Ancestral Quest for Mac

Frequently Asked Questions

Install and Uninstall Ancestral Quest for Mac

Q: How do I install AQ on my Mac?

A: Here is a quick video and written instructions that show you the installation process for your Mac.

Q: My antivirus programs says that AQ has a virus. What's going on?

A: If you use an anti-virus program, be aware that the ‘wrapper’ that allows the 64-bit version of Ancestral Quest to run on a Mac seems to be causing anti-virus apps to report a false positive.

One of the delays we experienced in getting the 64-bit version out the door was that we had to go through a process to get AQ “Notarized” by Mac -- this is a new procedure where Apple confirms there is NO malware in any application that passes the Notarization process. Ancestral Quest has been Notarized by Apple, so, you can be assured there is nothing malicious in our software. Your anti-virus app is reporting a false positive -- meaning they havent really looked at the AQ app to be sure it has a virus but they think it might -- even though it really doesn't.

Just temporarily turn off your anti-virus program before downloading and installing AQ 64-bit, and it should install just fine. Then run AQ once to make sure everything works (and if you are using Collaboration, to let the special components from Microsoft get installed). Once installed, and you see that AQ is running without issue, you can then turn your anti-virus program back on.

If you continue to have issues with your anti-virus program while running AQ, you will need to look into how to create an exception for the AQ app and its wrapper in your anti-virus program so that it ignores AQ / does not scan it.

Q: My Ancestral Quest says it cannot open a file I just created, or it cannot seem to find my files, even though I know they are there.

A: The newer releases of MacOS have implemented some stricter permissions for apps to access different parts of your computer. We just need to make sure Ancestral Quest can access all the various locations that it uses to store files and reports.

1. Go to your System Preferences.
2. Click on Security & Privacy.
3. Click on the Privacy button near the top of the window.
4. In the panel on the left, scroll as needed until you see Files and Folders.
5. You will need to click the Padlock in the lower-left corner of the dialog and then enter your Mac password to make the next change.
6. Click on Files and Folders on the left side of this window.
7. On the right side of this window, scroll as needed to get to Ancestral Quest and click the boxes to place a checkmark so that AQ has access to all of the options (Network Volumes, Documents folder, Desktop folder).
8. If you plan to save your filters, custom reports, and other specialized options, you may want to grant Full Disk Access to Ancestral Quest. In that same window, just above Files and Folders, click Full Disk Access and, on the right, click the checkbox next to Ancestral Quest. (If you do not see Ancestral Quest in the list on the right, click the plus sign button beneath the list, then go to Applications and select Ancestral Quest).

Once you have done the above, you will need to close AQ (if it is open) then start AQ up again and that should solve the issue.

Q: How do I uninstall AQ from my Mac?

A: View the written instructions for removing Ancestral Quest from your Mac.

Printing/Report Questions

Q: How do I save reports as a PDF file with AQ for Mac?

A: There are three parts to this:

1. First, you need to download and install PDFwriter for Mac. This procedure needs to be done only once on your Mac. View the steps to do this.
2. Then you will generate the PDF using the PDFwriter printer. This you would do for each report you want to save as a PDF file. See these steps.
3. Finally, you will need to locate the generated PDF report each time you generate a report as a PDF file. Read the steps on how to do this.

Program Compatibility Questions

Q: Can AQ for Mac work with the files created by AQ for Windows?

A: Yes, because the inner workings of the program are the same on both operating systems, the files used by the program are identical and interchangeable between platforms.

• Database files: Both AQ for Windows and AQ for Mac can open, edit, and save .aq and .paf database files.
• Collaboration Working Files: If you are using AQ's Collaboration feature, you can share and collaborate your database with other AQ collaborators, regardless of their operating system.
• Backup files: You can backup and restore native .aqz and PAF .zip backup files between copies of AQ on either operating system.
• GEDCOM files: You can export and import .ged files to and from AQ for Windows and Mac as well as between other genealogy programs and services that support the GEDCOM standard.

Q: Are there any features in the Windows version of Ancestral Quest that are not available in Ancestral Quest for Mac?

