Here's a copy of a post I made on this topic a couple of weeks ago. Judy in Ocala In previous posts to this list I have advocated the use of Dropbox to make it possible for you to access your FTM database on more than one computer. I have been using it for a while for this purpose, and put it to a good test on a recent research trip with my little netbook computer. I’ve learned some things you need to be aware of to make successful use of Dropbox. First, Dropbox does not use synching technology. Say, for example, you are synching your address book between your smart phone and your computer. The synching process is two-way and examines the content of both locations. Any edits made on the phone are transferred to the computer, and vice versa. If changes to the same record have been made in both places, the synching software will alert you to the conflict and allow you to choose the correct one. Dropbox does not sync, and it does not compare the contents of the files in its folders. It works by copying entire files. To use it you must first open a free account on their website. Then you download and install their software on the computers you plan to use. In my case I have it installed on my desktop PC at home (Computer A) and the netbook I use for traveling (Computer B). Both software installations are connected to my online account. Then I moved my FTM database file and the media folder to the Dropbox folder on Computer A. A copy of the contents of the Dropbox folder on A is copied to the corresponding folder in the online account. FTM is installed on Computer B. When I boot up B, the contents of the online account are copied to B’s Dropbox folder. I can open my FTM database from the Dropbox folder on B. All three locations now have the same data and I’m ready to start working. Let’s say I do some work in FTM on Computer A. Dropbox will not upload those changes until the file is closed. So if I leave A open and start working on B, B will not have the changes I made in A. When both files are eventually closed, and both A and B are uploaded to Dropbox online, Dropbox will perceive that both files have changed (probably just by looking at the date/time they were saved), but because it doesn’t examine the data in the files, cannot offer you the option of choosing which edits to keep. Instead it will make duplicate copies of A and B, and you’ll have 3 files instead of 1. The duplicates are named as “Conflict” files, and it’s up to you to figure out what’s in each one. To avoid this problem, here are the steps you must take: 1. After working in A, close FTM. In the system tray (the small icons in the lower right corner of your screen, where the clock is), look at your Dropbox icon. Two rotating arrows will tell you that the files on A are being uploaded to Dropbox online. The icon is very small. You can hover your mouse pointer over it to see the progress. When it has finished uploading, you will see “All files up to date” when you hover your mouse, and the rotating arrows will be replaced with a checkmark. 2. Any time after Step 1 has been completed, you can work on B. The new copy of A will automatically be downloaded from Dropbox online to B if B is running, or when you turn it on. Watch the icon to know when the process is complete. Make your edits in B. When you have finished, close FTM so that the changes in B will be uploaded to Dropbox online. 3. The next time you want to work in A, be sure that Step 2 has been completed. 4. Do not have both versions A and B open at the same time. For this reason, I don’t recommend using Dropbox as a means of allowing another researcher to collaborate with you on the same file. 5. Check your Dropbox folders on A and B from time to time to be sure that you haven’t inadvertently created some “conflict” files. This sounds more complicated than it is. It’s just a matter of being patient and allowing each process to finish before you move on. FTM 2012 users: One additional point. If you have an Ancestry Member Tree (AMT) that you are synching with FTM 2012, you must assure that all uploads from Computer A have been completed, including media files, before you close FTM on that computer. You cannot link both A and B to the AMT. For edits made in B to be added to the AMT, you must first assure that A and B are in sync via Dropbox as outlined above. Then you can sync A to the AMT. For this reason, it is advisable to set your sync options to manual. Again, patience is the key word. On Nov 21, 2011, at 9:45 AM, "Connie Shotts" <cshotts1@carolina.rr.com> wrote: > Hi, > I thought this topic had been discussed on this forum, but I couldn't find > it in the Archives. Does anyone use, or know if, Drop Box can be used with > FTM? I run two versions of FTM -- 2011 and 16 (16.0.350. I have both > versions on both my desktop (Windows 7, 64 bit) and a laptop (Windows XP). > It would be great to be able to "house" the data files for each of the > versions on Drop Box so that additions, changes, etc. would be made on both > computers, as well as to have the access from any other computer where the > FTM programs are present. At least, I think it would work that way. Does > anyone know? > > Connie > > > > ********************************** > List information page > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Software/FTM-TECH.html > > Online Support for Family Tree Maker > Version 16 and earlier > http://pastftm.custhelp.com/ > > Version 2008 - 2011 > http://ftm.custhelp.com/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FTM-TECH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Judy, I thought I had seen this, and when I searched the Archives, I couldn't fine it. I used the search key "drop box" in the body, but this didn't come up. I thought it was out there, but decided it much have been in a different list. Thanks so much for resending it. This is the message I wanted to locate! Conni -----Original Message----- From: ftm-tech-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:ftm-tech-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Judy in Ocala Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 