What Is Personal Ancestral File (PAF)?

Personal Ancestral File, or PAF, is a Windows^®-based computer program you can use to record, organize, print, share, and submit genealogical information. It allows you to create a computerized family tree (known as a database or a family records data file) beginning with yourself and continuing with your parents, grandparents, and as many generations back as you are able to find.

Downloading PAF

You must have PAF installed on the computer you will be using to do your family history. PAF is available for purchase from the Church Distribution Center or for free download at www.familysearch.org. Once there, in the bottom right corner, click on:

• Download PAF

• Enter Your Name and Email

• Find the version of PAF that you would like (usually the first option under PAF v5.2), then click download.

• Click on Save

• Follow Instructions given

Some family history centers have copies of PAF that users can use to install on their own computers.

Note: The instructions, examples, and photos for Religion 261 are all associated with PAF 5, therefore, we recommend that you download the latest version of PAF 5. Also, downloading PAF from the Internet will usually take longer than installing it with the CD.

Instructions for how to download and install PAF are included on FamilySearch.org as you proceed through the installation process.

What You'll Learn

In this lesson, you will learn how to do the following in PAF 5:

Lessons on PAF 5

FamilySearch.org and the Center for Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University have both created lessons for using PAF 5. Please go to either to complete this lesson.

• To access FamilySearch.org's lessons, please go to http://www.familysearch.org/eng/paf/lessons/paf5.html.

• To access the Center for Family History and Genealogy's PAF Tutorial, please go to: http://paftutorial.byu.edu

Assignments

Your instructor may assign you one or both of the following assignments:

Assignment #2 -- Print out a Family Group Record

1. Enter your genealogical findings into PAF. Include your grandparents, parents and siblings. Try to include all the up-to-date data.

2. Print out a family group record with your father and mother as the husband and wife. Your name must appear as the submitter, and a source must appear for each piece of information (birth date, birth place, etc.) on the report.

Assignment #3 -- Print out a Pedigree Chart

1. Enter your genealogical findings into PAF. Include your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and 2nd great grandparents if possible.

2. Print out a 5-generation pedigree chart with you as the starting person. Your name must appear as the submitter.