A: There are three features that are unavailable in AQ for Mac:

1. The AQ2Go! feature which allows you to run Ancestral Quest off a flash drive or other removable device is not supported on Macintosh systems.
2. Recently edited database files will not display under the File menu. You can, however, click the Recent Files option at the bottom of the File menu to open a window that will allow you to select and re-open your recently used files.
3. “Line Upon Line - A Beginner's Guide to Genealogy” by Margery Bell, an e-book to get you up and running with your genealogy, is not included in the installation package of AQ for Mac. It is, however, available by sending an email request to support@ancquest.com.

Q: When I install or run AQ for Mac on my MacOS, I receive a message stating that AQ is not optimized for my Mac.

What is going on and what do I need to do to address this?

A: Your Macintosh can run 32-bit and 64-bit applications, but the version of Ancestral Quest that you are running is not a 64-bit app. The official information from Apple about this states:

“Starting with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, apps that have not been updated to use 64-bit processes produce this one-time alert when opened. This gives users advance notice that they are running 32-bit software, which will not be compatible with macOS in the future.”

“You may continue to use 32-bit apps with your Mac today. Using 32-bit software has no adverse effects on your data or your computer.”

Ancestral Quest 16 has now been released with a 64-bit variation that can run on these Mac systems. Older versions of AQ for Mac (14, 15) will not be updated to run on a 64-bit system, so if you want to use a 64-bit capable version of AQ, you would need to use AQ 16. It is available in a free version, or to access all the bells and whistles, you would need to purchase version 16. If you have purchased a prior version of AQ, you would qualify to purchase the Upgrade at a discounted price.

Q: Will Ancestral Quest work with macOS Catalina 10.15?

A: Yes. MacOS Catalina will only work with 64-bit apps. Ancestral Quest version 16 is available as a 64-bit app for Macs.

If you have already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version without further charge.

If you have not already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version of the scaled back Ancestral Quest Basics for free, or purchase a license: If you have never purchsed AQ in the past, you would purchase the full program. If you have purchased any version of AQ in the past, you would qualify to purchase an Upgrade to AQ 16, at a discounted price.

Q: Will Ancestral Quest work with macOS 11.0 Big Sur?

A: Yes. Like Catalina before it, MacOS Big Sur will only work with 64-bit apps. Ancestral Quest version 16 is available as a 64-bit app, and has been updated to work with Big Sur.

If you have already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version without further charge.

If you have not already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version of the scaled back Ancestral Quest Basics for free, or purchase a license: If you have never purchsed AQ in the past, you would purchase the full program. If you have purchased any version of AQ in the past, you would qualify to purchase an Upgrade to AQ 16, at a discounted price.

Q: Will Ancestral Quest work with the M1 processor chip for Mac computers?

A: One of our customers contacted us with this report...

If anyone wants to use a silicon-based Mac M1 with AQ, the answer is it works perfectly, and the speed and performance of AQ are excellent. Rosetta is needed, but in my case, it called it automatically as part of the OS.

So, it seems that Ancestral Quest for Mac works just fine on Mac computers using the M1 processor.

Q: Will Ancestral Quest work with macOS Monterey 12.0?

A: Yes. Like other recent releases of MacOS, Monterey will only work with 64-bit apps. Ancestral Quest version 16 is available as a 64-bit app, and has been updated to work with Monterey.

If you have already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version without further charge.

If you have not already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version of the scaled back Ancestral Quest Basics for free, or purchase a license: If you have never purchsed AQ in the past, you would purchase the full program. If you have purchased any version of AQ in the past, you would qualify to purchase an Upgrade to AQ 16, at a discounted price.

Q: Will Ancestral Quest work with the latest update to macOS Monterey 12.3 released on 14 March 2022?

A: Yes. There was a slight delay in the release of an updated AQ for Mac that would work with this latest macOS update, but it is now available. For more information about that delay, you can read the details on the AQ for Mac download page.

Q: Will Ancestral Quest work with macOS Ventura 13.0?

A: Yes. The current 64-bit Ancestral Quest version 16 for Mac that is available will work with macOS Ventura.

If you have already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version without further charge.

If you have not already purchased Ancestral Quest version 16 license, you can download the 64-bit version of the scaled back Ancestral Quest Basics for free, or purchase a license: If you have never purchsed AQ in the past, you would purchase the full program. If you have purchased any version of AQ in the past, you would qualify to purchase an Upgrade to AQ 16, at a discounted price.

Q: Will Ancestral Quest work with the new M2 processor chip for Mac computers?

A: We have no reason to suspect that AQ for Mac will not run on the newest Mac computers using the M2 processor.