I have a set of old CDs from way back when I used FTM that consists of marriage indexes for many states. I don't remember exactly how they were used, but I think they could be used without actually having FTM installed. When I try to load a CD using the install.exe on the CD, I get a message that the program isn't compatible with this version of windows (I"m running Win 7 64 bit). Does anyone remember what it takes to access these CDs? Any way to get at the actual data without using the FTM program? In case it's important, the files on the CD are: CDINFO.CTL 2,155 DATA.DIR 13,487 DATA.INX 18,713,614 DATA.QLF 32,768 DATA.TRI 33,360 DATA.TRT 4,640,670 INSTALL.EXE 71,317 LICENSE.TXT 5,930 and a couple of directories called CATALOG and GRS TIA Charlie

On Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:54:03 -0600, Charlie Hoffpauir <invalid@invalid.com> wrote: >I have a set of old CDs from way back when I used FTM that consists of >marriage indexes for many states. I don't remember exactly how they >were used, but I think they could be used without actually having FTM >installed. When I try to load a CD using the install.exe on the CD, I >get a message that the program isn't compatible with this version of >windows (I"m running Win 7 64 bit). Does anyone remember what it takes >to access these CDs? Any way to get at the actual data without using >the FTM program? > >In case it's important, the files on the CD are: >CDINFO.CTL 2,155 >DATA.DIR 13,487 >DATA.INX 18,713,614 >DATA.QLF 32,768 >DATA.TRI 33,360 >DATA.TRT 4,640,670 >INSTALL.EXE 71,317 >LICENSE.TXT 5,930 > >and a couple of directories called CATALOG and GRS > >TIA > >Charlie Well, Google searching has yielded this bit of information, posted back in 2009: ---------------------------------------------------------------- Ancestry has stated that they no longer support the family archive CDs as they claim that the information is on their databases. I suggest you go to the FTM Knowledge base at http://ftm.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ftm.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.... and in the keyword search, look for article 5073 There are a couple of links there that take you back into the old FTM knowledge base. You may end up having to set up a Windows XP or Windows 98 computer and use the Family Archive Viewer. ------------------------------------------------------------------ I do have the means to get an old computer and OS up, but want to avoid that if possible. And I've been using Ancestry, but their search engine is so poor that I get MANY ridiculous hits, like looking for births in the 1820's and getting people in the 1900's.

Charlie Hoffpauir wrote: > Ancestry has stated that they no longer support the family archive CDs > as they claim that the information is on their databases. Which, give or take the indexing issues, is fine if you have an Ancestry subscription. If you don't then it's a matter of the now-traditional media industry standard of expecting the customer to pay again and again for the same data. I had some CD with local data on it encoded with a propitiatory format which was Windows specific. I now use Linux almost all the time. I had two options open. One was to use Windows in a virtual machine and the other to run in Wine. I forget which worked for me but in your case only a VM would be available. If your disks are anything like mine once you have the data accessible it just looks like a normal text file in which case you can copy & paste the relevant excerpts into a real text file. It's an annoyance and it requires you to have a copy of an old Windows version to run in the VM but you only have to do it once. This, of course, assumes that you are in a country where you're actually allowed to do this with a copy of data you've already paid for. -- Ian The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang at austonley org uk

There is a feature in Windows 7 to enable you to install older programs - I have XP on this computer but my cousin has used this feature to install her Aust Digger series CDs. Di "Charlie Hoffpauir" <invalid@invalid.com> wrote in message news:5ai9d8pqcbav123spai7fekdim0na6ff3v@4ax.com... >I have a set of old CDs from way back when I used FTM that consists of > marriage indexes for many states. I don't remember exactly how they > were used, but I think they could be used without actually having FTM > installed. When I try to load a CD using the install.exe on the CD, I > get a message that the program isn't compatible with this version of > windows (I"m running Win 7 64 bit). Does anyone remember what it takes > to access these CDs? Any way to get at the actual data without using > the FTM program? > > In case it's important, the files on the CD are: > CDINFO.CTL 2,155 > DATA.DIR 13,487 > DATA.INX 18,713,614 > DATA.QLF 32,768 > DATA.TRI 33,360 > DATA.TRT 4,640,670 > INSTALL.EXE 71,317 > LICENSE.TXT 5,930 > > and a couple of directories called CATALOG and GRS > > TIA > > Charlie