At this point you may need to open a ticket – and have someone watch what is going on.
Unless you have 2nd computer in same household.
It sounds something specific to you environment (computer/ browser and/or FS account ) not the RM program itself. You could try remove then re adding the FS in RM setup to see if that clear anything
I have done that and restarted the system after disconnecting. When the issue is occurring RM will not allow me to access the setting to log out of FS.
I opened a ticket on it a few days ago but then closed it when it started working correctly. If the situation persists I shall reopen a ticket.
if you are able to do a video capture and share the link someone might be able to notice what is going on (on lack there of)
I know you said you only have Windows Defender, could there be something else on the computer like BitDefender or Systems Mechanic? Is the database inside of any folder syncing with the cloud like OneDrive, GoogleDrive or Dropbox?
or even some kind of popup blocker might interfere
Nope. Neither of those. I do not have any anti-spyware/malware/antivirus/etc. Windows Defender is it and it updates automatically.
Right now it is working just the way that it always has. I haven’t the slightest clue as to what was going on. Hopefully it will continue to function correctly.
At this moment I am totally stumped as to what the issue is/was but if it reoccurs I shall let folks know.
Remember not to feed them after midnight and you might have less problems ![]()
I am using the UBlock extension in my browser as a popup blocker but it is the same one that I have used for a long time. It has been on and running for a long time and never interfered with RM. It is on and operating right now and RM11.2 is functioning normally. But, if the same issue arises again, I will turn off UBlock and see if that impacts it. My feeling right now is that it is not the UBlock extension but I will certainly keep that in mind if the situation happens again. Never say never.
this is what AI says
aThe short answer is high, but it depends entirely on how you are interacting with them.
Because RootsMagic relies on an embedded browser instance to handle API logins, web hints, and data syncing with FamilySearch, ad-blockers like uBlock Origin can easily break the underlying communication chain.
The breakdown of how this interference happens and why it occurs is detailed below.
1. Interaction with FamilySearch (High Likelihood)
If you are simply browsing FamilySearch.org in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge, uBlock Origin generally runs fine, but it can occasionally block critical background scripts.
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Map and Search Features: FamilySearch loads highly dynamic, regional data via AJAX requests. uBlock’s privacy filters sometimes misidentify these tracking or database queries as third-party tracking scripts, which can prevent map search features or record hints from loading.
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Authentication Tokens: FamilySearch relies on strict session tokens. If uBlock flags a background security check or cross-domain cookie script, you may experience random logouts or endless spinning wheels.
2. Interaction with RootsMagic (Very High Likelihood)
This is where the real friction happens. RootsMagic uses your default system web settings and an internal browser framework (like WebView2) to link your database to online trees.
[ RootsMagic App ] ──(Embedded Browser)──> [ FamilySearch API ]
│
uBlock / Ad-Blocker Flags This Request ────────┴──> Blocked / Sync Fails
When RootsMagic tries to talk to FamilySearch to pull Web Hints or perform a FamilySearch Central Sync, it initiates a mini browser handshake. If uBlock Origin is running aggressively on your system or default browser:
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“Cannot Connect” Errors: It is incredibly common for the FamilySearch login window in RootsMagic to pop up and throw multiple “Cannot Connect” or timed-out errors because the ad-blocker stopped the script that passes the login token back to RootsMagic.
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Broken Syncing: RootsMagic needs to map data fields between your local SQLite database and FamilySearch’s servers. If uBlock strips out the tracking parameters or background scripts handling that API mapping, the sync will hang indefinitely.
How to Fix It Without Disabling the Extension
You don’t need to completely uninstall uBlock Origin; you just need to carve out a clean path for your genealogy data.
Step 1: Whitelist FamilySearch in your Browser
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Go to FamilySearch.org in your main web browser.
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Click the uBlock Origin extension icon in your toolbar.
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Click the large blue Power button to turn off blocking for this site.
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Refresh the page. This ensures your browser isn’t blocking the scripts that RootsMagic tries to tap into.
Step 2: Adjust FamilySearch Account Permissions
Sometimes the blockage happens on the account side because of security software interference.
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Log directly into FamilySearch.org via your browser.
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Click your name/initials in the top right corner and go to Settings → Permissions.
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Scroll to the bottom to verify RootsMagic is listed and active. If the connection was broken by a blocked script during setup, revoke the permission here and re-link it directly within RootsMagic.
Step 3: Clear the RootsMagic Embedded Cache
If uBlock previously broke a login attempt, the broken session token might be cached.
- In RootsMagic, go to Settings → Web Hints (or FamilySearch settings depending on your version) and toggle the hints off and back on to force a clean browser reset.
Are you currently seeing a specific error code, or are your web hints simply failing to pop up in RootsMagic?
I think I read that Rootmagic is only able to sync with Ancestry but not MyHeritage trees. You have to manually enter each person on your MyHeritage tree (I have 46K people in this). Is there a way of syncing MyHeritage? I also have 3 other genealogy trees that I work with. I think I have to enter those singularly, is that correct?
This is really good info. I have already done much of this but there are a couple of things that I did not know about. I have never received either of these error messages; “Cannot Connect” or “timed-out error”. I have attached the pdf that I sent to RM Support for your info. Neither of the windows that pop up ever change no matter how long I allow it to set and run.
I will keep this info that AI generated and if the issue recurs I shall go through these steps and see what it does. I have never had an issue with UBlock popup blocker nor did I have this sporadic issue until after the last update. I had already shifted to the latest API as soon as the first message was sent out about it and had experienced no issues until that last update.
But, we shall see, if the issue occurs again.
(Attachment Can’t Connect with FS Since updating to the latest and greatest V11.pdf is missing)
No, but ONLY because MyHeritage does not offer/support such an option.
The way to bulk transfer MyHeritage trees is via GEDCOM export from their website, then import into RootsMagic.
How do I download (export) a GEDCOM file of my family tree from my family site? | MyHeritage
keep in mind AI does make mistakes – but usually get things “mostly” correct.
The problem with these things – if only one or two people are having an issue and its infrequent – it can be hard to replicate in order to determine root cause – the only evidence at present is nothing points specifically at RM or more users should be noticing and report issues.
How I know it. I will try the solutions provided by the AI if it occurs again but right now all is well…knock on wood.
I have the identical problem and was glad to see that you asked the question. However, there were no responses that were helpful to me, and I continue to be unable to connect with FS. My FS Central is grayed out and does not work. None of the “Help” on the home page is available either. Everything worked great for me over the past 5 years as I went seamlessly went through RM8 through RM11.1. With RM11.2 I’m off the rails on this issue and have no clue as to how to fix it. You say yours just started working again? Do you have any additional suggestions? Thanks.
Exactly what is the issue – I am just a user like everyone else except likely more experience that the average user. It is unclear exactly what “is wrong” what lead up to the issue. You did not mention you computer or OS info. The key thing you said was you seem to never had a problem in past prior to 11.2.