Tips on Fixing Relationship Problems
Marriage Problems Child Problems Other Problems Set Relationship Problems
Relationship problems can creep into your family file in a number of ways: entering duplicate records by mistake; importing GEDCOM files with problems; accidentally merging the wrong people, and so forth. Inexperienced Legacy users often makes things worse trying to fix relationship problems by deleting a record when they should unlink, or creating a duplicate record when they should link to an existing record.
Also, it is a really bad idea to cancel a
merge in the middle of the process. As a merge progresses, any links
are duplicated temporarily. An individual may have double or triple
sets of parents, duplicated siblings and children. When the merge
process is run to its completion, all these multiple links are
reconciled. If you stop in the middle of a merge, and don't ever intent
to complete it, you should restore from the automatic backup that was
made when you started.
If you are new to Legacy or uncertain how to proceed, we recommend that you review the free "Legacy for Beginners" training video at http://www.legacyfamilytree.net/videos/beg8/LegacyForBeginners.html. After the brief introductions has finished, you will be able to mouseover the left side of the screen and select to watch either Basic Data Entry or Add Additional Family Members.
Note: The Legacy Help file has guidance that you need to know when fixing relationship problems. Please click on Help and select Help Index. Next click on Tutorial Lessons (on the right side of the Help screen) and select from the examples and demos shown. Under Basic, Intermediate and Advanced you will find:
"How to Unlink or Delete a Child, Spouse or Parent"
"How to Link in Existing Individuals"
"How to Merge Duplicate Individuals"
“How to Rearrange Spouse and Child Orders”
"How to Find Potential Problems"
"How to Show Relationships"
And more...
URGENT: Be sure to backup your family file before you begin. Also fixing relationship problems will be easier if you turn on RINs and MRINs. Click on Options > Customize > 8. View. Next, go to 8.2 Display Numbers on Names, then check mark On all Name Lists and On Family View and Pedigree View and select RINs, and then click Save. Next, check and repair your family file. Work from Family View as you fix problems.
I. Marriage Problems
Problem 1: Spouses not listed in order of marriage dates in lists and reports.
• You can globally sort all the marriages in your family file in Legacy by clicking on Tools > Other Tools > Sort Child, Marriage, and Event Lists.... Next check mark the lists you want and click Sort the Selected List.
• To sort the spouses of only one person, click on View > Spouse List and choose either the husband or wife and then click Sort. Note: All marriages with no marriage date are sorted to the top and the remaining are displayed in date order. If you still need to change the order, highlight the spouse you want moved, then click the up or down button in the lower right corner of the window until he/she is in the right position.
Problem 2: A non-preferred spouse is always showing in Family View, rather than the preferred spouse.
Solution: Open the Spouse List by clicking on View > Spouse List, highlight the preferred spouse, and click Set to Preferred.
Problem 3: An individual has marriages to a duplicate spouse (spouse records have different RINs).
Solution: Open the Spouse List by clicking on View, then select Spouse List and choose either the husband or wife on make note of the RIN numbers, then close it. In Family View highlight the spouse with the duplicate records, then click Tools > Merge button and select Manual Merge. The Merge window is displayed with the spouse on the left side. Next click Select Right to open the Name List and select the duplicate record for merging. Refer to the RIN numbers to help you find the correct record. You will now have the duplicate record on the right side of the window. Click the Merge Right Individual into Left Individual button and close the window when completed. All children will remain linked to both of their parents.
Problem 4: An individual is married to the same spouse more than once (spouse records have same RIN).
Solution: Open the Spouse List by clicking on View, then select Spouse List and choose either the husband or wife on the submenu. Next, in the Spouse List highlight the duplicate marriage, and click Unlink on the right side of the window. The Unlink window is displayed. This window shows the name of the current individual from whom the spouse will be unlinked along with a list of any children that are currently linked to these two people. (In a situation, like this do not delete the duplicates because they have the same RIN deleting would completely remove the spouse from the family file causing even worse problems.)
In the screen shot below, unlinking is safe because there are no children attached. Click Yes.
Had there been children listed, make note of the children and their RINs and then click Cancel. Next select the other duplicate and click Unlink. If this spouse also has children, make note of them and their RINs. You must now make some choices:
1. If all of the children are listed with one of the duplicate spouses, but none with the other then unlink the spouse with no children.