10:23 AM To: ftm-tech@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [FTM-TECH] Drop Box Here's a copy of a post I made on this topic a couple of weeks ago. Judy in Ocala In previous posts to this list I have advocated the use of Dropbox to make it possible for you to access your FTM database on more than one computer. I have been using it for a while for this purpose, and put it to a good test on a recent research trip with my little netbook computer. I’ve learned some things you need to be aware of to make successful use of Dropbox. First, Dropbox does not use synching technology. Say, for example, you are synching your address book between your smart phone and your computer. The synching process is two-way and examines the content of both locations. Any edits made on the phone are transferred to the computer, and vice versa. If changes to the same record have been made in both places, the synching software will alert you to the conflict and allow you to choose the correct one. Dropbox does not sync, and it does not compare the contents of the files in its folders. It works by copying entire files. To use it you must first open a free account on their website. Then you download and install their software on the computers you plan to use. In my case I have it installed on my desktop PC at home (Computer A) and the netbook I use for traveling (Computer B). Both software installations are connected to my online account. Then I moved my FTM database file and the media folder to the Dropbox folder on Computer A. A copy of the contents of the Dropbox folder on A is copied to the corresponding folder in the online account. FTM is installed on Computer B. When I boot up B, the contents of the online account are copied to B’s Dropbox folder. I can open my FTM database from the Dropbox folder on B. All three locations now have the same data and I’m ready to start working. Let’s say I do some work in FTM on Computer A. Dropbox will not upload those changes until the file is closed. So if I leave A open and start working on B, B will not have the changes I made in A. When both files are eventually closed, and both A and B are uploaded to Dropbox online, Dropbox will perceive that both files have changed (probably just by looking at the date/time they were saved), but because it doesn’t examine the data in the files, cannot offer you the option of choosing which edits to keep. Instead it will make duplicate copies of A and B, and you’ll have 3 files instead of 1. The duplicates are named as “Conflict” files, and it’s up to you to figure out what’s in each one. To avoid this problem, here are the steps you must take: 1. After working in A, close FTM. In the system tray (the small icons in the lower right corner of your screen, where the clock is), look at your Dropbox icon. Two rotating arrows will tell you that the files on A are being uploaded to Dropbox online. The icon is very small. You can hover your mouse pointer over it to see the progress. When it has finished uploading, you will see “All files up to date” when you hover your mouse, and the rotating arrows will be replaced with a checkmark. 2. Any time after Step 1 has been completed, you can work on B. The new copy of A will automatically be downloaded from Dropbox online to B if B is running, or when you turn it on. Watch the icon to know when the process is complete. Make your edits in B. When you have finished, close FTM so that the changes in B will be uploaded to Dropbox online. 3. The next time you want to work in A, be sure that Step 2 has been completed. 4. Do not have both versions A and B open at the same time. For this reason, I don’t recommend using Dropbox as a means of allowing another researcher to collaborate with you on the same file. 5. Check your Dropbox folders on A and B from time to time to be sure that you haven’t inadvertently created some “conflict” files. This sounds more complicated than it is. It’s just a matter of being patient and allowing each process to finish before you move on. FTM 2012 users: One additional point. If you have an Ancestry Member Tree (AMT) that you are synching with FTM 2012, you must assure that all uploads from Computer A have been completed, including media files, before you close FTM on that computer. You cannot link both A and B to the AMT. For edits made in B to be added to the AMT, you must first assure that A and B are in sync via Dropbox as outlined above. Then you can sync A to the AMT. For this reason, it is advisable to set your sync options to manual. Again, patience is the key word. On Nov 21, 2011, at 9:45 AM, "Connie Shotts" <cshotts1@carolina.rr.com> wrote: > Hi, > I thought this topic had been discussed on this forum, but I couldn't find > it in the Archives. Does anyone use, or know if, Drop Box can be used with > FTM? I run two versions of FTM -- 2011 and 16 (16.0.350. I have both > versions on both my desktop (Windows 7, 64 bit) and a laptop (Windows XP). > It would be great to be able to "house" the data files for each of the > versions on Drop Box so that additions, changes, etc. would be made on both > computers, as well as to have the access from any other computer where the > FTM programs are present. At least, I think it would work that way. Does > anyone know? > > Connie > > > > ********************************** > List information page > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Software/FTM-TECH.html > > Online Support for Family Tree Maker > Version 16 and earlier > http://pastftm.custhelp.com/ > > Version 2008 - 2011 > http://ftm.custhelp.com/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FTM-TECH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ********************************** List information page http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Software/FTM-TECH.html Online Support for Family Tree Maker Version 16 and earlier http://pastftm.custhelp.com/ Version 2008 - 2011 http://ftm.custhelp.com/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FTM-TECH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message