* AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

AS allows faster and more convenient creation of source records for Family Historian.
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edmacke
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AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

I recently got a new computer.

FH6 and AS were working fine on my old computer.

First, I installed FH6 on the new computer, and migrated settings from old PC to new PC using the "Backup and Restore" plugin. It seems to work fine and as far as I can tell my settings were migrated successfully. So far, so good.

Then I installed AS on the new computer. It starts fine, and I can open my FH project from within AS. So far, so good.

The problem is trying to launch AS from within FH using the "Ancestral Sources Data Entry" plugin. It does this odd thing where it looks like it causes FH to "hang", but if you look in the taskbar you can see where it looks like something has started behind FH and gets stuck.

I'm guessing it's some sort of settings / configuration issue with the new PC, but I have no idea where to start troubleshooting. Not sure if it's a plugin issue, a FH issue, an AS issue, or.....???
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tatewise
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by tatewise »

This is nothing to do with the problem but did you follow the ancestralsources:ancestral_sources_migration_guide|> Ancestral Sources Migration Guide?

Try downloading & installing the Ancestral Sources Data Entry Plugin from the Plugin Store again.

However, there is a known problem that sometimes causes that effect, and is fixed in some of my Plugins.
It may be due to a change in resolution of the monitor screen between old and new PC.
The solution is to delete the Plugin Data defaults file at:
...\Family Historian Projects\<ProjName>\<ProjName>.fh_data\Plugin Data\Ancestral Sources Data Entry.dat
It will be automatically recreated when the Plugin is next run.

The same problem may arise with some of my other Plugins, and the solution is the same, but those with more complex settings will need them transferring by hand from your old PC.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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edmacke
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

Thanks, Mike. Thanks for the troubleshooting help!

No, I hadn't copied the AS settings since I didn't really have any customization. But, just to be sure, I've now done that none, per the instructions, and AS still seems fine.

I also deleted the plug-in data, as you suggested, but I'm still seeing the same thing :(

FYI, just for giggles, I ran some other plug-ins ("Search and Replace", "Where Used Record Links") and they seem to run OK.
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by tatewise »

Those other two Plugins don't happen to suffer with the known problem.

Try the attached Ancestral Sources Data Entry Plugin Version 4.7.1 Date 06 Aug 2019 that should have the problem fixed.
[ EDIT Attachment deleted ]
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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edmacke
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

Thanks, Mike!

Still no go, though.

I tried to start with a clean slate, and deleted the current plugin from FH and deleted the "Ancestral Sources Data Entry.dat" file.

I then downloaded and installed the new plugin. The first time I ran it, it opened what looked to be a revision history. I thought it was working, so I didn't pay real close attention. But after I got past that screen (not sure what I clicked), it's back to the same behavior.

FYI, I tried deleting and re-installing the new plugin, but I couldn't get the revision history to pop up again.
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edmacke
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

Oh, also... you mentioned something about screen resolution?

Just FYI when I built the new PC, I pulled the graphics card out of the old PC and plugged in the exact same monitors. So the new PC has the same graphics card, same monitors, same resolution as the old. Don't know if that helps or not.
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by tatewise »

Yes, when first run, new versions of my Plugins open their Help & Advice window on the Revision History tab.
Other tabs offer further advice. (The two other Plugins you ran should have done the same.)
Second and subsequent runs require you to click the Help & Advice button to get that window.

The only other Plugin data files you could delete are the three at:
C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\Ancestral Sources Data Entry.* .bat, .dat, .vbs

I presume you installed AS itself with the usual default options.
BTW: Was it the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of AS?

You say you built your own PC - so what Windows version is it running?

Otherwise, I am running out of ideas.
The only other suggestion is to re-install FH V6.2.7 over itself in case some Plugin Lua script libraries have got upset.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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edmacke
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

Thanks again, Mike!

So I'm not sure what to do here. Is there a debug log file or something that gets written out? Otherwise I may just have to use AS using the manual "Open FH Project" way.

I uninstalled and re-installed AS and FH (in that order) on the new computer, and followed the migration guides to the letter. FYI when I ran the plug-in the first time, I did not get the Version History.... just the same "hang" behavior.

So despite re-installing AS and FH from scratch, it's still doing the same thing.

To answer your questions, I installed the 64-bit AS version (with defaults) on my 64-bit Windows Education (aka Enterprise) 10 v1903.
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by tatewise »

When you first ran the Plugin on new PC it would not show the Version History because the migrated data says it had already been run (on the old PC).

You say you "uninstalled and re-installed AS and FH (in that order) on the new computer, and followed the migration guides".
I did not say to follow the migration guides.
I said just re-install FH V6.2.7 over the existing installation.
i.e. Download the free upgrade from the FH website, and install it.
Do NOT uninstall FH. Do NOT follow Migration Guide.
I suspect that perhaps something in the migrated settings is upsetting things, especially perhaps in the Registry.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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edmacke
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

I d/l the update from the FH site and installed it over the (non-working) new installation. No change.
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

You might be right about something in the transferred settings.

I uninstalled everything, and re-installed from scratch... but this time I didn't do anything except install the AS plug-in. Sure enough it worked.

I then opened my own project file, and it still worked. Then, I manually transferred over a few folders from the old Program Data folder (the only real preferences I'm concerned with are the Fact Type / Custom Sentences, and the customized report options). Still worked.

So at this point, I have everything working on my new machine. There may be a few options that didn't get automatically transferred, but I'll just manually reset those.
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by tatewise »

Interesting. To my knowledge, that scenario has never arisen before.
So there must be something in the migrated data options that upset things.
However, I don't think it worth investigating to find out what.
Sorry the problem arose.

I do advise that you perform the how_to:family_historian_migration_guide#standard_migration_steps|> Standard Migration Steps number 8) To ensure Internet Data Matches are synchronised, but using the manual File > Import/Export method.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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edmacke
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Re: AS Plug-In Doesn't Launch AS - Hangs with Blank Screen

Post by edmacke »

Will do.

Again, thanks for taking the time to help me troubleshoot, and for writing the plugin (and many others) in the first place!
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