I installed RM9 this morning (Win, 64bit version). As part of the download I did not also request to install the optional Place Database, since I had not used this in the past with RM V7 and V8. I had never had any issue without this in either of the two previous versions. However, in V9 I am getting repeated popups stating “Cannot find PlaceDB.dat. Please try reinstalling the place database.” I assume that this is a bug since the download screen still states that the DB is still optional, but if that is not the case, can you please advise.
In another post someone suggested you may need to download and re-install so it is found in the Program Files folder by your new 64bit version of RM9. The previous version is installed in the Program Files (x86) folder for 32 bit installations.
Find the \RootsMagic Shared\ folder in C:\Program Files (86)\Common Files\ and copy it to C:\Program Files\Common Files\ Copying this folder will take care of copying the PlaceDB.data file and putting it into the proper place for RM9. You will probably have to provide Administrator permissions to copy the folder.
This is a 32 bit vs. 64 bit issue. The PlaceDB.dat file is not itself 32 bit or 64 bit. It’s just a data file. But the 32 bit RM9 and the 64 bit RM9 expect to find the file in different locations. I trust a fix will be forthcoming from RM.
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If you download and install the Place Database Installer on the RM9 download page it will put the PlaceDB.dat file in both locations needed for 32-bit and 64-bit computers at the same time.
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I’m sorry. I guess that I was not clear. I was trying to use RM9 WITHOUT the optional Place database, like I have been doing in the past with RM7 and RM8. That used to work fine (since it is optional). Now, RM9 behaves like it is required.
I think you had the Places Database accessible to those earlier versions else you would have seen the same message.
I was just looking at this further, and it looks like you are right. Apparently, I did download this when I installed RM8 in 2020; although, I don’t recall doing that. I wasn’t aware that Roots Magic had a subdirectory under “Program Files (x86)\Common Files”. Learning this from eyeryone’s assistance here, I did find the file and temporarily changed the name of it, so I could look at the behavior of RM7 and RM8 if the DB wasn’t available. RM7 had no problem with this. It just used my place names as I had entered them over the years without questioning them. RM8, on the other hand, gives the same error message popups as does RM9. So, it seems that the issue I stumbled into was totally related to the fact that I downloaded the 64 bit version of RM9, while RM8 was 32 bit. Thus, I guess what I need to do is just to run the Place DB downloader to ensure that the database exists everywhere that is required to satisfy all versions.
It still seems strange to say that a database is optional, if is hard to get by without it. My understanding is just supposed to support “geocoding, mapping, and the gazetteer”. Not having it should not prevent or make cumbersome the use of place names where those features are not deemed essential.
In any case, thanks to everyone for your assistance.
Didn’t work on 64 bit installation. How can I get back and install as a 32 bit program?
Go back to the Rootsmagic downloads page and download the 32 bit installer, run it and when it finishes, you should be golden.
I seem to be “golden”. Thanks
I seem to remember from my long ago first install that the place database installer is automatically run by the main RM installer if it is found in the same folder as the main installer.