So you’ve decided to update your old slow, tired computer to something that is smaller, faster, has more memory and runs Windows 7 … unfortunately you find out afterwards that not everything you had running on your earlier computer will work with Windows 7.
I’ve decided to do this post about genealogy data CDs and Windows 7 in the hope that it will inform people about what will and won’t work – or how to get it working if it isn’t.
ADOBE ACROBAT READER CDs
The majority of CD-ROMs that we sell work using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you have Windows 7, you will have a recent version of Adobe Reader, and this will be fine to read the CDs. If you don’t already have Adobe Reader on your computer you can download it for free from the Adobe website (45.11MB). The following publishers all created their titles to be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Archive Digital Books Australasia
- Archive CD Books England
- Archive CD Books Ireland
- Archive CD Books Canada
- Archive CD Books United States
- Anguline
- S&N Genealogy
- ScotPress
DIGGER CDs
The Birth, Death and Marriage CDs that have been released for Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria all use the database program called Digger – therefore these are generally referred to as the Digger CDs. The various editions of Windows 7 come in 32-bit and 64-bit variants. Digger itself should work without any problems with 32-bit Windows 7, however it will not work with 64-bit (note this also applies to Vista 64-bit systems). If you are unsure which type of Windows 7 you have, click on Start-Control Panel-System and Security-System, and look for the System Type. For more details, the publishers have some information on their Tech Support Page.
The titles that are available and use the Digger database software are:
Bounty Immigration New South Wales 1828 to 1842
Northern Territory Census, Electoral Rolls and Directories 1881-1940
Northern Territory Deaths 1824 to 2004: Part 1
Queensland Pioneers Index 1829-1889
Queensland Federation Index 1890-1914
South Australian Birth Registrations Index 1842-1906
South Australian Birth Registrations Index 1907-1928
South Australian Marriage Registrations Index 1842-1916
South Australian Marriage Registrations Index 1917-1937
South Australian Death Registrations Index 1842-1915
South Australian Death Registrations Index 1916-1972
Tasmanian Pioneer Index 1803-1899
Tasmanian Federation Index 1900-1930
Tasmania Collection of Records 1830s to 1930s
Victorian Pioneers Index 1836-1888
Victorian Federation Index 1889-1901
Victorian Marriage Index 1921-1942
Victorian Death Index 1921-1985
Inquest Index Victoria 1840-1985
Marine Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria 1853-1920
The Argus Newspaper Index, Victoria: Births 1914-1931 and Marriages 1931-1941
JAUNAY CDs
Graham Jaunay of Adelaide Proformat is a professional genealogist in South Australia. Along with doing research for others, speaking at events, and courses, he has also compiled and produced a number of databases. These CDs weren’t made for Vista or Windows 7. Those with an asterisk alongside have been tested on Vista and work, but unfortunately none do with Windows 7.
A Parish Finder for England
Lonely Graves of South Australia Version 3
Sources for South Australian Shipping Records 1836 to 1842
South Australia 1840 Cultivators
South Australia Pre-Civil Registration Births
South Australia Pre-Civil Registration Marriages *
South Australia Pre-Civil Registration Deaths
South Australian 1841 Census and Biographies *
South Australian Land Owners 1835-1841 *
South Australian Newspaper Obituaries 1836-1900
Unregistered Deaths in South Australia from July 1842
[UPDATE September 2010 – the Jaunay CDs listed above WILL now work On Windows 7]
QFHSdataseach CDs
The Queensland Family History Society have been busy creating their own database program which they have used on most of their CD-ROMs. While not made for Windows 7, they have been tested, and seem to work fine.
Here is a list of the titles that QFHS have produced that use the QFHSdatasearch software:
The Army Index 1787: An Index to the War Office 1787 List of Officers of the British Army and Marines and Officers on Half-Pay
Emigrants from Hamburg to Australasia 1850-1879
Queensland Brands Index 1872-1900 and Directory 1949-1952
Queensland Cemeteries Monumental Inscriptions: Goomeri
Queensland Cemeteries Monumental Inscriptions: Mundubbera
Queensland Cemeteries Monumental Inscriptions: Ravenswood
Queensland Cemeteries Monumental Inscriptions: Sherwood (Anglican)
Queensland Cemeteries Monumental Inscriptions: South Brisbane
Queensland Cemeteries Monumental Inscriptions: Toowong
Queensland Commonwealth Electoral Roll 1903
Queensland Commonwealth Electoral Roll 1913
Queensland Commonwealth Electoral Roll 1922
Queensland Commonwealth Electoral Roll 1934
Queensland Commonwealth Electoral Roll 1949
Queensland Commonwealth Electoral Roll 1959
Queensland Early Pioneers Indexes 1824-1859
Queensland Gazetted Licences Index 1860-1901
Queensland Government Gazette Consolidated Index 1859-1919
Queensland Intestacies, Insolvencies and Wills 1859-1900
Queensland Police Gazette Index 1864-1874
Queensland Public/Civil Service Index 1864-1948
Queensland Railway Employees 1889-1940
Queensland School Pupils Index Part 1
Queensland School Pupils Index Part 2
Queensland School Pupils Index Part 3
Queensland School Pupils Index Part 4
Queensland Unclaimed Letters Index 1860-1874
Other titles published using the QFHSdatasearch database:
Deaths from the South Australian Government Gazettes 1845-1941: Including the Northern Territory Until December 1910
Genealogical Database of Australia’s Travelling Showpeople
Leader Deaths 1918-2000
SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIAN GENEALOGISTS CDs
All current Society of Australian Genealogists CDs were designed and published well before Microsoft Vista was launched. Installing these CDs under Vista is certainly possible, but some tweaks are necessary. Find out what they are, and how to work around the from the Support Page on the publisher’s website.
