* Can't open FH V4.1

[dspivey]

I've had a break from family history for a few months and went to open FH today from my shortcut, and nothing happened. I also tried going to Programs, found Family Historian and clicked Open. Again nothing.
I've located the .ged files on the C drive in My Documents, but clicking Open with Family Historian does nothing either. When I open Ancestral Sources, it seems to open the file OK. Do I need to try a re-install? Thanks, Diane

[tatewise]

That is strange, Diane.
It would help to know which variant of Windows you are using - XP, Vista, 7, or 8 ?

Has anything significant happened to the PC over those last few months?

Having located Start > All Programs > Family Historian > Family Historian try right-clicking and choosing Properties.
On the Shortcut tab the Target should be something like C:\Program Files\Family Historian\Program\Fh.exe.
If you click the Open File Location button does that locate the Fh.exe file in the Program folder, along with many other files and folders such as Diagrams, Fact Types, Flags, Queries, Reports, etc?

If all else fails, then re-installng FH may be the only course of action.
Check out how_to:reinstall_family_historian|> How to (Re-)install Family Historian for full details.
Before doing so, check you have all the necessary installation/upgrade files and licence details.
You will have to go back to the first Full Licence Version you bought and install that followed by each upgrade.
The exact sequence depends on whether the first version was V2, or V3 or V4, and which upgrades you bought, and whether they are on CD, or download files.

[dspivey]

Thanks for coming back to me, and I apologise in advance if I'm not able to follow up quickly - I can only grab some time on the computer late in the evening.
I'm on Windows XP and we've done nothing to the system or computer for months, except normal defrag and disk clean up.

I've just done a complete re-install, from original disk v 2, upgrade to 3 with key, upgrade to 4 with key including patch required, and installation said it concluded OK. It has created a shortcut on my desk top, but clicking this does nothing. Neither does going to Programs and clicking Family Historian, just a brief hourglass then nothing. As you suggest I have clicked on properties and the Shortcut target is as you have typed below. I can't see an Open File Location button, but have tried clicking Find Target (same thing?) and the icon for the file Fh.exe is showing among the others, but a double-click or right click & Open still does nothing. So it thinks it's there but just won't open. Any thoughts? Properties says it's 4.0.0.6 - was there a further patch to 4.1? Any help gratefully received.

[Jane]

You can get the last version of V4 from the Downloads archive on the FH web site.

http://www.family-historian.co.uk/downl ... ad-archive

The most likely problem is a conflict with your AntiVirus, which updates it's self all the time. Try either

1. Turning off your AV
2. Booting into safe mode and running FH there.
3. Excluding the Family Historian Program folder from scanning.

If either gets FH to work, try removing your AV program and replacing it with another.

[dspivey]

Thanks, Jane
I have tried temporarily disabling the Antivirus (it is the free version of AVG) and that didn't make a difference. I then tried to reboot the computer in safe mode, but I am not sure whether that actually worked (does it tell you you are in safe mode?). However I did manage to open FH which was reassuring. I closed it and then tried to reopen and nothing happened. I now suspect that I had just managed to open it in the brief window between the computer booting up and the AVG kicking in. Would you mind explaining exactly how I reboot in safe mode, or how I choose to exclude the FH program from scanning, so I can double-check?
It sounds like it may be the AV - do you have recommendations for one that will work but not conflict with FH?

Diane

[tatewise]

To exclude files/folders use the following AVG help page (which I found by a Google Search for AVG exclude folder).
http://www.avg.com/ww-en/faq.num-3489
The details may be different if you have a different version of AVG than AVG 2011.

The folder to exclude is C:\Program Files\Family Historian\Program

Alternative free anti-virus products that I use and don't object to FH are Microsoft Security Essentials and Avast Free (both which we recommend to our Computer Club members).
Just Google Search for details & downloads.

Again a Google Search for Boot XP in Safe Mode comes up with among others:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/docu ... x?mfr=true
i.e.
As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press the F8 key repeatedly.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate safe mode option, and then press ENTER.

[dspivey]

Thanks!
I managed to find the advanced setting option to exclude the FH folder from scanning on AVG , but that hasn't enabled me to open FH - does excluding it just mean AVG won't "attack" FH on its next scheduled scan?

I also Googled "Boot in Safe Mode" and tried the F8 key, but I didn't know how to tell if it had worked or not - it didn't give me safe mode options so perhaps I missed that crucial moment between restart and Windows appearing. I'll have another go.
Thanks very much for the AV recommendations, I'll let you know how I get on.
Diane

[tatewise]

Excluding the folder means AVG won't scan any file in that folder when any such file is executed, as well as when a scheduled scan is run.
As a matter of interest - which version of AVG Free do you have? e.g. AVG 8.5, 9.0, 2011, 2012, 2013, or 2014?

It might be interesting to right-click on the C:\Program Files\Family Historian\Program\fh.exe file and choose Scan with AVG to see what it says about any perceived threats.

When the PC is starting up I advise repeatedly pressing the F8 key on the keyboard.
It will be very obvious that it has worked because the screen will look like this:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixthepro ... dexp_2.htm

When switching anti-virus products, first download the new product, then disable/uninstall the old one, and immediately install the new one.

Before any of that, another possibility is your Firewall software might block FH.
What Firewall do you have?
Does Start > Control Panel > Security Center say your XP Firewall is ON?
Again, I think Safe Mode runs without Firewall as well as without AV.
So if FH works in Safe Mode one of them is the likely culprit.

[dspivey]

Thanks - I'll have another go over the weekend.
Best
Diane

[tatewise]

One more thought!
Does your keyboard have a dedicated row of function keys F1 to F12?
Or is it a laptop or compact keyboard where the function keys are shared with other operations?
In this case you need to hold down the function (Fn) key (often bottom left), whilst tapping the F8 key.
In much the same way you need to hold down the Shift key to get upper case letters.

[dspivey]

I finally managed to boot up in Safe Mode and FH program worked fine. I did run the AVG scan specifically on the FH program but it's not detecting anything. I've also added FH to the exceptions on the Firewall. but its not having any obvious effect.

However if I open FH before the AV has had a chance to boot up properly I can get to the program, which makes me think AVG is the problem. We recently upgraded to the AVG Free Edition for 2014, so this may be the cause. We'll look into one of the other anti-viruses you recommend and I'll report back in due course.
Thanks again for all the help

Diane

[tatewise]

Yes, a recent upgrade of AVG was the sort of change we were suggesting was the cause.
However, you now seem to be on the right track.

You could try excluding the entire FH installation folder: C:\Program Files\Family Historian
and also exclude the FH PDF printer software in folder: C:\Program Files\Calico Pie\Family Historian PDF

This all presumes you have a 32-bit XP machine, otherwise on a 64-bit PC, the folders will be in C:\Program Files (x86)\ instead of C:\Program Files\.

[dspivey]

Sorry for the belated response, but I have finally swapped my antivirus for Avast Free as recommended, and I can now get back into FH! Still had to tell Avast not to scan the FH file though, so it's still not completely happy. But at least I can get moving on family history again. Thanks very much for the support.
Diane

[davidm_uk]

Strange, I've been using Avast free for a good few years now, on both XP and now W7, and never had any problems with FH, and none of the FH folders or files are in the exclude lists.

Ancestral Sources is however in the DeepScreen Exclusions List, so I must have had some problem with it in the past, I just don't remember what now!

[tatewise]

It may just be subtle differences between FH V4.1 on Win XP and FH V5.0 on Win 7 together with the current Avast anti-malware signatures.

David, when you last ran FH V4.1 on Win XP the Avast anti-malware signatures would have been different.