* FH Not Reponding

[tatewise]

Your description of FH running in Safe Mode sounded odd, so just to check, I have run FH V6.0.4 in Safe Mode with Networking on my Windows Vista Home Premium, Service Pack 2 desktop PC. I presume you also have Service Pack 2 installed?

FH behaved exacty as normal by opening my default Project immediately in the Focus Window with a Property Box displayed.

So what could be different in your FH settings?

Closely inspect the Tools > Preferences > Startup tab Default Startup File value and check it is valid.
Perhaps use the Select... button to reselect the desired Project Gedcom (.ged) file.

Closely inspect the File > Project Window > Location and check it is valid.

One thing about Safe Mode is I believe it uses standard Drivers for Printers and Monitors rather than proprietary manufacturer Drivers that may be causing the problem.
So although they don't exactly fit your symptoms have a look at how_to:family_historian_installation_problems|> Family Historian Installation Problems under Error: Family Historian Stopped Working and Family Historian Installs But Won't Run Properly:

• Try the Data Execution Prevention (DEP) fix.
• Try setting the default Printer to Family Historian PDF.
• If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, try updating its Driver.

If none of that works, we may need to try a more forceful re-installation of FH and its associated components.

[MarinaGirlnin]

Apologies. I am very dim and had not realised we had come to the end of a page and have only just seen your last response!

Re: the opening screens. When I checked I had no Startup file shown (although I had not removed it). I selected one and all is now well regarding that.
My Project Window Location is Documents/Family Historian Projects

The DEP screen was set to 'turn on DEP for essential Windows programmes and services only'. So I selected the turn on for all option and added Family Historian.

This needed a restart and so I tried restarting in normal mode, but as soon as I went to open FH, it did not open and said 'not responding'. So I restarted in Safe Mode with Networking but FH only opened and then closed the splash screen - the program did not open

I don't think I have the graphics card you mentioned (checked Device manager, Display Adaptors)

Should I therefore reverse the DEP thing?

I am a bit worn out with all this now, as I expect you are too, so am going to give up for tonight. I should be able to be back online tomorrow afternoon and would be glad of any further ideas. I do have a 'free' programme on my PC that updates drivers and am a bit worried that it may have updated something and caused a conflict. I have not uninstalled it yet, but will do so if you think I should? It is this: http://www.iobit.com/en/driver-booster.php and I did check that it was reputable before installing it.

[tatewise]

OK, we keep moving forward.
Yes, reverse the DEP setting, since that did not help.
Try the default Printer setting suggested.

Updating device drivers just for the sake of it is rarely a good idea.
This is one case where "if it ain't broken don't fix it" applies.
I suggest you ditch the driver booster.

Did you by any chance update any device drivers shortly before the problem started, or is it all fully automatic?

It may be worth trying to roll back to a System Restore point prior to that date.

[MarinaGirlnin]

I have been a long time on System Restore. At first it only restored to earlier today (before a Windows Update) and did not accept my command to select an earlier date. The second time I restored it, it went back to 21 May which was the earliest I could do, although to be on the safe side I should have preferred a day or two earlier.

In the process, it restored deleted items, of course, and seemed to have corrupted others. I think I have eventually sorted it out.

I have reversed the DEP thing.

I do have the printer default now set to Family Historian PDF

I have ditched the Driver Booster (twice!) and some other associated things. I cannot remember what or when it last updated drivers before my problems started and I could not find an activity log or similar on it to check.

I restarted for the final time in Normal Mode and tried FH. It opened slowly and worked fine at first and I did 'Add Pictures' a few times (my test piece, as it were). It worked fine and then I changed to a different project and tried 'Add Pictures' again ... and got 'not responding'!! Have you run out of things to suggest yet Mike?

[tatewise]

In System Restore having chosen Choose a different restore point, on the Next> window did you tick Show restore points older than 5 days at the bottom? Otherwise, it will only go back to the 21/22 May!

Since that restores the Windows Registry, and some FH settings are stored there, then check all the settings we have reviewed recently.

The only thing I can think of left to try, is a full uninstall and reinstall of not just FH but all its related components. I will talk you through it later, if an earlier System Restore does not help.

