HI: I appreciate all the suggestions on this thread, but I'm happy with Family Tree Maker. I will repeat: I'm not interested in changing my software, I just want to find out which version of Family Tree Maker that listmembers are happy with that's compatible with Vista. As it turns out, many like totally different genealogy software programs and I keep getting suggestions that I change altogether. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to go further with this discussion by branching into why I'm unhappy with genealogy programs that don't include slave ancestry. I believe my original question has been fully answered several times over and here's the answers in a nutshell: "Change to my favorite software, you'll love it." Unfortunately, I have yet to get specifics on the later FTM versions, so it seems that on this listserve at least, there are no fans of the software. Oh well. Thanks again to all who emailed me. Kberry Kdberr1@aol.com

> I'm not going to go further with this discussion by branching into > why I'm unhappy with genealogy programs that don't include slave > ancestry. I would like to know what specific items in software do you need for slave genealogy. I am currently working on a slave family. "L.L. Scott" <llscott2000@bellsouth.net>

Kdberr1@aol.com wrote: ... > As it turns out, many like totally different genealogy software > programs and I keep getting suggestions that I change altogether. > I'm not going to do that. > ... OK, yes, it does get tiresome fending off suggestions that one change one's software, one's OS, or the color of one's CPU, each time one asks how-do-I...? > I'm not going to go further with this discussion by branching into > why I'm unhappy with genealogy programs that don't include slave > ancestry. This still confuses me. I don't have a handle on why the condition of servitude affects how the facts are recorded in a database. I've got unmarried mothers and unmarried fathers in several of my databases, none of which are in FTM or FTW, and it works. Specifically HOW is recording a child born to a slave woman any different than recording a child born to a non-slave woman who lacks a husband or who has a child by someone not her husband? > Unfortunately, I have yet to get specifics on the later FTM > versions, so it seems that on this listserve at least, there are no > fans of the software. Oh well. Did you try the FTM-user mailing lists? They'll at least not suggest using something else. Cheryl singhals <singhals@erols.com>

> I appreciate all the suggestions on this thread, but I'm happy with > Family Tree Maker. > > I will repeat: I'm not interested in changing my software, I just > want to find out which version of Family Tree Maker that listmembers > are happy with that's compatible with Vista. > > As it turns out, many like totally different genealogy software > programs and I keep getting suggestions that I change altogether. > I'm not going to do that. > > I'm not going to go further with this discussion by branching into > why I'm unhappy with genealogy programs that don't include slave > ancestry. > > I believe my original question has been fully answered several times > over and here's the answers in a nutshell: "Change to my favorite > software, you'll love it." > > Unfortunately, I have yet to get specifics on the later FTM > versions, so it seems that on this listserve at least, there are no > fans of the software. Oh well. > > Thanks again to all who emailed me. > > Kberry <Kdberr1@aol.com> Hi Kberry, I still have windows xp and I am using version 10 of FTM. When they released the 2008 rewrite of the FTM program, I tried the beta version and did not like it. I know they have come out with 2009 so hopefully all the missing features will have been restored. [the reports were skimpy and the book option was marked *coming soon*] Probably the best thing to do is join or search one of the FTM tech lists or user groups. There is a patch available to run ver. 16 on Vista - http://past.familytreemaker.com/vistaupdate/ An earlier message in this thread mentioned something about Vista 32 and Vista 64, so I think you should search the tech groups to make sure this patch will run the software on both versions of Vista. The 2008/2009 versions are a complete rewrite of the program. Everything about it is different than what you are using now, so see if you can find a demo version or at least some screen shots and check it out before you decide to go that route. My 2 cents, Lisa llepore@comcast.net