Robert Jacobs

TMG 7 & 8 are both 32-bit programs. Most software (except for drivers and the OS itself) on 64-bit computers are still 32 bit. The 64-bit operating systems have what was called a "thunking" [sic!] layer which permits them to operate. R.

You're very welcome. If I remember correctly, the v8 serial number appeared on two of those e-mails. R.

New source types can be made from the master source list.

You need a serial number for TMG8. It has to be purchased from Wholly Genes. If you've already purchased the upgrade they can re-supply the number. It should have been on your invoice and probably on a separate e-mail that they would have sent you. Robert

Dear David, I'm not troubled at all by your response. Nothing is more frustrating than to have the real work interrupted by equipment or software problems. Do I understand correctly that TMG7 won't allow you to back up without the exhibits? Robert

Dear Debbie, Make sure you're backed up. Then run "Verify File Integrity" from File/Maintenance, followed by "Optimize" from the same menu. When you say "the links to other shown in their person view do not work" are you double-clicking the names in the person view or clicking them in the project explorer? If the latter, you may not have the PE set to link to other windows. You do that by right-clicking in the PE. If the former, I don't know what to suggest. There may be someone else attending to this forum who can help. If you have ID numbers with no data whatever, no name, no tags I'd delete them (Edit/Delete person(s). Hope this helps. Robert

I've always thought that a single connected blank line would be more elegant than " __ ___ ___" even though it's true that the underlines represent the length of the missing bits of data. But this is probably no time to speak to Wholly Genes about elegance. R.

You can download the installer from the Wholly Genes web site. Click on "download free trial" Robert

You could uncheck the box but set the minimum box height on the "Boxes" tab of the report options. The right height would depend on what data types you've established for the boxes and whether or not you've accepted word wrap.. Alternatively you could edit the offending line out by hand -- not fun. Robert

If you are running Windows 7 or Vista you will find it in C:Program DataThe Master Genealogist v8 Installer. That directory may be hidden, in which case you have to open the file explorer ("My Computer"), press the ALT key, and select Tools/Folder Options/View tab and check "Show hidden files, folders and drives." I don't know where you would find it if you are running Windows XP, but there are others attending to this forum who do. It may be easier still to go to the Wholly Genes web site and click on "Download a free 30 day trial." That will get you to a download for the TMG 8.01 installer, the US version. The UK version is elsewhere on the web site -- it was posted somewhere on the Rootsweb mailing list. There are only about 1400 messages to plow through for this month, but I think there is a search function. I hope this helps. Robert

If you can get the program up cleanly, run File/Maintenance/Verify File Integrity followed by File/Maintenance/Optimize. That might take care of some of those errors. The VFI process will write a log file (I don't recollect precisely where it is to be found) which may help top identify file errors. Another thing to check is whether the files are all in the correct locations -- the locations should be consistent with the directories shown in Files/Preferences/Advanced. If there are still problems I'd try to reinstall the program (that won't damage your data) to see if that helps. Robert

Dear Edwin, I can't speak to all the problems you discuss, but here are a few suggestions: 1. If the "duplicate" entires show the same ID number, they are the same person, probably with at least two different versions of the name. The asterisk shows which is primary and will show up as the default in reports. This is normal; indeed, it is a feature of TMG which allows you to accomodate changing names, for example for immigrants. 2. If you have true duplicates, then you can merge them: tools/merge two people I don't know offhand whether they have to be in the same dataset or not, but a careful review of the help files will inform you. The merge process allows you to decide what to keep from each version of the entries. Good luck with the clean-up -- and welcome back to genealogy. Robert Ooops! I see Terry beat me to it, and with a much clearer exposition at that.

Try checking "save as new configuration" on the opening backup screen before you reach the exhibits check box. There is a known problem with backing up external exhibits in some cases; the large fact is that TMG is working for almost everyone. Robert

When I run the individual narrative report there is no mention in the report of the birth(s) of the children of the subject. I do not use sureties, and the surety options are set appropriately. All tags are selected on report options screen. By contrast, the individual details report does show the birth of children. Is this by design, the result of some simple-minded error that I am committing, or a b_g? Robert

Thank you Teresa and Terry. R.

Alas, 7Zip can't deal with that format.

As I understand it, SQZ files use the "ZIP" compression. Try to unzip the file. If you double-click on it using Windows 7 you should get an opportunity to extract the underlying files. It might be wise to first create a clean new directory (folder) to receive the extracted files as we don't know how many there are or what they are. TMG handles backups from earlier versions in different ways, so if it is a TMG backup you may have to open it first in an earlier version of TMG than the one you used. If it has been compressed in a non-standard way, the program 7Zip may be your best bet. It is a free file compressor/decompressor which handles nearly all forms of compression. Good luck with it! Robert

