Family Historian User Group

I have been running Family Historian version 3 successfully since 2006 now with the acquisition of a new pc and a lap top I intend purchasing FH version 5. Are there any pitfalls, problems etc. I can look out for when transferring my data from the earlier version to version 5?

Many thanks
Alan

ID:6581

Checkout How to (Re-)install Family Historian and how to Move Family Historian Settings & Projects.

The cheapest option is to buy a full (NOT upgrade) version license for FH V5.

If you have significantly customised your FH V3 settings, Diagrams, Queries, Reports, Fact Sets, etc, then it would be advisable to install FH V5 over the FH V3 on your old PC.
Then there are more convenient options (using Plugins) to transfer your FH settings & data to the new PC.
Microsoft Windows Easy Transfer is good at transferring your accounts & files & some settings from old PC to new PC.

The most significant changes you will notice are in the  Getting Started section.
Of these Understanding Projects is most important.
I strongly advise you adopt the Project structure soon after transferring to the new PC.

You will also want to synchronise your Projects between PC and many FHUG members use Dropbox.
See FHUG Downloads ~ Synchronise & Backup Tools.

You will probably have several questions after studying those articles, so please feel free to ask.

Hello Mike

Many thanks for your swift reply.
I haven’t significantly customised ver. 3 I tended to keep things simple and just use the basics so therefore I was hoping, perhaps naively , that all I would need to do was load version 5 onto the new computers, without the need to load version 3, then just transfer my GEDCOM files from version 3 to 5.

It seems it will not be as simple as that.
I’ll have a look at the FHUG downloads ~ synchronise and backup tools section and also take a closer look at what Ver. 5 has over Ver. 3 before I decide whether I really need to purchase version 5

Many thanks

Alan
[frown]

Please don't be disheartened, Alan.  Version 4 had several enhancements over version 3 and version 5 has even more very useful improvements, as you can see from the Calico Pie website.

I think that if you have multimedia images linked to your records in version 3, you might find it best to install version 5 on the old PC first.  Then you should create a Project and allow FH to move all of the linked image files into the new project folder structure (in a sub-folder called Media or in a sub-folder structure below that).  This will mean that you can then transfer your entire project, including linked images, to the new PC without the risk of breaking links.

That is good advice from Peter, assuming you have linked Multimedia (mostly via the Object tabs).

If no Multimedia files, then your strategy of installing FH V5 on the new PC and transferring the GEDCOM files will work fine, since you have no significant customisations.

When you mention GEDCOM files in the plural, does that mean you have multiple family tree projects?

You only need to worry about synchronisation after the new PC have been set up.

Many thanks Mike and Peter for your invaluable help.

The multimedia files I have are very few and are not really of importance plus the old PC is on its last legs, luckly all my files especially the family history ones are well backed up, therefore I thnk I will only install 5 on the new PC and laptop and then transfer the GEDCOM files which I have 4.

Once again thanks for your advice, any problems I shall return

Alan  [grin]