1. Why can't I find my family name on your site?

• Many times there is information available on the site for your family, but it might be hiding under another spelling. Try using the Name Variants button located above the Last Name field on the Ancestry Archive search screen. This tool can help you to locate any possible variations on the name for which you are searching while allowing you to search on all the names at the same time. For more information about surnames and how to find spelling variations, see our article What's in a name? Part 2: Your Surname.
• Another option to finding information on your family names is to upload your family tree to the site. Posting your information publicly allows others who are researching the same individuals to contact you to collaborate. You can either submit a copy of your tree in GEDCOM format or you can use our free online genealogy program, MyTrees Online, to build it right on the site.
• Even after you have tried all those options, sometimes there just isn't anything available on our site for a particular name. In that case, let us know! We are always adding to our site and would love to be able to help you find what you need. Send us an email to feedback@mytrees.com and let us know the names or places for which you are doing research. We'll try to add something to our archives that would benefit your research.

• The main focus of genealogy websites is to help you find your deceased ancestors. Due to increased risk of identity theft and privacy concerns, we do not knowingly post any information on living individuals on our site. This also includes anyone who has been recently passed away as their information, while considered to be in the public arena, may not have been added to public records yet. Our site does not post information on anyone that is determined to have been born in the last 90 years and for whom no death date is listed.

• When you post your family tree on our site, you can usually view it through the MyTrees Online program within a few minutes of it being completely uploaded. HOWEVER, if the file is very large (more than 20,000 names) it can take anywhere from 5 minutes to a few hours, depending on the file size, to completely upload. If you are unable to view your file after uploading it, please wait 24 hours and then try again. If you are still unable to view the file 24 hours after uploading it, please contact us at fee dback@mytrees.com so that we can look into the matter.
• If you are attempting to view your own tree by searching for it in the Ancestry Archive it will not automatically show in your search results. The search screen assumes that you do NOT want to see any search results on information that you already have, so it excludes any results from your posted family tree. If you DO wish to see the results anyway you can do so by unchecking the "Do NOT search my GEDCOMs" option near the bottom of the Ancestry Archive search screen.

• MyTrees.com does not divide up our various collections of information into different subscriptions. Once your account is active, you can access all of the collections and services on the site. The only exception is that to use the Every Name Search, you will need to have posted a family tree.
• Our newest collection of records is called Books and Records, found under the Search tab at the top left of the site. This collection is the full text of many different genealogy related books and other source records like "Obituaries from Fulton County Indiana in 1914," "The 1790 US Census for Hampshire County, Massachusetts," and "The Daily Mining Gazette - April 1913 - September 1913, for Houghton County, Michigan," to name a few. To view the full list of all available records in the Books and Records database, click here.
• Other collections of records on the site are listed under the Searches menu on the left. Categorized by Ancestry Archive Searches and Specialized Searches, there are more databases located under our Location and Country searches; click the country in which you are interested. You can search by individual collection. When you search using the Ancestry Archive screen these collections will automatically be included in your search results. Note: Although the Ancestry Archive will search Extracted Records, results from these databases will be found at the end of your search results; the Ancestry Archive search is prioritized to display only 500 results, with pedigree linked data displayed first. Because you can only view 500 results, sometimes the Extracted Records results will get left out. If you are searching for a common name and you want to view the Extracted Records results, search using the All Extracted Records search.

• You can see a complete list of what record collections we have available in the Extracted Records by going to the left side menu under Specialized Searches. There the records are broken down by country and, if you click the link for a particular collection, you can choose to search only in that collection.
• Our other record collection is the Books and Records search available through the Search menu at the top of our site. This collection is the full text of different types of records for many different areas. They range from marriage records to obituaries to newspaper records. You can type in a name, place, or other keyword to search through all the records. You will need to register an account with us in order to complete a search in the Books and Records database and to view the complete entry, but must have an active subscription.

• When you do a basic search, the search results that come back for you to view are limited to any record that has the exact spelling of the name you requested. The advantage of the Surname Browse is that you can see all of the different variations of the same name that are in our archive. For example, if you are looking for the German surname Schaberg, using the Surname Browse would let you easily see that we also have the surnames of Schaberg, Schaberger, Schabelburg, and other similar names in our database. For more information about surnames and why you would want to search on spelling variations, see our article What's in a name? Part 2: Your Surname.

