The FamilyFinder Report takes this capability even further. It automatically searches the FamilyFinder Index for several or all of your relatives at once, compares it to the data in your Family File, and rates the validity of each match. You can search the regular CD-based index, or you can perform the search online. Searching online is not only faster, it also returns matches for genealogy sites on the Internet.

The FamilyFinder Report bases its ratings on a number of factors. For example, ratings depend on common dates or locations, the commonality of the names searched, and whether it finds matches for spouses and other family members. The 4- and 5- star matches usually mean that more than one person is involved in the match -- for example, the "John Randall" in your file has the same wife and children as the "John Randall" on the archive. Other information, such as dates or locations, may match as well. Lower ratings usually have less details in common, or may be based on common surnames such as "Smith" or "Baker." These types of matches have a lower likelihood of being right, but there's little risk in following up on them. If you purchase an archive based on a less likely match and come up empty-handed, you can return it within 90 days for a full refund.

We offer three sets of instructions here:

• Creating a CD-based FamilyFinder Report
  Only based on the CD-ROM FamilyFinder Index that came with your Family Tree Maker program.
• Creating an Online FamilyFinder Report
  Based on the up-to-date FamilyFinder Index at FamilyTreeMaker.com, plus hits for genealogy sites all over the Internet.
• Updating an FamilyFinder Report
  To see if there are new matches for a search that you've already run.

Creating a CD-based FamilyFinder Report

1. If you have version 4.4:
   From the View menu, select FamilyFinder Report.

   If you have version 5 or 6:
   From the View menu, select Research Journal.

   If you have version 7:
   From the View menu, select Family Finder Center, then FamilyFinder Report.

   Family Tree Maker asks if you would like to generate a FamilyFinder Report.

2. Click Yes.

   Note: If you clicked No, you can still create the FamilyFinder Report. From the Edit menu, select Create New FamilyFinder Report.

   Family Tree Maker displays the Create New FamilyFinder Report dialog box.

3. Click CD FamilyFinder Index to do a CD-based search.

Figure 1: The Create New FamilyFinder Report dialog box

4. Select All Individuals to find matches for all individuals in your Family File. If there are a lot of people in your Family File, you may want to search only a subset of the individuals to save time or limit the length of the report. Click the Selected Individuals option, and then click Individuals to Include to specify them.

   Family Tree Maker displays the Individuals to Include dialog box.

Figure 2: The Individuals to Include dialog box

5. First, click the << button. This removes anyone from the right window that you might have included in previous reports.

6. Next choose all of the individuals that you want to include in the report. To include people one-by-one, click each individual in the list of Available individuals, and then click the > button to include them -- this moves the individual to the list on the right and includes them in the report. If you want to include the ancestors or descendants of a given person, select that person in the list of Available individuals, and then click the Ancestors> or Descendants> button. To select all individuals that meet a certain criteria, click the Find> button.

7. Click OK to generate the report.

Figure 3: A CD-based FamilyFinder Report

The right column displays the Family Archive CD number and title. If it's a World Family Tree CD, the tree number will also be listed. If you don't own the archive, clicking on its name will take you to an information page for this archive on the Internet. You can find out what sort of data is on the CD, and how to order it.

Creating an Online FamilyFinder Report

To create an Online FamilyFinder report:

1. If you have version 4.4:
   From the View menu, select FamilyFinder Report.

   If you have version 5 or 6:
   From the View menu, select Research Journal.

   If you have version 7:
   From the View menu, select Family Finder Center, then FamilyFinder Report.

   Family Tree Maker asks if you would like to generate a FamilyFinder Report.

2. Click Yes.

   Note: If you clicked No, you can still create the FamilyFinder Report. From the Edit menu, select Create New FamilyFinder Report.

   Family Tree Maker displays the Create New FamilyFinder Report dialog box.

