FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE FOR FAMILY HISTORY

Copyright 2010 by Donald R. Snow

• Welcome
• Genealogy Database Management Programs
• Other Genealogy Programs and Databases
• Graphics Programs
• Sound Programs
• Text Programs
• Computer Utilities
• Conclusion

• Instructors are Donald R. and Diane M. Snow ( snowd@math.byu.edu , dms34@juno.com ) of Provo, Utah; St. George, Utah; and Nauvoo, Illinois.
• These notes with active Internet links are posted on the Utah Valley PAF Users Group website http://uvpafug.org under Class Outlines , Don's Listings .  Many other class notes for family history are linked on the UVPAFUG website also.
• This class will discuss and demonstrate some programs that are freeware or inexpensive shareware for genealogy.
  • Freeware means completely free with no "nag" screens; can use freely and give copies to anyone else
  • Shareware means that if you like it and will use it regularly, you should send a specified donation (usually small) to the author at the address given in the program.
  • OpenSource means freeware including the source code, so you can edit it, if you know programming
• Nearly all of the programs below are freeware and many could be listed in more than one category 

1. PAF 5.2 -- http://www.familysearch.org/ -- Genealogy program from LDS Church; can get help from any Family History Center for it
2. PAF Companion 5.2 -- http://www.familysearch.org/ -- Additional reports not in PAF 5.2, including fan charts -- The free trial version only does 3 generations; full version is on CD bundled with PAF 5.2 CD from the LDS Church Dist Centers or can be purchased online
3. Family Insight -- http://www.ohanasoftware.com/ -- Free to use in FHC's - connects PAF files with New FamilySearch
4. Ancestral Quest -- http://www.ancquest.com/ -- Free to use in FHC's - works with PAF files, as well as AQ files - 60-day free trial of full program
5. RootsMagic -- http://www.rootsmagic.com/ -- Free to use in FHC's - has a free "lite" version
6. Legacy -- http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/ -- Free to use in FHC's - Standard version is free to all
7. Smart Genealogy -- http://freewareapp.com/smartgenealogy_download/ -- Freeware - can import/export Excel and GEDCOM files
8. PhpGedView -- http://www.phpgedview.net/ -- On and offline genealogy program to generate web pages from your GEDCOM; requires PHP (which is also free)

1. PAF Pal -- free now from http://www.ohanasoftware.com/  -- very helpful utility for PAF 5 databases to expand and contract US state names and other things.
2. GENViewer Lite -- http://mudcreeksoftware.com/genviewer.htm -- very helpful utility to read and analyze GEDCOM's or databases from several other programs
3. Addnote -- http://www.rootsweb.com/~gumby/ged.html -- utility to add a note to every record in a GEDCOM
4. Addsour -- http://www.rootsweb.com/~gumby/ged.html -- utility to add a source to every record in a GEDCOM
5. FamilySearcher -- http://myweb.cableone.net/kevinowen3/FamilySearcher.htm -- Searches IIGI and several other web sites for names in a GEDCOM
6. GEDCOM Viewer -- http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=90339 -- OpenSource program for GEDCOM files
7. OurTimelines -- http://ourtimelines.com/ -- Makes timeline of world events and can personalize it with up to 10 events of your own ancestor's life - can then save the html file and link it into your PAF program like a photo
8. WinTree -- http://www.decrock.net/m1a.html -- Shows large pedigree and descendant charts
9. OnePageGenealogy -- http://roots.cs.byu.edu/pedigree/ -- Makes pdf pedigree and/or descendant files of large GEDCOM's
10. Pedigree Viewer -- http://labs.familysearch.org/ -- Trial release of new FamilySearch program by LDS Church to view large pedigree and descendant charts
11. TreeDraw -- http://3d2f.com/download/37-824-treedraw-free-download.shtml -- Free version - does dropline charts from GEDCOM's
12. Parish Locater -- http://www.parloc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ -- Program and database of 15,000 parishes in the United Kingdom
13. Parish Locater for Windows -- http://web.onetel.net.uk/~gdlawson/parfind.htm -- Program and database of 25,000 parishes in the United Kingdom 
14. PRF Magnet -- on htp://www.ohanasoftware.com -- downloads data from Pedigree Resource File index, but not notes nor sources

1. Adobe Reader 9 -- http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/ -- Free reader for pdf files
2. PDFX-Change Viewer -- http://www.docu-track.com/home/prod_user/PDF-XChange_Tools/pdfx_viewer -- Useful pdf utility that, among other things, allows you to write on pdf files, e.g. to fill out a pdf form, and print and/or keep a copy of it
3. FastStone Capture -- http://www.aplusfreeware.com/categories/mmedia/FastStoneCapture.html -- Screen capture utility, including captures of entire scrolling screens; 5.3 is the last freeware version - later versions are shareware
4. FastStone Image Viewer -- http://www.faststone.org/download.htm -- Good image viewer that also has screen capture features, but not to capture scrolling screens
5. Namexif -- http://www.digicamsoft.com/ -- Extracts metadata (date and time the digital photo was taken) and puts it at the front of the file name, so sorting then puts photos in chronological order
6. Irfanview -- http://www.irfanview.com/ -- Photo editor, converter, and slideshower; many features, including batch conversions
7. Picasa 3 -- http://picasa.google.com/#utm_source=en-us-more&utm_campaign=en-pic&utm_medium=et -- Google's free photo editor and organizer
8. PhotoFiltre -- http://photofiltre.free.fr/frames_en.htm -- Photo editor with many features
9. Shutterfly Studio -- http://www.shutterfly.com/studio/overviews.jsp -- Photo editor with many features
10. GIMP for Windows -- http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html -- Windows interface for GIMP called GIMPShop -- Makes using GIMP much like PhotoShop, but free
11. Oscar's File Renamer -- http://www.portablefreeware.com/?id=69 -- good batch renamer that allows you to see the result before it actually changes the names

