Until very recently Australians have not had the ability to search Australian BDM indexes online at all, so we’ve used the ‘Digger’ disks. Released state-by-state, these indexes are an invaluable tool when researching your Australian history, but they are not cheap … and it has been a known fact that sadly the Australian ‘Digger’ disks will not work newer systems like Windows 7 64-bit.

So for many who’ve gone to the trouble of updating your computer, this comes as a rude shock, which turns quickly into frustration as you’ve paid hundreds of dollars for these CDs to find out they’re now unusable … GRRRRRR!!!

Well, we finally have some good news.

“YOU CAN RUN YOUR DIGGER DISKS ON YOUR WINDOWS 7 64-BIT COMPUTER”

And here’s how …

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. 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.

If you want to use Digger with Windows 7 64-bit, it is suggested that you download and install Windows XP Mode. Windows XP Mode makes use of Microsoft Virtual PC, and it integrates with Windows 7, so you can launch Digger from the Windows 7 Start menu. Windows XP Mode and Microsoft Virtual PC are both free products from Microsoft. Windows XP Mode is only available for Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate. You can download Windows XP Mode and Microsoft Virtual PC from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx.

The Digger CDs that are currently available 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 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