3. Click Online.

Figure 4: The Create New FamilyFinder Report dialog box

4. Select All Individuals to find matches for all individuals in your Family File. If there are a lot of people in your Family File, you may want to search only a subset of the individuals to save time or limit the length of the report. Click the Selected Individuals option, and then click Individuals to Include to specify them.

   Family Tree Maker displays the Individuals to Include dialog box (see Figure 2).

5. First, click the << button. This removes anyone from the right window that you might have included in previous reports.

6. Next choose all of the individuals that you want to include in the report. To include people one-by-one, click each individual in the list of Available individuals, and then click the > button to include them -- this moves the individual to the list on the right and includes them in the report. If you want to include the ancestors or descendants of a given person, select that person in the list of Available individuals, and then click the Ancestors> or Descendants> button. To select all individuals that meet a certain criteria, click the Find> button.

7. When you're finished, click OK to generate the report.

Note: Family Tree Maker may initiate your Internet connection if necessary. Simply enter your user name and password and log into your Internet Service Provider to continue with the process. If Family Tree Maker has difficulty connecting to the Web site or processing the report, you may need to connect to the Internet first. Cancel the process, connect to the Internet, and then try creating the report again.

The online report looks identical to the CD-based report, with one difference: Internet-based hits are now included. For ease of use, these hits are organized in essentially the same way. Clicking the folder next to the hit will reveal the first and last name from the Web page. Family Tree Maker will list the title of the Web page in the right column; if the page is untitled, the URL (or Internet address) will be listed instead. Clicking on the underlined link will launch your Web browser and take you to the Internet site. A match for Linda Elaine Hess and others from our search group can be found on a Web page titled "List of All People for Alfred Toney GEDCOM" (see Figure 5).

Figure 5: An Online FamilyFinder Report

Updating the FamilyFinder Report

To update the FamilyFinder Report:

1. If you have version 4.4:
   From the View menu, select FamilyFinder Report.

   If you have version 5 or 6:
   From the View menu, select Research Journal.

   If you have version 7:
   From the View menu, select Family Finder Center, then FamilyFinder Report.

2. From the Edit menu, select Update FamilyFinder Report.

3. Click Online to search both the FamilyFinder Index and the Internet. Otherwise, click CD FamilyFinder Index to do a CD-based search.

   Family Tree Maker displays the Update FamilyFinder Report dialog box.

Figure 6: The Update FamilyFinder Report dialog box

4. Select All Individuals to find matches for all individuals in your Family File. If there are a lot of people in your Family File, you may want to search only a subset of the individuals to save time or limit the length of the report. Click the Selected Individuals option, and then click Individuals to Include to specify them.

   Family Tree Maker displays the Individuals to Include dialog box (see Figure 2).

5. First, click the << button. This removes anyone from the right window that you might have included in previous reports. (Ignore this step if you want to update the report for the previous search group.)

6. Next choose all of the individuals that you want to include in the report. To include people one-by-one, click each individual in the list of Available individuals, and then click the > button to include them -- this moves the individual to the list on the right and includes them in the report. If you want to include the ancestors or descendants of a given person, select that person in the list of Available individuals, and then click the Ancestors> or Descendants> button. To select all individuals that meet a certain criteria, click the Find> button.

7. When you're finished, click OK to generate the report.

   In the example below, we updated our report to include hits for Asa N. Amsden, and found some likely matches on the Internet as well as some Family Archive CDs.

Figure 7: An updated FamilyFinder Report

The FamilyFinder Report is a powerful tool to enhance your genealogy research. Family Tree Maker takes the details from your family tree -- dates, locations, and family names -- and automatically compares your existing information against the entire FamilyFinder Index. The resources referenced in this Index are available in the growing collection of Family Archive CDs. If you perform the new Online search, not only will you search the most up-to-date index of Family Archives, but you'll also check against our growing database of Internet sites. A simple mouse click will put you online and take you to the sites that interest you. And within minutes you could be browsing through valuable family data on the Internet.