2. If all of the children are listed with each of the duplicate spouses, it won't matter which spouse you unlink. Unlinking will be safe no matter which you chose. However, you will get a temporary Unknown spouse with children. Next unlink the Unknown spouse. This is OK because all the children are linked to the other spouse.
3. If the duplicate spouses each have children, but they are not the same or only partly the same, Cancel the unlinking and close the Spouse List. Next print out the Family Group sheets for each marriage. Next using the Family Group sheets as a guide link all of the children as existing individuals to the one marriage you think best. It is now safe to unlink the duplicate spouse with the fewest children. Keep in mind, you will get a temporary Unknown spouse with children, which also must be unlinked. This is OK because all the children are linked to the other spouse.
Problem 5: An individual has a marriage to an Unknown spouse...
Solution: Open the Spouse List by clicking on View > Spouse List and choose either the husband or wife. If the marriage to the Unknown spouse has no children linked to it, highlight the Unknown in the Spouse List and click Delete.
• If there are children connected to the Unknown spouse and it is only the word Unknown that you want blanked out, then click on Options > Customize > 3. Data Format. Next scroll down to 3.11 Word for Blank Records and choose (Just leave it blank). Click the Save button to exit.
• If you know the name of the Unknown spouse, in Family View, click on Unknown and add the person's information. If this creates a duplicate spouse record, then manually merge them.
Problem 6: There is a marriage of Unknown to Unknown.
Solution: Click on View > Marriage List, highlight the Unknown to Unknown marriage, then click the Options button and select Remove the Marriage Link.
Problem 7: The gender of the Husband and/or Wife is inverted (he is female; she is male or both have the same gender).
Solution: Click on Edit and select Swap Husband and Wife.
• If there is more than one spouse for either the husband or wife, the individual must be unlinked from the other spouse before you can swap or manually change the gender. The unlinked spouse will need to be relinked and the marriage information re-entered as the final step.
• If the couple both have the same gender, the error will be reported at the conclusion of a check and repair of the family file. (Click on File > File Maintenance > Check/Repair.) If the couple has no other marriages, click on Edit and select Swap Husband and Wife. You may need to do this twice in a row. If the couple has other marriages, unlink the marriage, next change the gender of the affected person and then recreate the marriage as the final step.
Problem 8: Legacy won't allow me to add a same-sex marriage.
• See Same sex couples.
Problem 9: An individual has a marriage to wrong person.
Solution: Click on View > Marriage List. Highlight the bad marriage and click on Options... > Remove the Marriage Link. If this results in a marriage to an Unknown spouse (which it will if there were children attached), the Unknown spouse should be unlinked also and the "orphaned" children should then be linked to the correct parents.
Problem 10: Cannot check mark This individual never married and has no children in a person's Individual Information screen. This individual never married and has no children is grayed out (not selectable).
Solution: This person was inadvertently married to an Unknown spouse. Put the person in the Husband or Wife box in Family View and then right-click on him/her and click on Unlink > From Husband (or Wife) on the popup menu. Alternately you can click on View > Marriage List, then highlight the child and click on Options... > Remove the Marriage Link... and follow the screen prompts.
Problem 11: Error 3021 "Can't get next deleted MRIN" when adding a marriage. Please see the How to Check/Repair your family file - Legacy.
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II. Child Problems:
Problem 1: Children not listed in order of birth dates in lists and reports.
• You can globally sort all the children in your family file in Legacy by clicking on Tools > Other Tools > Sort Child, Marriage, and Event Lists.... Next check mark the lists you want and click Sort the Selected List.
• To sort the children for only one family, click on View > Children's Settings and then click Sort. Note: Any children without a birth date are sorted to the top and the remaining are displayed in date order. If you still need to change the order, highlight the child you want moved, then click the up or down button in the lower right corner of the window until he/she is in the right position.
Problem 2: An individual appears as a child in the wrong family.
Solution: With the individual in the Child List below the wrong parents in Family View, click on him/her with the right mouse button. A popup menu will appear. Select Unlink from Parents from the popup menu. Warning: If you click Delete, this individual will be completely removed from the family file. If the individual is married and has children, he/she will also be deleted as a spouse and a father, which creates additional problems. Unlinking is almost always the best choice.
To link the child to the correct parents, first get the correct parents in the Husband and Wife positions in Family View. Next, with the right mouse button, click once in a blank space in the Child List below the Husband and Wife and then select Link to an Existing Son (or Daughter) in the popup menu. Find the child in the Name List first and select him/her.
