As an update to my situation (if you've been following this thread) is that my PC now has the following software installed:

MS Vista SP2 + all MS Patches
MS Office 2007
Internet Explorer 8
Bullguard AntiVirus 8.7
Family Tree Maker 18.0.0.95

When merging data/media from ancestry.co.uk in FTM I get the following results:-

1) merging data without media - OK and quick response

2) merging data with media - OK, but a little slow (i.e. can take 10-15 seconds to receive the OK message

3) Publishing - OK

I now have no intention of upgrading FTM to .307, especially as Amanda has finally got Ancestry to admit there is a problem - thanks Amanda) so I'll continue to use what I think is a good package and wait for a working update.

Best of luck to everyone else with this problem.

Paul

I am going to be as exact as possible. I am using a Dell Inspiron 1520 with a brand new Vista installation, fully updated (Except that I have not installed the Windows Live Essentials optional update, as I don't use windows Live). The Family Tree Maker 2009 software is also freshly installed and fully updated to version 18.0.0.307. I opened a FTM file created with Family Tree Maker 2009 on the same computer running Vista, but a previously fully update version of Vista. I had to do a full reinstall due to a manifest error.

Now with the file open it proceeded to lookup all the people in my family tree with the information on Ancestry.com to give me the little leaf that says there may be information about this person in other records already on Ancestry.com. (this is the feature that you keep pushing on TV).

I click on a leaf and it takes me to a page with other possible matches to the person in my tree. I click on one to view it, and get to see the information and the image if I want. I try to merge this information into my tree, (both the information and the image) and sometimes it works, most times it causes Family Tree Maker to lockup.

Let me know if there is any other information that you need. I can also do screenshots if you need them.

Don,

So, you ARE using the Web Merge Feature. Thank you.

I have noticed that some times I need to wait a while until the Web Merge completes. Yes, it appears to freeze, but I let it sit a couple of minutes and it completes.

Russ

I let it run for 2 and a half hours while I went out and mowed the lawn. When I cam back in it was still "Working" yet when I checked the taskmanager, there was no activity by FTM, so I killed the process. I am going back to the previous version for now.

I am having the same problem here...freezes during facts merge with search results on ancestry.com. I am using Windows XP3 with latest updates of FTM2009. Doesn't happen all the time but is repeatable with same facts. Does not matter if use IE7 or IE8. Have rebooted and cleared temp files. I think the problem is with the media file as when I re-open FTM2009, the fact is merged without the media.

pmasleks,

What type of record are you merging?

What FACTS are giving you the problem?

Are you verifying the Check Mark on the Last Screen before you do the Merge?

Russ

I am also seeing this problem which did not occur with FTM2008. May I suggest that the problem might be occuring where there is no media to download. The software is waiting for a non existant download. No timeout set or no media check completed by the software. All other parts of the merge are completed and show after restarting the software via process termination. Reported as a bug today.

purkissadrain2 - I think you are on the right track. One of the repeateable freezes I get is when I try to merge the All England & Wales FreeBMD Marriage Record (1838-1915) of Thomas Smith, Marr Sept 1897, Northampton, into my FTM2009 file. First I tried this without checking the media box..and it did not freeze. When I repeated the merge with the media box checked it froze up. After the usual ctr-alt-delete I re-started FTM2009 and found the the entry had merged but without the media file (which is available for viewing on ancestry.com). However, I don't know if this is coincidence but when I opened the media file for the marriage record on ancestry.com it pulled up the wrong page (page 15 instead of page 19). I'm not sure if this is the problem but in most cases I have found the media file tyo be correct. Next time it freezes on me I will check to see if the media file is consistent with the record. I will also report this as a bug.....however I am still waiting for resolution of a phantom hints problem from 2008 !!!

I have gone back to version 18.0.0.95 (the CD version) and all is operating normally and media is being downloaded for records which weren't before. I intend to stay at that level. It is interesting to note that FTM state that SP1 fixes the problem of media not being downloaded. I would suggest it does quite the reverse and causes downloads to fail.

To all who are having hangs on merge problem, it would be interesting to see if there is some commonality on a couple of points. I'll kick off.

I am based in the UK and using the UK version

Version supplied was 18.0.0.95 and working correctly

Patch downloaded was the 18.0.0.95-18.0.0.307 patch and failing as described

Problem mainly occurs with UK BMD records

My data file location is based on a network drive.

I would be interested to see if this is generally a UK problem and associated with specific record types. Also to see whether it is associated with the patch mentioned as opposed to say the 18.0.0.305-18.0.0.307 patch. I would like to patch to 18.0.0.305 but cannot as I am not coming from 18.0.0.94! (FTM appear to use a very strange patching system).

With this information perhaps FTM can be convinced a problem exists.