FTW Converter

Extract text from FTW files

Select File
Drop or upload your .FTW file

Online File Converter

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How to extract text from your FTW file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your FTW file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert FTW to another file type

To convert your FTW file to another format, you need Family Tree Maker or other Database software.

FTW to GEDCOM
FTW to CSV
FTW to JSON
FTW to XML
FTW to YAML
FTW to YML
FTW to TOML
FTW to INI
FTW to CFG
FTW to CONF
FTW to DAT
FTW to DB

Convert a file to FTW

To convert other file formats to the "Genealogy Database" file type, you need software like Family Tree Maker or a similar tool.

DBF to FTW
XML to FTW
SQLITE to FTW
XLSX to FTW
SQL to FTW
TSV to FTW
ACCDB to FTW
YAML to FTW
MDB to FTW
CSV to FTW
ODS to FTW
JSON to FTW

About FTW files

The .FTW extension is primarily associated with legacy genealogy databases created by older versions of Family Tree Maker (versions 1 through 16), originally developed by Banner Blue Software and later owned by Ancestry.com and Software MacKiev.

The Problem (Legacy Lock-in): While .FTW files contain valuable family history data - names, dates, places, and relationship structures - they are based on an outdated Microsoft Compound File binary structure. This is a common headache:
1. Obsolescence: Modern versions of Family Tree Maker (2017/2019+) utilize FTM or FTMB formats. Opening an old .FTW often requires a complex conversion process or specific intermediate software versions.
2. Proprietary Barriers: You cannot open these files in standard text editors or web browsers. Without the specific legacy software, your research is effectively locked away.
3. Media Linkage: .FTW files often store links to media (photos/documents) rather than the media itself, leading to broken links if files are moved.

The Solution (Conversion Targets):

For Transfer & Compatibility: Convert to GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication), the universal standard (.GED). This allows you to import your tree into Ancestry, MyHeritage, or open-source tools like Gramps.
For Archiving & Sharing: Convert tree charts and reports to PDF or JPG so relatives can view the family tree without installing specialized genealogy software.
For Modern Editing: Convert the legacy .FTW to the modern FTM format to continue working in the latest Family Tree Maker editions.

(Note: A very small percentage of .ftw files may be project files created by Neuber Software FontTwister.)

Convert.Guru analyzes your FTW file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted FBK, FBC, FTM, GEDCOM, GED, FTMB, FAMILYX, FTZ, LOG, EXE, DS2, TFW and PDF files.

The FTW Converter Story

The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our FTW converter.