* Computer update

[Johnr65]

My current pc is causing me big problems and the easiest solution is to have an expert install Win 10 on to it. Currently it is Win 7. I back up my FH settings every week to a portable hard drive which is where I keep my project back ups and gedcoms, as well as FH links and keys to the various upgrades to the present version.
As I won't be able to access the previous Win 7 but start afresh on Win 10 what advice can you give me to ensure that my new version pc will run my FH project and AS OK on win 10?

[davidm_uk]

Everything you need should be in the FHUG Knowledge Base here:

https://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?i ... _historian

and then follow the links on that page. Make sure that you also backup all of your FH and AS settings as well. When you install FH and AS on the new system do it as an Administrator (when you run the installation program, eg. install_fh6.0.0_dl.exe, just right click on that file and select Run as administrator). That should avoid any file permissions problems that sometimes occur with Win10.

[tatewise]

See the how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide where under Further Advice it specifically deals with your scenario, and ancestralsources:ancestral_sources_migration_guide|> Ancestral Sources Migration Guide.

The thing that is often overlooked is all the customisation and preference settings that are NOT saved with the Projects.
So take note of the FH Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin and the AS Tools > Backup A.S. Options.

Is that what you use for settings backups, or are you just copying the C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\ folder, which overlooks all the Windows Registry settings for both FH and AS.

BTW: Just installing Win 10 on a failing PC won't fix it unless you are also planning some hardware upgrades too.

[Johnr65]

Thank you for your advice, however Mike, I don't understand this bit about backing up AS:

On both PC ensure the latest version of AS is installed.
On both PC use Tools > Options and note the location of the three AS Folders.
On the old PC use Tools > Backup A.S. Options to save the settings.
Close AS on both PC.
Copy the AS Folders from old PC to new PC using Windows Easy Transfer or a normal Windows/File Explorer copy via some intermediate storage such as a USB memory stick.
On the new PC run AS and use Tools > Restore A.S. Options to restore the settings.

When I use on FH Tools>, I can't find Options thus can't find the 3 AS folders?
There doesn't seem to be a easy transfer shown on the website indicated?
Every week I use the back up facility on FH6 for the settings and registry items and would do the same for AS if I knew how to do it?
My pc is only 18 months old so the hardware isn't a problem, just the software is causing the problems, Mike.

[tatewise]

FH knows nothing about the existence of AS.

Since it is the ancestralsources:ancestral_sources_migration_guide|> Ancestral Sources Migration Guide you are following, it is the AS command Tools > Options you must use!

It is time I should remove Windows Easy Transfer from the advice as it is now obsolete in all recent versions of Windows.

[Johnr65]

Well I'm none the wiser! Where are the tools options on AS?
Also what version of AS is the current one?

[tatewise]

See ancestralsources:index|> Ancestral Sources for latest download.

AS.png (30.97 KiB) Viewed 13002 times

[Johnr65]

Ah I see, so do I have to open AS in the sample projects menu or can I open it from the other places, like censuses, baptisms, etc? Then presumably I can use the back up AS settings from the tools to back them up to my portable hd or have I missed the point? You know what a technophobe I am !

[Johnr65]

Also I've loads of media within my FH6 family tree-does that get transported via the FH6 back up settings too?

[davidm_uk]

As per Mike's advice above, see here https://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?i ... e_settings and do a Full Project Backup from within FH, this will backup all of the media files (provided you have stored them within the project media folder).

[tatewise]

John, read through the Knowledge Base advice, that gives the details.

It does not matter which Project you use for settings Backups​ in either AS or FH because they are the same for all Projects.

The AS settings Backup goes in the AS folder. Copy the whole folder to external HD, then copy back after Win 10 update.

The FH settings Backup does just that. The backup folder must be copied to HD as above.

You must copy the entire Family Historian Projects folder to HD and that will include all Gedcom, Media, Public folders, etc. You do store all your Media in the Project and not elsewhere?
Don't bother with a Full Backup as that is just another thing to copy.
The Family Historian Projects folder has it all.
Also don't bother with the move settings advice as the Plugin does it all.

