RootsMagic Genealogy & Family Tree Software

I've used both. RM4 is the only way to go.

Roots Magic essential or RootsMagic 4?? Which one??

Donna, You want RM4. It has many more options. And you can't beat the price. Essentials is free, but is more limited. It is good for family members who aren't into research as much as we are. It is a good way to share info with and gather info from them. To print all of the reports, etc. you want RM4. Just one opinion from a user. :-)

Brian, RM has a new program called RootsMagic Essentials. Your relatives can download this program for free. http://www.rootsmagic.com/Essentials/ You can then e-mail them a GEDCOM file. They can make changes and e-mail it back to you. RM will let you sync the file into your database. Of course, you can still print charts and send them to relatives and get them to send them back. :-)

Thanks a bunch, Joey! I'll give it a go. :)

Jerrilynn, you won't be disappointed with RM4. It's great!

Definitely will not be disappointed. I bought and tested several and RM4 is by far the best.

Go to "Tools" ... "File Options" ... "General" ... and you have an option to chose a number automatically given by RM4 as you enter a person (Record Number) ... or a number you assign yourself (Reference Number) ... or no number at all.

RM3 had an option to print blank child records to fill the page. I haven't found this option yet in RM4. There are options to change the layout of the Family Group Sheet, though. Maybe an upcoming update will add the blank child records back as an option. :-)

Hope So. I would hope that they would make it so it prints the family notes and the endnotes one right after the other. It would take up less paper. They used to have the option to have them on a new page for not.

Charlotte, there is still an option to start the notes on a new page. You can also set the sources to print as footnotes instead of end notes so that they are at the bottom of the page as opposed to a new page. I think this will print the info continuously, as you want to do.

Joey, use the "Tools" tab, the merge option. There's a Duplicate search merge device.

Reubin, I think the "Merge" option allows you to merge people, or sources, or repositories. But I don't think it will allow you to merge individual facts for a single person. For example, if you have multiple birth facts for a person, I haven't found an option that will merge them for you. I think we have to change the info in the edit screen. ... See MoreI think my friend is going to have to manually clean up each person in her database. It isn't a matter of merging people, but of merging facts. If anyone else has a solution, let me know. Thanks!

Ancestry should be one of your choices on the WebSearch view. This view will also allow you to add custom search providers.

It work! The funny thing is that the tab was stairing me in the face all the time. There are so many goodies on this package that I really need to take the time to read the manual.....It's so easy to get caught up with the data entry.

This is one of the better purchases that I've made!

Claud, until you're able to access the "new" FamilySearch, I would paraphrase the reply that Joey Mimbs gave me.

"...[FamilySearch] should be one of your choices on the WebSearch view. This view will also allow you to add custom search providers."

In addition to Ancestery.com Claud, you can add the public FamilySearch web site onto the WebSearch tab.