Ohana Software’s PAF INSIGHT Part 1 By Tina Abplanalp

Purpose of PAF Insight Works with PAF (Personal Ancestral File) and allows you to: Reduce time to search the IGI on for ordinance information. Copy selected data from IGI records to your PAF file. Merge data from individual records. Compact your PAF database. Revise RIN numbers. Compare and synchronize two separate PAF files.

Where Can You Get the Software? PAF Insight Available by download from for $25. A CD can be purchased for $35. Free to use at most Family History Centers. Check your nearest center. Personal Ancestral File (PAF) Free for download from or CDs can be purchased. Free to use at all Family History Centers.

OHANA SOFTWARE SITE Use this site for: Downloads and updates Lessons (All kinds of lessons and “How-to” presentations.) Links to Genealogy Sites FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and technical support LDS Consultants and Discussion Groups (PAF Insight Group) Newsletters Free Stuff (Freeware and Shareware) Other Genealogy Tools. Bundles are available at reduced cost. Where Can You Get PAF Insight? PAF Insight is free to use at most Family History Centers. Check your nearest center.

Download PAF from 1. Click Family History. 2. Select Software Downloads to download PAF. OR Select Software & Databases to buy a PAF CD for $8.25. You also get a copy of PAF Companion that helps with printing different types of reports and charts. Where Can You Get PAF?

Download PAF Companion Basic free. Download PAF free from Where Can You Get PAF?

System Requirements Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista Screen resolution 1024 x 768 or greater 30 MB of hard drive space available Suggested RAM 256M or greater. With larger files you should have more RAM. Current Windows updates installed for your computer Personal Ancestral File 5 or greater installed

Before Installing PAF Insight Update your browser. You need Internet Explorer version 6 or above. Go to for updates. Ensure you have installed all critical updates for Windows. Read the tutorials and other information on the Ohana Software website. Register at to view LDS ordinances. You need your LDS Membership Record Number and Confirmation Date. Ask your Ward clerk for this information. Install Personal Ancestral File (PAF) version 5 or greater. PAF is available free from or Ensure that your PAF file is saved and that you have a backup copy of the file. Close PAF. Do not just minimize it.

Before Using PAF Insight Ensure Windows firewall will allow PAF Insight to access the Internet. (Windows Service Pack 2 installs a firewall. Some virus scans require that this firewall be deactivated.) Ensure that your virus scan and firewall will allow PAF Insight to access the Internet. Open your browser and connect to the Internet. Minimize the browser. Do not open PAF. You will open it from within PAF Insight. Do not log into the FamilySearch website. You will log in from within PAF Insight.

Before Using PAF Insight Ensure that your virus scan and firewall will allow PAF Insight and PAF to have full access to the Internet. Add PAF and PAF Insight as Allowed Programs, usually under Program Permissions in Advanced Firewall settings. Check your software for details.

Before starting PAF Insight, log on to the Internet. Register on and create a User Name and Password. You need to have a valid address to register. On click Register. If you want to view ordinance records, you need your church Membership Record Number and Confirmation Date to register. You can get these from your Ward clerk.

Be sure to sign out of before starting PAF Insight.

IMPORTANT BACKUP Back up your PAF file before using it with PAF Insight. You never know when your browser or a website may crash or you may get a virus. ALWAYS MAKE A BACKUP COPY. RECOMMENDATION I recommend creating a separate copy of your PAF file to use with PAF Insight. Click Save As and give your file a new name. For example, if my PAF file is named “jteeter,” I can name my PAF Insight file “jteeterPI.” Next time you open PAF, be sure to use the jteeterPI file.

TIP I usually include the date in the PAF file name, such as “jteeter ” Every time you open and then close a PAF file, the file saves with the current date and time that you access the file, even if no changes were made. If you update the file and save it with a new name (and date in the name), you know the exact date that you made the updates.

Click the PAF Insight icon on your desktop to open the application. Do NOT open PAF yet.

MAIN MENU The PAF Insight Main Menu displays. Click an option in the Menu bar. OR Click an icon on the icon bar. Menu BAR Icon bar The first thing to do after installing PAF Insight is to set Preferences.

