17 replies to this topic

[carolannk]

I have found some genealogy files that I believe I created with Family Origins version 4.0 some years ago.

I recall playing around with some other genealogy program in the past and am not certain that these files are from Family Origins or from another program.

Can someone tell me the file extensions created with Family Origins?

The files I have use the following extensions: .FOB .FBK .FBC .FTW

If these are not Family Origin files, does anyone know from what program they were generated?

I really would like to preserve this info

Unfortunately I lost the FO disk when we moved.

Thank you.

[Alfred]

Since you mention FOW 4, I am quite sure that FOB is the backup of a database from that program. FOB was only used by FOw 4 and cannto be restored with any other FOW version.

FTW is the extension used for Family Tree Maker's database files and FBK is the extension that it uses for a backup file.

I do not know what FBC is. but " http://filext.com/ " tells me that it is a Family Tree Compressed backup file.

I do not have a copy of Family Origins 4.0 or I would restore it for you and send you a GEDCOM file. Maybe someone else will.

[Dennis]

Thank you for your replys and offers of assistance. Since the files that I found are apparently from an old demo program of Family Tree Maker rather than Family Origins, and I would rather be using Roots Magic, I wonder if anyone has a copy of Family Tree Maker that they could use to convert my file to a GEDcom for import into Roots Magic. The .fob file that I have is very small and I am afraid does not actually contain any valuable info.

Thanks. Carol

Carol...

I have FTW 2006 but don't know if it will convert your old file or not. I will be happy to try for you if you like. Please email the file to denniskorinek@yahoo.com.

Dennis

[Candy]

Thank you for your replys and offers of assistance. Since the files that I found are apparently from an old demo program of Family Tree Maker rather than Family Origins, and I would rather be using Roots Magic, I wonder if anyone has a copy of Family Tree Maker that they could use to convert my file to a GEDcom for import into Roots Magic. The .fob file that I have is very small and I am afraid does not actually contain any valuable info.

Thanks. Carol

Carol,

I have older copies of FTM as well as the FO and would be happy to convert the files for you. Just send them to me at tazeq@aol.com with a notation in the subject line regarding genealogy files

Candy

[Candy]

Thanks you so very much for your offer to convert my file. Before I send it, I want you to know that it is quite a large file (7 MB). I hope you don't have a dial-up connection, like me. If you do, I don't want to email it to you. Perhaps I could snail mail it to you on a CD. What do you think?

Also, I am wondering why you have several different genealogy programs. Do you use them all, prefer one over the others or has it just been a progression from one to another? Which do you prefer?

carolannk@peoplepc.com

Carol

I have a cable modem, so size is not a problem.

As to why I have so many, I used to be a genealogy host on AOL and periodically would do a 'review' of the various programs, their updates, etc, so I could help others that used those particular programs. As a host, we also gave 'talks' from time to time and I did several on the various programs. While I did not get to be an 'expert' on each of them, I learned enough to be able to help others, usually beginners to genealogy.

As to my personal preferences, I started out with Family Origins when it was a DOS program, got every update through Version 10. When they stopped doing the upgrades, I had a chance to speak with Bruce (Roots Magician) when he was at the Genealogy Conference here in the Milwaukee area just before Roots Magic came out. While I was still a bit skeptical about the RM, I gave it a try and have never looked back. With all of the programs that I have 'played' with, Roots Magic (and Family Origins before that) is one of the easiest to use, both with creating reports and with data entry. I am a transcriptionist by trade, so my typing speed is like 120+ wpm, so the easier and more adaptable a program is for data entry, the better I like it!

While others may have more bells and whistles, they are also harder and more complicated to use. My hat is off to Bruce with the fantastic programs that he has created, and continues to upgrade.

[Dennis]

Thanks you so very much for your offer to convert my file. Before I send it, I want you to know that it is quite a large file (7 MB). I hope you don't have a dial-up connection, like me. If you do, I don't want to email it to you. Perhaps I could snail mail it to you on a CD. What do you think?

Also, I am wondering why you have several different genealogy programs. Do you use them all, prefer one over the others or has it just been a progression from one to another? Which do you prefer?

carolannk@peoplepc.com

Carol

Carol...

I have DSL so file size is not a problem. I periodically review the various programs, much like Candy, to check out their bells and whistles. I started out using a program, many years ago, from Pine Tree Software that I don't even remember the name of. I then switched to FO and then to RM. I am still very much dedicated to RM. The support from the user community as well as from Bruce is far and away above any of the other programs out there.

Dennis

[Candy]

Unfortunately, Carolannk's file is from a version of FTM that is newer than I have and I cannot access it via that program. I also tried The Master Genealogist, which will import FTM files, and according to that, the file is newer than FTM 8, and TMG cannot access it either.

Perhaps Dennis is able to do so with a newer version of one or the other programs.

Candy

[Dennis]

Unfortunately, Carolannk's file is from a version of FTM that is newer than I have and I cannot access it via that program. I also tried The Master Genealogist, which will import FTM files, and according to that, the file is newer than FTM 8, and TMG cannot access it either.

Perhaps Dennis is able to do so with a newer version of one or the other programs.

Candy

Carol...

File converted and saved as GEDCOM. Emailed to you this morning. File size went from 7 meg to 75K. Enjoy!!

Dennis

[(Gene)]

Carol...

File converted and saved as GEDCOM. Emailed to you this morning. File size went from 7 meg to 75K. Enjoy!!

Dennis

Dennis,

Could you help me oout with a conversion to Gedcom from a .fob file? I plan to upgrade to RootsMagic as soon as I can get this file converted.

THanks! Gene gfurrow@comcast.net

[Dennis]

Dennis,

Could you help me oout with a conversion to Gedcom from a .fob file? I plan to upgrade to RootsMagic as soon as I can get this file converted.

THanks! Gene gfurrow@comcast.net

Gene...

If Don can't convert it, send it to me and I will see if my current ver of FTM will read it. I have FTM 2006.

Dennis

denniskorinek@yahoo.com

[Dennis]

Gene...

If Don can't convert it, send it to me and I will see if my current ver of FTM will read it. I have FTM 2006.

Dennis

denniskorinek@yahoo.com

Gene's file is an older version of FO that can't be read in to RM. Can someone else help him?