Computer Genealogy Specialists

Known PAF Problems and Solutions

(Article 27)

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27 Known PAF Problems and Solutions

For a greately improved PAF 5 database repair program that also does superior match-merges between PAF 5 databases and automatic IGI lookups, check out PAF Insight.

PAF 5 has been updated to the latest release of PAF 5.2.18. Each of the updates in the PAF 5 series were to fix bugs in the original PAF 5 release. Since all computer programs seem to have bugs this should be no surprise. Who has not had problems with the Windows operating system, for example. This latest version of PAF 5 seems to be the best yet in the series. This version of PAF is the only version being updated by the LDS Church.

PAF 5 Features

PAF 5 has the following unique features (in the order of most used to least) not present in PAF 4.

The match-merge function will merge paragraphs in existing note records with paragraphs in imported (and merged) note records. This works for individual notes as well as marriage notes regardless of the order of the paragraphs. A paragraph is any sentence or set of sentences separated from other paragraphs by blank lines.

PAF 5 has a global search and replace for names, temple codes, and notes.

PAF 5 has a set of lessons (click and read) organized into 7 subjects areas and topics within subjects.

PAF 5 has a Unique Record Serial Number (in addition to a RIN) for each individual. The most common use of this number is to subset a large PAF collection using a Gedcom file export for the purpose of checking for completed ordinances in the TempleReady for Windows -- Update My Records function. Once ordinances are checked, an output Gedcom file can be returned to PAF 5 and easily imported and merged with the original collection using the Unique Record Serial Number.

PAF 5 Edit Individual window and Edit Marriage window can have the order of the entry fields changed according to a template to make the sequence of data entry fields easier when extracting material from printed material (e.g., a compiled genealogy on paper).

PAF 5 can handle Asian languages, Russian (Cyrillic), and Hebrew as well as the Romanized languages (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, German, and Scandinavian languages) all in the same database.

If you are using PAF 4 and find the above features not overly useful, there is no impelling reason to begin using PAF 5 unless those you share genealogical data with are using PAF 5. For those who use PAF 4 and are satisfied with the Romanized languages, PAF 4 will do just fine. PAF 4 and PAF 5 both work equally well with TempleReady for Windows -- Submissions and Update My Records functions. In the future if new features are included in PAF 5 or some integration with other products occurs, or if a PAF 6 becomes available with new features, then it may be advantageous to upgrade. In the meantime, either PAF 4 or PAF 5 work equally well to organize your genealogical records. Both PAF 4 and PAF 5 are compatible with Windows 95A, 98, 98SE, ME, XP, NT 4.0, and NT 2000.

Known PAF 5.2.18 Problems and Solutions

The following are problems reported in PAF 5.2.18. If you are aware of these problems you can take steps to avoid them. If you encounter them, you can also be aware of their impact so that problems are not compounded.

01 Problem - User defined event sequence problem.

If you have several events of the same type (Census for example) added to the same individual that have the same date or no date, there is no way to control the sequence . In my test pedigree I added 25 entries all for the same census (1850, St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, with the description field indicating 01 to 25 in the order of entry). The event records were first ordered 02 to 25 with 01 at the end. I then changed the 01 entry date to be 1801 hoping it would sort in date order and place it first. It did, but the rest of the records were then sorted 05 to 25, then 03, 04, and 02. I then changed the dates of records 01 to 08 to be 1801 to 1808 respectively. They were sorted in order, but no way to predict the order of the remainder of the records that all had 1850. Solution: Event entries of the same type that have dates, will sort in date order, others of the same type have unpredictable sort order, so be advised.

