How to restore a Family Tree Maker backup
, pick the .ftmb file, and give the restored
tree a new name. That last part matters more than anything else here — restoring over
the file you're trying to rescue removes your only means of comparing the two.
- Applies to
- FTM 2024 · 2019 · 2017 · 2014
- Platform
- Windows & Mac
- Time
- ~20 min
Restoring doesn't touch your existing tree unless you tell it to. Family Tree Maker asks you to name the restored file. Give it a different name and you end up with both — the damaged one and the recovered one — which is exactly what you want while you check the backup is as complete as you hoped.
Before you start
Three things that prevent most failed restores, all of them quick.
| Do this | Why |
|---|---|
| Copy the backup to your hard drive | Restoring straight from a USB stick, CD or external drive is a common cause of a restore that stops partway |
| Pause antivirus software | A restore writes many files quickly, which some security software treats as suspicious and interrupts |
| Check free disk space | The process briefly needs room for the backup and the tree it's rebuilding |
Step 1 — Get the backup onto the computer
First Never restore from removable media
-
If the
.ftmbfile is on a USB stick, external drive or disc, copy it to your hard drive first. -
Backups are normally named after the tree with the date appended, which makes picking the right one straightforward.
-
Choosing the newest isn't always right. If you're restoring because of damage or a bad merge, you want the newest backup from before the problem started.
Step 2 — Pause your antivirus
Prevents mid-restore failure Turn it back on straight after
-
Pause real-time protection for the duration of the restore.
-
Turn it back on the moment the restore finishes. This is a short, deliberate pause, not a setting to leave off.
Step 3 — Open Restore
The restore itself File → Restore
-
With Family Tree Maker open, choose .
-
Navigate to the backup file you copied across, select it, and click Open.
Step 4 — Give it a new name
The step that protects you Don't overwrite the original
A Name For Restored File window appears. What you type here decides whether this is a reversible operation.
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Enter a name that's different from your existing tree — adding the backup's date works well.
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Choose where to save it and click Save.
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Why it matters: if the backup turns out to be older than you thought, or has no media in it, you still have the original to compare against. Overwrite it and that option is gone.
-
Let the restore finish without interrupting. A large tree with media takes a while.
Step 5 — Decide about syncing
Linked trees only The window that appears afterwards
If the tree was linked to Ancestry, a Restore — Additional Options window opens once the restore completes. It's easy to click past.
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Tick the option allowing the restored file to resume syncing if you want the link to your online tree preserved.
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Miss it and the restored tree holds all your data but has no relationship to the Ancestry copy — reconnecting means reconciling both sides by hand.
-
This choice appears twice: once when the backup is made, and again here. Both need to go your way. See backing up properly.
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Don't sync immediately. Check the restored tree first — a sync propagates whatever you've just restored, including anything missing from it.
Step 6 — Check before you trust it
Five minutes Confirm the backup was as good as you hoped
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Open the restored tree and check the total person count against what you expect.
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Spot-check ten or fifteen recently edited people. This tells you how far back the backup actually goes.
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Open several photographs. If they're missing, the backup was data-only — see relinking media, and note the media box for next time.
-
Only once you're satisfied should you delete the damaged file or start syncing.
If the restore won't work
- Try an older backup. Damage usually affects the most recent file, not every copy you hold.
- Use your Ancestry copy. If the tree was ever synced, the online version is an independent route back — see the repair guide.
- Check the backup's file size. A few kilobytes means it never contained much to begin with.
- The publisher runs an emergency tree restore service for cases where local recovery has failed. Worth knowing it exists before assuming the worst.
Restore failing, or the backup looks incomplete?
Send us a copy of the backup and we'll tell you what's actually inside it before you pay anything.
Frequently asked questions
Will restoring a backup overwrite my current tree?
Only if you let it. Family Tree Maker asks you to name the restored file — give it a different name. Restoring over the file you're rescuing removes any chance of comparing the two, and leaves nothing to fall back on if the backup turns out older than expected.
Why has my restored tree lost its connection to Ancestry?
The resume-syncing option wasn't selected. It appears twice — once when the backup is created, once in the additional options window after restoring. Missing it at either point leaves a tree with all your data but no link to the online copy.
My restored tree has no photographs. Where are they?
They were never in the backup. Automatic backups hold data only, so a restore returns names, dates and sources with no images. Only a manual backup made with the media box ticked carries photographs — see backing up properly.
Can I restore a backup made in an older version of Family Tree Maker?
Generally yes — newer versions open older backups and upgrade the file during the restore. The reverse doesn't work: a backup from a current version can't be restored into an older release. Very old Broderbund-era files may need converting first.
Why does my restore fail partway through?
Usually restoring straight from removable media, or antivirus interference. Copy the backup to your hard drive, pause security software for the duration, and check you have enough free space — a restore briefly needs room for both the backup and the tree it's building.
What if the backup itself is damaged?
Try an older backup first — damage usually hits the most recent file rather than every copy. If the tree was synced, your Ancestry copy is an independent route back. Software MacKiev also runs an emergency tree restore service for cases where local recovery has failed.