An easy to understand manual to help you learn Personal Ancestral File (PAF), a genealogical software that can be downloaded free from www.familysearch.org in a choice of several languages. The manual comes with a CD for practicing the lessons. The CD also contains complimentary information from the Ogden Family History Center.
The PAF manual can be purchased for $14.95 by calling the toll free number 1-800-574-5779. It is presently published by Granite Publishing & Distribution LLC, Orem, Utah. You will also find them under http://www.granitepublishing.biz.

Cover of Learning the New Personal Ancestral File

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6. The GEDCOM has been imported into your newly created file and you can “read“ it. The spouse at die Family View screen will be Jane Elizabeth Waters. Switch her to the Primary position and click on the “Pedigree“ button on the Tool Bar and you will see four generations of her family.

7. Since this data has come from a GEDCOM, it may need “cleaning up.“ That is, it needs to be checked for accuracy and duplicates. Click on “Search,“ then on “Individual List,“ and highlight each person‘s name starting at the top. Look at the data at the right and see if you can spot errors in the way the data was entered. If you feel one needs editing, dick on “Edit“ at the bottom and correct the data, then return to the ‘Individual List.“ Click OK.

Match / Merge

8. At a “Family View“ screen (or a Pedigree View screen), click on “Tools“ on the Menu Bar. Click on “Match/Merge.“ Ordinarily, you would make a backup of your file before doing a match/merge, especially if you have edited the file since your last backup. In this case, we won‘t have to, so click on “No“ at this question.

9. The first screen for a match/merge will be “Match/Merge Options“ where you just click “OK.“ On the next screen click on “Next Match“ at the bottom of the screen. If the computer picks up any possible duplicates, it will show a split screen showing the two individuals. If they appear to be the same, click on “Merge,“ then on “Next Match.“ When there are no more possible duplicates, the computer will say “No More Matches.“ Click on OK, then on “Close“.

Note: The Match/Merge process will be discussed more fully below.

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