How to save a document or photo from Ancestry.com
September 24, 2014
This article will explain how to save a document from Ancestry.com. Keep that in mind however
that there are always multiple ways to do anything in Windows and the procedure does vary
depending on the browser you are using. This procedure will apply to saving to a thumb drive
but you will have to select that drive from the Windows File Save dialog just like any other drive
or folder.
TO begin, you will have the document you want to save open in Ancestry. Below is a screen
shot of an open document and the Save button has already been clicked. This opens the dialog
with three options to save the document. For this “How to” choose Save to your computer and
click on it.
If you just want to save it as a file directly to your Download folder simply click Save. (The
Download folder can be found by double-clicking on the folder on your desktop with your name
and then looking for the Download folder.) Thenyou can simply open the Download folder on
our computer, rename the file and move it where you want to keep it.
However, clicking on Save is generally NOT what you what you want to do, especially if you
are at the Family History Center or a library and want to save the file to a thumb drive.
If you want to select the filename and location what you need to do next depends on the
browser you are using. Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome all do something different when
you click on Save to your computer.
Using Internet Explorer Browser
The first example is when using Internet Explorer. (See below if using Firefox or Chrome.)
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A long box will open at the bottom of the browser window. (Sorry about the size but it had to
be small in order to show the whole dialog.)
Instead of clicking on Save, click on the small arrow next to Save to open up the Save As dialog.
Next, click on Save As dialog to open up a standard Windows file saving window (below). (Note
that the title on the top of this window will vary depending on where it was opened from.)
Next select the folder or drive where you want to save the file to from the left side of the
dialog. Here you should see a thumb drive if you have inserted on in the computer. Once you
have selected the drive and folder where you want to save the file type in the name you want
to choose for the file and click Save. You have now finished saving the file.
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IMPORTANT, be sure you know the drive and folder you saved the file to so you can find it later.
Using Mozilla Firefox Browser
Now, if you have used the Mozilla Firefox browser, the procedure is slightly different. Starting
back in Ancestry.com, when you clicked on Save it will open a different looking window (see
below) than you saw in IE.
Again, if you simply click Save File the file will be saved in your Download folder just like in IE
and the file will need to be renamed and moved.
Do not select the automatic box as it will be in effect for every save from now.
In some cases however it may be easier to simply click Open with. Since most files in Ancestry
will be in a photo or jpg format, it will open in Windows Photo Viewer. (You could also have
done this in IE but that takes extra steps.)
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From Photo Viewer click on File and then Make a Copy. Like above, the standard Windows File
Save window will open.
From this point the procedure is the same as above for IE.
Using Chrome Browser
Chrome offers NO options when saving to your computer. Once you click on Save and then Save
to my computer, Chrome sends the file directly to your Download folder. (Go Directly to Jail, If
You Pass Go Do Not Collect $200.) After that, you have to open that folder, rename the file,
and move it to where you want it using the Windows Explorer.
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