What format is your file in? If it's a gedcom file legacy should open it. That format can be used by most if not all genealogy programs. If it's a family tree maker file legacy won't open it. There is still a free version of legacy. What genealogy program were you using when you backed up the data?

My old software is called Family Ties. I have my data in a gedcom format and I did upload to the free version of Legacy but now I don't know how to get to it. I don't see any place to log in, etc.

I use family tree maker. I just exported a file as a gedcom file. I right clicked on the gedcom and chose open with and browsed to legacy to open it. Legacy asked me to put in a file name for the new legacy file it wanted to create. I did so and it opened the file. There was no logging in to do. The file was open and I could work with it. You should get the same result if you open legacy. You can also open legacy and click file > import from > gedcom and bowse for your file.

I did the upload in 2009. I don't see where I can "open" legacy.

If you downloaded Legacy and installed it on your computer if should be listed in your start > all programs menu. If it's not you need to locate the folder and make a short cut on your desktop. I installed Legacy a couple of years ago and I see that it installed in the root directory of the C drive and not in the Program Files folder. If that's where it installed on your computer you can double click on the C drive to open it and look down the list of folders to find the legacy folder. Double click on the Legacy folder and scroll down the list of folders and files until you find Legacy.exe and double click on that to open the program. If you have windows 7 you can right click on Legacy.exe and choose 'pin to start menu' or 'pin to task bar' on the drop down menu.

Bob, I finally figured out what I must have done. I must have installed Legacy on my number 2 computer cause I couldn't find it on this one but evidently uninstalled it. So now I have to decide if I want to clutter up my hard drive with it or get a new software package. Do you like FTM, any pros and cons? Do you use Legacy too, or you were just checking it out?

I use FTM because it's what I started with and because it works so well with ancestry.com. I have had more success there than other places I have tried. I don't like paying for ancestry.com but because of my situation do not have many options other than the internet. If you choose not to be a member of ancestry.com I don't think FTM is any better than other genealogy software.

I'd like to comment on FTM 2012, casi. I love the idea of how it's supposed to work and it, indeed, works correctly most of the time. I've heard of some people who've had no problems at all and I've read about some who have the same problems as I have. What I do like is the ability to source facts very easily with the click of a button. I love that it's very user friendly and there are many ways to categorize information. You can search directly from your home computer if you'd prefer, add Ancestry information to it or add your own personal info from other sources and then synchronize it to your online tree.

That's where the problem comes in (at least for me). My software freezes fairly often when syncing to my online tree and even though I haven't lost any information and even though it actually does finish the sync correctly, I will get an error message saying that the sync was unsuccessful or it will just stop in mid sync and freeze. I've talked to their techs a number of times and they finally sent me a new CD. It does the same thing. When I did an online search about the problem, I found that this is not an uncommon problem. There has been a software update to help with some of the FTM 2012 problems and I do have the latest version, but it did freeze again last night while syncing.

bob414, do you have this version or an older one? I have 2005 and even though it's much less sophisticated, I have kept it as well.

I have 2011. It has most of the features that you like in 2012 except for syncing with my online tree. That would be nice so I'll probably upgrade.

Thanks Bob and PF. I did a little research comparisons and it says that Legacy can "directly search Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, Genealogy.com and many other online services". So the FTM doesn't have any advantage in that categagory, I guess. I may download the free one again and just see how I get along with it.