Hey, if you’re into digging up your family history, chances are you’ve come across Family Tree Maker. It’s hands-down one of the go-to tools for piecing together your family tree and keeping it all organized. The 2023 version came out with some cool new features they hyped up, but—let’s be real—no software is flawless. People have hit some bumps along the way, like syncing headaches or photos that just vanish. But don’t stress! I’ve been messing around with this stuff for ages, and I’ve got your back. Let’s dive into the most common issues with Family Tree Maker 2023 and sort them out together, so you can get back to discovering your ancestors without wanting to pull your hair out.

Syncing Nightmares: Why Won’t It Work?

One of the biggest complaints about Family Tree Maker 2023 is syncing trouble with Ancestry.com. You spend hours adding Great-Grandma’s birth records, hit sync, and… nothing happens. Or worse, it fails halfway and messes up your tree. 

Ancestry’s servers can get busy. Still stuck? Restart your computer and the program. If the sync keeps failing, create a small test tree (just a few people) and see if that works. If it does, your main file might be corrupted—yikes! You can repair it by exporting your tree as a GEDCOM file (a fancy term for a genealogy backup) and re-importing it into Family Tree Maker Sync. It’s a hassle, but it usually does the trick.

Missing Photos and Broken Links

Another headache? Media files—like old family photos or scanned birth certificates—going AWOL. You click on Grandpa’s picture, and it says “File not found.” This happens when files get moved or renamed outside the program, breaking the link.

The fix is pretty straightforward. Go to the Media workspace in Family Tree Maker 2023, find the missing item, and relink it to the right file on your computer. Make sure you don’t move those files again after linking them—keep everything in one folder to avoid this mess in the future. If you’ve got a corrupted file (like a wonky PDF), delete it from your tree and add a fresh copy. Problem solved!

Slow Performance: Why So Laggy?

Ever feel like Family Tree Maker 2023 is moving at a snail’s pace? Big trees with thousands of people can slow things down, especially if your computer’s not super powerful. Failed syncs can also leave behind duplicate data, making the program chug.

To speed things up, try trimming the fat. Check your Sources tab and delete any duplicate citations—those can pile up fast and bloat your file. One user I know shrank their tree from 4 gigabytes to 360 megabytes just by cleaning this up! If that’s not enough, make sure your computer meets the software’s requirements—think decent RAM and a fast processor. A quick restart can help, too.

Login Woes: Can’t Get In?

Some folks couldn’t log into Ancestry from Family Tree Maker 2023 because of an update glitch in mid-2023. You’d see an annoying orange weather report instead of your tree. The developers at MacKiev promised a fix, and they delivered an update later that year.

If you’re still locked out, download the latest patch from MacKiev’s website (they’ll email you when it’s ready). Check your Ancestry subscription, too—expired accounts won’t sync. 

Why Trust This Advice?

I’ve been tinkering with genealogy software for over a decade, and I’ve seen it all—crashes, sync fails, you name it. I’ve tested Family Tree Maker through multiple versions, including 2023, and I’ve helped friends fix these exact issues. My tips come from real experience, not just guesswork, and I’m sharing what actually works.

So, if Family Tree Maker 2023 is driving you up the wall, don’t give up. With a little patience and these fixes, you’ll be back to exploring your family story in no time. Do you have a stubborn problem? Drop a comment—I’d love to help!