The only incompatibility that I know of is that FOW 7 (version 8 too) does not understand the Win NT file system, which I understand that NT, 2000 and XP use, well enough to output a GEDCOM (and maybe a backup, I am not sure) to a disk, or partition, larger than 2 GB. As a work around, you can partition the disk so that one partition is less than 2 GB, then send the output there, or you can output to a removable drive, even a write-able CD, then copy it back to the hard drive, if you want to. But, at the $19.95 introductory price for RootsMagic, that may be the easiest and quickest, way to go. I wouldn't stop at FOW 10. Bruce might even negotiate a group rate for your group, but that is completely up to him. I would think that the Unique Individual Numbers that RM (and FOW10) use would make merging data so much simpler that it would be worth the cost for that one feature alone. Check it out at: http://www.rootsmagic.com/ Alfred D. Eller Family-Origins-Users-admin@RootsWeb.com FOW fact diagnostic tool, using Excel Spreadsheet http://freepages.computers.rootsweb.com/~adelr/FOFacts.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sandra Studebaker" <sandra.sfna@highstream.net> To: <FAMILY-ORIGINS-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 17, 2003 1:43 PM Subject: [FO] FOWin7 > Knowledgeable Ones, > > I need to know if Family Origins 7 runs on all Windows operating systems > extant today? > > A while back (1999?), the Studebaker Family Association purchased 10 copies > of FOWin7 (and accompanying book) for use by a distributed network of data > entry volunteers in a long-term project. We are about mid-way through the > third year and, at the rate we're going, it may take another four or five at > best. I need to know if version 7 will be a viable option as data entry > volunteers possibly upgrade their systems, or new volunteers come on-board > with later versions of Windows. As far as I know, most folks, including me, > are currently using Windows 98. > > With FOWin10 being the last version, does the Association need to upgrade > to version 10 because of incompatibility problems down the road? > Financially, we would rather not. For simple data entry, the data entry > folks don't need most of the features of 7, let alone 10. They Gedcom their > efforts to me to import into the master database. As keeper of the master > database, I have all later versions of FO, including 10, and will be > ordering RootsMagic to explore its features in terms of the project--as well > as my own personal use. > > In response to Bruce--several of our data entry cousins liked Family Origins > so well over what they had been using that they purchased a personal copy of > the latest version of FO. And, as a devoted follower, I will continue to > recommend everything coming out of FormalSoft. > > Many thanks for the support of the List members and to our benevolent > dictator--Alfred! > > Sincerely, > SAS >