This page contains answers to common questions handled by our support staff, along with
some tips and tricks that we have found useful and presented here as questions.
Types of Questions
Questions About the Product:
Back to Top
General Use Questions:
Back to Top
LDS Specific Questions:
Back to Top
Questions About the Product:
What is the current version of Legacy?
The current version of Legacy is 9.0. This version was initially released
17 April 2017. We update Legacy every few weeks and the new updates can be downloaded for free
from our web site. To update now, please
Click Here.
Back to Top
What are the system requirements?
- Pentium class computer.
- VGA or higher display.
- Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 (Legacy runs on newer Macs with Windows installed under Bootcamp,
Parallel or Fusion . Legacy runs on Linux machines with a Windows emulator
like VMWare or Sun's Virtual Box)
Note: Runs on 64bit Windows platforms.
- A Hard Disk room for at least 500 megabytes of available space.
- 8 GB of RAM minimum.
- A mouse.
- Internet connection recommended.
Back to Top
Where Can I Buy Legacy?
Click here to buy Legacy.
Back to Top
I have a new
computer. How can install Legacy Deluxe on it without buying the program
again?
Simply download the free Standard Edition and install it. The Deluxe features
are hidden inside the free Standard Edition. To unlock the Deluxe features,
start the program and click on Help > Unlock Legacy Deluxe. Follow the
prompts to enter your name and your Deluxe Customer Number and click the Unlock
button. Click
here if you lost your Deluxe Customer Number.
Back to Top
Where can I get help for download and
installation problems?
Click here for download and installation
help.
Where can I get technical support for a Legacy
program error?
Click here for technical support for a Legacy
program error.
Is there a version of Legacy for MAC
or Linux?
We don't have a Mac/Apple version of Legacy at this time. Legacy runs on newer Macs with Windows installed under
Bootcamp, Parallel or Fusion . Legacy runs on Linux machines with a Windows
emulator like VMWare or Sun's Virtual Box.
Back to Top
What are the free updates that should be installed
to Legacy?
Legacy 9.0, like its predecessor 8.0, has free updates that patch or fix
problems in the program plus add new features from time to time. Each update is identified by its "build date."
You can update your Legacy program by clicking on Internet > Check for
Legacy Update.... and follow the prompts or click
here to see the download page where you can get the free update.
Back to Top
Where can I find the "build date" of my
Legacy program?
You can find when the most recent update was made by starting Legacy,
clicking on Help then About and selecting General Information. This will open the Family File Information screen where build date of
the update is displayed in the center directly under the name of the
registered user. The build date can also be found by clicking on the Legacy
Home tab and going to the Updates box on the right side of the
screen.
Back to Top
Can I record alternate names for people?
Yes. You can record an unlimited number of alternate names for each individual. These
can include title prefixes and suffixes.
Back to Top
Does Legacy have a real sources database?
Yes. Source information is stored in a master source list database and each citation of
a source points to the main entry. You can cite a source any number of times without
having to retype it. In addition, the Source Clipboardtm allows you to cite a
source with the click of a button. You can also use AutoSourcetm to assign
sources to records as you import them.
Back to Top
What are some of the field sizes?
Field Name |
Length |
Given Name |
120 |
Last Name |
120 |
Dates |
45 |
Places |
255 |
General Notes |
1,000,000 |
Research Notes |
1,000,000 |
Medical Notes |
1,000,000 |
Marriage Notes |
1,000,000 |
There are many other information fields in Legacy. For a complete list of the field
lengths, click here to see the Features List.
Back to Top
How many events can I add for each person?
You can add an unlimited number of events to each individual. Each event can include
the event name, date, location and description.
Back to Top
Can Legacy import and export?