[Johnr65]

Thank you both. After nearly each day's research and updating the FH6 program, I do a full back of the project to the portable drive so presumably this contains all the media as well as the gedcom, etc, it equates to 3.97GB currently as my tree has over 19000 names? As i back up the FH6 settings every week and now will do the AS settings as well, this should be enough to make a start on restoring my tree on to Win 10?
I've got a back up too of all the upgrades from FH5 including my licence. Will I need to start with FH5 and keep upgrading until I get to the latest one?

[Jane]

You just need to install your V6 upgrade and enter both licences and then install the most recent upgrade 6.2.5

This is all covered in the how_to:family_historian_installation_details#family_historian_installation_details|Family Historian Installation Details

[tatewise]

Yes, just as it says in the FH migration guide.

BTW: The professional software guy should transfer all your data files, photos, etc, from Win 7 to Win 10. Ask him to do so. If he does not do it he is not a real professional.

[Johnr65]

Capture FH instals and upgrades.JPG (53.09 KiB) Viewed 12772 times

I have a registration ID and key for FH5 and no other, plus I've the instals and upgrades since then as in capture. So in what order to I instal them? Presumably as I've no cd I'll have to use the free download version?

[Jane]

As you have a V5-V6 upgrade you will have received a V6 licence which you will need. Check you did not add it to your word document, if you did not you will need to contact support@family-historian.co.uk and ask them to resend it. Remember if you have changed your email to tell them what one you purchased with.

As per my original reply

To install just install upgrade_fh5_to_fh6.0.0_dl and enter both your licences.

Then install the 6.2.5 upgrade.

[Johnr65]

Thank you Jane, I found it in my e-mail file as Family Historian 6 Upgrade From 5 Licence Details which Calico Pie sent me. So now I can go ahead at least with the correct program!

[Johnr65]

Can you tell me if the Project data folder which I access from tools >external links and appears to reside on my E drive on my pc is the same as the one that I do a full back up of when I exit my research on FH6 and save to my portable hd ? Looking at the instructions it says I must copy the Project data folder to a usb or cloud storage but am I duplicating this when I do a full back of my project each day?

[tatewise]

Let's think about this.
If you insist on using FH Backups then there are three steps :-

1. Perform a File > Backup/Restore > Full Backup
2. Copy the Backup file via external HD
3. Perform a File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup

If you have more than one Project then that must be repeated for each one.

The Migration Guide says copy the Family Historian Projects folder, which is one step and handles all Projects.
Which do you think is more straightforward?

The discussion to date has assumed you had your data on the C: drive.
However, since you have now introduced the E: drive, you probably don't have to do anything much.
Installing Windows 10 should only affect the C: drive, but check with the professional.
So after re-installing FH V6.2.5 all you need to do is set the File > Project Window > Location to refer to the E: drive just as you did when you switched to using the E: drive initially - do you remember doing that?
Check the File > Project Window > Location now and it probably says something like E:\...\Family Historian Projects.
That is what you must make a note of and use to reset FH after installing Win 10 and FH V6.2.5.
BTW:
That E:\...\Family Historian Projects path appears in the Current Project Folder box in External File Links, but has the Project specific folder appended on the end.
The Project Data Folder mentioned in the File Links sits within the Project specific folder and holds the Media folder.

Just make sure your AS folders are also on that E: drive, so its Backup goes there.
If not, then relocate them to the E: drive now (I can give you detailed instructions if needed).
Also ensure your Backup and Restore FH Settings folder is on the E: drive.
Then you do not need to copy anything anywhere, as it will still be on the E: drive after Win 10 is installed.

