Hi, O Helpful Ones My cousin and I are attempting to send each other files.I went through the 'export' drill, but my file didn't send.He sent me his file and it appeared as a logo, not with the usualparents and child picture, but with one little face. It won't open. I then found that the second file, which I had planned to send him, seemedto have been wiped clean and now appeared with the one-face logo. I can open it OK but it hasn't anything in it!!!!I still can't open his file, and of course, he hasn't received the first of my files. I really should be able to cope with this. Put it down to the adverse weather conditions in London. . . Can anyone help, please? Kind regards Joy

Joy Hungerford wrote: > > Hi, O Helpful Ones > My cousin and I are attempting to send each other files.I went through the 'export' drill, but my file didn't send.He sent me his file and it appeared as a logo, not with the usualparents and child picture, but with one little face. It won't open. > I then found that the second file, which I had planned to send him, seemedto have been wiped clean and now appeared with the one-face logo. > I can open it OK but it hasn't anything in it!!!!I still can't open his file, and of course, he hasn't received the first of my files. > I really should be able to cope with this. Put it down to the adverse weather conditions in London. . . > Can anyone help, please? Without more details, I'm guessing, just like Bill did. (1) -- after you created the GED did you remember to attach it to the e-mail you sent him? Just askin', for surety. (g) (2) -- can you see the three letters after the . in the file names? (2a) If not, fix your computer so you CAN see them. (2b) If so, did he send you a GED or a ZIP? (3) if it's a ZIP, you can't just click on it, you have to use RESTORE from the PAF file memu. (4) if it's a GED, you must not have the GED=PAF switch set. Bill gave instructions for that. And if none of this works, come on back and we'll all try again. Cheryl

Joy, Exporting data creates a gedcom file. Most genealogy software cannot open a gedcom file directly, it is a special file format used for the exporting and importing of data between different genealogy programs. i.e. double-clicking a gedcom file will not open it in PAF. To open the gedcom in PAF, you should firstly create a New PAF data file (File menu > New) with a new name (so Windows doesn't replace your main PAF data file with the new empty file), then Import the gedcom file (File menu > Import). It is advisable to always import new data into a newly-created PAF data file, rather than importing it directly into your main PAF data file. That way any "garbage" that doesn't conform to the gedcom 5.5 standard is imported into the new file and stays there. This is especially important if you are importing a gedcom created by programs such as some versions of Family Tree Maker that follow the standard somewhat loosely. Check the new file and see what individuals and lines you wish to bring into your main PAF data file and how they will connect to those in your main PAF data file. (I like to make some good notes at this point.) Export only these lines to a new gedcom, import this gedcom directly into your main PAF data file, and then use your notes to help you link the new individuals to the old ones. By following these steps you should be able to avoid hours of extra work. When creating a gedcom file in PAF, remember to remove the * from the file name, and give the file a name and location that is easily recognizable. The file name must end in ".ged" Let us know how it went. Bill Buchanan On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 7:38 AM, singhals <singhals@erols.com> wrote: > Joy Hungerford wrote: > > > > Hi, O Helpful Ones > > My cousin and I are attempting to send each other files.I went through > the 'export' drill, but my file didn't send.He sent me his file and it > appeared as a logo, not with the usualparents and child picture, but with > one little face. It won't open. > > I then found that the second file, which I had planned to send him, > seemedto have been wiped clean and now appeared with the one-face logo. > > I can open it OK but it hasn't anything in it!!!!I still can't open his > file, and of course, he hasn't received the first of my files. > > I really should be able to cope with this. Put it down to the adverse > weather conditions in London. . . > > Can anyone help, please? > > > Without more details, I'm guessing, just like Bill did. > > (1) -- after you created the GED did you remember to attach > it to the e-mail you sent him? Just askin', for surety. (g) > > (2) -- can you see the three letters after the . in the file > names? (2a) If not, fix your computer so you CAN see them. > (2b) If so, did he send you a GED or a ZIP? > > (3) if it's a ZIP, you can't just click on it, you have to > use RESTORE from the PAF file memu. > > (4) if it's a GED, you must not have the GED=PAF switch set. > Bill gave instructions for that. > > And if none of this works, come on back and we'll all try again. > > Cheryl > > > >

I agree with most of what Bill B. says, particularly importing the GEDCOM to a new PAF data file. However, double clicking on the GEDCOM file should generally set it for import into PAF5, though as I mentioned you may have to set the file association as I did for Win 7. For me, it was already associated in both XP and VISTA. You have to be careful, if PAF is open with a data file, then it will try to import to that data file. If PAF is closed, then it will ask to create a new data file. Of course, the simple way is to open PAF and from the FILE menu create a new PAF file and then do the import there. Bill > Exporting data creates a gedcom file. Most genealogy software cannot open a > gedcom file directly, it is a special file format used for the exporting and > importing of data between different genealogy programs. i.e. double-clicking > a gedcom file will not open it in PAF. To open the gedcom in PAF, > you should firstly create a New PAF data file (File menu > New) with a new > name (so Windows doesn't replace your main PAF data file with the new empty > file), then Import the gedcom file (File menu > Import).