Certainly! Legacy imports all standard (and many non-standard) GEDCOM files produced by
other genealogy programs. It also imports Personal Ancestral File® (PAF) version 2.31,
3.x, 4.x or 5.x files and also Ancestral Quest version 2.5x and 3.x. Legacy exports several
varieties of
GEDCOM files for different destinations, including Legacy, GEDCOM 5.5, PAF, Ancestral
File, Pedigree Resource File, and generic. All exports can be customized to include the
amount of information you desire.
Back to Top
How many generations will Legacy handle?
Legacy handles an unlimited number of generations in each Family File. (Although
its probably only about 300 generations back to Adam and Eve
)
Back to Top
What reports can be produced?
Legacy prints a multitude of reports. Here are some of them:
- Family Group Sheet
- Descendant (Modified Register) Report
- Descendant Narrative Report
- Ancestor Report
- Timeline Report
- Pedigree Chart
- Lineage Report
- Individual Reports
- Ahnentafel (Ancestor) Book
- Modified Register (Descendant) Book
- Descendant Narrative Book
- Source Citation Report
- Potential Problems Report
- Surname Summary
- Relationship Report
- LDS Ordinance Report
- Ages Report
- Name List Report
- Blank Reports and Forms
- Census forms for the US for 1790, 1800/1810, 1820, 1830/1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880,
1900, 1910 and 1920, and Canadian census forms for 1851 and 1901
- Questionnaire
- Relationship Diagram
- Research Log
- Address Labels
- Name Tags
Back to Top
Does Legacy support pictures, sounds and video?
Yes. You can link each individual and marriage to an unlimited number of pictures. Each
picture can have an attached sound. Using pictures, sounds and video, you can create a
self-playing, narrated slide show and even a screen saver.
Back to Top
General Use Questions:
How can I display the family I was working on when
I start Legacy next time?
You can tell Legacy to start with displaying either the last person you were viewing,
or the Preferred Startup family. This is set on the General tab of the Options / Customize
window.
Back to Top
Why are some of the picture buttons colored and
others are not?
On many screens there are small buttons with pictures on them to access things like
pictures, notes, siblings lists, spouse lists, parents lists, addresses, and sources. If
there is already information contained in these, the corresponding button is colored. If
there is no information yet, the buttons are gray. This way, you can tell without having
to display the lists, if there is something contained in them.
Back to Top
How can I get back to my own entry after adding new
names?
Legacy has both a History List and a Bookmark List. The History List tracks the last
200 individuals you have viewed, added or edited. By clicking on the
Bookmark button in the
lower left corner of the Family/Pedigree view, you can choose to go back to anyone you
have been working with. The Bookmark feature lets you drop a place keeper on any person
you want to mark. Just right-click on the Bookmark button to drop a bookmark.
To return to a bookmark, click the Bookmark button and select the desired person, or, if they
were the last one set, just click on their name to the right of the
Bookmark.
Back to Top
How can I tell how many people and families are in
my Family File?
You can display information on your Family File by displaying the Family File Information
window. This is found on the Help pull-down menu. Along with the number of individuals and
families, this window also shows other useful information on your Family File and on the
Windows operating system in general.
Back to Top
How do I display two views of the same Family File?
You can display up to seven different views of Family File at the same time. To add
another view, select View / Split Screen from the Menu Bar. Using two or more views,
you can display different parts of your family tree at the same time, allowing you to make
comparisons.
Back to Top
How do I display two different Family Files at the
same time?
You can have two different Family Files open at the same time. This is a great way to
compare files. To add a second Family File, first, select View / Split
Screen from the Menu Bar and click the Yes button when prompted to open a
second file. Next
select the other Family File you want to see from the Open Family File
window. You can then click between the two Family
Files and all menu and toolbar commands work with the currently highlighted file.
You can even drag-and-drop people from one file to the other.
Back to Top
Can I change the background colors?
Sure. You can select any color for the background of the Family View and Pedigree View.
You can even choose a background pattern from a supplied list or display any bitmap file.