Problem 3: A child needs to be unlinked from a step-parent and connected only to his/her birth father and birth mother.
Begin by noting the child's name and RIN number. With the birth parent and step-parent in the Husband and Wife boxes in Family View, right-click on the child and select Unlink from Parents on the popup menu. Do not delete the child, only unlink. Next, to link the child to both birth parents, first get both birth parents in the Husband and Wife positions in Family View. Next, with the right mouse button, click once in a blank space in the Child List below the Husband and Wife and then select Link to an Existing Son (or Daughter) in the popup menu. Find the child in the Name List first and select him/her.
Problem 4: A child is appears more than once in the list of children for his/her parents (child has different RINs)
Solution: Merge the duplicate child records. Make note of the RINs, then select the first record. Put the child in the Husband or Wife box in Family View. Next, click on Tools > Merge > Manual Merge. The Merge screen will open with the current individual on the left side. Next click the Select Right button and find the duplicate record for the individual (refer to the RINs). If there is different information for the individual on the left and right, chose the pieces of data you want to keep and then click Merge Right Individual into Left Individual. (Click the Help button for further guidance.)
Problem 5: A child is appears more than once in the list of children for his/her parents (child has same RIN)
This error is rare, but not unknown. In Family View right-click on the duplicate and select Unlink from Parents on the popup menu. In a situation, like this do not delete the duplicates because they have the same RIN deleting would completely remove the child from the family file. After unlinking, check and repair your family file.
Problem 6: A child/individual has more than one set of parents.
Solution, this is not a problem if it's intentional (for example, a person can have both birth parents and adoptive parents). If the child is linked to the totally wrong set of parents, put the person in the Husband or Wife box in Family View and click on View > Parents List. Next highlight the bad parents and click Unlink. Optionally you can right-click on the child and select Unlink from Parents on the popup menu, which will accomplish the same thing.
Problem 7: A generation is missing so that a child is linked to his/her grandparents instead of his/her parents. How do I insert the missing generation?
Solution: 1. Put the grandparents in the Husband and Wife boxes in Family View. 2. Right-click on the person in the Children's Grid and select Unlink from Parents from the popup menu. 3. Add the missing generation person as a child to the Husband and Wife (grandparents). 4. Move the person just added up to the Husband or Wife box. 5. If needed add their spouse. 6. Link the child (the one unlinked in step 2) as an existing son or daughter to his/her correct parents (the ones now in the Husband and Wife boxes).
Problem 8: Error 3021 "Can't get next deleted RIN" when adding a child or a parent. Please see the How to Check/Repair your family file - Legacy.
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III. Other Problems:
Problem 1: An individual appears more than once in the Name List. (He/she has as more than one record because there are different RINs.)
Solution: Make note of the RINs, then select the first record. This individual will now be the current individual in Family View. Next, click on Tools > Merge > Manual Merge. The Merge screen will open with the current individual on the left side. Next click the Select Right button and find the duplicate record for the individual (refer to the RINs). If there is different information for the individual on the left and right, chose the pieces of data you want to keep and then click Merge Right Individual into Left Individual. (Click the Help button for further guidance.)
Problem 2: An individual is linked as his/her own parent in Family View or Pedigree View, or the Error Log created after doing a check and repair of my family file lists this problem.
Solution: Put the person in the Husband or Wife box in Family View, then right-click on him/her and select Unlink from Parents... on the popup menu. After unlinking, check and repair your family file to make sure the situation is corrected.
Problem 3: Warning: Duplicate Found ' You could be in an Endless Loop.
Problem 4: When navigating through my family tree people who are supposed to be there aren't showing up even though they are in the Name List.
• First, check and repair your family file and fix any errors you find, particularly marriage and child-parent relationship errors.
• Click on View > Trees to open the Tree Finder. Often times there are unlinked individuals or groups of individuals in your family file along with your main family line. These other people are often hard to find because they never show up when you are navigating through your family or when printing reports. They are displayed in the Name List but you can’t tell if they are connected to the main line. Tree Finder will identify disconnected individuals and lines, which need to be attached to your main family line.
• All of your various family lines should be kept together in one file. Don't have separate files for paternal and maternal lines, etc. Legacy cannot "look into" another family file for data when compiling charts and books or calculating relationships or tagging. Please import the records from the separate family files into one master Legacy family file with everyone in it. See "Copying Between Two Family Files" for more information.
