I have a mix of PDF and JPG media in my database. If I open the media album for a person, I can double-click on some media items to open them, but others do nothing. It’s not specific to one file type. Some JPGs open but others don’t, same with PDFs. Am I missing something?
I’m using Version 11.1.1.0 (27 Mar 2026)
First thing I would check is that those don’t work are assigned the correct media type - JPG’s = image and PDF’s = file. Maybe a different cause but worth checking first.
Also, just for clarity, RootsMagic DOES NOT store any of your media items IN the database. Instead, when you choose media items to add, the program goes to that (those) files, makes a small THUMBNAIL copy and stores ONLY the thumbnail and its associated file path.
Later, when you double-click media item names or thumbnails, RM looks up the associated file path stored in the database and issues a request for your operating system to open that file with whichever (Windows or Mac) program has been configured to view or edit that file-type.
You mention “double click”. Have you tried clicking on the Edit icon? This should open the files in your computer’s default viewer for the file type.
All are correct. When adding media, any files not matching the media type are greyed out.
Yes, that’s the step that’s failing for some files.
The ones that work with double-click also work with the Edit icon. The ones that don’t, don’t work with it either.
One oddity is that the filename as shown in the Edit Media sidebar shows an extra forward slash in the pathname to the file. E.g.
Scotland/Lanarkshire/Coatbridge//1840s-1890s Map - Ross St Coatbridge - street map.jpeg
In Finder, I can copy the full pathname to the clipboard, and it’s as it should be - no double forward slash. However ALL filenames have this “feature” in the Edit Media sidebar, including the ones that can be double-clicked.
I’ve tried re-linking files, and at the point where I select the file and return to the Edit Media sidebar, the pathname is correct. If I click away from that item and then go back to it, an extra forward slash has been added. That would appear to be a bug, and may or may not be related to the issue I’m experiencing.
Are you using Option + Command + C in Finder to copy the selected file/folder’s path? Or just highlighting a chosen media file and clicking an Open button, when adding? I’m not a Mac user, apologies.
I also see this on mac. I have at least 1 media file with 4 “/”s between the file name and file path. But I cannot recreate the issue you are describing. I suspect that it’s unrelated. I kind of recall this being an issue in the past that was resolved. But it appears to be back, the media file with 4 slashes was added recently.
Yes, that’s how I copied the path in the previous post. I did that to show that the actual path is fine, but the RootsMagic representation is wrong.
That’s interesting. I agree that it’s probably disconnected from the issue I’m seeing, as all files look like that but only some don’t respond to Edit/double-click. I guess I’ll just have to use Finder if I want to check the contents of a media item.
Update to 11.1.2 and see if there is any difference.
That made no difference, though the multiple double forward slashes before the filename are now only one. Also, I had to re-enter all the folder paths in settings. I don’t know if this is normal between updates.
I didn’t look at the folders so I’m not sure how those were displaying earlier. The extra slashes appearing in the media pathames was one of things corrected in 11.1.2.
In Settings…Folders… all the paths were blank, just like a new installation. They were all set up correctly before the update.