The PAF Insight Menu displays. The first thing to do is set Preferences. ACCESSING PREFERENCES To access Preferences: Click Edit and then click Preferences.

PREFERENCES GENERAL TAB Under Data folder, click the Browse button to locate a folder for your PAF data. Create a PAF Data folder for your archive files and other data saved by PAF Insight. PREFERENCES TABS Default settings are checked on four tabs. You must complete the IGI Search tab before using PAF Insight.

MAKE A DATA FOLDER Browse to locate and select a folder where you can store your PAF Insight data. OR Click the Make New Folder button to create a new folder. Enter PAF Insight Data or another name for the data file. Click the OK button.

PREFERENCES GENERAL TAB Select Automatically check for updates only if you want PAF Insight to automatically check for updates to the application. NOTE: This option is not usually checked. Click the OK button or click the IGI Search tab to select more Preferences.

LOGIN Before you begin searching the IGI, you must complete the Preferences IGI Search tab. Enter the information you use to log in to Enter your Username and Password. Do not change the rest of the default settings at this time. CLEAR CACHE If you have been searching the IGI for many files, click the Clear Cache button to delete the temporary files. Clearing cache allows PAF Insight to run more efficiently. Click the OK button or click the Archives tab to select more Preferences.

KEEP ARCHIVES Leave this default option checked. PAF Insight keeps archive files automatically. REMEMBER TO BACK UP AND SAVE Remember to back up and save your files often. Click the OK button or click the Match/Not A Match tab to select more Preferences.

MATCH/NOT A MATCH Keep these default options. Click the OK button.

OPENING A FILE FROM THE OPEN ICON There are several ways to open a PAF file in PAF Insight. The easiest way to open a file is to click the Open icon.

OPENING A FILE FROM THE FILE MENU You can also open a PAF file from the File menu. Use one of these four options: Click Open and browse to find a PAF file. Click Open Backup and browse to find a PAF backup file. Click Open from Archive and browse to find a PAF archive file. You will only have archive files if you have used PAF Insight previously. Click Recent Files and select one of the files you opened previously.

LOCATING A PAF FILE Browse to find the folder and your PAF file. Select the file and click the Open button.

CLEAN Before you search the IGI, use PAF Insight to “Clean” your PAF file by doing these three things: Edit RINs and Pedigrees Merge Records Edit Places for Consistency If your PAF file has been “cleaned,” click the Search IGI button.

Opening a PAF File You can sort PAF files according to RIN number or Surname. You can select search criteria for searching the IGI. You can select a range of years for date searches.

PAF OPENS Your PAF file opens with a list of Primary names and their Primary RIN numbers. The list can be sorted by either the surname or the RIN number.

SORTING THE LIST There are two ways to sort the list: 1)Click the down arrow in the “Sort by” field and select a sort type. 2)Clicking either the “Primary RIN” or “Primary name” column heading. SORTING THE LIST There are two ways to sort the list: 1)Click the down arrow in the “Sort by” field and select a sort type. 2)Clicking either the “Primary RIN” or “Primary name” column heading.

SORT BY SURNAME Click the“Primary name” column heading to sort the column alphabetically by last name. Note that “Primary Surname” displays in the “Sort by” field to indicate how the current list is sorted.

SORT BY RIN Click the Primary RIN column heading to sort the list by RIN number. Note that “Primary Rin” now displays in the “Sort by” field to indicate how the current list is sorted.

SEARCH RANGE Click the down-arrow to the left of the “Search” icon to select the range of years to search. Selecting “Search exact year” narrows your search. Selecting “Search +/-11 years” widens your search to locate all records for the selected name that show dates as much as 11 years before or after the date in your record. For example, if the birth date in your record is 1892, the search will display records with birth dates from 1881 through 1903.

RECORD DETAILS Double-click a record and the details of the record display in a separate “Details” window. This detail only shows the Individual Record (I) and the Notes (N). A checkmark displays beside the type of information in the record.

RECORD DETAILS Click the “P” and the record now displays the Parent information. “S” displays Spouse information.