Dear David & Jim, Jim -- Thanks for the clarification. Another good idea gone west! I should have tested on my own machine to see if I could reproduce David's problem. David -- I'm stumped. My earlier reserve idea was that you might have installed TMG for "this user only" under a different user account than "David." That might produce a permissions problem as Jim suggested in an earlier post. But it appears that you've been able to switch directories around, so that may be less likely. But just for fun, make sure that there's plenty of empty space on the hard drive; if there is -- also just for fun -- try to run chkdsk against the drive. You can do that by right-clicking on the drive in "My Computer," select "properties," the "tools" tab, and press the button for error-checking. Uncheck "automatically fix file system errors" and hit "start." It's unlikely that errors will appear -- but if they do, repeat the process, re-check the "fix errors" button and start again. You'll have to reboot as the repairs can't take place while the system is fully operational. It might also be worthwhile to look at the properties of the backup directory (right-click on it) and see if the "read-only" box is checked. I have no idea how that could have occurred, but it did bite me once, years ago with XP, and it took me a long time to figure out. I doubt that anything good will come of these suggestions, but it won't hurt to check. Robert

Dear David, In Windows 7 "Documents" is a library, not a real folder. The real folder is probably "My Documents" if you haven't altered it. Try changing your backup path on the preferences screen to c:usersDavidMy DocumentsThe Master Genealogist v8Backups and see if that works. Please post the results, as I have a further suggestion in case it fails. Incidentally, I've found it useful to establish "TMG8" rather than "The Master etc." Saves some typing and makes it a little easier to see where you are in the file manager. Just remember that any change in the actual locations has to be reflected in the preferences. HTH & good wishes. Robert

I have my project explorer set to "Link project explorer to other windows." The details view is set to the person tab. I click on a person in the3 project explorer and get that person's detail view (name, parents, tags, etc.). Now I select the "Tree" tab. One of the selected person's parents is displayed as the beginning (leftmost) person in the tree. If I click on the "Family tab" while a person tab is displayed I get the parents' family. I have VFI'd, reindexed and optimized and the same thing happens. Version 7 did not behave this way and I do not think that version 8 ought to. Further discovery: if I reach a person view from other than the project explorer (e.g., double clicking a person's name in a tag), the family and tree views seem to work correctly. Robert

I think this issue may be related to the thread "person changed - not the one I was working on [stilla problem in TMG 8]" on the TMG Rootsweb mailing list. Robert

Robert,Any user mentioning what they believe to be a bug in this forum is usually sufficient to get it on a list to be reviewed. This forum is sponsored by WhollyGenes specifically to give users like yourself "access" to WG. While the employees of WhollyGenes don't usually reply to posts (since us volunteer users typically provide most answers needed), they do monitor this forum. Dear Michael, Thanks so much. I hope they do attend to it. Thanks again for your help and all good wishes. Robert

I think I see part of what's happening. With the person view exposed, select someone from the project explorer (linked). Then click below the tags in the person view tag box. The selected person's mother gets the focus, and if one then goes to tree view one gets the mother's tree. If instead you click on the upper border bar of the person view, the topmost tag (which in my case is the automatic relation tag) gets the focus and selecting the tree view gives the tree for the person selected for automatic relations. If you had delivered the click to any tag for a named person, that person gets the focus. I don't think that v7 worked that way, but whether it did or not, I think that the focus should go to the person originally chosen from the PE. I hope that someone with access to WG can report this as a bug to be fixed. Good wishes and Happy New Year to all. Robert

Dear Michael, That seems to me to be to be a work-around. If I have the project explorer linked, and the person tab exposed in the Details view, click on some other person in the PE, that person pops up in Details. One should be able to assume that that person has the focus. That is the way the sample project works when TMG8 is installed. Some setting or bug is responsible for passing the focus on to that person's mother if one moves directly from the PE (with person view showing in details) to tree view. I agree that if one clicks in the name-tag box before switching to the tree view that all works as expected. I really appreciate the attention that you, Jim, Virginia, and others are giving to this problem. Robert

I think I have figured out what is happening...Starting with the PE unlink and an individual in the Person View, select the Mother of that person (don't double click to change to her, just make her the selected individual)...Link the PE to other windows...select and individual in the PE, change to the Tree view...the previously select mother is the focus because she was the last individual selected. When you selected and individual from the PE and that person appears in the Detail view there is no individual in the view selected therefore when you change to Tree or Family view it uses the last selected individual which in this case was the mother of the previous focus person. After selecting a person in the PE click on the focus person of the Detail view and then change to Tree or Family view and it will work right. I don't think this is a bug, but is working as designed.... Dear Paul, But it happens also if the mother is NOT the original focus person; even if the original focus person is completely unrelated, selecting someone else in the PE and then going to the tree view gives you the mother of the second person selected. However: I made several backups in different places, completely uninstalled v8, moved the data directories elsewhere, cleaned out all v8 registry entries, and reinstalled. On opening the sample project, all worked perfectly. I then restored my own project & customizations. The problem returned, not only for my project but for the sample project as well. Evidently some setting in my project is triggering the bug. I am using widows 7 Ultimate, x64 with SP1 and all subsequent hotfixes installed. Robert