• The family trees on our site allow for the upload of pictures, html biographies, and all source information is listed in the notes for each individual or family. You can have multiple parents for the same individual, such as what occurs with adoptions. You can also easily download a portion of any tree on our site to your computer or, if you have your tree built on our site, you can transfer a piece directly to that tree and graft it in.

• Before you run out and purchase any subscriptions to any genealogy website, the first step should be consolidating all the fthat you already have and anything that you can get from your relatives. Once you have all that information collected into a family tree, you will better be able to know which areas need to be researched and which ones already have the research complete. We recommend starting with a free genealogy program like Legacy or PAF that you can download to your computer. Click here to review and download the Legacy genealogy software.

• While it is good to have hard copy of those birth certificates or marriage returns, it is hard to put your hands on a particular document when you need it. The best solution is to: (1) Organize your papers and (2) Get a genealogy program. Having your information in a digital format makes it much easier to find the record for which you are searching at a moment's notice.
• For more information on organizing your papers, we suggest reading Karen Clifford's article, "Where Did I Put That Paper? A website tutorial on Organizing your genealogy materials", which was listed in our April 2004 newsletter.
• As good as paper is, it is also time consuming to flip through. We highly recommend converting from paper copies to electronic copies. You can easily store all your genealogy information in one place and access it much easier. Most genealogy programs have options to print out our information as a book or genealogy charts if you still want paper copies. An added advantage is that you then don't have to be concerned that others will not be able to read your handwriting.

• If you are seeing a family tree on our site that you believe to be yours, but you no longer have access to the account, just contact our Customer Service Department and they can help you to retrieve your account information. Storing your family tree on our site is a free service and you can continue to edit and add to a family tree for as long as you like with no charge. Also since you have uploaded your family tree to our site it acts as a off-site backup of your research and will be able to download the entire tree at any time you wish. You can reach us at feedback@mytrees.com or by phone at (801)229-7967.

• Our accounts only allow one person to edit any particular family tree. That is why we set up Family Access login. Family Access allows you to give free, full viewing rights to your tree to your friends and family. They will need your account number and Family Password. Your Family Password is a separate password, NOT the one you use to log into your personal account. If you have not already set up a Family Password, you can do so by selecting "Update Personal Information" under the My Account menu on our site. That way you can control what content is added to your tree as you maintain full editing rights, but your family can view all your research and suggest changes or updates.

• The biggest reason that you should upload your GEDCOM is that your computer may crash. Over the years we have heard many heart-breaking stories of researchers who had to start over completely because their computer crashed and their backup disks did not work. In many cases their computer failure took all their years of research with it. Uploading your GEDCOM to MyTrees.com insures that you will always have a backup of your priceless research. We use repetitive backups onsite and offsite to insure that when you upload your file to us, it's safe from any kind of calamity.
• The second reason is that you are not usually the only one looking for information on a certain individual or family line. Having your tree posted allows you to get in contact with others who are doing the same research, as the saying goes, "Divide and Conquer."
• The third reason is that the first time you post your tree on our site, you get a free month of subscription services and you can request an Every Name Search on your tree. This is an automated searching option that allows you to have us search through all the records on the site and match them against the names in your tree. A search results list is then created and you can browse through the possible matches instead of painstakingly searching for one name at a time.

• When you have a long list of names to research, sometimes it's hard to keep track of what you have already researched. If you have your family tree posted on our site, you have the option of using the Every Name Search with your paid subscription. The Every Name Search allows you to request a match of all the names in your tree or only the ends of the lines where your search has stopped. The Every Name Search is an automated search that takes your family tree and searches through all the records on our si te, looking for potential matches to your records which have dates. It then builds a Search Results list for you to view at your leisure. It greatly speeds up research as, instead of plugging in one name at a time through the regular search screen, the searching is done for you and you only need to go through the search results.

• One of the advantages of having your tree posted on the site is that you have the option to copy information from the site directly to your tree. When you find a family tree in our Ancestry Archive that has information that you would like to add to your own family tree, you can add it directly into your tree without needing to download it in GEDCOM format. Access the tree through locating it in a search result, and when the pedigree chart is displaying, go to the bottom of that page to the section that has a large green button that reads "Download." Choose how many generations you would like to download using the number drop box next to "generations GEDCOM file to your:" and then click in the circle next to "MyTrees." Then click on that download button. Those generations from that tree will then be added directly to your family tree posted in the MyTrees Online section of the site. If you have any doubts about the information you are about to add, backing up the family tree using the Backup link on the left of MyTrees Online, will help you to recover your original file if needed.
• If you do not have a family tree posted on the site you can download a GEDCOM to your computer's hard drive. As in the previous entry, display a family tree in which you are interested from the Search Results. Then at the bottom choose "PC" by clicking in the circle to the left of it. Then click on the green Download button. A small save window will come up and you will be asked where you want to save the file on your computer. Most PC computers save these types of files to the your desktop or to the myd ocuments folder on your computer. Once you have saved it, you will want to import it into a genealogy program in order to view it.

• One of the benefits of posting your tree on our site is that you have a backup whenever needed. To download a copy of any tree that you have posted you will need to first log into your account. Now go to the tree through the MyTrees tab at the top of the site, choosing "View Your Tree" from the drop down menu, or through the "MyTrees Online" link that is in the Short Cuts menu on the left. Once your file is displaying, click on the "Download Tree" link at the left. In the Generations scroll box, scroll t o the end of the list and select "Entire Tree." Then click the Download button. A Save window will appear, allowing you to choose where you would like to save the file on your computer.

• Ancestry Archive Search:
  1. The first way to narrow your search results on the Ancestry Archive Search screen is to search for one person with a first and last name. If you are searching for only a surname you might get a very large list of results.
  2. Next include a smaller span of search years that would cover the life of that person, usually a span of 100 years beginning some 5 to 10 years before they were born and that same amount after they died. That way you can include records that have an "About" date and not an exact year.
  3. Try an even smaller span of search years that would cover just the years for their birth, marriage, or death.
  4. If you still have too many results, try adding in other family names. Add in just the fathers name (first and last). They try adding the mother's first name only. If you add a surname for the mother and there is a record that has only her first name, you will not see that record come up in the search results list.
  5. If you don't find anything or find too much by using the parents' names, then erase their names and enter in the spouse using their first and/or last name.
  6. Another option is that if you are looking for all the children of a particular couple you can enter in the surname only and then the parents names with a span of search years that would include all the children.
• Genealogy and Family Location Search Index:
  1. If you are interested in searching by geographic area, use the "Genealogy and Family Location Search Index" that is on the bottom of the homepage. You can narrow down to a specific area starting with country and see what is available.

• MyTrees.com does not provide any paid research services other than general assistance with the site or other general advice. If you wish to contract a professional genealogist to research for you, we suggest Genealogy Research Associates. We also maintain a list of other professional genealogists, which is organized by area of research specialty. To view this list, which includes contact information for each genealogist, click here or select "Professional Genealogists" under the Resources menu on our site.

• Most communities have some kind of genealogical organization that can help you. The Family History Centers (FHC's) that are run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are a great resource. They are free, open to the public, and many have computers, microfische readers, and other research tools available. To find if there is one in your area go to their website at http://www.FamilySearch.org and click on the Library tab at the top and th en choose "Family History Centers." Once you find one in your area, make sure that you call them first to check on hours and availability of help.
• Another option is to contact your local historical society. We maintain a growing collection of genealogy libraries under the Resources menu at the top of the site. Click the area in which you are interested and then click the Search button. Many historical societies charge a nominal fee to use their facility, so calling first before you go is a good idea.
• Many public libraries also maintain special collections of historical items, such as historical newspapers and books of local family genealogies. Most of these items are usually available to search through for free, but some might be restricted due to fragility of the items and you would need to pay any fees for copying items. Many librarians are also very knowledgeable about where you can find local information so don't miss the chance to ask them some questions. Also many public libraries also offer online access to many genealogy services link Heritage Quest, so don't forget to ask your librarian about this too.

• The best way to store those pictures is to digitize them. By scanning them into your computer, you can protect those precious images, many times irreplaceable, and make them much easier to access. We have previously published two excellent articles about the subject titled "Digitizing and Archiving Old Photos" and "Digitizing Old Slides". You can find them under the Resources menu at the top of the site.

• Footnote.com has put together an amazing collection of historical images, from Revolutionary War Pension records, to Naturalization records, to US Federal Census records. The records are searchable and crystal clear. So as to not duplicate a service that is already available, we have provided an easy to use search of those records right from our site. If you choose to click through to FootNote.com, you would be responsible for any subscription fees to access their information.