Frequently Asked Questions

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Windows Conversion Program

There was a change in the Legacy database internals that is incompatible with the version of GedStar Pro that you are using. Go to the download page to download and install the latest release.

Compared to most downloaded software, GedStar Pro is a very low-volume product. Based on this fact alone, Norton Internet Security 2012 has been flagging the downloaded file as a "threat" based on what it calls "reputation", and removes it into its quarantine area. Note that it is not detecting any sort of virus in the file, but is going strictly by the volume of downloads among Norton 2012 users (a very small number, I am sure!).

To recover from this situation and be able to proceed with your installation, you can do the following:

  1. Open the main Norton window by double-clicking the icon in the notification area or by using the desktop icon or menu shortcut.
  2. Click on the link labeled Advanced.
  3. Under Computer Protection, click Quarantine.
  4. You should see the GedStar file near the top of the list. Click on it to select it, then click Restore & Options in the right-side pane.
  5. Click Restore and exclude this file, then Yes in the following dialog.

The file should be restored to wherever you originally intended it to be downloaded. Go there and proceed with installation, and thank you for your patience!

A file ending with ".gedstar" is the output file from your conversion and is the file that must be transferred to your Android device. It is created in your "My Documents\GedStar Pro" folder and may also be copied to your Dropbox folder.

A file ending with ".gdw" is a settings file for the conversion program. This is where your conversion options are saved so you don't have to enter them each time. These files can be stored anywhere on your system and you can have multiple gdw files if you have multiple genealogy data files.

The .gdw files are managed through the File menu on the toolbar (Open, Save, Save As). By default, the last one that you used is the one opened when the program starts.

The conversion option for photos might not be selected. Click on the Photos tab and select your conversion options there.

In some cases, it is difficult for GedStar to find the directory that Legacy is using as a default for photos. Run your Legacy Family Tree program and click on Options -> Customize, then select the Locations tab. Write down the directory name in the Picture Files box. It is probably something like "C:\Legacy\Pictures\".

Next, click on the View Current List of Multimedia Locations button and look at the list of directories that pops up. If you do not see the directory that you wrote down, click the Add button and browse until you get to that directory, click OK, then OK again in the Multimedia Locations dialog, then close the Customize dialog.

In most cases, this will take care of the issue. If not, then you may have to wait for an update that we are working on that will enhance GedStar's file search operations.

Yes. GedStar Pro supports photo conversion from GEDCOM files, but only when they are specified as links to photos (JPEGs, etc.) in individual files somewhere on your PC. Plus, not all genealogy programs export GEDCOM files that have photo links in them. Check your program's documentation or other resources to see if this feature is supported.

From what we can tell, the latest versions of Family Tree Maker store all photos internally in the genealogy database and do not produce GEDCOM fies with photo link specifications. So it is not possible as far as we know to get photos from FTM into GedStar Pro if they are stored that way. However, it has been verified that Family Tree Maker 2012 does support external photos, and a GEDCOM exported from FTM 2012 will convert correctly with photos.

Yes. When the data is extracted from a TMG database using the GenBridge module, any internal photos (or exhibits, in TMG terminology) are extracted to a temporary file that GedStar Pro can convert and import as if it were an external photo.

Yes. GedStar Pro works as always with this latest update.

This is caused by incorrect generation of the GEDCOM file and is usually the fault of your genealogy program not exportling some of your data correctly. Starting with V4.3.2 of GedStar Pro, there is a checkbox on the Options tab that lets the program ignore these lines. Your data will probably convert successfully with only a minor loss of text somewhere.

This is actually a mistake in the export of your GEDCOM file in the way that continuation (CONC) lines are implemented. To work around this, click on the Options tab and select the option labeled Space between continuation lines.

 

GedStar Pro Android App

Any Android device running Android 2.1 or later (including Honeycomb (3.x), Ice Cream Sandwich (4.x), and Key Lime Pie (5.x)) will work, provided that they have been certified so that they have access to the official Google Android Market. However, only the app for Android 4 and later has all of the latest features; earlier Android versions will no longer receive any updates.

No. Due to special file protection restrictions, it does not appear to work on a standard Nook. There are some 3rd-party solutions to get around these restrictions, but we cannot officially endorse any of these methods.

Yes, it will work well if properly installed, but this must be done by an installer app such as Easy Installer, which can be found on Amazon's Android Market. Dropbox can also be used to download and install the APK file in one easy step. GedStar Pro can only be made available for direct download at this time from the Google Android Market.

The file that you need to install is readily available for download from the download page on this web site. See the section labeled Android Application. You can transfer this file to your Kindle by a USB connection or by using Dropbox (see the next question).

You can also easily install the app simply by using the browser on your Kindle. Just follow these steps:

  1. In the main settings page on your Kindle, in the Device section, set Allow Installation of Applications to On.
  2. Start your browser and go to the regular download page on this site.
  3. Near the bottom of the page, tap the Download button to download the GedStar Pro application package file.
  4. When the download completes, you will see a down-arrow icon in your notification bar.
  5. Pull the notification bar down and tap the download notification message.
  6. Confirm installation of the GedStar Pro application.

Note that if you are going to use Dropbox to transfer your converted files, the procedure for installing that app is identical to this; see the Dropbox site for details.

Yes! We are highly recommending that you install the (free) Dropbox software on your PC and Android device. This lets you transfer your database file to the cloud and retrieve it wirelessly on your device. The GedStar Pro app will take it from there.

We have made this even easier with the latest version of the GedStar Pro Windows program, which can now copy your converted database directly to the Dropbox folder on your PC for a very seamless synchronization process. See the documentation page for more information.

The database file must be copied to the \GedStarPro directory on your device's "external file storage". On older smartphones, this was always a removable micro-SD card, so there was no confusion. However, many newer phones and tablets actually have multiple SD storage locations, usually consisting of an internal SD memory as well as a removable card (and even the removable cards are disappearing on newer designs).

If you have one of these devices -- and the Samsung Galaxy series is among them -- it is the internal file storage where the database file must go, and not the removable storage. This is one reason why we recommend the Dropbox or Google Drive method for transferring the file; it will automatically end up in the correct place!

If you think that your file is really in the correct location, then press your Menu key or icon, tap More, then tap Select Data File. This brings up a list of all the files that GedStar can see and allows you to select one for viewing.

GedStar Today Widget

GedStar Today is an Android home screen widget that is installed along with the GedStar Pro app. It gives you an on-screen display of any births, deaths, or marriages in your family tree for the current date, with the ability to see more details simply by tapping it.

Widgets do not show up in the list of applications, and many people are unaware of how to get them onto their screen. It depends on your Android version and device, but in most cases you just find a blank location on one of your home screens, then tap and hold on that spot. You will get an Android popup with Widgets as an option and can go from there to drag a widget to your screen.

By the way, if you have never installed a widget before, you will probably see a lot of interesting widgets from the Android system and other apps, such as those for clocks, weather, news, Facebook updates, etc.

We hope it's not because you didn't like it, but if you want to delete this or any other widget, just tap and hold it, then drag it to the trashcan icon that should appear somewhere.

 

Other Questions

Sorry, but no. There are too many reasons to list here, but it is something that we simply are not able to offer.