Issue 26.13
FamilySearch will no longer offer PAF downloads or support after July 15, 2013. Advances in technology, strong alternatives from third parties, and the need to focus on the latest FamilySearch initiatives have diminished the need for PAF as part of the FamilySearch offering.
Personal Ancestral File (PAF) was a desktop genealogy application published by FamilySearch. The most recent version was PAF 5.2.18 which was created July 17, 2002, eleven years ago. PAF was introduced in 1984, almost 30 years ago, so the decision to no longer offer or support PAF will not come easy to some users.
As a FamilySearch Support Missionary, this is a good thing because I can now focus my concentration on the third-party program of my choice and no longer have to stay familiar with PAF to help others. It is easy to move to another software program. Most of them will just import your PAF data automatically but if you need to create a GEDCOM to move it over, you have that option as well. PAF isn’t automatically going to stop working on that date it is just no longer supported or downloadable from FamilySearch. Old copies will still function, but it is a good time to upgrade.
FamilySearch has worked hard to establish partnerships with third-parties to provide the best experiences for their patrons. PAF users should consider third party products as a solution that provides similar functionality but added benefits, such as connecting to FamilySearch Family Tree. I encourage you to use third-party products that are certified to work with FamilySearch. You can visit http://familysearch.org/PAF or https://familysearch.org/products to get started in migrating to one of the recommended products.
FamilySearch Support, family history center staff and family history consultants may host events and train patrons on how to migrate to the various products and discuss the advantages, but need to allow people to make their own choices. When using church buildings and resources for these activities, they are not allowed to solicit sales or exclusively promote only a specific product to patrons and must maintain a neutral position while providing informational guidance. Also third-parties must abide by those guidelines if their employees or representatives are invited to participate in training sessions.
For more information, contact Shanna Jones (435) 628-4900 shannasjones@msn.com