Family Tree Maker is a family tree making program for recording, printing and reporting on a family tree. It contains web assistance.
This is simply a launcher that cleans up after itself. The Code is packed and is not perfect but I have used various Registry tools to help me discover what needed to be checked and removed. This is for more advanced windows users as files and terms herein may not be fully explained well.
You will need to install Family Tree Maker 16 to a system and generate your own portable USB stick folder for it per some instructions below.
Create the following folders on your portabledrive.
The portable program folder should contain
\PortableApps\FTWPortable...
\App\ftw (contains all Family Tree Maker files from original install)
\Data\settings (contains ftw.ini, two reg files)
\Other\ (optional)
\FTWPortable.exe
Copy all Family tree maker files to the USB stick into a folder called \PortableApps\FTWPortable\App\ftw
Rememeber to find any DLL files installed to the \Windows\System32 folder and copy the files to the same ...App\ftw folder
Create two registry files, FTW_portable_HKLM.reg and FTW_portable_HKLU.reg, by exporting the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MyFamily.com
and
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MyFamily.com
values from your registry into the logically respective file names. Save the reg files into the ...\Data\settings\ folder
Copy the Family Tree Maker ini file found in \Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\FTW\.......\.ini into the ...\Data\settings folder
Extract the portable launcher below to the \PortableApps\FTWPortable\ folder.
FTWPortable.zip - Link updated Mar 21, 2010
I may follow this thread and post more info as necesary. The launcher zip file is hosted on FortuneCity which may cap downloads at some rate. If there is ANY sort of demand on the file, you may have to wait before it becomes available.
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Firstly thanks. I really appreciate this being available as I have an interest in researching and documenting my family tree.
Secondly, I suggest you use an install setup similar to what Seba used for Google Earth Portable - https://portableapps.com/node/12883. This way your app is able to be used by less technically minded (like me).
Thirdly, with regards to your hosting have you considered using Mediafire? Its a very easy to use service, 100% for free, none of the RS or MU hassle and unlimited downloads. In time as your app is developed, it would probably be hosted on Sourceforge with the other PortableApps.com software, though this would only happen when freeware is able to officially be ported and supported here. In the meantime however I would say Mediafire would be a good solution for you and your users.
Finally, thanks again for making this software. I look forward to see it in a more user friendly installer so I can try it out myself. Good luck.
PortableApps.com Advocate
There's nothing wrong at all with hosting it on his own site. I'd actually prefer a download from there than from mediafire or rapidshare or anything like that. If we are gonna recommend any of those types of serviced for hosting, we should be promoting the Drop.io site that Steve set up for us here
The developer formerly known as ZGitRDun8705
I agree I will need to create however this will need to be done later when I learn to make an installer that grabs data from your system and copies it to your stick for you. Do not hold your breath since I have little time to do much more than I have placed out there already. I was hoping someone else would pickup the good work of doing it and enticing someone to improve what has already been done.
Thank you both for the web site hints. I will stick to what I have for now however bookmark these site for later use.
Looks to be a very useful program, however when I run the program, it won't let me open my datafile which I copied to the flash drive. I think this is a problem because FTM 16 writes to the registry. Perhaps I did not correctly create the registry files on the flash drive.
suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Doug
I believe Family Tree Maker doesn't like its data files (.FTW) used from removable
storage. You may need to copy it to the host computer whilst using it and then
after putting an updated copy on your flash drive after you have finished using it, delete the file from the host computer.
FTW will read media from a removable storage area. To do so, use the key=value pair RemovableMedia=TRUE in the FTW.INI file. A sample of my ini file is the text between the lines of ---- below. THe file should be in your FTW installation in the following location:
\PortableApps\FTWPortable\Data\settings\ftw.ini
The unique id towards the end of the ini and various folder values may be different for your installation. This may not work well if the drive launched from changes. That is something I can work on in the future.
I hope this helps.
