Treeshare comms problems

Hi,

For probably a month or so now, every time I try to use treeshare, I encounter one more comms problems. I am just using treeshare to transfer very small volumes of changes from Ancestry to RM, not downloading a new file or anything like that. I wonder whether anyone else has encountered some of all of these problems and whether anyone has any suggestions.

  • Sometimes when I press the Ancestry leaf icon to launch treeshare, RM just seizes up. Task manager shows that it is using CPU, but no matter how long I wait, nothing happens; I just have to close it from task manager and start again.
  • Sometimes RM opens the web page to confirm the Ancestry login and then tries, unsuccesfully, to open a second localhost page. Each time this happens, when I go back to RM and click ‘try again’ it works, confirming the logon without the failed second stage.
  • Sometimes RM starts collecting changes from Ancestry and then stops. I guess that 95% of the time it stops at 100%, but sometimes at a lower %age. Task manager shows it mainly not using any resources, but occasionally clicking up to 0.9% cpu. RM has never recovered from this, but you can close the Treeshare window and re-try. I often close RM and re-open, but I don’t know whether this helps.
  • Sometimes RM tells me that my RM file is connected to an Ancestry tree, but that I don’t have access to it, and that the tree may have been deleted, my access may have been revoked or I may not be connected to the internet. I can invariably close this window and re-try. I often close RM and re-open, but I don’t know whether this helps.

I think that I have had at least one of these problems every time I have tried to use treeshare recently - usually a few times a day - but until just now I have always managed to get it to work in the end. So far today, I have encountered all of these problems, freezing first, the log on problem next and have alternated between the 100% freezing and the no-access-to-this-tree problem after that. So far, I have wasted over an hour and will give up if it doesn’t work in the next few minutes.

I can access Ancestry directly with no problems and have a good, fast internet connection. I have tried temporarily turning off my firewall, but with no success. I am using RM10 64bit on a modern Windows 11 notebook pc.

Alan

PS It just worked, after 1 hour 20 minutes.

I would try the Reset TreeShare in Settings>WebHints

I have never used it so I don’t know exactly what it does. Others might know.

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I have used ‘reset treeshare’ before and have posted about what it does here.

Sorry Alan I have NOT had your problems BUT was going to ask IF you logged into Ancestry BEFORE trying to tree share–that is the way I usually do it BUT finally tried both tonight and both worked..
Have you tried deleting your browser history including cookies, deleting your computer cache , trying a different browser and RESET TREE SHARE under RM settings? MIGHT help–might NOT

I’ve only had this happen when I was in the wrong database BUT interestingly enough, I have the exact opposite problem today-- yesterday I disconnected from my Ancestry tree Jazz and uploaded a different tree ZIG-- could only access the new tree ZIG NOT the one I disconnected from-- so I eventually deleted the new tree ZIG I had just uploaded ( I was trying various options for someone else) and today when I hit Tree Share on the tree disconnected tree Jazz–it worked— then I went in and tree shared a new version of ZIG and it worked-- so now I have 2 trees connected to Ancestry tree share..

NOTE to everyone-- I only mentioned this abt the 2 databases to show Alan that Ancestry seems to be a little bit wonky lately-- we have discussed this issue before abt being connected to 2 databases at the same time and really don’t need to go back to it

I am pretty much constantly logged on to Ancestry.

I also use Ancestry & RM daily and treeshare from Ancestry to RM at the end of each session. I haven’t experienced any of the same problems so can’t help I’m afraid - I use RM11 & Win 11 Pro on an Intel based system. As you suggest it looks like it could be settings or an app on your laptop. I got caught out recently by Windows Defender - didn’t think I used it as I use Norton & Malwarebytes but Windows Defender took a dislike to a dash cam app I used and locked it out. Sorry I can’t help - these glitches are so frustrating.

This will cause RootsMagic to rebuild the links to your Ancestry Tree. With a large Ancestry Tree this can take a long time .”

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It gives the appearance of something blocking access. I would first look at your security setup. I once had a browser extension from my bank that cause a lot of issues, so its not necessarily your antivirus software that can be the culprit.

Would running a private browser session might help if a user has a problem? Also does it matter if the internal browser vs external is used? (I do not use TreeShare this way so I am ask for others)

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I think that @rzamor1 is correct and that it is an access problem. Thanks too to @Charlie_Allingham for mentioning Windows Defender. It seems that my firewall software, which used to work independently, now sits on top of Windows Defender Firewall. I suspect that the problem is there. I have tried adding a new rule and will see how that goes.

I haven’t tied using the ‘Reset Treeshare’ option this time. As I mentioned above, I have used it before and written about it here. It does not affect the comms with Ancestry and is therefore unlikely to be the source of the problem. Briefly, after Treeshare has collected changes from Ancestry, it presents you with a screen listing (if no filters are used) all the people in your tree with an RM column and an Ancestry column. If you have a big tree, like mine with >66k people, there is a lot of data in this screen or available in the more detailed comparisons of individuals, and yet if all works well, it populates very quickly. This is because RM stores the Ancestry data previously used and only updates it with changes (inserts, amends, deletes) from Ancestry since its last use. Reset Treeshare deletes all the Ancestry data and rebuilds it from scratch. This would take >1hr in my tree if all was working well and might not finish at all if comms were continually being interrupted.

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as @kevync1985 says for others— I’ve never tried private browsing at all-- I always use an external browser for everything as I don’t care for Microsoft Edge BUT do occasionally try it when I am having access difficulties such as paying a certain bill etc or using some genealogy sites on-line-- With Edge, I actually have 5 browsers–sometimes one works when all the rest won’t and other times, none / all work

for clarification I meant private browsing window from you browser of choice (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari etc )

I have exactly the same problems, latest RM11 on Win11

I seem to be having very many fewer problems since setting up a rule in Widows Defender (now I think called Microsoft Defender) Firewall. Try temporarily turning your firewall off (just very briefly) to see whether that helps.

I haven’t experienced your issue and this may seem a stupid suggestion to try, but when any of my software processes start acting weird like this, I double check to make sure my laptop middleware and drivers are all updated. I use a Dell laptop with Windows 13 and although I have automatic updates selected, invariably when I start experiencing weird behavior, I do a diagnostic and there is some “critical” driver that needs updating. Because these days I’m mainly using RM and genealogy websites, including Ancestry, I don’t realize it is a computer issue rather than a software issue. Just a suggestion.

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are you from the future? Windows 13 ? Inquiring minds want to know more about that.

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Ha Ha. Nope, I meant Windows 11 Pro. No idea why I typed Windows 13. Must have been time for me to back away from my computer for a bit!

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yup it was the 13th hour lol

Kevin

Me too. And also, sometimes I have lost some of the new information charged in RM. Really bad…

can you explained what you mean? Also I am assuming you mean “changed info” (typo?)