How To Copy Family Search records to my computer

Here is a lesson on How To copy records from Family Search on to a computer.

Update 22 Apr 2020: Thanks to Cathy Meder-Dempsey of Genealogy Bloggers I learned a new way of copying the text record from Family Search which copies text and source info. I had been highlighting the text and then pasting it but now I know to use Tool button.

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I did a search and found some records. I would like to copy the record(s) to my computer.

How do I Save the 1940 census record for Harry Kamit?

There are two items I can copy: a text file (page icon) and a scan of the original (camera icon)

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I click on the page icon and bring up the text for the 1940 census.

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To copy this text file to you computer click on the Tools button

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Then click on Copy to Clipboard [Thanks to Cathy Meder-Dempsey]

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To put the text onto my computer; the text I just “copied to clipboard”,

I click on the start button on lower left of my screen 1.

then find and click on Notepad 2.

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When I click on the Notepad, it comes up on the screen.

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I can now paste what I copied right on to the Notepad using Ctrl V or mouse and left button to select paste.

Note that not only was the text copied but the citation information is now on a Notepad that I can save to my computer.

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I can now save the text file to my computer files using the File, Save As at top left.

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A list of my computer folders comes up and I can pick where I want the file and what to name the new text file.

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I put a 0 (zero) as first character of file name so that it will appear at the top of my long list. I then give it a name that will identify it for me with out me having to open it up to see what it is. The name I pick for this file is “0 – Harry Kamit – 1940 census – Maryland” and then I hit the save button to the right of the name box.

Note: the name tells me it is a 1940 census from Maryland and it is for Harry Kamit.

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The next file I might like to save is the scan of the original document (camera icon).

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When I clicked on the camera icon I got the original file to show up on the screen.

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I can click on Download at top right of screen to bring up the scan in a screen print format.

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When I click on Download at top right of screen I get this panel showing me the format that will be used to download the scan file.

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When I click on the OK button the file comes up in the photo format screen

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I can not click on the top left File button and click on the Save As option

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When I click on Save As I get to select of folders on my computer where I can put the file. I can change the folder from Temp as shown below to some other folder by using the down arrow on far right of box. You can also give the file a name at bottom of panel.

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I changed the folder for Temp to User’s Documents and gave a name to the scan of the original 1940 census record for Harry Kamit. I gave it the same name as the text file so that the two files; text and photo, will show up together on the folder file list.

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I hope this How To Tutorial has helped you save Family Search records to your computer.

Thank You

Jose A Munoz

from Clarkston, Michigan, USA

PS. — Here is the link to Cathy’s blog: https://openingdoorsinbrickwalls.wordpress.com/