To change the background, right click on the background of either the Family View or
Pedigree View and choose Change Background Color/Pattern. The Background Colors and
Patterns window appears. Choose the color or pattern by clicking on it. If you want to
select a different color or pattern that is not displayed, press the Set button below the
color or pattern section.
Back to Top
How do I make the printing larger on the screen so
I can see it better?
Almost all the windows and dialog boxes in Legacy are re-sizable. When you stretch them
larger, Legacy automatically re-sizes everything on them, including the text. If the text
is smaller than what you can comfortably see, you can change the minimum font size by
choosing Fonts tab on the Options / Customize screen. Change the Min. Font Size
setting in the Screen Fonts box to a larger number and then press Save.
Back to Top
How do I add an additional set of parents to a
person?
Legacy supports linking to multiple parents. This lets you track adoptions and other
parent-child relationships. To add an additional set of parents to an individual, begin my
moving the person to the Husb or Wife position on the Family View or the current position
on the Pedigree View. Next, right-click on the persons name and then choose View /
Parents List from the popup menu. The Parents List appears.
If you want to add a new set of parents that are not yet in the Family File, press the
Add New Parents button on the lower left. A new set of parents, both named
"Unknown", appears in the Parents List. You can then use the Edit Father and
Edit Mother buttons to fill in their actual information.
If you want to add additional parents by linking to an existing couple, press the Link
to Existing
button and choose the parents from the Marriage List.
Back to Top
How do I select which parents are shown?
To change the parents displayed for individuals that have more than one set linked to
them, right-click on the name of the person for which you want to switch parents. The
Parents List appears. Double-click on the parents you want to display. You
can also click in the background area between the parents box and the edge
of the screen when in Family View to quickly toggle between sets of parents.
Back to Top
How do I add a new, unlinked person?
To add a person to your Family File that is not linked to anyone else in the file,
choose New Unlinked Individual from the Add pull-down menu. An Individuals
Information screen appears where you can enter the vital statistics for the new person.
When you press the Save button, the new person is added to the Family File with no link to
any other person. You can later link this person into your line if you find where they
fit.
Back to Top
How do I combine two people into one?
From time to time you will find two (or more) people in your Family File that you feel
are really the same person. You can easily merge the two by pressing the Merge picture
button on the toolbar. The Merge Two Individuals screen appears with current person loaded
on the left. If this is not one of the people you want to merge, press the Select Left
button and choose the correct individual from the Name List. Next, press the Select Right
button and choose the other person. When the two have been loaded, you can see the
differences in information and choose which pieces you want to keep. To actually merge the
two individuals into one, press the Merge Right Individual into Left Individual button.
Back to Top
How do I calculate the birth date from a
persons age when they died?
The information found on a gravestone will often include the date of death and how old
the person was when he or she died. From this age information you can quickly and easily
calculate the birth date. To do this, press the Calendar button on the toolbar to display
the Calendar window. Click on the Date Calculator tab and then enter the date the person
died in the Death Date field. Now enter the age of the person in the Years, Months, and
Days fields. To figure the birth date, press the Calculate button. The birth date appears
in the Birth Date field.
Back to Top
How do I print a summary list of all the surnames
in my Family File?
Bring up the Name List by pressing the Name List button on the toolbar. Press the
Print
button at the bottom-center. The List Report Options window appears. Click the
Surname Summary checkbox near the bottom-right corner. Finally, press Preview or Print to
view or print the report. The report includes each surname, how many times they appear in
the list and the range of birth dates involved.
Back to Top
Can I print a report of all the names I entered
today?
Sure. This is done through the Search screen. Press the Search button on the toolbar to
display the Search window. Click on the Detailed Search tab. Select Individual in the Look
for Who? combo box. Select Added Date in the Where to Look combo box. Select Equal To in
the How to Look combo box. And finally, fill in todays date in the What to Look for
text box on the right. Now press the Create List button on the bottom. A list will be
created containing all the individuals you added today. You can then print the list by
pressing the Print
button.
Back to Top
Where do I record addresses?
Mailing addresses are entered from the Individual Information screen by pressing the Address
icon near the top-right. You can enter a name, up to three address lines, two
phone numbers, an e-mail and Internet address.
You can event an Event address (like a church where a christening took
place) by clicking on the + button to the right of the Born, Chr., Died or
Bur. location in the Individual Information screen or clicking the Address
icon in the Add or Edit Event Screen.
Repository addresses are entered by clicking the Add or Edit Master
Source Definition Screen buttons and selecting the Repository tab.
Back to Top
How can I tell how old someone was when they were
married or died?
Simple. Just make the person current on either the Family View or Pedigree View and
then choose Ages
from the View pull-down menu. The Ages window appears showing the
date, age and day of the week for birth, christening, death and marriage for the person
and their current spouse.
Back to Top
How do I change the format used to display dates?
Legacy lets you select the format used to enter and display dates. This is done by
choosing Options / Customize to display the Preferences screen. Click on the Dates tab and
select the desired format. Other date option are also available from this screen.
Back to Top
How do I rearrange the order of children?
To change the order that children are displayed, right-click on the list of children on
either the Family View or Pedigree View. Choose Children Settings from the popup
menu. (You can also choose Children Settings
from the Edit pull-down menu.) The
Children List appears. To move a child from one location to another, click on the name to
highlight it, then use the up and down arrows in the lower right corner to move the name
up or down in the list. Continue with any other children you want to move and then press
Close. (You can also sort the list into birth date order by pressing the Sort button.)
Back to Top
How can I easily find all the oldest and youngest
generations in my Family File?
Legacy includes some miscellaneous searches that let you easily do this. Press the
Search button on the toolbar. Click on the Miscellaneous Searches tab. You can then choose
which type of list you would like to create.
Back to Top
When I did a GEDCOM import, some dates were bad.
How do I find them now?
See the previous question. One of the miscellaneous searches is to find all records
with bad dates.
Back to Top
How do I submit my Family File to the Ancestral
File?
Simply choose Export To / GEDCOM File
from the File pull-down menu to display the
GEDCOM Export window. In the Produce File For combo box, choose LDS Ancestral File.
Make sure the Records Selection box is set to the records you want to export.
If you want to exclude certain information from the Ancestral File GEDCOM, press the
Customize
button to view the Items to Include window. You can also
protect the privacy of living individuals by checkng the Suppress
details for Living people box. When you are ready to produce
the GEDCOM file, press START EXPORT. You are then prompted for a file name and drive. The
drive is usually A: or B: so the file will be put on a floppy. The Ancestral File
submission GEDCOM file is then produced. To complete the process, just send the diskette
(or diskettes) to:
Family History Department
ATTN: Ancestral File Contributions
50 East North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150
Back to Top
When I am importing records, how do I
automatically assign a source to them so I will know where they came from?
A great feature in Legacy is the ability to assign a source to all records as they are
imported. This is called AutoSourcetm. When you are about to begin an import,
Legacy prompts you for a source citation. You can then select an existing source from the
Master Source List or create a new source for each record to cite. This lets you later see
where these records came from.
Back to Top
LDS Specific Questions:
What about
Legacy and FamilySearch Family Tree integration?
Legacy Family Tree is certified to interact and optionally synchronize
with the FamilySearch Family Tree. Using Legacy, you will be able to take
advantage of new collaboration and searching tools, and for members of the LDS
church, enhanced tools for ordinance work. For a few years now, we have been
developing Legacy’s integration tools.
What kinds of ordinance reports are included in Legacy?
You can print ordinance reports for:
- All records, (with or without ordinance dates). (All, partial or none.)
- Only records with one or more missing dates. (Incomplete.)
- Only records with all dates filled. (All.)
- Only records with one or more ordinance dates filled. (Partial or all.)
All individuals on the reports show the surrounding family members so you can determine
who you are really looking at.
Back to Top
|