Contact
Tell us what Family Tree Maker is doing
Describe the problem in a sentence or two and we'll reply with an honest answer about whether we can help. If it's something you can fix yourself in ten minutes, we'll tell you that and point you at the guide. If it belongs to the publisher, we'll say so. Neither costs you anything.
We will never ask for your password. Not in an email, not on a call, not during a session. Please don't include account passwords in your message to us — there is never a reason for us to need one.
Send an enquiry
The four details below are what let us give you a useful answer straight away instead of a round of questions. Everything else is optional.
Thank you — that's arrived.
We'll read it properly and reply within one working day, including if the answer is that we can't help. If it's urgent and you don't hear back, do send it again — occasionally a message goes astray.
What we can't help with
Saying this here saves you writing a message and waiting a day for an answer you could have had now.
| Your question | Who handles it |
|---|---|
| Tree file won't open, sync fails, media missing, duplicates, crashes | Us — that's the whole job |
| Moving your tree to a new computer or a different program | Us |
| Learning to use the software properly | Us |
| Licence keys, activation, replacement downloads | The publisher |
| Purchases, refunds, subscription changes | The publisher, or whoever you bought from |
| Your Ancestry account, records subscription or DNA results | Ancestry's own support |
| Researching your ancestors, breaking through a brick wall | A professional genealogist |
| General computer problems unrelated to genealogy | A local computer repair service |
Frequently asked questions
How quickly will you reply?
We aim to answer every enquiry within one working day. A message arriving over a weekend may get its reply on the Monday. You'll always get an answer — including when the answer is that we can't help.
What should I include in my message?
Your Family Tree Maker version, Windows or Mac, the exact wording of any error message, and what you were doing when it started. Those four are usually enough for us to tell you whether it's fixable before you spend anything.
Can you help with my Ancestry subscription or billing?
No. Subscriptions, purchases, refunds and licence keys are handled by the companies that sell the software and the records service. We have no access to your account and can't act for you, so those go to the publisher directly.
Will you ask for my password?
Never, by any channel. Not in email, not on a call, not in a session. Sessions are screen-share only — if a password needs typing, you type it and we look away or you blank the screen.
Do you offer support by telephone?
Problems get diagnosed far more reliably when we can see the screen, so support runs as a screen-share session rather than a phone call. Start with a written enquiry describing the fault and we'll arrange a session if one's needed.
Before you write
Most problems are already answered for free. It's worth two minutes: