Troubleshoot GED Files
Typical GED Opening Challenges
Ages! Isn't There
If you attempt to load your GED file, you experience a message such as "Can't Open GED Files". If so, it typically means that you don't have Ages! installed for %%os%%. You won't be able to double-click to open your GED because your OS doesn't know what to do with it.
Tip: If you have another software that you know opens GED files, you can select it by hitting the "Show Apps" button.
Wrong Version of Ages! is Installed
Sometimes your installed version of Ages! won't support your GEDCOM Genealogy Data File file. You will need to download a newer version of Ages! if you don't have the right version. This issue mainly occurs when your GEDCOM Genealogy Data File file was created by a newer version of Ages! than you have on your PC.
Tip: If you right-click on your GED file, then select "Properties" (Windows) or "Get Info" (Mac), you can obtain hints about what version you need.
Conclusion: The majority of GED file opening issues are due to not having the correct Ages! version installed.
Other GED File Issues
Although you might already have Ages! or another GED-associated software installed on your computer, you can still encounter problems opening GEDCOM Genealogy Data File files. If you're still experiencing problems opening GED files, there could be other computer problems. Additional factors include:
- Windows Registry GED file paths that are incorrect
- The GED file description within the Windows Registry was removed
- Partial installation of Ages! that did not fully complete
- GED file corruption
- Your GED has adversely impacted by malware
- Device drivers for GED-related hardware are out-of-date
- Windows cannot load your GEDCOM Genealogy Data File file due to insufficient resources (eg. RAM)
Quiz: What file extension was created by Adobe Corporation in 1992?
That's Correct!
The PDF, or Portable Document Format, was first mentioned by Adobe at the Seybold conference in San Jose in 1991. Version 1.0 wasn't announced until the following year at the COMDEX Fall conference where it was awarded ‘best of Comdex’.
Close, but not quite...
The PDF, or Portable Document Format, was first mentioned by Adobe at the Seybold conference in San Jose in 1991. Version 1.0 wasn't announced until the following year at the COMDEX Fall conference where it was awarded ‘best of Comdex’.
Poll: What file type do you use most often?