23andme Transfers

[jsarnacki]

Hello,
I "finally" was able to gain access to my MIL's (now deceased) and SIL's 23andMe accounts and did download both of their raw data. So far, it appears I am successful in uploading raw data to gedmatch (did my MIL and currently working on my SIL). That said... when I tried to transfer/upload to FTDNA is gave me some sort of message saying that their data is incompatible. They just tested a few years ago (I believe it was after the FTDNA said they could no longer do the medical reports). At the end of my gedmatch upload for MIL, it said that their files were vs4 from 23andme. Is this truly not a compatible file for FTDNA transfer? Or do I need to do something different to make it work? Frustrated because it took me nearly 2 years to get my SIL to allow access for my MIL's files. My husband's dad is deceased with no known older relatives to get any paternal sample from, so I have been anxiously waiting for my MIL's dna so I can do some phasing.

Thanks in advance!

[MMaddi]

23andMe introduced the v4 testing chip about two years ago. It tests significantly fewer SNPs than their v3 chip and the testing chip used by FTDNA. Because of the difference in the number of SNPs tested, raw data from 23andMe tested on the v4 chip is not compatible with FTDNA's Family Finder database.

That's why you can't successfully upload the raw data. Sorry, but you're out of luck.

[jsarnacki]

Boo!

Thanks for the reply. So frustrating... it took a year after my MIL's death for my SIL to finally give me access to their account (and I have been asking for 2 years). My husband's brother and sister do not nor will ever have children... so my children should be the rightful heirs to at least my MIL's DNA for their own research and family history. I really wish I could have pulled their files into FTDNA! I wanted to be able to use FTDNA (where all of my family kits are) and gedmatch together. We know very little family history for my husband's paternal line and his mothers maternal line. It is kind of funny, her parents divorced when she was a toddler and she didn't know her dad or his family AT ALL... but due to DNA testing we found a half sister and ultimately I managed to locate an entire tree for her father whom she never met.... but my husband's other 3 lines, from which they knew "some" history and were raised with their grandparents... I am having a lot of difficulty tracking them!

[Lutra]

If you have the skills, some people have had success using the data generated by DNA.land to upload here. I.e., they take the v4 23andMe raw data, upload to DNA.land, then download the resulting file (which imputes some no calls from the 23andMe version). That DNA.land file can be read by FTDNA if its format is massaged. Haven't tried it myself -- read the 23andMe conversation and email the folks doing this (23andMe now makes members' email addresses visible).

[jsarnacki]

Thanks! I will have to give that a try. It will be much more useful to have their files on FTDNA where my husband and kids are!