If you are interested in genealogy and would like to find some great genealogy software that will not cost you anything, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints just might have what you are looking for. Let me begin by saying that I am not a member of the Church, nor have I used the software, which is called Personal Ancestral File (PAF). I have, however, read reviews of the Windows-based software and it seems to work very well – and did I mention that it is free?
Personal Ancestral File software was designed to make entering and organizing data and importing and exporting GEDCOM files easy. This ease of use makes Personal Ancestral File a great tool for beginners as well as more experienced genealogists who have better things to do than learn to operate complicated software. If you begin using Personal Ancestral File when you begin your genealogy research, you will find that the program makes it easy to stay organized.
The software is capable of generating reports in multiple languages, which makes it even easier to share your findings with your relatives. Also, once you enter all of the information that you have about an ancestor that information is stored in the software and will reappear whenever that ancestor’s name comes up – you only have to enter each ancestor once. Personal Ancestor File also enables you to add pictures, notes, and even video to your genealogy records if you would like to create a rich, multimedia experience.
Another nice feature of Personal Ancestral File is that you can choose the level of help that you need at any given time. From tutorials to FAQ to tech support, you can spend as much time as you need to get to know the program. If you catch onto it quickly, you can get right to the fun stuff – recording your family history.