GRanDMA Update for November (2024.11.01):
GRanDMA database version GM24-11 was installed in GRanDMA OnLine.
New Notification(s) posted
Hover on NEWS to view (above).
Frequently Asked Questions for using Brother′s Keeper
Many people are confused by the relationship between Brother′s Keeper®, GMOL and the GRanDMA Project,
sometimes assuming that they are two names for the same thing. This is not the case.
Brother′s Keeper is a commercial genealogy program designed by John Steed. It existed before the GRanDMA Project was founded,
and is used by many persons outside the GRanDMA Project. Early in the development of GRanDMA, we chose Brother′s Keeper®
as the best general-purpose program for our purposes. Look here
for an explanation of why we prefer Brother′s Keeper®.
GMOL is another method of viewing the GRanDMA database. It was written specially for GRanDMA.
GRanDMA itself is not a program, but only the genealogical data files that we created. You must use GMOL,
Brother′s Keeper®
(or another compatible genealogy program) to read these data files. You need to use the Gedcom file if you are working with
a genealogy program other than Brother′s Keeper® 7.
Download Brother′s Keeper® from bkwin.org.
BK is a "shareware" program that can be shared and tried out at no cost. If you are pleased and wish to use the
remaining features, you can buy the registration that unlocks them.
All important features of Brother′s Keeper® work with the shareware copy.
Brother′s Keeper® is a "shareware" program, meaning that it can be shared and tried out at no cost. If you have only an unregistered version, we encourage you to register your copy by paying a $45 US registration fee to John Steed, the creator of Brother′s Keeper®. John doesn't get any income from GRanDMA sales unless you register your copy of Brother′s Keeper®. John is not affiliated with the GRanDMA project, and the registration fees go to him rather than to us.
The benefits of registering your copy of Brother′s Keeper® are:
A printed manual that includes detailed descriptions of all Brother′s Keeper® features
Better access to technical support from John Steed
The good feeling of knowing you've done the right thing by paying John for his work in creating Brother′s Keeper®
During the Brother′s Keeper® installation process, you will be asked for your registration number and password. It is not necessary to enter any information at this point; the program will install and run properly whether or not you provide that information. For instructions on how to register your copy of Brother′s Keeper®, select Help/How to Register from the main Brother′s Keeper® screen.
If you decide to use GRanDMA with a genealogy program other than Brother′s Keeper® you are under no obligation to register the program. Registration of Brother′s Keeper®, furthermore, needs to be done only once. If you already own a registered copy of the program, you do not need to pay that registration fee again.
All important features of Brother′s Keeper® work normally whether or not you register your copy. It does not have an expiration date that will cause it to stop working if you don′t register by a certain date. Nonetheless, we strongly encourage you to pay the registration fee.
During the Brother′s Keeper® installation process, you will be asked for your registration number and password. It is not necessary to enter any information at this point; the program will install and run properly whether or not you provide that information. For instructions on how to register your copy of Brother′s Keeper®, select Help/How to Register from the main Brother′s Keeper® screen.
Read more about registering Brother′s Keeper® in the previous question above.
No. Brother′s Keeper® registration is a one-time fee.
Read more about registering Brother′s Keeper® in the previous question above.
When you download the data, it is cumulative from one version to the next;
anyone who buys the current version will have the entire genealogical database even if they didn't buy any of the previous versions.
If you download, the GeDCom data files are designed to be accessed using third-party genealogy software.
For Windows computers, we recommend Brother′s Keeper®. However, there are no Mac or Linux versions of
Brother′s Keeper®, so users of these systems must find
other genealogy software capable of importing the GRanDMA data files. We know of only two Macintosh programs capable of
importing such large files: GEDitCOM and
Reunion 8.04 (or later). You can download a free demo
version of Geditcom; the fully functional version costs $64.99. The cost for Reunion is $99.00. Please note that
versions of Reunion earlier than 8.04 are not able to import the GRanDMA files.
Another solution for Mac users is to purchase a program that allows Windows programs
to run on a Mac computer, such as Parallels Desktop for Mac.
These programs will allow you to install Brother′s Keeper® and the GRanDMA data just as though you
were working on a Windows-based computer.
For Linux operating systems, we have been told that the
LifeLines program can import the GRanDMA data and that Brother′s Keeper® can be run on
a Linux-based Windows emulator called Wine.
To import the GRanDMA data files using any program other than Brother′s Keeper®, it is necessary to use the Gedcom version of the data.
Given the relatively large size of this Gedcom file, the initial import process may take 12-24 hours to complete, depending on
the speed of your computer. When that one-time process is complete, the file will then open normally in the Mac or Linux program you have chosen.
Note that if you use GMOL, it doesn′t matter since you access with your browser. GMOL is most rigourously tested with Chrome, but problems have not
been reported with any browser except Internet Explorer. So GMOL covers Windows, Macs, Linux, and Chromebook.
It may be possible to to import the GRanDMA data files into other genealogical programs using a Gedcom file. We have found that
many other programs are incapable of importing such a large Gedcom, so we can′t guarantee that you will be successful
if you attempt to import GRanDMA into another program, and we cannot provide support.
There are several reasons that caused us to choose Brother′s Keeper®as the preferred program for running the GRanDMA data files:
Brother′s Keeper®is a powerful yet relatively simple program. It offers all the features that most genealogists require without
demanding a steep learning curve.
Brother′s Keeper®includes a searchable Ref: field that allows for use of the GRanDMA name code system. This enables users to
find all variant spellings of names with a single search. Many other programs do not have such a capability. (This type of search
is built into GMOL.
While there are other programs that may match or exceed Brother′s Keeper®in some of these categories, we are aware of no other
stand-alone program that meets all of these specifications.
Yes, GRanDMA uses a "name code" system that links variant spellings of surnames and given names.
GMOL will automatically convert names to those codes when searching, and it is possible for BK to search with that code system.
Brother′s Keeper®users will need to be a bit more deliberate.
First, search for a name using the spelling that you think is correct.
If you don′t find the person, look at one of the items in the results list and find the "Ref.number"
field. It typically will be a
three-digit/two-letter code. The code for Maria Enns, for example, is "060ma."
The three digits refer to the surname; the two letters
refer to the given name. Go back to the search box and type the / character followed by the name code.
The new results list will
show all spelling variations.
Yes, you can add, change or delete any of the information in the GRanDMA data files, just as though you entered every one of those names yourself (but aren't you glad that you didn't?). We would like to know about the changes that you make,
which is the subject of the next FAQ question below.
No. Downloaded databases on your hard disk must be opened with a genealogy program such as Brother′s Keeper®.
If you purchased a version of GRanDMA, either for Brother′s Keeper®or a GeDCom, you will receive an email
announcement of the new version. Announcements will be sent for the lifetime of your subscription
and will be sent to the email address you provided when you registered.
Even if you did not receive an email, you can check for the availability of a new version when you log in.
To install a new version for Brother′s Keeper, follow the instructions on the Install tab. Be careful to
give the new version a different name from the previous version. If you use the old file name for the
new version, changes you have made to the old version will be overwritten.