1. Audacity -- http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ -- Good sound recorder and editor
2. WavePad -- http://wavepad.en.softonic.com/ -- Sound recorder and editor 
3. VLC -- http://www.videolan.org/ -- good media player with adjustable audio/video spacing when sound and video aren't in sync 
4. Skype -- http://www.skype.com/download/ -- Program to talk for free with other Skype users worldwide through your computer, small charge to call land and cell phones worldwide; requires broadband connection

1. Jarte -- http://www.jarte.com/ -- Free, small, and very fast text editor that handles txt and rtf 
2. IBM Lotus Symphony office suite -- http://symphony.lotus.com/software/lotus/symphony/home.nsf/home -- Free and compatible with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; seems to work faster than OpenOffice 3 (see below)
3. OpenOffice 3 -- http://www.openoffice.org/ -- OpenSource office programs compatible with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and others
4. NotePad++ -- http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm -- Excellent OpenSource text editor - very useful for many formats
5. DoPDF -- http://www.dopdf.com/  -- Installs as a printer so you can "print" anything to pdf, e.g. genealogy reports
6. PDF Split and Merge -- http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfsam/ -- OpenSource program to split or combine pdf files
7. JOCR -- http://download.cnet.com/JOCR/3000-2192_4-10768898.html -- Freeware optical character recognition program for images of text on screen - small, fast, and works well, but requires that MS Word 2003 or later be installed
8. PDF-XChange Viewer -- http://www.docu-track.com/home/prod_user/PDF-XChange_Tools/pdfx_viewer -- Allows annotating pdf documents, e.g. filling out pdf forms and saving the result to print, email, etc.
9. Transcript -- http://www.jacobboerema.nl/en/Freeware.htm -- Helpful in transcribing from images of handwritten documents, keeps image and your typed text in sync as you move down the page
10. TreePad Lite -- http://www.treepad.com/treepadfreeware/ -- Tree-format personal information manager (PIM) and organizer 
11. Tinyspell -- http://tinyspell.m6.net/ -- Spell checker that works even in PAF notes
12. Eudora Email -- http://www.eudora.com/ -- Freeware email reader with many features; working on an OpenSource version
13. Thunderbird Email -- http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/products/thunderbird/ -- Email reader with many helpful features
14. Pegasus Mail -- http://www.pmail.com/ -- Email reader with many features 
15. Essential PIM -- http://www.essentialpim.com/?r=download -- Free personal information manager; good for entering appointments, calendars, To Do lists, etc.

1. BelArc Advisor -- http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html -- Utility to analyze and list your computer's hardware and software
2. Dropbox -- http://www.getdropbox.com/ -- Automatically backs up via the Interent whatever you put in the Dropbox folder on one computer to any other computer you specify
3. Everything search engine -- http://www.voidtools.com/ -- Fast desktop search engine for files on your computer 
4. Q-Dir -- http://www.softwareok.com/ -- Helpful two or more panel Explorer-type program for ease of checking, copying, moving, and deleting files
5. DupKiller -- http://www.dupkiller.net/index_en.html -- Fast program to find all the duplicate files on your computer
6. Power Defragmenter -- http://vistarewired.com/2007/02/15/defragment/ -- Good and fast defragger for your hard drives
7. Glary Utilities -- http://www.glaryutilities.com/  -- helpful computer utilities to keep your computer running smoothly; free for home use
8. Advanced SystemCare Free -- http://www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html?Str=download  -- helpful computer utilities
9. JustZipIt -- http://free-backup.info/justzipit.html -- Simple zip/unzip file compression program
10. WinHTTrack -- http://www.httrack.com/ -- Website copier for offline browsing and backing up  
11. PageNest Free -- http://dailyfreeware.net/2009/08/20/pagenest-free-edition-321/ -- Website copier for offline reading and backing up
12. Clipboard Magic -- http://www.cybermatrix.com/clipboard_magic.html -- Allows saving multiple items on clipboard
13. BurnAwareFree -- http://www.glorylogic.com/ -- Good CD burner
14. LogMeIn Free -- http://www.logmein.com -- Allows you to control your computer through another over the Internet -- LogMeIn Free is listed under Products

• These are just of few of the many helpful freeware or shareware programs that are available to use in family history -- To find others, see for example
  • http://www.pricelesswarehome.org/index.html -- List of freeware
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_software_packages -- Article and list of opensource freeware
  • http://www.fsf.org/ -- The Free Software Foundation
  • http://sourceforge.net/ -- The largest opensource software (freeware) development site
  • Find many other freeware programs by Googling things like "genealogy freeware" or "free software for family history"
• Many of the freeware programs are better than the corresponding commercial programs.