Let me state right off the bat that I haven't used FTM 2005 since FTM 16 was released. I currently use FTM 2014 on a Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit machine. That said I would like to clarify a couple of points. First, I don't think there was a patch to FTM 2005 so it could run under Windows Vista. I think what you may have done is run FTM 2005 under Windows Vista by using Vista's compatibility mode. This causes Windows Vista to run the program as though it were running under Windows XP. If I'm correct, you should be able to do that same process under Windows 8.1. Here is the web address of a tutorial explaining the process. http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6832-compatibility-mode-use-windows-8-a.html Now having said that, personally, I think you should make the leap and purchase FTM 2014. As far as I'm concerned it is the best version yet. As others have said, it is quite different from FTM 2005 and will require you to learn a new interface and way of working and inputting data but in the long run it should be worth the effort. The key is to taking it easy and getting familiar with the program. Now as to your question. FTM 2014 will convert your FTM 2005 data with no problems. I strongly recommend you Compact your FTM 2005 file before converting the file. Also make sure you have several backup copies of your FTM 2005 file. I would not use the FTM 2005 program to create the backup files. Simply copy the file to different locations and even burn a copy on a CD or DVD. When FTM 2014 converts your file, it will do the following actions: 1. FTM 2014 makes a converts the file and places the conversion into a separate new file. Your FTM 2005 will not be changed or harmed in any way. 2. FTM 2014 extracts all of the media items in the FTM 2005 scrapbook and makes each item a separate file of the appropriate file type. These files will be stored with file names aimed at helping you identify whose scrapbook it came from. You will find these media files store in a special media folder. The folder has the same name as your data file with the work Media included in the folder name. The folder is located in the same folder as your FTM 2014 data base. 3. In FTM 2005 source are stored as one source to one fact. If you have multiple source citations which are identical in all fields including the Footnote, FTM 2014 will write one copy of the source-citation and then link that once copy to everyone and every fact which uses that source-citation. You will want to check the source-citations once they are converted. 4. The comment/location fields will be separated into the Place field and the Description field for each fact. If you ended each comment with a slash, /, then they should separate correctly. However, if you have a comment only or didn't separate the comment from the location by using a slash, you will need to check these and move the data to the appropriate field. There are tools available for this so don't get frustrated about it. FTM 2014 also has a Place name data base which is a tool to the user to standardize the Place Names if they want. You can use it or not. It is call "Resolve Place Names". 5. If you have "Books" in FTM 2005, FTM 2014 attempts to convert those books; however, it is not very good. Personally, I prefer to recreate my books from scratch using FTM 2014. I'm not trying to dissuade you from upgrading to FTM 2014 but I do caution you that it may be confusing and it will require considerable clean up but overall you will be rewarded by cleaner and more accurate data. Let us know if you have any more questions. BJ On 1/7/2014 11:24 AM, PJK :o) wrote: > Hello list, > > I have been using Family Tree Maker 2005 on both my laptop (OS = XP) & my > desk top pc since it came out. Because the desk top has Vista, I had to > download a patch to enable FTM 2005 to work. > > However, I've recently upgraded my lap top & as it has Windows 8, I know > that FTM 2005 isn't compatible & there isn't a patch to make it so. > > Because of this, I'm looking into upgrading from FTM 2005 to FTM 2014, which > I know I can use with Vista & Windows 8. However, I'm concerned about the > transfer of data from FTM 2005 to FTM 2014. > > Will any of it be lost ? Will all the notes, pictures etc. still be there ? > I'd rather keep it all on my Vista desk top pc than lose some of it because, > like most of you, I've spent years on my tree. > > However - again !! - I know that I'll eventually have to upgrade my desk top > pc from Vista to Windows 8 or the OS that's brought out when it needs > replacing - so I'd like to have a genealogy programme that's going to be > compatible for quite a few years. If you know what I mean :o) > > I'd be grateful for any advice before I go ahead & buy FTM 2014 - or another > version if that's what you'd recommend. >