• If the problem isn't the result of family lines kept in separate files, the disconnects can be fixed by merging duplicate records, fixing marriage problems, fixing child-parent relationships.
• The problem might result from the need to set direct lines as preferred. Click on Tools, chose the starting person and select Set Direct Line as Preferred. Or you may need to run Check and Repair.
Problem 5: A report or chart does not show all of the people or family lines, or the relationship calculator is not finding everyone, or tagging Ancestor or Descendant lines is not getting everyone.
• Similar to Problem 4 above. Try those solutions.
• Make sure that no one's Privacy settings are marked Invisible. In the Individual's Information screen click the Privacy Settings button in the lower right corner and select Not Private and click Save.
• For reports or charts created in Legacy Family Tree, click the Reset button in the lower left of the report or chart screen. Next confirm the reset action, then re-select your options and try the report or chart again.
Problem 6: After entering new ancestors, their relationship to the starting person ("Self") doesn't show in Family View.
Solution: Reset the relationships. In Family View go to the starting person ("Self"), then click on Tools > Set Relationships.
Problem 7: Cannot check mark This individual never married and has no children in a person's Individual Information screen. This individual never married and has no children is grayed out (not selectable).
Solution: This person was inadvertently married to an Unknown spouse. Put the person in the Husband or Wife box in Family View and then right-click on him/her and click on Unlink > From Husband (or Wife) on the popup menu. Alternately you can click on View > Marriage List, then highlight the child and click on Options... > Remove the Marriage Link... and follow the screen prompts.
Problem 8: I accidentally deleted an individual.
Solution: You can either re-enter the person's information and relink him/her to the parents and spouse(s) and then relink the children, if any. Or, you can restore your family file from your backup copy (see Backup & Restore - how to restore a Legacy file).
Problem 9: I accidentally deleted my entire family file.
Solution: You can either open the Recycle Bin and restore your family file from it. Or, you can restore your family file from your backup copy (see Backup & Restore - how to restore a Legacy file).
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IV. Set Relationship Problems:
Problem1: The relationships displayed in Family View are not right. For example, a husband and wife who have a common ancestor in 1580 are shown as 10th Cousins, Once Removed.
Solution:
1. Click on Tools > Set Relations and then click Clear Relationships at the bottom of the Set Relationships screen.
2. Next reopen the Set Relationships screen, set the Limit for the closest blood and the Limit for non-blood relationships to 1 and click Set Relationships.
Problem 2: Relationships set to display above names in Family View are still wrong, even after doing the above steps.
Solution:
1. Make sure your Legacy program has the most current update. Please visit:
LEGACY: http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/DownloadUpdate.asp
LEGACY 7.5 OR EARLIER: http://support.legacyfamilytree.com/article/AA-00899 and download the final revision (build) of your version. You may also wish to read "How to Install Legacy 7.5 or earlier on a Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista computer" at http://support.legacyfamilytree.com/article/AA-00897.
1. Check and repair your family file.
2. Make sure that actual relationship problems have been fixed, for example a person linked as a child to himself, or as a child to his grandfather or to a step-parent. The Set Relationships tool can't do its job right if there are faulty relationship links in your family file.
3. After fixing relationship problems, you should reset your direct line as preferred. Click on Tools > Set Direct Line as Preferred. You should also reset your relationships. Click on Tools > Set Relations and then click Clear Relationships at the bottom of the Set Relationships screen. Next reopen the screen, select your options and click Set Relationships.
Problem 3: After entering new ancestors, their relationship to the starting person ("Self") doesn't show in Family View.
Solution: Reset the relationships. In Family View go to the starting person ("Self"), then click on Tools > Set Relationships.
Problem 4: The above steps did not fix the relationship problems.
Solution:
1. With Legacy closed, open your Documents folder, then browse into the Legacy Family Tree\Data sub-directory and delete the file with the .Rc3 extension. For example, if your family file is named Smith.fdb, delete the Smith~Rc3.Rc3 file, which holds calculated relationships. This file will be recreated in the next step.
2. Restart Legacy and then reset your relationships.
3. If relationships are still wrong, please report these problems to Support@LegacyFamilyTree.com. Please note that bugs in the Set Relationships tool will not be fixed in Legacy 7.5 or earlier.
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