Many UFT users have asked the following questions frequently, so we've
created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List. You may also subscribe
to the UFT message board for help as it continues to be active and has
some experienced UFT and ROOTS users who offer help when you post your
questions or problems. To subscribe, send a message to
UFT-L-Request@rootsweb.com
for normal email messages, and enter the word "subscribe"
in the body of the message. For digest mode, send a message to
UFT-D-Request@rootsweb.com
and enter the word "subscribe" in the body of
the message.
On May 19, 2000, termination of further development of UFT was announced. We provide more details.
We now have the latest UFT files for download from our website. These files are for upgrade of earlier versions of UFT. They are provided without warranty of any kind as a service to the community.
To upgrade any version of UFT prior to version 2.8:
The UFT update file is approximately 5.9 MBytes. After clicking on the download link, you should be presented with a window where you can select the directory to receive the download of the file. You can place the update file in any directory. When you run the update, it will search your hard drive(s) for the current version of UFT. The UFT 2.8 release will update UFT 2.0 - 2.7. Before installing the update, it is always advisable to make a backup copy of your project.
Download uft28up.exe now.
To upgrade version 3.0 to version 3.1:
There are two versions of this update: one for the UFT 3.0 which was distributed via the Internet, and another for the version of UFT 3.0 which was distributed on CD. Both files are about 500 Kbytes in size. After clicking on the download link, you should be presented with a window where you can select the directory to receive the download of the file. You can place the update file in any directory. When you run the update, it will search your hard drive(s) for the current version of UFT. If you select and try the wrong one, it will do no harm - it simply will not work.
Download file to upgrade version 3.0 which was distributed on CD
(puft3ua.exe)
now.
Download file to upgrade version 3.0 which was distributed via Internet
(puft3ra.exe)
now.
UFT will run under XP. You must either have the most recent release of UFT (versions 3.0 or 3.1) or install a special patch. Only these lasest versions include the fix to run on computers faster than 300mhz so your machine will not loop on opening. If you don't have one of these most recent versions, see the question, "Why do I get a FOXPROW Error..." below, about installing a patch.
The RUG recommends you transition to the latest version of The Master Genealogist (TMG) which has equivalent capabilities to UFT. TMG has a data import feature specifically designed to import a UFT database. All you need to do is create a UFT backup file on your old computer that can be imported into TMG. In UFT use the "Save As" to create a backup file that includes necessary files such as the Project, Library, and Support databases. If you have a large database, you may need several blank floppy disks.
TMG has a wizard that helps you import the database into TMG. The conversion is not perfect but our feedback indicates that no data is lost. You might want to purchase the TMG video tapes to get started. They are worth the money.
UFT uses Microsoft FoxPro database software. When using faster computers with UFT (Version 2.9 or less), you must install Microsoft FoxPro Patch 26 to avoid getting the following "Divide of Zero" error when you start UFT:
"An error has occurred in your program. To keep working anyway, click Ignore and save your work in a new file. To quit this program, click Close. You will lose information you entered since your last Save"
To install FoxPro Patch 26, download it from the RUG website (click on patch26.exe) and then follow the installation instructions in the FAQ below.
This has been corrected in version 3.0. This problem may occur on very fast computers. This is a known problem in FoxPro for Windows 2.6a, the development tool which is used to create Ultimate Family Tree. There are two possible workarounds:
A) Choose IGNORE and continue to work. (Note: if you choose Close, you will get a GPF with a divide error. In this case, you will need to restart Windows to be able to access UFT again.)
B) Do the following procedure:
patch26.exe
from the RUG website (click on patch26.exe)patch26.exe
program; place the file in the
folder that contains UFT (normally C:\UFT)
when it asks, then close it.C:\UFT directory, so change the instructions if you have
it installed somewhere else):
cd c:\uft
attrib -r foxw2600.esl
patch26 foxw2600.esl
attrib +r foxw2600.esl
When you type the "patch26" line, you should see some lines that
indicate the patch was executed successfully. Type "exit" and press
Enter in the command prompt window to return to Windows.
You should be able to start UFT without errors now. Note that when
the patch is run, there is a new file called "Copy of Foxw2600.esl" in
the UFT directory. You may delete this without any problems with UFT.
Users of UFT may wish to convert their data to The Master Genealogist. If you do, there are several factors you should keep in mind (Moving from UFT to TMG). If you are a member of our user group, read the lead article in the August 2000 newsletter.
Depending on what program you are currently using, there may be many options available to you, some of which may seem simple but which may result in some loss of information. Furthermore, you may wish to retain the option of using your previous program for awhile, while you are getting familiar with UFT. The table contained on this page is a list of particular questions for transitioning from older ROOTS programs to UFT. Follow the instructions which best describes your situation and desires.
For instructions on how to move UFT to a new machine, click here.
Ideally, given an excellent application design, one should not have to be concerned with the structure of the underlying data base - it should be transparent to the user. However, we live in the real world of bugs and unanticipated capabilities and opportunities (such as multiple and portable hard drives, the desire to operate more than one computer, etc.). This leads us to want to understand the way in which the data we use are structured. In the article, "Anatomy of the UFT Data Base - an Overview", Dick Cleaveland sheds some light on the subject.
To migrate to UFT from Family Gathering, click here.
To migrate to UFT from Visual Roots, click here.
There is a fairly active user mailing list on the RootsWeb where users help each other; several of these users are fairly expert. See the UFT mailing list. Additionally, you may post a question to us here at RUG and we'll try to answer.
An article on this subject was published in the RUG Newsletter in April, 1999. See "Establishing Multiple Projects with Independent Libraries", a PDF file containing this article by Dick Cleaveland. He encourages readers to pay particular attention to the last paragraph.
The fix depends on when you get the error message 41. If it's when you click on the icon and before a project opens, either go to the directory in DOS in which you have the program installed and type FIXME or run the FIXME.BAT file in that same directory using File Manger or Windows Explorer. Try starting the program again. You should be able to open the program without a project open. You'll get the "advanced or normal editing mode" message if you're using Ultimate Family Tree 2.0 or ROOTS V.
If the problem exists when you try to open your project, it might be a damaged control file for the project. To fix this, you simply need to get a good memo file and copy over the bad one. To do this, you can use the one provided in the Kennedy sample project.
As an example, let's say your project is called SMITH.PRO and is located in the \UFT\PROJECTS directory. The KENNEDY.PRO file is in the UFT\SAMPLE directory. Go to any DOS prompt and type the following:
cd \UFT\SAMPLE
copy KENNEDY.FPT \UFT\PROJECTS\SMITH.FPT
You'll get a message asking if you want to overwrite the existing SMITH.FPT file. Choose Yes. You should now be able to get into your project.
Yes. During September 2007, at the request of several UFT users, GenSmarts was updated to handle UFT versions 2.8, 3.0 and 3.1 databases. GenSmarts is a program that analyzes a database to detect missing information (dates, places, proofs, etc.) and then identifies what sources may be available to the genealogist which could provide that information. Details on price and purchase methods as well as a more complete description of the program's capability are available at http://www.gensmarts.com.
Last updated 18 January 2019