What is a .GDZ file?
A .GDZ file is a special kind of file used by people who are interested in family history or genealogy, which is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. This file is like a packed suitcase that contains a .GED file, which is a common type of file used to store family tree information, along with other important items like pictures and documents that tell more about a family's history. Think of it as a way to keep all your family history stuff in one place, making it easier to carry around and share with others.
The .GDZ file is made by squishing (or "compressing") these items together into a smaller package using a tool called GEDZip. This tool was made to work with the latest rules for creating and sharing family history information, which were updated in 2021 by a group called FamilySearch. FamilySearch is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they've been working on making it easier for people to share their family histories since the 1980s.
To open a .GDZ file and see what's inside, you can use different computer programs that are made for looking at family trees and histories. Some of these programs include LifeLines, GeneWeb, Gramps, and RootsMagic, among others. There are also programs like B1 Archiver and Corel WinZip that can open the .GDZ file just to see the files inside, even if they don't understand the family tree information.
If you're using a Mac computer, it already has a tool that can open these .GDZ files, so you don't need to download anything extra. And if you're looking to work with your family history online, websites like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org can help you out.
In simple terms, a .GDZ file is a handy way for anyone interested in their family's past to keep all their important genealogical information and memories together in one file, making it easier to share and explore their ancestry.
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