"khunter" <im@myhouse.com> wrote in message news:MPG.21009f65deb38148989684@news.ind.sbcglobal.net... > Hi all; > > I'm a very new researcher and I've got a question. My brother-in-law gave > me a box full of > data disks from Family Tree Maker. Do I nee the app to read them or is > there a 3rd party > reader out there? > You should be able to get the viewer from the Family Tree Maker website - it used to be the demo for one of the older versions of the programme. However, since you say you're new to this obsession, a workd of caution. FTM produce a number of different data discs including the results of searches done by a company called United Ancestries. Most of their discs, however, come from a series called Worlf Family Tree, and I think that there's a good chance that this is what you have. Be careful with them 0- they are made up from trees sent in by users. Some of them are no doubt excellent, many have a fair dollop of wishful thnking in them. If the sources are all quoted and include original doucuments (eg birth certificates, census returns), that's an indicator than a tree that shows no sources, or quotes a load of web sites or other people. Treat the discs as clues rather than hard data. Oh- and welcome to the addiction! Lesley Robertson