This is a list of the titles available that the SAG have produced:
Australasian Genealogical Computer Index Volume 2
Australasian Genealogical Computer Index Volume 3
Free Passengers to New South Wales 1826-1837: Passengers, Crew and Military
Macquarie Park Cemetery Transcriptions: (Formerly Northern Suburbs Cemetery)
Pubs and Publicans in the County of Cumberland, New South Wales to 1850
Waverley and South Head General Cemetery Transcriptions
If you’re buying a new computer, please be aware that not everything you had running on your old computer will necessarily run on your new one.
I use foxit reader to view PDF’s, easy to use without the excess stuff that you dont need. Unfortunatley, and for sometime now, Adobe has fallen into the category of bloatware – its Overgrown and needs a major diet.
Bobby, Does foxit work with Windows 7?
Bobby – try using Foxit to read pdf files instead
You can add TreeDraw for Legacy to your list – I was unable to install it on my Windows 7 64-bit Dell. Can’t remember, but I may have had the choise of 32-bit or 64-bit when I purchased TreeDraw a couple of years ago.
The Digger and other CDs that wont run under 64 bit Windows 7 can run if you buy the Professional or Ultimate Version. These versions allow you to install a Virtual XP Machine which you can load your old software on to. It works really well (particularly with 2 screens).
Neil, many thanks for your comments on how to get the Digger CDs working on Win 7 64-bit systems. It is appreciated.
Thank you for all the work involved in listing what and what not works on various operating systems. It has saved me a lot of mindaches! Very much appreciated.
In repsonse to Alan Philips… Foxit does work for windows7.
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/
I’ve used foxit for a few years now after dumping Adobe because it outgrew itself.
I hve Windows 7 Home Premium N edition with a 32 bit system, and Pioneer Index Victoria 1836 – 1888 will not work, in fact it does not even recognise the disc is in the drive. keeps saying load disc
Hi John … if your Digger disks are not working on your Win 7 32-bit computer, I would firstly try installing them on another computer to see if they work on that. If not, it may be a faulty disk. If they do, then it’s something to do with your Win 7 and the disk … which is something that would need to be worked out the the publishers support.
http://www.macbeth.com.au/digger/support.html
In response to Neil’s post regarding Virtual XP Machine, thank you! 😀 I have Ultimate 64 bit and so far haven’t had any problems with programs. Family Tree Maker 2010 works on Ultimate 64 bit, by the way. In the past I’ve used Virtual CD to copy my discs onto my hard drive, enabling me to search them all quickly and not have to change discs, which used to drive me nuts! If you’re running 32 bit, Virtual CD will help you if you have a lot of discs like I do.
Now to go search Google for info on how to get Virtual XP Machine working!! 😀
Ooops! I forgot to mention that Macbeth’s website is currently down. Hopefully it’s a temporary issue!
I’ve had trouble reading some of the disks on my machines. One is an XP and the other Vista, different manufacturers, different drives. After emailing Macbeth back and forth I tried reading it on the machines at the library and there wasn’t any problem. I hurriedly copied it to a flash drive and then copied it to one of my own CD’s. I believe the problem lies in the manufacturing tolerances. Anyhow, I was lucky to get it to read because I’m sure that if I sent it back it would check out fine on the equipment that created it.
Run Diggers CDs in Windows 7/8 64 bit (yep, 64 bit) with BDM Revival… See http://www.peppermintfence.com/BDMRevival.htm
I have a number of CDs from the Oxfordshire FHS (England) which have Baptism, Marriage and Burial Data on them. Some are quite a number of years’ old. I have a computer which runs on Windows 7 and I have Adobe Reader XI. On numerous occasions, if I read from one data CD and then want to change to another CD, the info on the 2nd CD will not load.
Does anybody know if there is a compatability programme or similar so that I can view all the CDs without any problem.
Many thanks.
Lesley, if the CDs are read using Adobe Acrobat Reader, you might need to see if you can an older version of it. As it wouldn’t surprise me if V11 is causing the problem. It would be worth trying out anyway. Alternatively write to the Society and see if they have newer versions.