* Advice required on when to install V6

[Dagwood]

I feel a bit like the prodigal son having stopped using FH some three years ago for no good reason than a house move and then increasing use of Ancestry and now rediscovering the flexibility of FH and needing to catch up with the three years of missed input.

More specifically I have been thinking about building a new PC and had started looking at what issues might arise if I need to transfer all files and programmes to a new m/c. This is when I clicked on to FH to ascertain where I had got up to and what might need transferring.

Of course , with a new m/c I would almost certainly be looking at installing Windows 10 which I know will have a free download until some time in July. This is where my question arises as to whether I should buy and install V6 before the new build and transfer it later; or whether I should keep V5 on the old machine running on Windows 7 and get everything transferred to the new machine before installing V6 ?

Whilst I don't mind putting PC's together I am at a loss to understand the potential problems of transferring a new version of a programme such as FH onto a new machine running on a new operating system!

Any advice would be most welcome
Many thanks
Dagwood

[brianlummis]

I think that you need to have a look at Microsoft's licensing terms before upgrading to Windows 10. My understanding is that you can only upgrade your existing machine and not transfer it to a new machine. I believe that the critical component is the motherboard which Microsoft has already logged when you installed Windows 7 and there may be other components that you are unable to change. In the old days it was easier to transport an operating system to a new set up but Microsoft realised that they were losing out so it is now more restrictive.

Brian

[tatewise]

First of all, if you buy a new PC, it will come with Windows 10 already installed, so no free upgrade needed.

You cannot keep Windows 7 on your old PC and install it on a new PC to benefit from a free upgrade to Windows 10.

You will have to buy a Windows 10 licence whichever way you go, unless you backup everything off your old PC and throw the PC away, then install Windows 7 on new PC, persuade Microsoft to activate it, and then you can upgrade to Windows 10 for free. That process is only possible if you have a Windows 7 Retail Licence as an OEM Licence is locked to one PC.

The 29 July 2016 deadline is for the Windows 7/8.1 users free upgrade to Windows 10.

Let's compare the two upgrade scenarios assuming you plan to keep both PC running FH:

1. Keep with FH V5 on Windows 7, then migrate FH V5 to new Windows 10 PC, and upgrade both to FH V6. That needs 3 installs (1 x V5 & 2 x V6).
2. Upgrade to FH V6 on Windows 7, then migrate FH V6 to new Windows 10 PC. That needs only 2 installs (2 x V6). Also FH V6 has marginally better migration capabilities.

The migration process is given in the how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide.

If you need any help with that process then just ask.

[Dagwood]

Thanks to Brian and Mike for the advice and links re both the installation of V6 and a subsequent transfer to a new m/c . Also there are issues which I was totally unaware of with regard to any transfer of Windows 10 if I was to download that before I build , or buy, a new machine.
My immediate thought it is to make sure I really need FH version 6 and if so go ahead with the purchase and installation of that without mixing it up with whatever I do regarding Windows 10.
I'm not planning to buy a new machine and if I build one it may well be done using the existing case and would certainly have new components including a new motherboard. If I don't get round to doing it until after that July date I may have to bite the bullet re buying Windows 10 if Microsoft don't allow a transfer.
Your replies have given me much to think about and are much appreciated.
Many thanks
Dagwood

[Dagwood]

Life is too short to worry about whether Microsoft will allow me to transfer Windows 10 to a new machine so here is what I have decided to do.
I have ordered FH6 and should take delivery shortly. I may go for the free download and then use the key that comes with the package. Is there any disadvantage in doing this?
In the next few weeks I will download the free Windows10 onto my existing PC and get used to it there, also I may get delayed in the new build so I might as well take advantage of the freebie while I can. I suppose if I don't like 10 I could always use my purchased copy of 7 to load onto the new machine but I undersatnd there are time limits if one wishes to revert.
Decision made I'm looking forward to seeing how much of an improvement to my family tree FH6 will make.
All best and as ever any advice most welcome,
Dagwood

[tatewise]

You did not say what variant of FH V6 you have ordered.
If it is the FH V5 to V6 Upgrade (which is the cheapest option) then you must use the download link that comes in the Email with the licence details. You cannot use the Free 30-day Trial download.

See how_to:index#installation_guide|> Family Historian > Installation Guide for full details.

See glossary:windows_10_upgrade_tips|> Windows 10 Upgrade Tips.

You must upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 before 29 July 2016 to benefit from the free offer.
Not that the Licence to use Windows 7 is revoked and passes to Windows 10.
So you cannot then install Windows 7 on another PC.

There is an option to revert to Windows 7 within 30 days on the same PC, and the Licence passes back from Windows 10 to Windows 7.
The time limit is only because Windows 10 deletes the old Windows 7 backup folder after 30 days.
If you backup that folder yourself, and restore it at a later date, then I think you can revert at any time.
Also I think if you take a disk image of Windows 10, then you can go back to that later.
But beware hardware changes in between that may complicate such switching back and forth.

