For People with Ashkenazi Kits

If you have Ashkenazi ancestry, you've probably already discovered that you have a LOT of matches! And not only is your Matches file very large, so are your Chromosome Browser and ICW files. In fact, Ashkenazi ICW files used to be upwards of 300 MB at times. Here are the steps you should follow for your best chance of using ADSA on your kit:

1. Re-download your files: If you downloaded your files from FamilyTreeDNA using DNAgedcom prior to 13 Jan 2014, you should download them again. Changes were made to the downloader to greatly reduce the size of the ICW file on that date. Go to DNAgedcom, logon, and use the Family Tree Download Files menu to download your zip file again. ADSA will not work with an ICW file that hundreds of megabytes in length.

2. Check to make sure your files have completely downloaded: Go to DNAgedcom and hover your cursor over the MEMBERS menu and select VIEW FILES. You should see a folder for each kit you have ever downloaded. The names will be of the form: FTDNA_242768 (except with your kit number instead of mine). If you don't see a folder with your kit number, then your files did not fully download. Contact support@dnagedcom.com for help. If the folder is there, click on it. You should see your three files: 262562_Family_Finder_Matches.csv, 262562_ChromsomeBrowser.csv, and 262562_ICW.csv. If you can't find those files in that folder or you find them in a folder called "Building", they didn't finish downloading. Contact support@dnagedcom.com for help.

3. Go to ADSA: Once your files are on the server, without logging off DNAgedcom, go to ADSA at: http://www.DNAgedcom.com/adsa

4. Enter your kit number: Instead of prompting for your three files, you should see a prompt at the bottom of the page for a kit number. Fill in your kit number.

5. Set Most Distant Cousin: We have had the best results with Ashkenazi kits setting the Most Distant Cousin parameter no higher than 4. But I recommend you start with 3 to make sure that will work first. You may also want to start your first attempt with only one chromsome (pick 17 or something like that).

6. Click GRAPH and wait: It may take a while (minute or two). If you get a blank screen or 500 Internal Server Error, try again with a closer cousin. If you can't get it to work no matter what you do, make sure your ICW file is not 100s of megabytes (if so, you are probably using an old download) or contact support@dnagedcom.com. If it works, run ADSA again with all the chromosomes and/or with Most Distant Cousin set to 4. If that works, try 5 or 6 until you get a blank screen or error. Then you will know how far out you can safely go.

Here's hoping you can get ADSA to work for you!

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Don Worth
1/14/2014