[Johnr65]

We seem to be at cross purposes which wasn't helped by my previous pc makers, they built my pc with 2 hard drives, one the C drive is SSD and the E drive is what you would call the 'normal hard drive, this addition of the SSD was to make the pc run faster and is only 111gb and contained mainly
Win 7 files whereas the other one has 931gb. This would've been OK but for the fact that they didn't tell me and thus as you may realise, most programs that download default to C and that SSD now is nearly full, so I've a mishmash of programs on both drives! Since I found out, I've tried to download stuff to E which is where the Project folder is.
I've only my own and the sample projects=2 in all.
Simply I would like to know if the full back up that I save at the end of each day to the portable hd which is K is the same as the project folder on the E drive or are they 2 different files?
I've asked my new pc expert to install Win 10 and ensure that the SSD is called E and not C so that I don't continue with these problems. Therefore the info on both drives will be wiped which negates your reply as I'll have nothing to refer to other than my portable K drive. Obviously I want to ensure that my project,gedcom, media and photos are available so that I can reinstall FH6 on to the new C drive without fear of loss of my years of research.
Help!

[Johnr65]

Also it means that I must have everything necessary on the portable K drive, so please tell me what I need to put on it before the other pc drives are wiped clean.

[tatewise]

Yes, the Full Backup that you save on drive K: does contain the same data as the Project folder, but in a different format.
That ZIP file format requires the use of the FH File > Backup/Restore > Restore Backup command to retrieve your Project.
To understand the process, I suggest you try and restore a Project from Backup. It won't upset your master Project as it will give the restored Project a new name.

Whereas, if you copy the E:\...\Family Historian Projects folder to the K: drive it can simply be copied back after the Win 10 install.

Anyway, as I said earlier, your PC expert should ensure that all data is preserved while installing Win 10 and restored afterwards.
So your backups on K: are just an insurance policy and should not be needed.
Ask your PC expert about preserving your data. If he does not offer to preserve it as a standard procedure, then he is not really an expert.

I would strongly advise against rearranging the drive letters.
Your proposed change is highly unconventional, and may prevent some programs from working properly.
It is a configuration that is unlikely to have been well tested by program developers.
When you install FH V6 it will go on the same drive as Windows and only needs 50MB anyway.
The same general rule applies to other programs.

Conversely, installing Windows and all programs on the C: drive, but keeping data files on another drive is a well established practice.
I have deliberately partitioned my disk drive into C: and D:.
The C: drive holds Windows and programs such as MS Office, FH, AS, and lots more, requiring only 118GB.
So your 111GB SSD should be fine.
My D: drive holds all my Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, photos, FH Projects, etc, etc.
Now you are aware of the two drives, it is just a matter of configuring some programs such as FH & AS to use the other drive.
Other programs such as MS Office don't care where the Word and Excel documents are stored.
Your PC expert should be able to advise you on how to achieve the above arrangement.
Try and keep clearly in mind the distinction between programs and their data.
You install programs on C: but keep their data on the E: drive.
Typically programs install with little or no data, just like FH whose only data is the FH Sample Project.

[Johnr65]

Hello Mike,
The restore from my K portable drive worked very well and gave me my project with a (2) next to it. Do I then have to add to it the back up of the project and AS settings to make it work properly or does it work OK without restoring those settings?
Regarding your advice about switching the drive letters on the SSD and normal hd, I will be reconsidering my idea and having a chat about it with my pc man. Thank you for your wise advice to this old technophobe.

[tatewise]

Yes, it adds the (2) suffix to distinguish it from your similarly named main Project.
It probably won't add that suffix when restoring into an empty FH V6.2.5 after installing Win 10.

The FH & AS settings are global, so currently restoring them would have no effect.

After re-installing FH V6.2.5 and AS V5.2.0 you will need to manually adjust them to use drive E: instead of C:.
Then you will restore the FH Project and then the FH & AS settings.

Now you are happy with restoring a Project, in File > Project Window you can select the one with the (2) suffix and use More Tasks > Delete Project.

[johnmorrisoniom]

Get your computer expert to Move the special windows folder's (Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc) onto your data drive. These are where most programs expect data to be, so will use them automatically if they are on your data drive.