Tips to open GED file

Can't open the GED file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open GED files as well as a list of programs that support GED files.

GED file extension

File Name GEDCOM Genealogy Data Format
File Developer The LDS Church
File Category Data Files

The GED file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the GED files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the GED file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 8
  • 2
  • 2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is GED file?

The file with the extension GED is the Data Files file type. The creator of this file is The LDS Church. In addition to this file, the Data Files category includes 1326 related files. GEDCOM Genealogy Data Format is most often found on 3 operating systems. These systems consist of Linux, Mac OS, Windows, although it may occasionally be found on another system, it will be non-functional. It is recommended to use Reunion to handle this file. This is a program created by Leister Productions. This file type can also be opened by 11 other programs. The Ages, RootsMagic, Ancestral Author, LifeLines programs will also handle the file when the Reunion program does not fulfill its role.

How to open GED file?

An often recurring problem with GEDCOM Genealogy Data Format is that GED is not associated with the correct program file. This causes the file GED to open by system applications not designed for this purpose, or to display a message that there is no associated program. This problem can be easily remedied.

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the GED file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Reunion

The first step is to check if the computer has the Reunion program installed. This can be achieved by typing Reunion into the operating system search engine. If it is not, installation may solve the problem, as most applications create file associations during installation. Below you will find a list of applications that support GED files.

Step 2. Create association of Reunion with GED files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the GED file to open in the Reunion application, but you can set it manually. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Changes can be made using the "Change" button. It may happen that in the next window there will be no appropriate program - however, this can be corrected with the "Browse" option where you should manually indicate the program location. Checking the "Always use the selected program ..." box will permanently associate the GED file with the Reunion program.

Step 3. Update Reunion to the latest version

The fault may also lie with the Reunion program, it is possible that GEDCOM Genealogy Data Format requires a newer version of the program. This can be done using the application (if it provides such options) or from the Leister Productions website and install the latest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the GED file

Of course, it may happen that despite the above steps, the file still does not work. The most common file problems are:

Very often, the file may be size 0 or incomplete. This is most often caused by a problem while downloading the GED file. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The most common cause here is computer viruses. Perform a virus scan using available and up-to-date anti-virus software. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our GED file. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover GED files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the GED file. On their websites, developers usually offer free solutions to such problems, e.g. in the form of a conversion program or an older version of the program.
The file may be corrupted in a number of ways. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular GED file corruption. The easiest way is to restore the file from a backup, if there is one, or contact The LDS Church
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted GED files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
Some operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. It is best to move GED to a different directory.
This can happen on a file that does not support multiple access. You may find that another program you are using is preventing you from working with the file. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If nothing helps, please reset the device.