This page is intended to give you a quick start so that you can begin enjoying My Roots. You might want to print out this page so that you can easily refer to it while installing My Roots.
My Roots is actually made up of two components:
My Roots - an application that runs on your Windows Mobile handheld computer
The My Roots Conversion Utility - an application that runs on your desktop computer
These components are separate files available on the Downloads page. There is not a separate download for the registered version of My Roots. If you purchase My Roots, and you've already got the trial version installed, just enter your registration code as described below, and it will become the registered version.
All users will need to install My Roots on their handheld, as described below. The conversion utility is used to get data from your favorite desktop genealogy application (e.g., Family Tree Maker, Legacy, PAF, RootsMagic, etc.) into My Roots. While it is possible to enter all your data directly on your handheld, most people will want to install the conversion utility, and use it to import data.
When you download My Roots, you actually get a file called something like Install_MyRoots_4_01.zip. The first step is to download it to your desktop computer's hard drive. Make sure to remember the directory to which you saved it. Then connect your handheld device, double-click on the file, and follow the on-screen instructions. The easiest thing to do is to answer Yes when it asks if you want to install it into the default application install directory.
To run My Roots on your handheld, go to Start, Programs, and tap on My Roots.
If you've purchased the registered version of My Roots, run it by going to Start, Programs, and tapping on the My Roots icon. Then tap on the Options menu and select Register. At the registration screen, enter the entire 10-digit registration code, and tap on the ok button. If the message says that your registration code was accepted, you're all done!
You might instead get a message that says something like, "This is not the correct registration code for John Doe". If this happens, it's almost always due to one of two reasons. The first is that you entered your registration code incorrectly, perhaps by transposing two of the digits. Try entering it again and see if it's accepted.
If it does not accept the registration code, and you're sure you've entered it correctly, it's probably not the right registration code for your handheld. At the time of purchase, you were asked to enter the Owner Name of your handheld. Since registration codes are based on this name, if you entered the wrong one, the registration code you were sent will not work. For example, your Owner Name might be "John M. Doe", but you entered "John Doe". In these cases, please send an email to support@tapperware.com, tell us the EXACT spelling of the Owner Name given in the error message, and we will send you a corrected registration code.
The download for the conversion utility is a file called something like Install_MRConvert_4_01.zip. Once it's downloaded, extract the only file it contains, which is called Install_MyRoots_4_01.exe. Then simply double-click on that file, and follow the on-screen instructions. Unless you have good reason to do otherwise, you should let it install into the default location, which is:
C:\Program Files\My Roots Conversion Utility for Pocket PC
To run the conversion utility, just select it from the Start Menu.
The first step in getting data from your desktop genealogy program into My Roots is to save that data to a GED file. Since all genealogy programs are different, you'll need to check your program's documentation on how this is done, but typically, there will be an Export option on the File menu for saving your genealogy data to a GED file. Before creating your GED file, check the My Roots FAQ to see if there are notes specific to your genealogy program. When creating the GED file, make sure to remember the directory in which you saved it. Then follow the instructions below.
Connect your handheld device
Run the conversion utility as described above
Click on the Browse button to the right of Import
Navigate to the directory where you created your GED file and select it
Click on the Import button
The import process might take a few minutes if your GED file contains a lot of data, so please be patient. When it's finished, run My Roots on your handheld and you will see a list of your databases, including the one you just imported! If My Roots was open on your handheld during the import, tap on the Refresh button to see the new database.
For complete information on using both My Roots and the My Roots Conversion Utility, please check the Manual. We strongly recommend that you read through the entire document once, because it will probably end up saving you time in the long run. If you still have questions, please send an email to support@tapperware.com, and make sure to include:
The brand and model of your handheld device (e.g., HP iPAQ h1945)
The version of My Roots you're using (to find the version number, select About from the menu)
The operating system running on your desktop computer, e.g., Windows XP
If you're getting an error message, the exact text of the message
A detailed description of the problem