If you use TreeVault® Cloud Services and are transferring your FTM Source tree from one computer to another, you will want to ensure that the tree continues to update your TreeVault Antenna tree on the second computer. This article tells you how to transfer your FTM Source tree between computers using a USB flash drive and then connect it back to your Antenna tree.
To successfully transfer your tree file from one computer to another, you will first need to have FTM 2019 installed on both computers. You will also need a removable storage device (such as a burnable CD/DVD, a thumb or flash drive, or an external hard drive) to move your file. Alternatively, it can be transferred via a computer network or cloud storage.
The easiest way to transfer a tree from one computer to another, however, is by using a USB flash drive. If you don’t have one, it may be worth your time to purchase one before continuing with the steps below.
On the first computer:
1. Open FTM 2019 on the computer with your current FTM Source tree.
2. Make a full backup of your FTM Source tree. Click here to find out how.
3. Go to the location of the backup file you have created and copy the file to your flash drive.
4. Unplug your flash drive from the first computer.
On the second computer:
1. Insert the flash drive into an available USB port on the computer to which you want to transfer your FTM Source tree.
2. Copy the backup file to your computer’s hard disk before proceeding with the restoration process.
3. Open FTM 2019, click the File menu and choose Restore.
4. In the dialog that appears, navigate to the location where you saved the backup file, select the file, and then click Open.
5. The Save dialog opens. Select the location on your hard disk where you want your tree to be saved (FTM tree files are usually stored in the Family Tree Maker folder in your Documents folder). Then click the Save button to restore your tree from the backup. The restored tree opens in Family Tree Maker®.
6. Make sure you are logged in to TreeVault with the same account you used when creating the Antenna tree on the first computer. (If you are logged in to a different TreeVault account, click Cancel in the message that appears prompting you to create an Antenna tree, log out of TreeVault, and then log back in with the TreeVault account you were using on the first computer.)
7. Choose View > Tree Browser, or click the Select Tree pop-up menu on the far left of the main toolbar and then click Tree Browser. The Tree Browser window appears.
8. In the Tree Browser window, select TreeVault on the left and then click Next in the bottom-right corner of the window
9. Click the Find FTM Source Tree button.
10. Select your tree in the Results for FTM Source Tree column. Make sure that the selected tree is the tree that you restored in step 5 (double-check the tree name and its location). Then click Use as Source Tree.
Your tree is linked to the Antenna tree and becomes the FTM Source tree. Only changes to this new Source tree on the second computer will be applied to your Antenna tree; the FTM tree from which you made the backup on the first computer will no longer be linked to the Antenna tree.
Note: If you closed your restored tree after step 5 and performed steps 6–10 without an open tree, then the Source tree will open automatically. You can click Open This FTM Tree in the Tree Browser window at any time to open your Source tree.