I guess you can do a clean install of Windows 7 onto the same Windows 10 PC at any time, but may have to contact Microsoft to activate the Licence.

What you cannot do is keep the free Windows 10 upgrade on one PC, and install the original Windows 7 (that granted the upgrade) onto another PC.

[Dagwood]

Thanks for all that info Mike.

The FH6 ordered is the full boxed set as I prefer to have the disc and quite like the addons offered with the purchase eg Genealogy subscription etc.

July 29th duly noted.

No, I don't have any intention of reusing W7 on the new machine , it would be a clean, new purchase of Windows 10 if I have downloaded it already to the old machine. I'm assuming that unless I really hate W10 or have a serious problem with it then once downloaded it will stay on the old machine.

I will go over your note re backup folders again but really don't have any desire to get into a reload from a folder as I have done that previously and found not everything transferred satisfactorily.

Thanks again for taking the trouble to point all these issues out so clearly,

Dagwood

[tatewise]

OK, so if you have ordered a boxed set, then you still cannot use the Free 30-day Trial download and enter the licence key, because that licence key is specific to that CD, so do not lose either the CD nor the licence key! See how_to:family_historian_installation_details#installation_archive|> Installation Archive.

BTW: The following advice is as much for others as for Dagwood. The online download file should always be saved to CD, or a backup made some other way, so you can have a CD anyway. Also the cost of the FH V5 to V6 Upgrade bought online (£25) is so much cheaper, that you could probably afford a subscription separately, and choose which service you prefer.

Once you have upgraded to Windows 10, if there are any minor issues, then a clean install of Windows 10 will often resolve them (after performing a complete backup of course).

[Dagwood]

Mike, A bit of an update and a further question.
I have ordered a new PC which will of course have Windows 10 installed. My existing PC has Windows 7 and is still on FH5.
I have purchased and now have had delivered FH6 in a boxed set, your advice Mike re the cheaper alternative of a downloaded upgrade is noted, and appreciated, but for a future version unfortunately
In reading sections of the KB I saw this: "If 100% sure that ALL preferences & customisations use only Installation Settings then the three Plugin steps 2), 3) & 7) below can be omitted, but as a precaution it is advisable to create a BACKUP." I will make a backup but, and here you will have to excuse my ignorance, I'm not sure what preferences and customisation would cover. Is this things like colour schemes and line thicknesses? Or does it include plugins and reports etc?
Finally, if as I suspect I have not altered the settings or format of FH5 at all, am I correct in thinking it there is an advantage in putting both Windows10 and FH6 on the old and new machines rather than having one with W7 and FH5 and the new one with W10 and FH6? Or put more simply if you were me which would you do?
If you have already answered that I apologise but do get confused in my dotage!
Any advice much appreciated,
Dagwood

[tatewise]

OK, preferences include almost everything in Tools > Preferences and therefore colour schemes and other settings for Focus Window, Records Window, Property Box, etc.
Customisations include:

• All Diagram Options & saved Report Types so includes line thickness
• All Report Options & saved Report Types
• All Custom Queries
• Any Records Window/Named List Custom Columns
• Any Property Box Custom Tabs
• Any Customised Fact Types via Tools > Work with Fact Sets
• Any downloaded or custom Plugins
• Any custom Icons
• Tools > Work with Data > Places/Addresses column adjustments
• Almost everything else other than the data that appears in a Property Box and the Media files themselves

If you make the BACKUP as advised, and include it in the Family Historian Projects folder copied from PC to PC, then if any such settings appear to be missing, then use the RESTORE option.

BUT that above strategy only works if both FH installations on the two PC are exactly the same Version.

So it is imperative that the same FH V6 is installed on both PC as advised in how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide. So upgrade your existing PC to FH V6.2.0 first, then install FH V6.2.0 on the new PC when you get it, and migrate everything from old PC to new PC. If you intend to keep FH V6 running on both PC, then synchronise them via cloud storage as advised in the guide.

Whether you upgrade your existing PC from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is a completely independent decision, and may not be possible depending on the PC specification. If it is feasible, then it will probably produce a beneficial outcome. See the glossary:windows_10_upgrade_tips|> Windows 10 Upgrade Tips for advice. However, it has no impact on your use of FH.

[Dagwood]

Many thanks Mike for your most informative and helpful reply.
As I really have no desire to have FH5 on the new machine I will load FH6 on the current PC before the arrival of the new one. In the same vein as I don't want to run into any problems with Windows 10 installation on the old machine before the transfer of FH files etc I'll leave it running Windows 7 until after everything is installed on the new machine and then decide whether the Windows 10 free download is worth doing on the old machine.
Your points re a Backup being located in the project folder and the need for both installations of FH6 to match each other are noted.
Thanks also for highlighting those most useful links.
Regards
Dagwood