* V5 slow running

[bruceernest]

I am using version 5.0.9. and on opening it takes a few
moments longer than usual to load and 'sticks' for a few
seconds. Also when I go to bring up a diagram of an
individual I get a 'ghost' image of the Focus window on
the screen before the diagram appears.
This only started a couple of weeks ago.
Any ideas please?


ID:6911

[tatewise]

Has any other software been installed or settings changed about two weeks ago?
Is any other software running in the background?
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys simultaneously, and open Windows Task Manager.
On the Processes tab, ensure Show processes from all users is selected.
Is there any significant CPU Usage - greater than 10% say?

[bruceernest]

Mike, thanks for trying to help.
My apologies for not replying to you suggestion sooner.

Have checked as you suggested and there are no programmes running that are using anything more than 1%.

I still have the problem in fact this afternoon it too about
60 seconds just to load the project bow. After about 3 minutes it gets back to a normal speed but I still get tha 'ghost' image.

All other programmes on the computer work perfectly

[tatewise]

OK, here are some other things to consider.

First, which version of Windows are you using?

Were any Windows Updates or other software installed or settings changed about the date the problems started?
Did you add a significant number of FH Multimedia images about that time?

Use the same Windows Task Manager technique before running FH, and monitor the FH CPU Usage as it starts up.

If this is high, then try adjusting the following settings.
In Tools > Preferences > Advanced review the Help page and pay particular attention to:
Auto-load Thumbnail Images When Opening Project and PC performance and Automatically Calculate Relationships in that order, adjusting one at a time.
Also Cache Printer Settings may have an impact on your 'ghost' effect when displaying Diagrams.

[bruceernest]

Thanks Mike,
FH exe cpu runs up to 50 when starting up.
You may also have hit on a problem that could be causing the slow running.
Sometime recently I suddenly found that I had
acquired a huge number of duplicate media, sometimes as many as 5 duplicates on one persons file. I have tried to use Janes Duplicate Media plugin to delete them but cannot fully understand how to do this. I need a little more explanation on this, can you advise or should I ask Jane? I think that I need the Idiots guide!

Think that this could be the problem. Could I have acquired these duplicate media via a download from FTM? Have only ever done this a few times.
Your help appreciated.

Bruce

[tatewise]

First check if this is the cause of the sluggish start up.
Use Tools > Preferences > General > Advanced and disable Auto-load Thumbnail Images When Opening Project.

Certainly those extra Multimedia Records are a likely cause.
Check the Plugin advice in Plugin Store Check for Possible Duplicate Media or in Tools > Plugins select Check for Possible Duplicate Media and make the window as wide as possible to read the whole Description.

It is advisable to create a Full Backup of your Project in case things go awry.

After running the Plugin it creates a Result Set similar to a Query.
The Record and Duplicate columns list probable duplicate pairs, where the two Records link to the same file or two different files with the same contents.
Drag your mouse cursor horizontally across a likely pair of Records so they are both selected.
Now use Edit > Merge/Compare Records and the same pair of Records should be listed on the right.
Click OK and the fields of the pair will be compared side by side.
The details [strike]struckout[/strike] in the right-hand pane will be discarded if you were to Merge the two Records.
Where the Action in the left-hand pane for each field is Null Merge then no details will be lost.
Otherwise, Keep and Discard indicate which details will be kept or discarded.
This can be changed by selecting the Action and clicking buttons at the bottom.
The Help button gives more advice.
Once happy that the Records should be merged, because the two media files are the same, then click Merge.

Repeat the above for each pair of Records.

This may leave behind some media image files in the Media folder that are NOT linked to any Multimedia Records.
So run the Check for Unlinked Media Plugin and delete/move unlinked files.

[bruceernest]

Hello Mike
Your patience appreciated. Followed your instructions but no improvement. (I am using Windows 7).
Disabled Auto-load for images but this does not seem to make any difference, should I leave it disabled?
Have tried the Duplicate media plug-in but it does not delete the duplicate media, it merges but where I have say 5 duplicate images all linked to the same person they still remain. How can I delete the duplicates but leave at least one picture? Statistics says that I have 898 pcs. of media, it should be more like 400+.
Still get the 'ghost' image when going from individual records screen to diagrams, this disappears after a few seconds.
Would it be an answer for me to go through the media file and delete the duplicates one by one?
Thanks

Bruce

[tatewise]

Yes, leave Tools > Preferences > General > Advanced > Auto-load Thumbnail Images When Opening Project disabled for now.

You said 'Have tried the Duplicate media plug-in but it does not delete the duplicate media, it merges but where I have say 5 duplicate images all linked to the same person they still remain.'
You appear to misunderstand the process, so please re-read my previous instructions carefully, as that is exactly what I predicted would happen.

Actually the Plugin does NOT Merge any Records at all, but simply lists pairs of candidates to Merge.
You have to perform the Merge yourself after running the Plugin.
That may leave unlinked image files in your Media folder that can be deleted/moved using the Check for Unlinked Media Plugin.

Note that FH does not care how many files, of any type, that are in your Project Media folder.
What matters is how many Multimedia Records link to those Media files, and that is what the merging reduces.

You can determine how many Multimedia Records you have a number of ways:-
Use File > File Statistics to list all Record counts, and note the Multimedia Records: count.
Use Tools > Preferences > Records Window > Record Type Display Options and set all to Always show, then in the Records Window on the now visible Multimedia tab, all the Records are listed.
Use Tools > Work with External File Links and all the Media file links are listed.

Let us see if your startup and ghost problems are generic or specific to your Project.
If the Family Historian Sample Project does not already exist, use File > Project Window > More Tasks > Samples > Reset Sample Project to create it.
Set this Project as the Default, and then restart FH and open similar Diagrams to see if the same problems occur.

Furthermore, look back at my earlier posting and try using Tools > Preferences > Advanced to adjust PC performance and Automatically Calculate Relationships and Cache Printer Settings after reviewing the associated Help.

[SimonOrde]

Where FH is slow to start up, this can be caused by an over-zealous anti-virus program.  Most AV programs have 'real-time' protection which means that they run checks whenever a program is executed.  And sometimes they can really slow it down.  To get round this problem they often provide a way of excluding individual files or folders.  I would suggest you disconnect from the Internet and then temporarily disable real-time checking in your AV program.  If this fixes the slow-start problem, re-enable real-time checks and experiment with excluding fh.exe and perhaps even your FH project folder from real-time checks, until you have worked out how to get an acceptable performance.

Don't forget to re-enable real-time checking before re-connecting to the Internet.