02 Problem - The Edit Individual window Cancel button has unexpected results with user defined events.

If you change any standard event information for an individual (birth, christening, marriage, death, burial, or LDS ordinances) and click on Cancel rather than Save, the changes will not take effect. The record remains as it was before the changes. However, if you change any user defined event information (Census, Immigration, etc.) and click outside the field, it takes effect immediately. If you subsequently click Cancel, some of the changes remain in place while others show the event record but without data (blank event record), but their source-citations remain in place. Solution: User defined events are changed immediately, so be careful what you change. If you select Cancel after creating user defined events, make sure you re-visit the Edit Individual window to make sure that the events are gone. If they are not, click on the date of the event to be removed and use the Options button and Remove option. Note that when you answer Yes to confirm the removal of a user defined event, it will be deleted even if you subsequently click Cancel to exit the Edit Individual window.

03 Problem - Gedcom import source-citation error message.

PAF 5.2 can import a Gedcom file (PAF 5.2 version) containing records with source-citations into an empty PAF database without problem, but when imported into an existing database will sometimes display the error message Unable To Add New Citation for one or several imported records. The import listing file still reports no errors when the import is complete. Upon viewing the imported records several of the user defined events are missing. Solution: Always import Gedcom files first into an empty PAF database. Then if the problem occurs when importing into an existing database, you can look at the first import to find missing data.

04 Problem - There is no match-merge for multimedia pointers, only discard or add.

PAF 5.2 can import a Gedcom file (PAF 5.2 version) containing multimedia (pictures) links into an empty PAF database or an existing PAF database without problems. However, when you match-merge the individuals and neglect to check the box to Combine Multimedia Objects, multimedia links are preserved in the original record and lost from the imported record. In you check the box to Combine Multimedia Objects, the imported record's multimedia links are added to the bottom of the list of the original record. Solution: Do not check the box if you do not have the pictures that correspond with the links. If you do have the pictures, check the box and to have the links combined for each merged individual. Note: When you import the Gedcom file into an empty PAF database, generate a custom report for those names that have multimedia links. Then use the report to find those individuals that have multimedia links in the final import and match-merge. This will help reduce the number of individuals that need to have their multimedia links corrected, re-sequenced, or duplicates removed.

05 Problem - PAF-4 & 5 use different default fonts, and the fonts in PAF 5 cause overprint problem.The Tahoma font used as default in PAF 5 can cause formatting problems on reports. Solution: Set the PAF-4 & 5 fonts (Tools, Preferences, Fonts) to either Arial or Times New Roman as follows, and set all options to a character size of 9 points. View and print the results and make changes as desired.

06 Problem - PAF-4 & 5 both report Gedcom import temple code problems but do not automatically provide a way to correct them.

Some old (2 character) or incorrect temple codes may still be in your PAF database. If you prepare a Gedcom file and import it into another PAF pedigree, out-of-date and incorrect temple codes will appear in the exception report. Solution: When the Gedcom import has finished and the report listing appears, print it for convenient reference. Then use the Advance Focus/Filter using the Field Filters to search for Any Temple with one of the problem temple code values. Place a checkmark in the box Show Results Only to get a list of just those individual records that have that code. Use the Edit button at the bottom to edit each of the individual records and change the obsolete temple code with a new one. If you need a list of correct temple codes, click in the temple code field, and then click on the black down arrow to open a list of temple codes and their titles. Click Save to save your updates. When you have finished all individual record updates, update the marriage records as well. Note that not all individual records may display the temple code value you searched for, because the code value is in the marriage record for the individual.

To view the marriage data, start from the top of your selection list, click on one name, click OK at the bottom to see the Family-View. Note that the individual's name you selected from the list appears in the primary location of the Family-View. Double-click on the marriage data block to see and change the temple code value. Click Save to save the update and return to the Family-View. Click on the primary individual of the Family-View then click on the Find-icon (binoculars) from the tool-bar to return your position in the selection list. When all obsolete marriage temple-codes have been updated, select a new temple-code value and repeat the process.

07 Problem: Names with slashes in PAF-4 are not converted correctly into the PAF-5 name format.

PAF-4 allows slashes in names (Jane/June, HAWKINS/HAUKINS), and keeps given names in a separate field from surnames. PAF-5 uses a single name field to record the given and surname and uses a beginning and ending slash to set off the surname from given names (José Louís /PÊSOA MARTINEZ/ II). PAF-5 does not report that it has encountered slashes in the name and suggest you review the conversion. Solution: You should eliminate all slashes in names in PAF-4 before the conversion occurs.

