Import MS Access to The Master Genealogist

[alanalbion]

In 2000-2001, before I started using The Master Genealogist to track my ancestry, I created a database for an ancestor's descendants in MS Access. I wish now to convert the information in Access to TMG, but the software can import only a GEDCOM or from another specific genealogy program. Is there any program out there for making a GEDCOM out of an Access exported file?

I am no longer that fluent with Access and have not updated that software. The Access file includes BMD information + addresses for the living and shows relationships through a simple alphabetical sequencing: the first child in a family is "a", the second "b", etc. The first child of child "a" is "aa", the second "ab", etc. I am, for example, bhb = the 2nd child of my mother who was the 8th child of my grandfather, who was the second child of his father.

Alan Phipps

[Mutley]

I am not sure. You want to convert a .mdb file to a .ged file.

I googled the bold and several sites came up that seemed to offer a solution for conversion. You would need to look through them. Some mentioned a free download for a converter but some people do not like doing that. Good Luck

[MythicalMarian]

I think the problem lies with the Gedcom file type here. Access will export as a simple .csv file (comma separated values) - but it's whether your FH program will import a .csv file. Probably not, although I'm not au fait with The Master Genealogist so I may be talking off the top of my head here.

Your best bet may well be a converter. It is easier to export a Gedcom as a .csv FROM a family history program into Access than the other way round.

But hang on, Alan, and other computer savvy folk may be along to help shortly.

[JAP1]

Hi Alan,

As you will know very well, TMG is a brilliant (though not simple) program - inter alia it is able to import so many other FH programs direct without any loss of information, and is definitely not restricted to importing via GEDCOMs with all their limitations!

I still use TMG but am not up to date in any way (and can't claim to be computer savvy).

However my suggestion would be as follows ...

If you have not already done so, ask your question (including a description of your own 'idiosyncratic' way of describing persons :) ) on the following list:
lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Software/TMG

If nobody there can suggest a solution (so many there are not just computer savvy but are absolute TMG computer whizzes) then there's probably no solution to be found. :D

And, of course, if you haven't already done so, send your query direct to Wholly Genes.

Computer savvy TMG users just love a challenge!

Very best of luck,

JAP

[christopher_n_lewis]

From Access, export a .csv file. You can then open and edit this in an ordinary text processor such as Word or Notepad. Do a final save as a .ged file.

You will need to know how GEDCOM files are structured, there are plenty of articles describing the structure. You will need to do lots of 'search and replace' to introduce the GEDCOM tags into the correct places, maybe lots of 'cut and paste'

It is unlikely that there is an existing program that will convert from your own, non-standard data structure, directly to a GEDCOM, but asking your question in one of the TMG forum would be a wise approach.