[MarinaGirlnin]

I did tick the 'show older than 5 days' but it only adds one more step and the furthest back is 8am on 21 May ... I have done that one?

[MarinaGirlnin]

Latest info (as I have to go out now for a couple of hours). I had to return to Safe Mode to check settings as FH conked out again in normal mode. I then disabled the Internet Data Matching and Autosave again.

I noticed in Device Manager that the Teredo thing had a warning sign up again? Not sure if this has any significance? I did as before and uninstalled it and restarted my PC. Then it came back without the warning but only visible as a 'hidden device'.

[tatewise]

Yes, my Teredo device is hidden.
That is the sort of thing that System Restore would reset to whatever state it was on 21 May.

So now it is installed correctly does FH behave itself?

It is certainly something to keep an eye on, to see if there is a connection between its status and the FH behaviour.

I would only expect FH to have a problem, if Teredo is NOT installed correctly, and if FH uses the Internet, i.e.
1) Tools > Preferences > Internet Data Matches is enabled.
2) Tools > Preferences > Check for Updates Automatically is ticked.

So disable both those options and see what happens.

If all goes well, then enable one of them, and monitor when Teredo goes wrong.

If all still goes well, then enalbe the other, and monitor when Teredo goes wrong.

Eventually, hopefully, it should become clear which combinations cause the 'not responding' symptoms.
If it turns out that Teredo is the root cause, then we know what to investigate.

[MarinaGirlnin]

Sadly, that did not solve the problem. In normal mode with Teredo seemingly OK and both Autosave and Internet Data Matching disabled, I clicked around for about 10 minutes, trying to decide something and opening and closing various windows. Then I got 'not responding' again. I'm beginning to feel quite depressed about this as there does not seem to be an answer?

[tatewise]

Did you untick Tools > Preferences > Check for Updates Automatically?

(Autosave has nothing to do with the Internet!)

[MarinaGirlnin]

I have now and it has not solved anything N.B. I am still in normal mode. It seems to 'hang' and not respond on anything. This last time I was only changing projects and it failed to 'open project' and previous to that it was on looking at a media file

[tatewise]

Oh dear Marina.

I could try talking you through a full uninstall and reinstall of FH V6 but that may still not cure the problem.

I think the best course of action is to contact Calico Pie Support via support@family-historian.co.uk and explain your symptoms together with a cross-reference to this posting.

Not only might they have some new ideas on the cause, but their in depth knowledge of FH may offer some more clues. They also have the ability to access your PC by remote control and inspect settings or re-install FH V6 as necessary.

[MarinaGirlnin]

OK thanks Mike. I can't think you enough for all the time consuming support that you have given me. It is very much appreciated. I will contact Calico and see if they can help. I've almost lost the will to live over all this!

[MarinaGirlnin]

Just an update for Mike and anyone following this thread to say that I finally got to the bottom of the problem - it has taken 8 solid days! The problem was Trusteer Rapport - the banking software. I don't know how or why it interfered with FH, but it did and uninstalling it seems to have solved the problem. What a relief!

[davidm_uk]

Well you're not alone, I've read dozens of reports in various forums on the internet where people claim that Trusteer Rapport has caused them problems, although it didn't occur to me that it might affect FH.

Maybe one to flag on the Knowledge Base as something to look for if having problems with FH not working properly.

Well done on tracking it down!

[jimlad68]

Some time ago I used this "free" with natwest banking, it was fine for a while but then things started not working. I think I checked at the time and it was mostly to do with security, virus checkers, bitdefender etc, so I too am surprised it affected FH. But from other posts FH does seem sensitive to interference from other programs (e.g. Dropbox) I did some further checking and many thought modern browsers did all that Trusteer Rapport did anyway. So I removed, then and when Santander suggested I installed it recently I declined. Perhaps it is time to review again, I don't know if there is a more reliable product out there. But make sure you run a good anti virus software product I think the Chrome Browser has anti phishing built in.


This is a fairly recent and damning report with some very interesting history.
http://www.advantage77.com/2014/09/03/r ... its-worth/

[AnneEast]

Hmmm! Also remember the problem with BT Net Protection by McAffee a year or so ago. It did come to mind while I was following this thread but I'm not very experienced so thought I should keep quiet. Sorry I didn't suggest it sooner.
Anne