--ftw.ini--------------------------------------
[Options]
StartInFamPag=True
;DataChangeRange=5
;WFTAddSources=FALSE
;GenReportsMemSize=16777216
;GEDCOMSortOnImport=FALSE
;ODTMultipleSpouseDuplicate=TRUE
;SysColors=TRUE
RemovableMedia=TRUE
WFTSubmitHint=False
;BackupCDSpeed=8
;BackupCD=0:1:0
;FamFinderCD=X:\
;DeleteStyles=TRUE
[Directories]
DataDir=U:\Documents
[Online]
UniqueID=111111111111111111111111
IgnoreReg=True
UpdateAvailable=False
SkipVersion=
[Preferences]
WindowX=339
WindowY=13
WindowCX=780
WindowCY=730
LastNoInternetDlgDay=13
SEARCHFREQUENCY=172800
NoInternetDlg=True
PedigreePanelWindow=2
PedigreePanelFiltered=False
EidPos=393,388,967,824
TextEdWindowMax=False
TextEdWindowLeft=10
TextEdWindowRight=620
TextEdWindowTop=10
TextEdWindowBottom=460
[Files]
LastFile=U:\Documents\Family_Tree.FTW
File1=U:\Documents\Family_Tree.FTW
[PDF]
AcrobatReader=True
--ftw.ini--------------------------------------
This has worked like an absolute charm on my thumb drive, I wish I had it during my visit to the UK last year.
Now if only I could use it with Family Tree Maker 2009 which I just received as a birthday gift. The lack of portability is the one thing keeping me from upgrading my files! :/
I have been looking for this solution for a while now.
Does anyone still have the loader because the link isn't working.
Also I am confused about the registry entries, all I could find were myfamily.com entries not FTW ones, do I export those?
I moved the file to FTWPortable.zip at FortuneCity since Geocities closed down.
This launcher was only intended to work with Family Tree Maker 16. The copyright notice claims 1993-2006 so ensure this is the version you are using. It will NOT work with Family Tree Maker 17, 18, 19, or 2008, 2009, 2010 editions. If I obtain copies of these softwares, I may work to try enabling a portable version of those however I have not been compelled to upgrade although I did get one sweet preorder offer for 2010 which I passed up but should not have.
If you do in fact use Family Tree Maker 16 and are having troubles with my instructions, I will try to be of more assistance.
Thanks for the upload of the launcher.
I am indeed using 16, but I believe that I have saved the incorrect reg files, I no longer have the install for me to get the correct keys from at the moment. Are the keys machine specific or would it be possible for you to provide them as well?
Actually, you are correct to use the entries from Myfamily.com, the entries should be from
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MyFamily.com\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MyFamily.com\Family Tree Maker\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\MyFamily.com\Family Tree Maker\16.0
and
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MyFamily.com\
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MyFamily.com\Family Tree Maker\
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MyFamily.com\Family Tree Maker\16.0\
If you perform the export from the MyFamily.com level, it should work as desired.
Mmmm, something else must be going wrong then as I get a message saying some critical components are missing, please uninstall and then re-install.
Maybe I didn't get all the DLLs as I wasn't sure what was installed and just copied the recently modified ones.
Just tried another install to to determine what dll files were missing, but nothing seemed to be added to my system 32 folder. I can't get this to work, it will run from USB when on the computer that had the install, but then that is because all the necessary files are on the PC, but I move it to another PC and I get an error.
Hi Chaps...
Unfortunately the link is not available, I have looked through the apps section of challenger86's section at fortunecity and it seems to have been removed.
As a regular user of v16 i would be very grateful if someone could possible post another copy of the FTWPortable.zip to any other site for testing purposes.
Thank you for any help given...
ttfn
sadsack
Hi sadsack,
Found a copy and have uploaded it to mediafire for you
FTWPortable.zip
Can you please reupload? Thanks
Would very much appreciate a re-upload of FTWPortable.zip. I lost my CD and cannot read my FTM file from v16 and cannot even find a used CD for sale.