Genealogy Chat

Can anyone help a computer illiterate please. See below:-

Sometime ago I made a gedcom of my family tree on GR and downloaded into Family Tree Maker. I have been using this successfully to update and everything has been fine. Clicked on it today and FTM says it cannot find my file and to check the “directories” and “drives” fields to ensure I am supplying the correct path. Have put the name in the search facility on my computer and it tells me that it refers to a location that is unavailable. Being a complete computer idiot I have no idea what to do next. I was using it last night and it was fine. What on earth has happened for it to disappear and can I get it back?

Hi Jean, I too have had this prob on the odd occassion. It appears to occour after the FTM prog fails to shut down properly after the last time of closing. Reboot the PC and try again. If that fails try to find out why the location is unavailable. The PC could be looking in the directory where you downloaded the file to orrigionally, and that will be long gone, hence it cant find it. Try searching your PC for *.FTW That will find you all the FTM files where ever thay are. If none of that works get back to me and I will try again Sandra

Did you save it onto a memory stick or is it on your hard drive and your searching in another drive?? Helena

Hi Sandra:))) Have done what you suggested but no luck. Asked it to search for all the FTM files but it didn't turn up the one I wanted. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Hope you and Martyn are well. Jean x.

Helena, No I didn't save it to a memory stick, whatever that is :)) I just put the name in the search facility on the computer to search all files and folders....and it couldn't find it. Wondering if it was because we had a power cut this morning and the computer didn't shut down properly as Sandra suggested. Jean x.

But it should still be in the system somewhere. Are you sure your searching C drive? You could try opening a new file then go to file, and see what file names come up - Helena

Ok, try this click the start menu, go to documents and see if it in the last used items list. If that dosn't work then try searching for *.FTB That is your back up version of your tree Sandra

Just thought - if you had a power cut you may need to shut computer down completly and wait 2-3 mins before turning on again - depends how old your PC is Helena

Jean Having dinner now, will check back in half an hour sandra

Well I still can't find it. I just can't think what I did wrong to lose it. My 4 other trees are fine. It's the main one that has gone AWOL. Turned of computer Helena and left it but no luck once I rebooted. Jean x.

Hi Jean Sorry not able to help, hope it turns up as suddenly as it disappeared Helena

The file must be there. when you searched, you were looking in the c drive? I take it you know the name of the file so try typing *.FBK This will find the backup version of your file. When searching remember to search the all files and folders option and not one of the other two

Tried that Hovis but no luck. What a frustrating machine this is lol. Jean x.

nudging - may need this advice myself!!

Try searching for the file with the name you gave it instead of trying to search for the file type. Carol www*genealogyprinters*com

Hi Jean, Just read your thread. I'm having trouble with FTM today, too (see thread 'Oh, help, please with saving stuff on FTM'). Lets hope for better luck tomorrow! Good luck! Bx

Bought in the big guns today... my 20 year old grandson lol. He has searched the computer and states categorically that the tree has gone AWOL and there is no back up either. He thinks that as the file was open and there was a power cut there was no time for a back up to be made and the whole lot went kuput. Luckily I have 4 smaller trees and the big one on GR and Tribal Pages so I will make a gedcom and download again. Thankyou everyone who tried to help. Thank goodness I have the tree in a couple of places. Jean x.

He's right, if the program was stopped by a powercut any data entered after opening the program and the power cut will not have been saved. Carol www*genealogyprinters*com

Jean I have now made a backup copy of mine- just in case Thanks for bringing this to everyones attention Helena