How to Troubleshoot a Family Tree Maker

It's not hard to troubleshoot Family Tree Maker issues and problems.

Family Tree Maker lets you enter information about family members, locate lost family members via the Internet and compose a family tree all within one application. The program, available for Windows and Mac platforms, includes access to the Ancestry website, a user-friendly interface and the ability to print your family tree in a number layouts. Family Tree Maker is not without its issues, including not letting you access the online component, failing to print properly and storing backup files in unknown directories.

Things You'll Need

• Blank CD, Flash drive or external hard drive

Instructions

Troubleshooting -- Can't Access the Family Tree Maker Website

1. Open the Internet browser you originally used when signing up for the Ancestry website--Family Tree Maker's official website. The website uses cookies and will only work with the browser the cookies are related to.

2. Navigate to the Ancestry website. Enter your user name and password in the "User name" and "Password" boxes in the upper left-hand corner.

3. Click the "Sign In" button. You can now switch Internet browsers since you have confirmed your identity, if you like, and access the Ancestry website for signing into your account.

Troubleshooting -- Creating a Back-up File For a Removable Medium

1. Open Family Tree Maker by clicking on the program's icon on your computer's "Desktop" or by clicking "Start," "All Programs," "Family Tree Maker," if using Windows.

   If using a Mac, click on your Mac's hard drive. Click on the "Applications" folder then the "Family Tree Maker" folder. Click on the "Family Tree Maker" icon.

2. Click "File," "Open." Navigate to the family tree file you want to back up to a removable device (CD, flash drive or other device). Double-click on the file's name to open it.

3. Click "File" and then "Backup."

4. Click on the check box next to "Backup to a Custom directory." Click the "Change" button. The "Backup to a Custom directory" option lets you specify another directory to store your backup file in instead of Family Tree Maker's default backup directory.

5. Select "Desktop" as the directory where you want to place the backup file. Click "OK."

   Click on the check box next to "Include linked media files" if your family tree includes any multimedia or audio files.

6. Click "OK" to start the backup process.

7. Right click on the Family Tree Maker backup file. Select "Send to" to send the file to a blank CD, Flash drive or external hard drive, if using Windows.

   If using a Mac, click and drag the Family Tree Maker backup file to a blank CD, Flash drive or external hard drive icon.

Troubleshooting -- Family Tree Not Printing

1. Open Family Tree Maker.

2. Click "File," "Open." Navigate to the family tree file you want open. Double-click on the file's name to open it.

3. Click "File," "Print." Click the "Setup" button to check that your printer's driver is showing under the wording "Default printer."

4. Click on the circle next to "Specific printer:" if your printer is not showing under "Default printer." Select your printer from the pull-down box.

5. Check that the correct paper setting related to your printer--"Size" and "Source" is showing under "Paper." If your printer can't print "11 x 17" or another setting, change the setting to the size or paper tray your printer can use.

   Click "OK" to accept the changes then click "OK" to print your family tree.

Tips & Warnings

• To publish your Family Tree Maker's file to the Ancestry website from within the program, click "View," "Publishing Center." Select "Create a Family Home Page" to start the website publishing wizard. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the publishing process. If using a version of Family Tree Maker older than 8.0, click "Internet" then "Publish Family Tree to the Internet." Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

References

• FTM.Custhelp: Troubleshooting Family Tree Maker 2008, 2009 or 2010 Registration
• FTM.Custhelp: Troubleshooting Backing Up Family Tree Maker 2008 files to a CD
• Family Tree Maker.Genealogy: User Home Page Troubleshooting
• Family Tree Maker.Genealogy: Troubleshoot Printing Problems
• Family Tree Maker.Genealogy: Print to File

Resources

• Family Tree Maker: Getting Help With Family Tree Maker