* Upgrade from v6 to v7

[terryjacombs]

Is there anyway I can run version 6 and version 7 in parallel on the same PC (and Ancestral sources v5 and v7 as well).

I know I wish to use a lot of the new functionality in v7 but I would wish to take my time to research exactly how, which would will probably take several days if not a few weeks.

I do not want to put on hold any work on my live projects during this time but do not want to open them in v7 until I am confident knowing what I intend to do.

Ideally I would like to be able to run v6 with my live projects, v7 on an experimental project during the learning time on the same PC.

I appreciate that this would probably require me to buy a new v7 rather the upgrade from v6 which I am happy to do, but my understanding is that even installing a new installation replaces any existing version rather than creating a parallel installation (similarly for Ancestral Sources) - I also assume that there is unlikely to be anyway that 2 separate copies of the settings and customisation data can be maintained.

On a separate question has anyone experience of running v7 on a dual monitor system. I frequently have two projects open with a window on each of my two screens. I saw a mail on the groups.io suggesting that the property box display can get corrupted when clicking on the media tab.

[LornaCraig]

No, I'm afraid it's not possible to run V6 and V7 in parallel on the same machine. You would need to install one of them on a separate computer.

I saw the same message on the mailing list suggesting that there might be a problem with the Property box when using a second monitor. I use two monitors but have not had any problem like that, whichever monitor the Property Box is on.

[terryjacombs]

Thank you Lorna that was my assumption.

Two monitors good news though

[ColeValleyGirl]

How technically competent are you? If I say: Virtual Machine, do you go 'er, what?' or 'Yep. I can do that'. (No judgement attached to being in either camp.)

An easier route: you can get a trial version of FH for 30 days -- it will install over FH6 but if you:

• Take a backup of all your projects and NEVER open the backups in FH7
• Take a backup of your FH6 settings etc. using the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin

you can get 30 days to play with FH7 and be able to revert if you decide you don't like it. (In this case, you may want to keep data changes you've made by using the Export Gedcom File plugin, which has been updated for V7 but is sitting in the Plugin Store approval queue...)

Note: I believe you can only ever have ONE 30 day trial, so you might want to plan your explorations carefully.

[terryjacombs]

Thanks Helen

Technically OK - started in IT in 1965.

I have no doubt that I want v7 just that I want to take my time. So I think that what I will do is to install v7 on my laptop and resrict my use to my main PC for live projects and laptop for research only. Will restrict me a ltitle bit but nothing major.

I assume there is no time limit on applying the upgrade to the main PC a few weeks after doing it on the laptop?

[ColeValleyGirl]

Seems like a sensible way forward. There's no time limit on when you install and activate on the main PC.

[terryjacombs]

Can I send hearty congratulations to Calico Pie and all the hard working people supporting the user group.

I installed the upgrade on my laptop and with the upgrade notes, the additions to the help file and the various discussions on the user group spent a couple of hours digging around and experimenting, after which I felt confident that I could install it my desktop as well and convert my projects without any danger of things going awry.

All done and am happily establishing my new standards for sources, citations etc, customising various text templates and auto text. I expect there will be a few bugs turning up but I am confident that they are all likely to be cosmetic or peripheral and the changes to the menus, floating boxes and scrolling are all beneficial.

I started working in IT in 1965 and have continued to maintain a reasonable degree of competency after having retired, and must say that Family Historian is amongst the best software products I have ever experienced and provides exceptional value for money.

Nice to have something positive to think about after this rather depressing year.

Thank you Simon, your colleagues and User Group stalwarts.