Use the Advanced Focus Filter - Field Filter on the name field to find any name that contains a slash (Tools, Advanced Focus/Filter..., Field-Filter Define button, Possible Fields = Name, Right-arrow >, Contains, /, OK, Show Results Only). Use the Edit button at the bottom to see and correct the name. Not all pieces of the name need to be represented in the given-name or surname fields. You could also use the Married Name, Also Known As, and Nickname fields at the bottom of the Edit Individual window. As last resort you can change the slash to an "or" between alternate names. Remember that Edit Individual window contains your genealogical "conclusions" not the "evidence". The field represents your choice of a display/report name for the individual. The background documentation (evidence) in sources and notes is where alternate spellings can be described.

08 Problem: PAF 5.2 merges duplicate notes on a paragraph basis, but only if they are identical.

When you import a Gedcom file containing duplicate individuals and do a match-merge, PAF can merge duplicate individuals, marriages, sources, citations, repositories, and notes (both individual and marriage notes) on a paragraph by paragraph basis if the paragraphs are identical. It doesn't matter what the sequence of the paragraphs are, if they are identical they will be merged. However, if they are not identical the non-matching paragraphs will be added to the end of the existing notes where you may not be able to distinguish them from your own. Solution: If you place a blank line and a row of asterisks (**************) as the last line of your notes for each individual before the merge, added notes will be added after the divider and you will be able to clearly distinguish your original notes from the new ones. You can also ask PAF to print a report of all individuals with notes (File, Print reports, Lists, Individuals with notes), and look at each set of notes and edit them as you see fit. After you update the notes, remember to move the note-divider to the last line.

09 Problem - PAF-4 & 5 cannot automatically merge families when the spouse is "Unknown" and no RIN is present.

When PAF-4 or 5 does and automatic AFN match-merge, or when PAF-5 does and automatic match-merge based on the Unique Record Serial Number, it can correctly merge all individuals with these unique matching numbers (AFN or URSN). But, when an individual has multiple marriages but the spouse is undefined (no RIN assigned = Unknown individual), PAF does not know how to merge the marriage records. Solution: To avoid the problem, convert all Unknown individuals with no RIN to individuals with a RIN number and the name "unknown" (recommend lower case to avoid any confusion with a real name). Alternately, you can copy the RIN and MRIN numbers as the match-merge process reports them, choose not to merge them in the match-merge, and manually merge them afterward.

10 Problem - PAF-5 import to PAF-4 reports lots of media formatting problems.

When individuals in PAF-5 contain multimedia links with formatting options (Edit photo for display size and orientation) the Edit options are passed to PAF-4 incorrectly and are lost. Solution: This problem has no easy solution except to re-Edit the photos and redefine the display size and orientation. One related problem is also associated with this, however. If you ask PAF to place import error messages in individual notes (which is the only convenient way to find which problems are associated with which individuals), there is a bunch of useless error messages that clutter up the notes. These would need to be found and deleted. Therefor, remember always to import Gedcom files first into an empty PAF database to evaluate what you have, select the best and then import only what you want into your best work.

11 Problem - PAF-5 can fail to run because of the Klez.h virus.

If your computer has been infected by the Klez.h virus (usually from an infected e-mail) it will randomly search for executable programs on your system and change their name causing them to not be found when needed. Any of the PAF programs can be affected as can the Windows operating system or your anti-virus software (Norton or McAfee). Solution: Use the Find or Search option on your computer and search for Klez to see if it exists on your computer. Note which program folders they are in. This will give you a clue as to which programs have been infected. If so, get the free Fix_Klez DOS program from It will get rid of the virus but will not correct the damage. Reload programs that have been infected. In the case of PAF, uninstall and then reinstall PAF.