* Family members

[SueSmith]

I have just downloaded the latest version of Ancestral Sources, but find that family members of a selected person are no longer added in the 2 panes on the right hand side of the window. This is the case for 1921 census, 1939 register and baptisms, which are the only ones I have tried. I need to find and select every person in the record I am working on from the list of persons in my tree (about 5,500).

Is there some option I need to check somewhere to make this work. I am still on Windows 7, so perhaps it is a "feature" of having an old version of Windows.

[NickWalker]

Ignoring for now the fact that you are running an unsupported ancient version of Windows which is very risky from a security viewpoint (unless you have it totally disconnected from the Internet at all times)...

This sounds odd! Can you paste a screenshot of what you're seeing? Did you use AS previously on your computer and if so could it have been a couple of years or more since you last updated it?

[LornaCraig]

This sounds like the problem discussed here: Missing Entry Boxes In AS 7.0.11 (18303)

[NickWalker]

Yes that was what I was thinking too Lorna hence asking for a screenshot.

[SueSmith]

Yes, I understand Windows 7 is unsupported ...

I have been using AS for many years, and always kept it reasonably up to date. The last version I had worked OK - and it had the functionality for the 1939 Register, so wasn't very old.

[NickWalker]

The 1939 register has been in AS since 2016 so that's not a new feature. In the previous version you used did it create the 'rich text' as shown in the text at the bottom of the page (tables, blue writing, etc.) or is that a new feature for you?

With AS closed... If you right-click on the Ancestral Sources shortcut (either in your start menu or on the desktop) and then choose Properties, you should see a Compatibility tab. If 'Run the program in compatibility mode' is ticked, please untick it. Also make sure that any other check boxes on that tab are not ticked (untick if they are) and then click OK and see if that makes a difference.

If that doesn't help, go to Tools->Customise and change the Font to Tahoma size 8. If it is already Tahoma size 8, try changing it to Tahoma size 9. Make sure the 'Font Style' is set to Regular in the dialog where you choose the font size. If that happens to fix it then close and reopen AS to confirm it still works. If it was previously Tahoma size 8 then try setting it back to that and see if it still works. Close and reopen AS again to confirm it continues to work.

[SueSmith]

Everything was already set to what you specified. I've changed it and changed it back, closing AS between each change. I've also tried running as administrator. Nothing has worked.

Looking at my downloads folder, the last version of AS that I installed was probably 7.2.4 in April 2021. I don't recall the rich text format previously, but I haven't done much genealogy recently, so I've hardly used it.

[BillH]

Sue,

If you go to the Ancestral Sources properties (as described by Nick above), and click on the Compatibility tab there is a button at the bottom called "Change high DPI settings". If you click on that, is the box under "High DPI scaling override" labeled "Override high DPI scaling behavior" unchecked?

I'm on Windows 10 so I'm not sure if Windows 7 is exactly the same or not, but there is probably at least a similar option.

Bill

[SueSmith]

Hi Bill

I'm unable to change that setting - it's greyed out (even though I'm the pc admin!). However, the font size on my display is set to Medium (125%) - old age is having an impact on my vision - not the default of Smaller (100%). I can change it to smaller, but of course that will affect everything. Also I don't want to do that just now as I'm going out shortly. I can try it overnight and see if that changes anything, but even if it does, it will need to go back to the current setting.

[BillH]

Hi Sue,

Just out of curiosity... is the box checked or unchecked. Not sure why it is grayed out for you. It isn't grayed out for me.

Bill

[NickWalker]

Sue,

If you go to the Ancestral Sources properties (as described by Nick above), and click on the Compatibility tab there is a button at the bottom called "Change high DPI settings". If you click on that, is the box under "High DPI scaling override" labeled "Override high DPI scaling behavior" unchecked?

I'm on Windows 10 so I'm not sure if Windows 7 is exactly the same or not, but there is probably at least a similar option.

Bill

In the screenshots of Windows 7 Compatibility this setting is on the same screen (there isn't a separate button) which is why I suggested all the boxes needed to be unticked. It looks quite different.

