Getting Started with Genome Mate Pro, Part 11 — Install the DNAGedcom Client

In coming lessons, we will will import match data from Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), 23andMe, and AncestryDNA.  But first, we need to take a bit of a detour into DNAGedcom, a third-party website that offers tools for genetic genealogy.  The site offers a stand-alone program called the DNAGedcom Client that is the best portal for importing data from those companies into GMP.  It’s possible to import the data without going through the DNAGedcom Client, but I don’t recommend it.

Here’s why:  GMP tells DNA relatives apart from one another using a unique identifier called a “key”.  For example, the key for GEDmatch data is the kit number.  If you import segment data for the same GEDmatch number twice, GMP is smart enough to merge the data from the two imports rather than to create a second record for the same person.

The problem with importing directly from FTDNA and 23andMe is that those imports do not contain unique identifiers, Instead, GMP uses the matches’ names as keys. If two matches at the same company have the exact same name, e.g., John Miller, GMP will not be able to tell them apart and will merge the segment data from two different John Millers into a single person. This is bad. DNAGedcom, on the other hand, can determine the unique ID for each match, regardless of name. That allows GMP to tell one John Miller apart from another John Miller and treat them as the separate people they are.

Access to the DNAGedcom Client costs $5/month or $50/year.  If you are on a tight budget, subscribe for one month ($5), do imports for all of your profiles for FTDNA, 23andMe, and AncestryDNA, then let your subscription lapse.  You can subscribe again in a few months when you have enough new matches to make the fee worthwhile.

Note that the PC and Mac versions of the Client are slightly different in appearance and functionality.

Subscribe to DNAGedcom and Get the DNAGedcom Client

1. Go to www.DNAGedcom.com.
2. If you have already registered there, log in. If not, click “Register” at the top right, create a free account, and log in.
   
3. Hover your cursor over “Members” in the options bar, then select “Subscriber Information”.
4. If you do not already subscribe to DNAGedcom, scroll part way down the page to do so.  Select either “Silver Monthly” ($5) or “Silver Yearly” ($50), then click the SUBSCRIBE button.  Follow the instructions on the next page to pay.
5. Once you have subscribed, return to the same page (Members > Subscriber Information) described in Step 3.
6. In the text on the Subscriber Information page are two blue links, one to download the Client for Windows and one for Mac. Click the appropriate one for your computer’s operating system.
   

Install the DNAGedcom Client for Windows (see below for Mac)

1. The Windows link on the Subscriber Information page will take you to another page with a button to INSTALL.
   
2. Click on the “Setup.exe” shortcut shown at the bottom of your internet browser to install the Client.
   (You can also click the Setup.exe file in your Downloads folder to install.)
3. If you get a security warning, click “Run” to continue with the installation.
   
4. You may get additional popups during the installation. Choose the options that allow the installation to continue.
5. When the program has installed and opened, you should see this window.  Click the OPTIONS button.
   
6. In the OPTIONS tab, enter the user name and password that you use for your DNAGedcom membership, then click LOGIN. You can also designate the folder where the files we will generate later will be saved. When done, click the SAVE ALL button.
   
7. You’re all done for now!  You can quit the Client.  It will automatically prompt you to update when new versions are released.

Install the DNAGedcom Client for Mac (see above for PC)

1. The Mac link on the Subscriber Information page will download a file called DNAGedcomClient.zip to your computer (probably to your “Downloads” folder). Double-click on the file to unzip it.
2. Double-click on the program itself.
   
3. You will probably get a warning asking whether you are sure you want to open the file.  Click “Open”.
   
4. When the program is installed, double-click on it to open it.
5. Click on the OPTIONS tab. Enter the user name and password that you use for your DNAGedcom membership, then click LOGON. You can also designate the folder where the files we will generate later will be saved.
6. You’re all done for now!  You can quit the Client.
7. Follow these instructions to update your version of the Client when a new one comes out.

Getting Started with Genome Mate Pro Series

• Part 1 — Install the Program
• Part 2 — Set Up a Profile for a GEDmatch User
• Part 3 — Activate GEDmatch Import Templates
• Part 4 — App Settings
• Part 5 — First GEDmatch Imports
• Part 6 — The Chromosome Browser
• Part 7 — More GEDmatch Imports
• Part 8 — The Relative Detail Tab
• Part 9 — Import a Gedcom
• Part 10 — Import GEDmatch Triangulations
• Part 11 — Install the DNAGedcom Client
• Part 12 — Use the DNAGedcom Client to Import FTDNA Data
• Part 13 — Merge Duplicates (coming soon!)
• Part 14 — The Relative List Tab (coming soon!)
• Part 15 — A Few Tips (coming soon!)
• Part 16 — Use the DNAGedcom Client to Import 23andMe Data (coming soon!)
• Part 17 — Import Ancestry Composition from 23andMe (coming soon!)
• Part 18 —Use the DNAGedcom Client to Import AncestryDNA Data (coming soon!)
• Part 19 — The Segment Map Tab (coming soon!)
• Part 20 — Create Custom Templates for MyHeritage (and Others) (coming soon!)
• Part 21 — Customize Genome Mate Pro (coming soon!)
• Part 22 — Update Your GMP Version

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us