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GenSmarts Q/A Part 2

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Q) How do I change the year for a new census?
A) You can't in this version, but you will be able to shortly.

Q) Page comes up cannot put name in my genealogy page
A) You can't add data to your genealogy file with GenSmarts.

Q) How do I delete a symbol
A) The symbols are the analysis result. To change it, either change the data being analyzed, or the configuration of the analysis (direct ancestor tags, for example).

Q) No matter the time frame Gen Smarts reccomends that the 1880 census be searched....
A) You turned of GenSmarts abilty to estimate (TOOLS...SETTINGS... analysis tab) so you've prevented the analysis from making any assumptions when you don't have both birth and death dates. We should probably change this to simply not make any suggestions (when in this mode) when it finds you have incomplete data.

Q) How do I delete Direct Ancestors (blue stars)?
A) MY GENEALOGY FILE tab... FIND NEXT ROOT... CLEAR TAG

Q) how do I register?
A) You make up your own user name and password for the forum. Start by pressing the REGISTER menu option in the upper right hand corner of the forum screen.

Q) Can I edit place names
A) You can't change your data directly from GenSmarts. You can add to GenSmarts known geography using TOOLS...SETTINGS...CUSTOMIZE GEOGRAPHY...

Q) How do i find my fathers parents name based on his information
A) http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Home/Welcome/frameset_information.asp

Q) How do I go to a different file. I tried the box above but it did not work. No sound, no text.
A) Upper left hand poriton of the GenSmarts screen...FILE...OPEN... Your PC's internet browser configuration is corrupted - in GenSmarts try TOOLS...TEST WINDOWS DEFAULT BROWSER...

Q) Can I reach you by phone?
A) 1-800-517-0092

Q) I am unable to finish installng GenSmarts.
A) Download the install file first using SAVE AS... then try installing it by running what you've downloaded. See http://www.GenSmarts.com/installFAQ.asp for help.

Q) Can you save info that your search on GemSmarts to your Family Tree Maker File?
A) Not currently, but perhaps in a future version of GenSmarts/Family Tree Maker.

Q) Print suggestions
A) Not in the trial version... only in the paid version.

Q) Save to do list
A) Not currently, but we plan on providing an export feature soon.

Q) I think this program is not for me I can"t seam to get it to do anything, Why?? It dosen't answer my questions or leave the first page.
A) Your PC's internet browser configuration is corrupted - in GenSmarts try TOOLS...TEST WINDOWS DEFAULT BROWSER...

Q) bmd data in Ancestry.com
A) FreeBMD is categorized in GenSmarts under Rootsweb

Q) Mac/Apple version?
A) Not yet. We'd love to do one. Really. But the technology on the MAC for doing something like GenSmarts is quite different from the PC, so it's not a trivial effort.

Q) I just got my program. How do I get my file names to appear in the first screen so I can pick out the names that I want to put blue stars beside? Since I have a file that has been scanned I thought the file would show up by itself but I guess not.
A) Upper left hand portion of the screen... FILE...OPEN... will let you open any file you want.

Q) How can I eliminate some of the suggestions you have made?
A) IGNORE button

Q) Boxes are black with no names
A) Fix your Windows color scheme. Right click on your desktop, then choose PROPERTIES...APPEARANCE... try a scheme of WINDOWS STANDARD if you don't understand how to set these.

Q) how do i print all items in to do list
A) First, buy a big box of paper... Second, make sure you have the paid version, since the trial doesn't print.. Third, turn of any filters you may have set, then choose PRINT...TO DO LIST.. from the GenSmarts menu, then select the PRINT ALL DISPLAYED option.

Q) A person whose parents are born in the US, who is shown as born and dying in the US, is suggested for Ellis Island lookup. Why?
A) See the EXPLANATION, which tells you why. There's probably something wrong with the place name you've got for the birth.

Q) Is my license for a desktop and a laptop?
A) The license is for YOU... which means you can install it several places provided it's only YOU that will be using it. The license is in a text file in the GenSmarts program directory.

Q) How do I make corrections on things I know are wrong?
A) If it's something wrong with your data, change it the way you always have, with your record keeping software. If it's simply a bad suggestion, use the IGNORE button in GenSmarts, or change the settings or data that's driving the underlying assumptions GenSmarts is making.

Q) How do I get suggestions for just one family line?
A) Mark the line as your Direct Ancestor Line, clear any other Direct Ancestor tags. Use the Direct Ancestor filter on the TO DO list.

Q) Why in a list of Alternative spellings for the surname HOOD, would DAY be included with HEAD HEID and WOOD. I understand all but DAY as an alt spelling for Hood.
A) Yes, it doesn't seem like a common alternate. Not sure why the algorithm picked it, but it must have a similar METAPHONE or SOUNDEX value.

