Problems importing GEDCOM files into genealogy websites

[ljelondon 0]

I am using TMGW Gold UK Edition v 7.03.0000 under Windows Vista Home Premium.

 

I keep a reasonably up-to-date version of my tree on GenesReunited to generate possible matches with other people; I've done this for several months by exporting my TMGW project (or more recently a subset of it) as a GEDCOM file, then importing that to GenesReunited to overwrite my previous tree.

 

Now I am getting an email response from GenesReunited when I upload a GEDCOM saying ""The file could not be loaded: An unknown error has occured."

 

I experimented and found that if I export a very restricted subset of data then the file uploads and is processed fine, but anything approaching a reasonable proportion of my tree (which is only 2242 names, so not exactly vast) produces the "could not be loaded" error. So I assume that there is something in some individual data records that the GenesReunited uploader doesn't like, but no idea what. I have run the Audit report and resolved the issues there and have made sure that all individuals have birth dates recorded.

 

As an experiment I have tried uploading to Ancestry (to see whether it was specifically GenesReunited being over-fussy or a more general issue with the GEDCOM) and get a similar error message there ("The file you have specified does not appear to be a valid GEDCOM file, please try again").

 

Any suggestions?

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[robmoff 0]

I keep a reasonably up-to-date version of my tree on GenesReunited to generate possible matches with other people; I've done this for several months by exporting my TMGW project (or more recently a subset of it) as a GEDCOM file, then importing that to GenesReunited to overwrite my previous tree.

 

Now I am getting an email response from GenesReunited when I upload a GEDCOM saying ""The file could not be loaded: An unknown error has occured."

 

 

Any suggestions?

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Can you import the GEDCOM to TMG?

Do you get a GEDERR file when you export?

[ljelondon 0]

Yes, I can import the GEDCOM to TMG with no problems (I've even tried importing into a blank project and re-exporting, just in case that would "clean" whatever is causing the problem).

 

I don't get a GEDERR file when I export, or not so far as I am aware (would this be saved in the \Export folder as well?)

[Jim Byram 0]

First, it is the responsibility of the importing program/site to identify import issues with details. If you don't know what the issue is, it's hard to look for a solution.

 

Are you using the default GEDCOM export settings? If not, please detail all changes that you have made to the export settings. I'm particularly concerned with the settings for steps 5, 6 and 7.

[ljelondon 0]

Yes, using the default GEDCOM export settings.

 

I have got a call in to GenesReunited support; I just hoped that someone here would have had (and resolved) the same issue and be able to point me at some incredibly obvious issue I'd overlooked.

[Michael Hannah 0]

I went to the Genes Reunited site and it indicates that the GEDCOM import file must be version 5.5 and an ANSI character file. TMG defaults to version 5.5, but the TMG Help specifies that the default character set for TMG export is ANSEL. Did you select ANSI as the character set for the TMG export? Since your smaller tree was successful I assume that you did.

 

The Genes Reunited site also says:

For Genes Reunited to successfully import the Gedcom file, one of the entries in your Gedcom file must match the forename, surname and year of birth of your registered details in your tree. All other entries in the Gedcom file to be imported must also have a forename, surname and year of birth.

Is it possible that this export does not conform to these Genes Reunited rules?

[ljelondon 0]

Mine defaults to ANSI, which is odd because I see the ANSEL thing in the Help file too.

 

Yes, those other details seem to be fine; I've gone through and checked and fixed any that didn't after reading the GR FAQ.

[Jim Byram 0]

I went to the Genes Reunited site and it indicates that the GEDCOM import file must be version 5.5 and an ANSI character file. TMG defaults to version 5.5, but the TMG Help specifies that the default character set for TMG export is ANSEL.

GEDCOM Export defaults to ANSI. I'll fix help.

[ljelondon 0]

Hmm. Well, I had an answer from Erica at Genes Reunited telling me that the problem was that my GEDCOM file had dates in the format "15 JAN 1924" rather than "15/01/1924". So I've responded pointing out that that seems very unlikely to be the issue...

[robmoff 0]

Hmm. Well, I had an answer from Erica at Genes Reunited telling me that the problem was that my GEDCOM file had dates in the format "15 JAN 1924" rather than "15/01/1924". So I've responded pointing out that that seems very unlikely to be the issue...

 

 

Its NOT the issue, I don't keep my tree there any more, but just uploaded a GEDCOM of 3000 folk, dates as "15 JAN 1924" NO PROBLEMS. GR never seem to know what they are talking about do they?

 

The only thing more I can sugest is to trim the GEDCOM down until it works, then compare it manually with one that gives errors. I know it's a long boring trudge through the GEDCOM using notepad, (the format isn't that difficult to understand), but I can't think of an alternative.

[ljelondon 0]

Aha! After I replied pointing out the GEDCOM 5.5 standard on dates Rachel from GR emailed thanking me for bringing this to their attention and that the problem had now been fixed. And now everything uploads fine once more. So... still no idea what the problem was, but I'm happy again. And the lesson for anyone with a similar issue in future seems to be to keep plugging away at GR support until you find someone helpful.

 

Thanks to all for suggestions and comments -- you helped me to have confidence that I hadn't missed something incredibly obvious and that the problem was at the GR end (still no idea what the Ancestry issue is, but as I don't actually want to upload my tree there at present I'm not going to worry about it too deeply).