Fix Family Tree Maker Missing Person or Disconnected Branch

Opening your software to find an entire ancestral line gone is every genealogist’s worst nightmare. If individuals or generations have suddenly vanished from your tree view, learning how to fix Family Tree Maker missing person or disconnected branch issues will restore your family lines and reconnect your tree without starting over.

Why Family Tree Maker Missing Person or Disconnected Branch Errors Occur

In over 95% of cases, your missing relatives were not actually deleted from the database. Instead, their relationship link was severed or the software changed your active home person.

• Broken Relationship Links: Merging two duplicate ancestors can accidentally sever the parent-child or spousal pointer.
• Changed Home Person: If the starting focus person accidentally resets to an isolated relative, the main pedigree view appears completely blank.
• Database Index Misalignment: Corrupted internal pointers can temporarily hide a branch from rendering in tree view, even though the data remains intact.

Step-by-Step Fixes to Restore Vanished Relatives

Follow these direct steps to locate your missing people and reattach them to the correct pedigree branch.

1. Verify the Relatives Still Exist in the Person Index

Switch to the People workspace and open the Tree View. Look at the index panel on the left side of your screen. Type the exact surname of the missing relative. If their name appears in the alphabetical index, your records are completely safe—they are simply disconnected from the visible branch.

2. Reset the Home Person

If your entire primary tree is gone, your home person was likely switched to an unconnected record. In the left-hand search panel, find your own name or your main root ancestor. Right-click their profile name and select Set as Home Person. Click the small Home icon on the navigation bar, and your primary ancestral tree will immediately reapppear.

3. Reattach the Disconnected Relationship Link

If a branch became detached after an accidental edit, navigate to the parent record who should head that line. In the Person workspace, click Add Child or Add Spouse, but choose the option to Attach Existing Person. Select the head of the disconnected branch from your index list. The software will instantly reconnect the entire downstream branch of children and grandchildren to the main tree.

4. Run Compact File with Extended Analysis

Once the relationship is restored, go to File > Compact File. Check the box for Perform extended analysis and click Compact. This repairs corrupted pointer tables and ensures all newly reconnected relationships index properly across all chart views.

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