Q) How do I start?
A) Open your genealogy file with GenSmarts and read a few suggestions and their explanations to get a feel for what GenSmarts does. Then learn to use the filters and searches to support the research goals you have.

Q) How do I save my genealogy file so it doesn't reload everytime I open GenSmarts?
A) You can't and wouldn't want to as this would take longer than reloading. You might be interested in some export capability we'll have in an upcoming version.

Q) Cannot hear voice
A) Check volume. Check mute. Fix your computer.

Q) It is not giving me new informatiom
A) Use the FILLS MISSING DATA filter.

Q) Why has Gen Smarts told me a number in my Paf file belongs to one person when it clearly belongs to another
A) Usually this sort of thing turns out to be that you are having GenSmarts analyze a different file than you're looking at with PAF. Double check the directory name and the file name in both GenSmarts and PAF.

Q) Why is Gen Smarts saying a person is unknown when I clearly have a persons name and info there for them
A) Usually this sort of thing turns out to be that you are having GenSmarts analyze a different file than you're looking at with PAF. Double check the directory name and the file name in both GenSmarts and PAF. If GenSmarts can't determine a surname, then it will substitute UNKNOWN. In that case, double check the way you've got the name entered and see if you aren't doing something non-standard.

Q) Can I save to do list to come back to?...
A) No and Yes. No you can't save it, but you can come back to it by just running GenSmarts again. You might be interested in some export capability we'll have in an upcoming version.

Q) Updates
A) http://www.GenSmarts.com/versionHistory.asp

Q) How do i mark the items that i have already researched?...
A) Use the FOUND, NOT FOUND, etc. buttons.

Q) How do I add a new site I have membership in...
A) Use TOOLS...SETTINGS...Subscriptions tab... to indicate what you subscribe to.

Q) What is Data Clean Up?
A) That's where GenSmarts puts data it finds in your file that it couldn't make sense of.

Q) How print out the missing items in my files?
A) I don't think you can as of Jan-2005, but sounds like a good idea for a future version.

Q) Save to removable drive
A) See this post in our forum for some hints: http://www.gensmarts.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=180

Q) How do I get the audio to turn off?
A) Windows Volume Control

Q) Print explanations
A) Top line menu in GenSmarts, PRINT...TO DO LIST.. choose the FULL option for an exact copy of what's displayed in the screen explanation.

Q) Type your custom question here...This is the 2nd time I've typed this question...plese contact me at (email withheld).
A) You're typing your question into a search engine... send and email to support@GenSmarts.com if you want an email response.

Q) Direct ancestor root
A) Help file, or http://www.gensmarts.com/training/training.asp?topic=directAncestors&title=da

Q) How to edit information
A) http://www.gensmarts.com/training/training.asp?topic=makingChanges&title=editing

Q) How do i go back and forth between gensmarts and ftm
A) http://www.gensmarts.com/training/training.asp?topic=makingChanges&title=editing

Q) Why was my To Do box empty?
A) You've got a filter turned on for which there are no suggestions... click "Show All"

Q) Type your custom question here... How do I fix a GenSmart guess about a County?
A) Put the county in your place name so GenSmarts doesn't have to guess.

Q) Where is my download
A) http://www.GenSmarts.com/installFAQ.asp

Q) how do i print people on index cards
A) Not in the current version, but the upcoming "export" module would let you reformat GenSmarts data in Word or MS-Access so you could do this.

Q) I have selected myself as ahnentafel #1 in GenSmarts, however, GenSmarts uses different ahnentafel numbers from those of my Family Tree software. With many ancestors with the same name I cannot identify the correct ancestor.
A) Send us some information about what software you're using, and, preferrably, a backup of a couple of people that illustrate what you're seeing. We'll see if we can add support for what you want.

Q) How do i save the additional location information?
A) Registered version only... TOOLS...CUSTOMIZE GEOGRPAPHY...

Q) I am having trouble searching info. from the Research Centers given on the site. I press Search and nothing happens.
A) Your Windows internet configuration is likely corrupt. Check TOOLS...WINDOWS DEFAULT BROWSER... and/or try re-installing the latest version of Internet Explorer.

Q) Updates
A) Free - see http://www.GenSmarts.com/support.asp for links to download

Q) How do I register an alternate stat/county abbreviation
A) For existing states, there's not any way to do it yourself yet. If you think it's pretty common, send it to us and we'll consider adding it.

Q) How do I change families
A) To change files, use FILE...OPEN... To change direct ancestor settings, use the My Genealogy File tab

Q) How do I print a to-do list for one person.
A) Display only that person's suggestions by typing the record id# (including the brackets) in the <=SEARCH box. When you print, select the "PRINT ALL DISPLAYED" option.

