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 Palm OSŪ handheld computer
The My Roots Conversion Utility - an application that runs on your PC or Macintosh 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, Reunion, 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.
Tungsten T3 owners: In order to take advantage of the T3's ability to minimize, maximize, or rotate the display, you must install two additional .prc files. For details, please see our T3 Compatibility page.
My Roots comes in a .zip file, and 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. A .zip file is nothing but a storage mechanism for multiple files. By putting everything into a .zip file, we simply save you from having to download 30 or 40 different files one at a time, just like putting your groceries into a bag saves you from having to carry them out to your car one at a time. So the next thing you'll need to do is extract all the files contained in the .zip file. Fortunately, this is very easy to do.
There are many "unzipping" programs available, but for PC users, we recommend WinZip. There's a good chance you already have WinZip installed on your computer, but if not, you can download the free evaluation version from the WinZip website. Once it's installed, you can right-click on the .zip file, select WinZip from the popup menu, and then select one of the "Extract to" options. It's probably easiest to select "Extract to here". In any case, make sure to remember the directory to which you saved the extracted files.
There are also several "unzipping" programs for Macintosh users, but most people use StuffIt. If you don't already have StuffIt, you can download StuffIt Expander for free from the StuffIt website. Use StuffIt to expand the .zip file, and make sure to remember the folder to which you saved the extracted files.
Now find the files you extracted from the .zip file. You'll need to install two of them onto your handheld:
MyRoots.prc
MyRootET.pdb
Double-click on each of these files and then do a HotSync to install them. You can check the HotSync log to verify that they were installed.
On your handheld, tap the Applications silkscreen button (it usually looks like a house) to get to the Applications Launcher, and find the application called "My Roots". Note that you might have to select "All" from the category selector in the top right corner, and/or scroll down using the scroll bar at the right edge of the screen.
If you've purchased the registered version of My Roots, run it by tapping on the My Roots icon. Then tap the Menu silkscreen button, tap the Options menu, and select Register. At the registration screen, enter the entire 10-digit registration code, and tap on the Done 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 HotSync User 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 HotSync User 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 HotSync User Name given in the error message, and we will send you a corrected registration code.
Please follow the instructions in the appropriate section below, based on the operating system used on your desktop computer (Windows, Mac OS 8 or 9, or Mac OS X).
The Windows version of the conversion utility comes in a rather large .exe file. It's about 4MB in size, so don't be alarmed if it takes a while to download. Once it's downloaded, simply double-click on it, 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
To run the conversion utility, just select it from the Start Menu.
The Macintosh version of the conversion utility comes in a .sit file. When expanded, open the folder called "OS X". To run the conversion utility, double-click on the application called My Roots Conversion Utility.
The Macintosh version of the conversion utility comes in a .sit file. When expanded, open the folder called "OS 8/9". To run the conversion utility, double-click on the AppleScript file called My Roots Conversion Utility.
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 run the conversion utility as described above, and follow the instructions below.
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
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
Click on the Import button
Navigate to the directory where you created your GED file and select it
Enter a name to be used for the database on your handheld and click on the OK button
Next you'll need to HotSync in order to install the new data onto your handheld. This might take a few minutes if your GED file contains a lot of data. When it's finished, run My Roots on your handheld and tap on the Done button. This will take you to the List of Databases screen, and you will see a list of your databases, including the one you just imported!
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., palmOne Tungsten E)
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 or Mac OS X
If you're getting an error message, the exact text of the message
A detailed description of the problem