Program Setup - Walkthrough

So, you're ready to start Indexing! First, you'll need to install the program, but don't worry - I'll walk you through it. I've included some screenshots for visual help.

1. Go to the Family Search Indexing home page: Indexing Home
2. Click on the Get Started button 
• Screenshot 1
3. It will show a new window with download instructions - Click the large Download button. Your download will start (this can take a couple minutes depending on your internet speed). 
• Screenshot 2
4. For most internet browsers (Chrome, Internet Explorer, FireFox, Safari), you will see a pop-up window for the download progress, or a toolbar at the bottom of the screen. You can also open the Downloads by going to File > Downloads on your browser.
• Screenshot 3
5. Typically the program will be saved to your Downloads folder on your computer. But, if you can't find it there, search for it using these steps:
• Click on the Start/Finder button
• Type 'indexing' into the search box
• The program should come up in the results - typically named something like "Indexing_windows_3"
6. Once you've found the program, click on it to start the installation (you can also click on it while it's still showing in the Downloads section of your internet browser.
7. A pop-up window will ask you "Are you sure you want to run this software?" - click Run
• Screenshot 4
8. You may get another pop-up asking a similar question - click Yes
9. Now the set-up wizard will start - click Next
• Screenshot 5
10. You will see a progress bar, then a final pop-up when it is finished. If you want to start the program now, make sure the box is checked before clicking Finish
• Screenshot 6
11. Congrats! You've installed the program, now you can start Indexing!
• In order to log-in to the program, you must have an account. You do NOT have to be an LDS member to register! If you are, you can make an LDS account, if not then you can make a non-LDS account.

If you have any questions about these steps, please comment or send me an email at swgarney@live.com so I can better help you! :]

Location, Location

I've discovered that Locations are very important to watch out for. Most often you'll run into two different types of Locations:

• Birthplace
• Residence

Don't be hasty and enter the wrong info! I've found myself falling into this easy slip-up.

Double-check what the FORM is asking for - Birthplace or Residence - and also check what info is on the  record you are indexing. Sometimes it may not have the one you need, but it will have the other. Don't use this info instead, and don't assume that their place of residence is their birthplace.

For any type of indexing - don't be tricked by the current residence - if it's asking for BIRTHPLACE, don't enter current address instead.

TIP: If you're having a hard time figuring out a location due to handwriting, use Google to search using your best guess. Often if you enter the town/county and the state, Google will suggest actual places based on your guess. It may take a couple tries - play around using guesswork at what the word best looks like. But if you just can't get it (or don't feel confident with the answer), don't worry about it - use * and ? to replace the letters you can't get. (See Tips in the sidebar for what these mean!).

Handwriting - Tricky Letters

Handwriting can be tricky to decipher, and there are some letters that are more confusing than others. Here are a couple that I've learned to watch out for:

big 'W' - The capitalized 'W' has so many versions, it helps to remember that it can also look like a cursive capital 'H', 'M' or even 'S'. Most often I'll see a cursive version that looks like capital 'H' with arms on each side stick up in the air (like a big H waving its arms).

small 'n' - Often the small 'n' will look more like a small 'm' or 'w'. When people write in cursive, it looks like they like to add an extra leg on the end.

Use your best judgement with these letters. If a word looks like 'White' but the 'W' looks more like a big 'M' or 'H', it makes the most sense that it's a 'W'.

**Don't forget to use the handwriting help > the button with the quill pen on it on the middle toolbar.**

Current Projects

If you have a certain question about a name or batch you are indexing, and the basic help topics aren't answering your questions, remember to also check out the Current Projects page on the Indexing website. Here you will find all current projects currently in progress.

Find your specific project on this page: https://indexing.familysearch.org/projtab/current_projects.jsf

HINT: To find it quickly, push CTRL and F at the same time (command/apple and F on Mac) and the 'Find' box will pop up. This searches through the entire page you currently have open for the word(s) you enter. The box will pop up in a different spot depending on your browser:

• Chrome: upper right corner
• Internet Explorer (IE): upper left
• Safari: upper right
• Mozilla Firefox: bottom left

Enter all or part of your project's name in the box and hit enter. It may find more than one project with the same name, so just scroll through them until you find yours.

The project-specific info can help you better understand the names/info of the people you are indexing.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Introduction

Hi! I’m Sarah Garney, and I’m helping Bro Lee with his Indexing
class.

My calling in the ward is to assist anyone who is indexing and needs help or
tutoring – sort of a ‘help desk’ kind of position. I have experience
with indexing, and I’m very skilled with computers (Mac and PC), so even if
it’s a technical sort of issue, I will do my best to help.

I’m contacting you to introduce myself, so you know how to reach me if you
need any assistance. Email is the best way to reach me, but I can also do
Facebook, Google+, texting/phone. Even if you just need help setting up the
program and getting started, I’m happy to help.

Have you heard about the Eagle Scout Project being done by Seth Mueller? He
has a goal of indexing 10,000 names and is asking for help. You can get more
info by going to his Eagle Project FB page (Seth Eagle) or send an email to
seths.eagle@yahoo.com.

I will be posting tips and tricks for indexing, as well as links to important FAQs and helpful info on the official Indexing website. This page is meant to make your indexing experience fun and easy as a quick reference page, so if there is something you'd like me to put up here, please let me know!

Don’t hesitate to reach me if you have any questions about indexing.
That’s what I’m here for! :)