Excellent advice, Malcolm with which I totally agree. I am using FTM 2006 on a 7 year old computer (no probs) plus I use this computer in many other ways as well. Have recently purchased FTM 2011 for Mac for use on a different new Apple computer. Don't like the program nearly as much as the 2006 which I was very familiar with. Slowly learning my way around but I think FTM is getting too "techie" and not nearly as simple or user friendly. Bev Guy On Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 2:55 PM, Malcolm Moody <malcolm@archivecdbooks.ca> wrote: >        Sue, > >                I'm very much afraid that what I'm going to say may be misunderstood and cause you offence - in fact I almost didn't publish because of that.  On the other hand not answering doesn't help you at all.  So please bear in mind that I'm attempting to help you with your problem.  If you don't like it, simply click "delete" and I will only have wasted my time.  I do think, however, that you are not alone in having this sort of problem and I'm hoping that this might also help someone without your courage to publicly ask for help. > >                I very much doubt if anyone can give you a "magic bullet" for you to fix your computer for yourself.  From what you say I'd guess that your problem is not going to be too difficult to fix and is (basically) caused by your not knowing enough about your computer to keep it "serviced", organized, and updated enough for it to keep running efficiently for over four years with no TLC. > >        Right now, what you need is some help from someone with such knowledge or, failing that, the services of a computer tech.  The problem with using an unknown computer tech. is that there are a few good ones and then there are some very poor ones.  Also many of the computer techs in stores are first and foremost trying to get you to buy something from them because they get commission on sales.  Try asking around to see if anyone in your area can recommend someone, or look for someone who just does computer fixes, i.e., not attached to a store or, as a last resort, go to one of the big stores and ask them if their service techs get commission on what they sell. > >        Keep in mind there is no reason why you shouldn't be served quite adequately by a four year old computer as long as it's still running - i.e., doing something like what you'd expect.  The reason you are experiencing a problem with your FT program is probably that it uses a lot more memory in your computer than anything else you use does.  This, in turn, makes you computer use more of your internal hard disk, and if it is already full . . . . . well, you can see where this is headed can't you? > >        To specifics, YES you DO have a disk in your computer.  Since the early 1980's all computers have had a built in hard disk and one of your problems may be that you have filled yours up.  Since you are using a laptop it is difficult to put in a larger internal disk but a decent computer tech. can help you to buy an external disk and reorganize your files so you can use the computer with or without the external disk depending on what you want to do and on your usage habits.  (Make sure he explains how you get access to both the internal AND the external disk!) > >        Secondly, I'm guessing that you are using a PC running Windows of some sort.  Windows accumulates all sorts of junk files over a period so it may be possible to recover some of the space on your original hard disk to keep you going for while.  Again you need a little expertise to find and remove this junk. > >        Lastly, and potentially most serious, you may have been infected with some sort of "malware**" and it is this which is stealing most of the processing power of your computer (quite apart from putting all your data at risk.)  This can be checked and, if necessary fixed, quite easily if you had the expertise. > (**Malware is the generic term for all types of virus, trojan, worm, keyboard listener, or whatever which is inhabiting your computer for all sorts of nefarious purposes.) > >        So, as a follow-up, I strongly recommend you find a course on basic computer "care and feeding" at your local college, night school, library, or wherever, and get yourself sufficient knowledge to take care of the routine maintenance and upkeep, as well as being able to take a guess at what is causing the error messages your computer gives you. > >        Malcolm > > Archive CD Books Canada Inc. > President:  Malcolm Moody > PO Box 11 > Manotick > Ontario,  K4M 1A2 > Canada. > (613) 692-2667 > WEB SITE:  http://www.ArchiveCDBooks.ca > FACEBOOK: http://tinyurl.com/ACDB-Can-on-Facebook > > On 19 Aug, 2011, at 12:40 PM, newbrunswick-request@rootsweb.com wrote: > >> Message: 2 >> Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:17:56 -0300 >> From: "Sue Getson" <getson1@nb.sympatico.ca> >> Subject: [ NB ] Family tree program >> To: <newbrunswick@rootsweb.com> >> Message-ID: <17DA39186B194920B4069D7EE7A8B8EE@MomPC> >> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; >>       reply-type=original >> >> Hi >> >> First off I am not a computer person, so please I need some help.  Over the >> past month my family tree program (version 5) I know very old program has >> been running extremely slow, when I first bring it up it takes sometimes 10 >> minutes to bring up the main page, then for the first little bit whenever I >> click from one page to another or try to insert a picture it says not >> responding.  The newest thing is now when I try to insert a picture it says >> something like not enough disc space, or not formatted, I am not using any >> kind of a disc and my laptop does not have room for disc.  I can copy a >> picture to a blank page on notepad or something like that. >> >> My laptop is four years old but runs quite quickly except when working with >> the family tree program, ususally after it is running for awhile it works >> better.  I have been told to get a new computer but since the computer is >> running well for all other things could it be just the family tree program. >> Does the family tree program only have so much space and I have reached the >> maximum, or what? >> >> Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, don't want to spend more money >> than I have to. >> >> Thank you >> Sue > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > List Announcements can be found at > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nbcharlo/nblistann.htm > List home page at: > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/CAN/NewBrunswick.html > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NEWBRUNSWICK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >