FAQ

PAF is the Personal Ancestral File software provided free (or for a minimal CD charge) at the FamilySearch website. It is powerful database software loaded with features that can simplify and organize your family history work, and that can help you create reports, books, and even websites.
(return to list) (top of page)

Where can I get PAF?

The website www.familysearch.org is the overall location for downloading and ordering PAF products:

PAF 5, PAF 4, and related downloadable PC products and

PAF for Macintosh, PAF for DOS, and PAF on CD-ROM or disk.

(return to list) (top of page)

I'm new at using a computer, and I don't understand the PAF Users Guide or PAF program. Where can I get PAF for Idiots?

Working with PAF is a skill you can acquire with practice. We recommend that you download our tutorial on starting with PAF, and also download and work through the lessons that come with PAF 5.
(return to list) (top of page)

Why should I bother to upgrade to a newer version of PAF?

We suggest that you consider Mary Lou Harline's excellent review of PAF 5. The major reason to upgrade is because the world is moving ahead, and you will need to move with it for your database to remain accessible and usable.
(return to list) (top of page)

Does PAF 5 have a Help section, or a Users Guide?

It does, indeed. Access these resources through the Help pull-down menu within PAF 5. The searchable Help section, the Users Guide, and the Lessons are all available through this menu.
(return to list) (top of page)

Is PAF available for palmtop devices or handheld computers?

Absolutely -- as long as you run PAF 5 and have a Palm operating system (Palm OS)..

You can download the installation file for PAF for Palm OS. Note that it is it at the bottom of the list of downloadable items -- easy to miss if you don't scroll down!
(return to list) (top of page)

I'm nervous about registering online for the PAF software. What will FamilySearch do with the information?

Your registration information helps the PAF developers know who is using PAF. The PAF team assures us that your name and contact information are kept private and are neither given nor sold to any other group, for any purpose.
(return to list) (top of page)

How can I transfer my data from a Mac to PC, or from an older version of PAF into PAF 5?

Moving your dataset from one platform to another, or from one version of PAF to another, is sometimes simple and sometimes complex. We suggest that you download our free conversion tutorial as a guide. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4 or 5, you can download and install it free as well.
(return to list) (top of page)

When I try to install PAF 5, I get a 'kernal' error. What should I do?

This answer is adapted from the PAF 5 e-mail list:

Two things you can do first try re-installing. BUT, this time make sure everything is closed down. That is, you should only have EXPLORER (your Windows system) and SYSTRAY running - nothing else. Do this by pressing CTRL-ALT-DELETE. In the box that pops up highlight each program in turn and press END TASK. Repeat that process until only the above two are left. Then proceed to do a normal Windows install:

START--
SETTINGS-->
CONTROL PANEL-->
ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS
and then browse to where you have the PAF setup files. Select that and click OPEN.

If that fails to work, and it shouldn't, you can download a new version of kernel32.dll. However, the second step (above) is a last resort. You will most likely find that by following the first suggestion you will have the program up and running in no time. It's always best to close everything down when installing ANY program, and to then follow the normal install procedure. By doing this you avoid possible conflicts between shared DLL files. It also means that when it comes to uninstalling any program installed in this way, you will remove all of the program, and only leave behind shared DLL's. That's using the same procedure as above of course, but clicking on ADD/REMOVE instead of INSTALL.
(return to list) (top of page)

Can I transfer my files into PAF from another genealogy or family history software program?

Yes, you can. In your current program, export your data as a GEDCOM. GEDCOM is a genealogical file exchange protocol, which allows people using a variety of genealogy programs to exchange data in a pre-set format. If they didn't use this format, the information wouldn't be available in a way that different programs could use it.

In PAF, use the Import function (under the File pull-down menu) to import the GEDCOM. You may find that you experience some error messages. Keep track of any such messages and track down any problems. The import process is relatively seamless, but not foolproof.
(return to list) (top of page)

Does PAF 5 run on Windows ME or Windows XP?

Yes to both. Occasionally, ME and XP users report some problems, including a general slowdown of the program after about 20 new individuals are entered. Also, some users report difficulty changing the content of some entry fields. However, these problems are not widespread. Sometimes, rebooting solves the problem..
(return to list) (top of page)

Is there software that converts scanned census data or family group sheets into PAF files? This would be very convenient.

Sorry, we know of nothing like that.
(return to list) (top of page)

When you add a digital image of a photo to PAF 5, does it create a link to the original file, or does it copy the photo into PAF 5?

It creates a link to the original data file. This is why, if you're going to have a mobile database (e.g., a database you use on a laptop and a desktop machine, or a database you share with others), you need to be sure to put everything in the same place on all computers that will access the database. In other words, if you file your photos (which are linked to PAF) under c:\My Documents\PAF Data\Images on one computer, be sure the folder named Images is located in the same path on any other computers where you'll use the database.

Here is the exception: If you use PAF to create a website, PAF duplicates the images and puts them all into a subfolder it creates.
(return to list) (top of page)

What do the the various PAF file extensions mean, and what versions of PAF do they go with?

Here goes...

.par The file the program makes when you create a file for temple work

.pal A log of the changes made to the PAF program. If you don't want this, you can uncheck the "log changes" option on the File tab on the Preferences options.

.zip .zip files are the backup files created in PAF 5. These are unpacked by loading them through the Restore function.

.dat These are the old database files for 2.31. There were six separate files (Indiv2.dat, marr2.dat, etc.)

.lst These are list files where PAF 2.31 through PAF 5 writes messages when it is doing a batch process. For example, when you load a GEDCOM file, every time PAF finds something wrong with a record, it writes an error message to the .lst file. Then at the end of the process, it opens WordPad so you can see when went wrong. It used to be that these messages were written to the screen, but then you could only see the last screen full.

.bak These are the backup files from versions of PAF prior to PAF 5. As with the current .zip files, these need to be unpacked by loading them through the Restore function.

(return to list) (top of page)