Compare Files lets you compare the current file with another RootsMagic file. You can view the people in the two files side by side and can copy people, names, events, notes, sources, and media from one file to the other.
1.Open one of the files you wish to compare.
2.Select the Files page, then Tools, then Compare.
3.RootsMagic will search for other files to compare. You can select from that list or click Browse for File to select a file manually.
RootsMagic will analyze the two files and then display a screen like this.
You can sort the list by any of the three columns (percent match or either of the databases) by clicking the header of the column you want to sort by.
You can highlight any row to see the matches side by side. By default RootsMagic will only display records that don't have an exact match. You can unmark the checkbox "Only show people with differences" to see the exact matches as well.
The lower half of the screen will show the 2 people side by side. Information will be color coded to show how closely it matches:
•Green - information matches
•Yellow - information kind of matches (or one side is blank)
•Red - information doesn't match
You can click an arrow (> or <) to copy or replace a name or event, or you can click a note, source, or media icon to copy that item over to the new file.
If a person doesn't have a match in the other file, RootsMagic will display a "Copy to other file" button which will let you add the person to the other file. The person will be added as an unlinked individual in the other file.
Review before copying
Back up the receiving tree before copying or replacing information. Check the filenames on both sides and the direction of the arrow for every transfer. A percentage match is a comparison aid, not proof that two records describe the same person.
Compare relatives, dates, and places before accepting a suggested match. A blank box may simply mean you have not entered that information. If both trees give information but disagree, check your sources before deciding which is correct.
After copying a person, check that they are connected to the right relatives in the tree you copied them into. Check their notes, citations, and pictures too. Later edits in one tree will not automatically appear in the other.
