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New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 15:59
by smol
I have a new computer which I have successfully set up, however I have not yet transfered anything from old computer to the new one. It is all backed up on a separate hard drive.
I have Family Historian installed on the old computer with version 6.2.7.
I have discs + keys for version 6.00 upgrade, version 5 upgrade, version 4 and version 3 upgrade, but do not seem to have the emails that are referred to in some of the help pages.
I am unsure about the order in which to do things.
If I move everything from the separate hard drive to the new computer will everything from Fh automatically move as well
I have looked at the guide Fh V5 to V6 migration and followed the V6 migration steps.
Instructions say :-
A) old pc gives me that Version 6.2.7 is installed.
B) install the full V6 or upgrade V4/5 to V6 program onto new PC using current licence details
How do I do that ? What is meant by the current licence details ? Is it just the code ? I tried installing the trial Version of V 6 but it asked for a name as well as the key . What name ? my name ? in what format ?
I uninstalled the trial version.
Sorry to ask so many basic questions but I seem to be going round in circles and not making any progress .
I have read many questions and answers on the forum and also info written in help sections.
If I just transfer everything from my old computer to the new one via the external hard disc will that solve the problem ?
Help and advice needed please

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 16:15
by Jane
You need to install the program not copy it.

I think you have a CD copy of V6 so install that on your new computer.
If it's an upgrade you will need to enter both your V5 and V6 licences.

Once installed download and install the V6.2.7 upgrade.

Copy your entire "Family Historian Projects" folder from your old computer to your new one, just over write the folder created by the install.

If you have created custom text schemes or facts sets see the migration documents you have already looked at for moving them.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 16:16
by tatewise
No, you cannot just transfer FH (or AS) programs from PC to PC. They must be installed from media.
Transferring Project data does NOT install programs.

I'm glad you are following the how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide.

Since you have installation CD for all the FH Versions, free trial downloads and Emails do not apply.
Installation CD only need a licence Registration Key and do NOT use a licence Name.

All you need are your Version 6 Upgrade CD and both the Version 6 and the Version 5 licence keys.
Install the Version 6 Upgrade CD and it will ask for the two licence keys.
Then download and install the free upgrade to FH Version 6.2.7 from https://www.family-historian.co.uk/down ... ee-upgrade.

After that you can proceed with the following steps.

BTW: You can discard all those old CD.
Just keep the Version 6 Upgrade CD and both the Version 6 and the Version 5 licence keys.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 16:40
by davidf
smol wrote: 14 Feb 2020 15:59 If I just transfer everything from my old computer to the new one via the external hard disc will that solve the problem ?
I don't think it applies here, but given discussions elsewhere, are we certain that disk cloning ("everything"?) is not another solution? I think I successfully did that many moons ago under Windows 7 when upgrading my hard disk.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 16:48
by mjashby
David,

Disc Cloning to a new Windows 10 device would, in all probability, completely trash Windows Activation, as well as erasing the recovery partition and as there is no Windows 10 Activation Key, except in the case of purchasing a full retail version....

Mervyn

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 16:53
by tatewise
David, no, that usually won't work.
Disk cloning or disk images only work as a way of recovering a failed disk on the same PC with the same Windows version.
If for example you copied a cloned Windows 7 disk onto a Windows 10 PC , you would revert to Windows 7 and some attached devices may not work properly or at all, and the licence may be invalidated.
If you had a different graphics card, monitor, printer, etc, they might not work.
A clone is exactly what it says ~ an identical copy ~ so it only works on an identical platform.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 17:22
by smol
Thank you for your replies.
How do I install the V6 disc ? No disc drive on new computer. So what do I do ?
Sorry I am sure it is a basic question .

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 14 Feb 2020 17:45
by LornaCraig
See the advice here:
how_to:family_historian_installation_details|> Family Historian Installation Details where it says
If you only have an Installation CD, but your new PC is a Netbook/Laptop with no CD drive, then on any PC with a CD/DVD drive, copy the entire contents of the Installation CD onto a USB pen drive memory stick and install from that instead by running the Setup file.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 16 Feb 2020 10:26
by E Wilcock
I just moved to a new computer too - lots of us need to move away from Windows 7.
You can install the fh software by downloading and then instaling the latest version from the Calico Pie website.

I too ran into trouble. The user names and numbers for 5 and 6 I had carefully kept in an email from Calico Pie didnt work (probably my error) but Calico Pie kindly sent me a new email providing them. They also sent me a link to the fh software I neded to download.
I am not sure one can find this by just going to the site. Mike or Jane may know.
So if you havent got your details maybe wait till tomorrow when their offices are open?

My husband and I keep a spiral bound exercise book for all software usernames and entrance keys. But it is easier to cut and paste long numbers from an email. This month, as I installed everything on our new computer, I took the opportunity to copy or type the information for most of our software into a single Windows Notepad text file.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 16 Feb 2020 11:03
by tatewise
In this case the user has bought a CD so downloads and Emailed licence details are not feasible, because Calico Pie are not the vendor. However, in extreme cases they have been known to help.

In your case the Calico Pie download link provides a special version tied to the licence key. It is crucial to save both the downloaded installation file and licence key, as the link will expire soon. That download is NOT available anywhere else.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 16 Feb 2020 15:21
by smol
Many thanks for all the help given and so quickly.
I did as suggested used the v 6 disc and a usb stick to move the program to the new computer.
The version 5 key and then the version 6 key but that one needed a name.
Anyway all installed now on new computer and upgraded to 6.2.7
Some custom settings not transferred I am not too worried about that as I can redo them .
I have followed the moving from pc to pc info.1-6
I already had the plugin installed on my old computer, it updated as I worked.
The new computer has the plug in registered in the Tools Plugins section
The preferences startup default and similarly backup default are the same on both computers but on using the plugin restore tab it does not restore things
I did not click on the registry messages as I was scared of messing things up,they were written in red ! perhaps I should have done.
I can redo my custom queries and am glad of the opportunity to redo my text scheme.
I would like to say thank you to the people who have gone to such a lot of trouble to write such detailed instructions.
I was considering buying an apple computer for aesthetic reasons but the thought of transferring everything to that from windows seemed too daunting. It seems I made the correct decision.

Re: New Computer Help & advice needed please

Posted: 16 Feb 2020 16:48
by tatewise
If you use Internet Data Matches 'hints' on the Focus Window it is important to perform Step 8) in the guide.

BTW:
I am surprised the Plugin did not restore your custom Query and Text Scheme.
Presumably you at least used the Program Data Files option on the Restore tab?
You did run the Backup tab option on the old PC beforehand?