I'm unable to change that setting - it's greyed out (even though I'm the pc admin!). However, the font size on my display is set to Medium (125%) - old age is having an impact on my vision - not the default of Smaller (100%). I can change it to smaller, but of course that will affect everything. Also I don't want to do that just now as I'm going out shortly. I can try it overnight and see if that changes anything, but even if it does, it will need to go back to the current setting.

I don't have access to a Windows 7 computer so I can't really troubleshoot this. I do know that AS copes fine for me with 125% scaling on Windows 11 and Windows 10. So if it does look OK in 100% scaling in Windows 7 but doesn't work in 125% then I don't think there's anything I can do about that. If compatibility mode isn't on and it looks wrong then I guess you could try turning on the compatibility mode! - perhaps try the trouble-shooter.

[BillH]

In the screenshots of Windows 7 Compatibility this setting is on the same screen (there isn't a separate button) which is why I suggested all the boxes needed to be unticked. It looks quite different.

I should have looked up a screenshot. I didn't mean to muddy the waters. I just wanted to make sure that Sue hadn't overlooked the setting if it was on a different screen. I didn't realize it was on the same one.

Bill

[SueSmith]

OK - having set the font size on the display to Smaller (100%), AS is now working as expected. What I can do is to increase the font size of my various apps to accommodate this - so I've increased AS to Tahoma 10, and my browsers up a notch. I can't for the moment see where to do this on Outlook, but I know it's there somewhere.

Interestingly, whilst the Compatibility options on AS are greyed out, they aren't for some other apps, such as FH, or my music notation programs, but are for others (Google Earth, pdf Architect etc).

Many thanks to both Nick and Bill for your advice and help on this.

Sue

[tatewise]

As an aside Sue, please update your FHUG Profile to show your Family Historian Version on the right.
Click your username, navigate to Edit Profile, set the Family Historian version, and then scroll down to SUBMIT.
That avoids us from having to ask what you are using when you post questions.

BTW:
I presume your PC is unable to update from Windows 7 to Windows 10 for some technical reason.
Otherwise, the update is still free (if you know the trick) and Windows 10 runs on most hardware better than Windows 7.

[SueSmith]

Hi tatewise.

Profile updated as requested.

I didn't update to Windows 10 when it came out - I couldn't face the problems everyone seemed to be having - and I more or less know my way round W7, whereas W10 leaves me confused every time I look at it (and I worked in IT for 25 years!). Now, I it doesn't seeem to be. free. When I get a new pc, obviously I'll have the latest version. I don't know how old my pc is - must be at least 10 years - and no doubt I'll be forced to buy a new one before long.

You say it's free if you know the trick - what trick is that? Though I'm still not sure about updating it myself. If it all goes pear shaped, I'll be stuck - and have to go to the little man round the corner who built this pc to sort it out.

[tatewise]

The trick is to visit the https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/softwar ... /windows10 page and follow the instructions under the Create Windows 10 installation media section.
Click the first + to expand the help for Using the tool to upgrade this PC.

If you Google search for download windows 10 for pc you will find the MS page above and lots of advice about downloading and installing Windows 10 for free.

The tool will check your PC is capable of running Windows 10 and use your Windows 7 licence to activate Windows 10.

Before running the tool I advise disabling your anti-virus product and making sure you have backups of all important files especially for programs you have installed and their licence keys (such as FH) just in case things go wrong.

If you are at all concerned then the little man round the corner will do it all for you for a small fee.

[SueSmith]

many thanks, tatewise.

I'll think about it. This is the only app I've had a problem with so far, but I have been expecting problems from various program upgrades for some time.

[tatewise]

I think you will find the current Windows 10 GUI is more like Windows 7 than it was originally.
You should consider not just apps but that security issues with Windows 7 are not being fixed by Microsoft.
My PC was originally Windows 7 and is over 12 years old but runs Windows 10 happily albeit a little sluggish at times.