Q) How do I add this information I found on the internet to Roots Magic?
A) http://www.rootsmagic.com/forums/

Q) How do I export to gedcom?
A) Google the name of your genealogy software and the word Gedcom, and see if you can't find some instructions.

Q) How do I enlarge the font in order to read what I print..
A) Not possible in the current version (Jan-2005).

Q) copy/cut/paste
A) Select text in GenSmarts with the mouse, then right click for the copy option.

Q) Does GenSmarts Analyze Family Tree Legends files?
A) No

Q) Printing doesn't work
A) Printing only works in the registered version. If print preview works, then it's most likely that your printer driver doesn't match your printer exactly. It doesn't matter than some other programs can print... GenSmarts uses more features of the printer drivers and therefor is more sensitive to a bad driver.

Q) Why does GenSmarts not recognize my Ancestry.com subscription?
A) The suggestion you're asking GenSmarts to look at is on NEHGS... not Ancestry.com. Check the bottom of the explanation, or the little down arrow to the right of the AVAILABLE ONLINE button.

Q) What is a Filter to do list?
A) A way of showing only a select portion of those 10,000 research suggestions...

Q) How do I change the list and include added persons?
A) Add them via your genealogy record keeping software, then re-analyze the file with GenSmarts.

Q) How do I use Query?
A) Press F1 (the help key) when you're on the Query tab for help.

Q) what is the soundex code
A) http://www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy/census/soundex.html

Q) How do I print people facts?
A) PRINT...PEOPLE..

Q) When I find new/documenting information for someone in my familytreemaker 2005 data base how do I add it short of mannueling typeing it?
A) Copy = CTRL+C Paste = CTRL+V

Q) Why are refernce numbers different to those in my family tree program
A) The reference numbers in GenSmarts are the Record ID Numbers... some genealogy software allows you to choose different numbering schemes or make up your own...

Q) DIV1
A) The first major geographic division (e.g. typically country)

Q) How do I get a to do list for a new ancestor?
A) Enter what you know in your genealogy file, then analyze it with GenSmarts, then double click on the new person in the My Genealogy File tab.

Q) I clicked on "found" and the whole to do list disappeared.
A) That's because you have nothing tagged as found in your list - so nothing is displayed.

Q) I have updated the record, but GenSmarts has not updated its recommendations. Why?
A) Census suggestions aside, GenSmarts predicts where you'll find records, calls your attention to where you're missing dates and places, but doesn't yet audit these suggestions against your sources.

Q) I subscribe to Ancestry.com...how do I get the this program to see what I have already accomplished at Ancestry.com...I don't seem to have a file, so how do I make one? (please be very specific). Thanks.
A) HELP...WELCOME WIZARD... on one of the beginning screens you'll find a link to software that will help you create a file (GenSmarts doesn't do this).

Q) How big a file can GenSmarts analyze?
A) The biggest file we've tested with is approximately 260,000 people.

Q) How do I remove a blue star from an ancestor?
A) My Genealogy File tab, FIND NEXT ROOT... CLEAR TAG... You only set/remove the root, and it ripples back through the direct line.

Q) why don't i get suggestions for some people?
A) Either GenSmarts doesn't understand the place name and/or dates involved, or the place names and dates involved simply don't overlap with any of GenSmarts known record inventory.

Q) Can I get suggestions for just one line?
A) Clear all the direct ancestor tags, then tag the root of the line you're interested and use the DIRECT ANCESTOR filter to only display suggestions for that line.

Q) How do I enter a to do item?
A) We don't have a feature yet that lets you add your own TO DO items. You will be able to add your own records inventory to analize against, though... coming Feb 2005.

Q) Do you recognize New Zealand?
A) Yes

Q) who do refresh?
A) Refresh/Reanalyze will repeat the analysis and take into consideration any changes you've made to your data since you last analyzed with GenSmarts.

Q) How do I register the program?
A) Sign up for support notices by sending an email to Subscribe@GenSmarts.com - anything in the body or subject will work.

Q) set root person
A) Try setting it to the most modern ancestor of the line you want to give priority to... Using the MY GENEALOGY FILE tab, find the person, then "TAG AS ROOOT". That will put a special blue star on that person, and a regular blue star on everyone else in the blood line behind them.

Q) Heritage Quest
A) Check your local library to see if you have free or discounted access.

Q) how do I change a county that gensmart picked for data clean up
A) Change your place name to include the correct county so GenSmarts won't have to try to default it for you.

Q) How do I get GenSmarts to go to another file?
A) Top line, FILE...OPEN...

Q) smartlink..
A) Does the typing for you when linking, but doesn't submit the search, allowing you to make changes, set options, etc.

Q) Data cleanup?
A) When GenSmarts does it's analysis, if it finds something in your data that it doesn't understand, it will put it in Data Cleanup.