Comments on: Family Tree Maker: The Compact File Tool

By: Beth Edmond

Beth Edmond — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:11:53 +0000

I have always used Family Tree Maker. However I recently have stopped using it due to the fact that after I have entered so many people 20,000 the program crashes. I have compacted faithly right before I close the program.

I hope this issue is being taking care of.

By: Jon Sanders

Jon Sanders — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:53:22 +0000

I’ve been using FTM for many years prior to FTM16 and also used 2008, 2009, and now 2010. Have over 20K names and over 4K attachments with a size of file of around 70M with 4.5G’s of attachments.

Anyway 2010 clearly does not crash nearly as much as 2008 did. But one thing that I’ve noticed is that almost all of my crashes occur due to the embedded IE when doing searches and merges. It was worse when my company forced me to use IE6 but when I upgraded to IE7 things got noticeably better. I get to upgrade to Win7 later this summer and thus IE8 which based on another PC I use is even more stable (I hope). Anyway not sure when the last nonIE based FTM crash I’ve had but its been a while (if I could just bypass IE).

If you use an IE version below 8 and can upgrade to IE8 you will likely solve many of your crashes with FTM.

Jon

By: Margie

Margie — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:40:45 +0000

I am having a problem with the program tells me to compact my files, yet when I do the whole program closes and then when I open it again it gives me the same comment to go to tools and compact you files. Help

By: Gord Hines

Gord Hines — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:55:11 +0000

Paul Roberts… you’re welcome. Hope some of it helps.

Chuck Willford… Thanks for the crash tip…. patience can be a virtue.

Win7??…. I think I’ll wait with my Vista now working just fine…. After Service Pack 1 or 2 perhaps…

By: Paul Roberts

Paul Roberts — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:25:15 +0000

Gord, thanks for the tutorial!

By: Chuck Willford

Chuck Willford — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:00:41 +0000

Ed Hudson,

Thanks for the update and data. What are you doing when it crashes? I’m adding and deleting sources.

After FTM crashes, you need to wait a bit before restarting. The auto backup is still running and will it will say the that your file is still in use. You can double check that if you are familiar with the task manager and it’s various tabs??? Right after the crash, bring up the task managers (ctrl-alt-del) and you will see that FTM is NOT a running in “Applications”; but, FTM.exe will still be running under the “Processes” tab. It will be the biggest file, so will usually show as the first entry. If you wait a few moments it will finish and you can start FTM regularly. No windows restart. AT least, that’s what I found out in WIN 7.

Hope this helps,
Chuck

Anyone else?

By: Ed Hudson

Ed Hudson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:21:52 +0000

My main file is almost 309 Meg and 272,000 + people and, yes, FTM2010 does just abruptly stop with no indication. And I do compact my file frequently. I have to restart Windows to get going again (otherwise, FTM will show that my main file is still in use).
Only other issue is the Relationship Calculator. It’s so cumbersome that I added a Fact title and enter my own calculation of the closest kinship. My family is VERY complex, having traveled in groups from Europe to several very early arrival points in the Americas, then West and South to arrive in 2 neighboring counties.

By: Chuck Willford

Chuck Willford — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:09:42 +0000

Roger,

You’re using FTM2010? And, it does abruptly stop?

Chuck

By: Roger Engelken

Roger Engelken — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:50:06 +0000

I’ve not had any problems of consequence using this utility. My file with media is 375mb consisting of 36,279 persons in the file from twenty years of genealogical research.

By: Kevin Harris

Kevin Harris — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:38:36 +0000

Everything is gone.. All the work I have done is gone. The trees are gone, I used my sign in and its someone, or no one. its all blank.