* AS search very very slow

[paul401]

Can anybody point me to things to look at to explain why AS is running very very slowly when searching for individuals, I didn't have trouble historically and don't believe I have changed any file locations.
It seems to have major problems when indexing people through the search task prior to selecting an individual to add. It will literally freeze or say not responding but does eventually get there.

[tatewise]

I guess you mean the Find Name: and Find ID: searches top right.
They work fast here with AS V5.2.0 64 bit and FH V6.2.7 on Windows 10 V1803.
I notice you are using FH V5, so that cannot have changed recently.

Look elsewhere for recent utilities that may be working on the GEDCOM file.
Typical candidates are anti-virus packages, auto-backup tools, and cloud storage clients such as OneDrive & Dropbox.
e.g. If you have just saved a large GEDCOM before running AS then OneDrive may be busy copying it to the cloud, which is both heavily using CPU time and rapidly accessing the GEDCOM file.

Does the problem continue indefinitely, or become fast after a while?
On Windows 10, try using right-click Start > Task Manager and monitor CPU time.

Is your GEDCOM particularly big? How many Individuals and Families?

[paul401]

Mike,

Yes indeed thanks I do mean the Find name and Find ID.

My bad on the versions, I am using the latest versions and update them religiously, AS V5.2.0 64 bit and FH V6.2.7 on Windows 10 V1803.
My desktop is high spec with i7 processor, SSD and 16GB RAM. with separate storage drives for data.
The issue has been happening for at least a few months and is constant.
I have all the Genealogy data on its own 2TB drive and have done for several years.
I have re installed AS but no change.

Other programs run fine during the issues with AS so it appears to be limited to that rather than a PC ability issue.

The issue is limited to the apparent search and response when entering data in the name or id box, for example I can type a name and the characters can take 10 to 20 seconds to appear which looks to be due to its searching the database by character as they are entered, although the same happens if I delete a typed name, the characters take a long time to disappear. All other aspects seem to work fine and correctly so it looks to be the link and search to the database of names in FH.

There are only 5200 people in the file, of note is that if I run a different project with around 200 people in then the search in AS runs without issue. I have a further file with 5700 people in and that too runs slowly in search.

I disabled my sync to NAS drive as a trial but it made no difference.
Looking at the task monitor the CPU was running at 2%, the Memory at 12%, I ran a search and the only the CPU went up in AS to around 12% while it struggled before returning to 2%, I couldn't see anything else significant.


Looks as though something is slowing the access in search by AS to the database in large files.


Any clues in my ramblings above, I could try an install on a laptop with a copy file to see what happens on a seperate system but if that works I will still be in the same position.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Does it make any difference what format (UTF8 or UTF16) your FH data file is stored in?

[tatewise]

It does all point to something particular with the AS installation.
AS is dependant upon Microsoft .NET Framework and I wonder if some Windows 10 update has upset things.

I am not sure it is possible or wise to try and uninstall and reinstall Microsoft .NET Framework.
However, it may be worth fully uninstalling AS before reinstalling AS.

I suggest you contact the author Nick Walker via AS Help > Email Support for advice.

[Jane]

Out of interest it might be worth starting the computer in Safe Mode and seeing if AS is still slow. If it's not it's possibly pointing to a conflict with another program. See how_to:family_historian_installation_problems#windows_safe_mode|> Windows Safe Mode for methods of entering Safe Mode.

If you start the Task Manager in advanced mode is it AS which is showing the impact on the processor or disk?

[paul401]

Well I tried it in safe mode and it works fine, must be some conflict elsewhere as you suggest.

[tatewise]

Yes, it must be some non-Windows 10 application, such as the candidates I suggested earlier, that is busy accessing the GEDCOM file, but the impact is only significant when that file is large.

It may be worth trying on your laptop, and if AS runs fast, then look for applications on slow PC that are not on laptop.

It is odd that similar name searches in say the FH Records Window are unaffected.

Try temporarily disabling your anti-virus package.

Do you by any chance have IBM Security Trusteer Rapport installed?

[paul401]

The records window is instant on searching as you would expect.

I don't have IBM Rapport ( although I used to have it but took it out)

Turned off the BT Mcafee real time scan but that made no difference.

So I opened task manager and tried shutting down various potential programmes one at a time to see any impact.


I have 2 monitors and the second has a settings program - Samsung - Easy Setting Box. (it doesn't seem to do much and came with the second monitor). I killed the program and AS runs perfectly. Started the program again and back to slow issues.

As it does nothing that is of benefit I shall delete the programme and hopefully my issues are cured.

Thanks all for your help and comments, may be of use to somebody else if it crops up again

[paul401]

Samsung Easy Box deleted and no issues at present.