that IS a gedcom file. All you need to do is read it into your database. On Family Origins, it's under the "FILE" pop-up and then to the GEDCOM menu item and then to "Import". Don't remember if the file is required to have the ".ged" extension, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure it does. **** let me make a seeerious suggestion .... never, never, never read a Gedcom file directly into your master database. Either open a new database and read it into that or copy your working database to another name and read the gedcom into that. That way, you can resolve difficulties in the gedcom and then with duplicate entries, etc without irrevocably fouling up your master database >I have several files that look like this(below).How do I open them into a >gedcom file? In the one case she sent a backup of FO as she couldn't >figure out how to gedcom. Can I convert it? >Thanks, >Helene > >> A typical gedcom file is ASCII text format and looks like : >> >> 0 HEAD >> 1 SOUR FamilyOrigins >> 2 VERS 3.0 >> 2 CORP FormalSoft, Inc. >> 1 DEST FamilyOrigins >> 1 DATE 15 NOV 1996 >> 1 SUBM @S1@ >> 1 FILE CLOUD.GED >> 1 GEDC >> 2 VERS 5.3 >> 2 FORM LINEAGE-LINKED >> 0 @S1@ SUBM >> 1 NAME Mary Lee Parl Freeman >> 1 ADDR P. O. Box xxx >> 2 CONT Keb MO 6xxxx >> 1 PHON (573) xxx-xxxx >> 0 @I1@ INDI >> 1 NAME Mary Lee /PARL/ >> 1 SEX F >> 1 BIRT >> 2 DATE 14 JUN 1943 >> 2 PLAC Wasco California >> 1 FAMC @F2@ >> 1 FAMS @F1@ >> 0 @I2@ INDI >> 1 NAME Benny Don /FREEMAN/ >> 1 SEX M >> 1 BIRT >> 2 DATE 17 FEB 1943 >> 2 PLAC Seminole OK >> 1 FAMS @F1@ Tom Cloud <cloud@peaches.ph.utexas.edu>