import the Gedcom I've got from Ancestry (and I've tried twice, downloading a new copy of the Gedcom both times), I get the message from Genes:

Your Gedcom file has now been processed

The file could not be loaded: Cannot parse gedcom file. The file is not in the correct format.message. The first line in error is line 7320



As you might imagine, I'm getting a bit frustrated with this.  Any helpful suggestions from anyone?




 

[Gadget]

I came across a similar problem before. Someone had exported from one site and imported to another but the file wasn't in standard format and had some  extra info (maybe free form text). 

I see that Genes requires  imported gedcom files to be in standard format, so maybe this is your problem.  Is it possible for you to try loading the Ancestry gedcom into another program to see if it works. If it does, you could try creating another gedcom from that one?

Add - if you like, I could run it through my Family Historian software.

[IgorStrav]

Thank you, Gadget - my Genes contact is trying to copy and paste the short URL for the Ancestry tree into his browser - so I will wait to see if he manages this before trying to transfer the tree (so to speak) to Genes.

It does emphasise to me how problematic it is for many people not to have the computer skills we take for granted. 

I spoke the other day to someone 'who doesn't do email' and so she can't see the Ancestry tree which shows her ancestors, and I can't easily keep in touch to tell her the answers to a couple of questions she was interested in. 

[KGarrad]

I can't see what version of Gedcom Genes needs?

Ancestry say they use version 5.5.

A different version of the Gedcom format may be the issue?

[IgorStrav]

I can't see what version of Gedcom Genes needs?

Ancestry say they use version 5.5.

A different version of the Gedcom format may be the issue?

I'll see if I can ask Genes. 

I had no trouble using my Ancestry Gedcom in other sites for DNA research purposes.

Still fingers crossed that my contact will manage to surmount his technological difficulties. I'm trying to lure him in with promises of a family tree of >100 people I've created for him......

[KGarrad]

Another possibility is Character Set coding, coupled with characters Genes won't recognise?

[Gadget]

Igor

I think it is the problem that I mentioned in my earlier reply and which Kevin has mentioned.

I created a gedcom of a minimal Ancestry tree and downloaded it.

I then opened it with Family Historian, which asked me some queries about word wrapping. I replied 'don't know'.

Family Historian then opened it but produced an error report of records that it identified as probs and how it handled them.

The original file had been created in Family Historian and uploaded to Ancestry, so there must be something that Ancestry doesto the data  that gives errors.

I'll check it with some other DNA sites.

[Gadget]

This was part of the report:

indicate data that has
  been successfully loaded, but where special action
  was needed to load it (e.g. GEDCOM errors detected
  and automatically corrected by Family Historian).

[mrcakey]

Genes Reunited didn't like my GEDCOM when I uploaded it. My great grandmother married her uncle (I wish I knew the story). I temporarily removed that relationship before re-exporting/importing and it worked. So if you have any peculiar relationships in your file that may be it.