Although I did upgrade to GrampsAIO64 on Windows 11 64-bit in January, and successfully access my data, subsequently I cannot open the Gramps program. I believe I have accidentally got both 5.1.6 and 5.2.4 installed, but cannot run or uninstall either one. Error message says “You do not have sufficient access to uninstall GrampsAIO64. Please contact your system administrator.” But I am my system administrator.
Having 5.1.6 and 5.2.4 installed on the same Windows box is a valid configuration… but can be confusing as to which icons are for what version.
If you worry that your MS Windows installation of Gramps is corrupted and that your data is at risk, the first priority is to make certain that there is a viable backup file.
To avoid further damage, you could clone the database trees to the most recent PortableApps version version of Gramps (v.5.2.2) to a USB thumb drive. Then make a backup from the clone.
Download and install the PortableApps version to a USB thumb drive. It will run completely from the USB drive. It will not have the any addons installed. (You can add them later if you want to maintain a fully operational backup.)
You’ll have to find the grampsdb folder on your main computer.
In case you changed the Family Tree Preferences for the Database path, you need to know this path. Hopefully, you have not changed this. But I’ll go through the process to check that.
Since you upgraded from 5.1.x to 5.2.x, your Gramps User Directory will be in the Roaming folder. That’s where you can find the gramps.ini (initialization file) for the path to the Database. So, open a file browser for the Windows desktop, in the addressbar, enter %appdata%\Gramps\gramps52 and press Enter. Open the gramps.ini file. Scroll down to the [database] section and look for the row that starts with path=
The database path is inside the single quotes. You’ll want to copy that folder to the folder in the PortableApps Gramps’ preferences. But you’ll want to verify that that grampsdb folder has data.
Paste that path into the addressbar of that file browser and look in that folder. Make certain there there are Tree folders… each will be named with an 8 hexadecimal character foldername.
Inside each folder, each SQLite tree will have 2 .db (database files) and 2 text files. The name.txt wil have the Tree name that you see in the Gramps Family Tree Manager.
Copy that grampsdb folder into the one in the PortableApps Gramps preferences.
Now run Gramps from the USB drive and make sure the Tree loads.
Then make a backup without media. With the USB clone and the backup file, quit Gramps and unplug the USB thumbdrive. Now, you can safely pursue cleaning the old versions of Gramps off your hard drive.
It is typical that Windows complains about needing administrator rights to add or remove software. You log in as a single user but the default is to install/uninstall software for “Everyone”. So Windows may complain about removing software from Everyone. There are numerous YouTube videos about enabling the Administrator login for a single-user computer.
for instance:
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-do-you-log-into-windows-10-dAw9hxsvQCOalCzLzji4Rg?3=v&1=v
Brian, thank you so much for this wealth of help. I will work through every point and let you know how I get on. --Edwin
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Brian, trying to follow your instructions but running into trouble. Where you say
Copy that grampsdb folder into the one in the PortableApps Gramps preferences.
QUESTION HERE: I’m copying that path= value into the file GrampsPortable.ini, where it says PATH=, right?
Now run Gramps from the USB drive and make sure the Tree loads.
UNFORTUNATELY AT THAT POINT, running Gramps from the USB drive, I see only the
Gramps Portable opening graphic for a second and then the program closes itself.
So maybe to run Gramps from the USB, am I running the wrong thing?
I double-clicked on GrampsPortable.exe from the top directory on the thumb drive.
No. Absolutely not.
Restore that GrampsPortable.ini file back to its original state. Inserting the wrong path in that file causes GrampsPortable to not launch.
That path is to be added in the Gramps the Family Tree tab of Preferences (Edit → Preferences) from inside the Gramps GUI. So after successfully starting GrampsPortable from the USB drive, you add the path. (You don’t need to create a blank tree before using the Preferences.)
Play it safe and use the folder button to open the Gtk File Chooser and browse to the path of the grampsdb folder. If you just paste in that path, it does not validate the path.
After setting the path, next time you use the Family Trees -> Manage Family Trees... should show the trees.
Brian, thanks, but I’m still in trouble. Please may I beg your help again? Sorry I misunderstood.
I have now quick-reformatted my USB thumb drive and then reinstalled Portable Gramps from the website.
To run the Portable Gramps, I look in the thumb drive’s GrampsPortable folder and double-click GrampsPortable.exe.
That displays a PortableGramps opening screen for about 2 seconds and then closes.
So I cannot get to edit preferences within the Portable Gramps GUI.
So I went to an old Win10 laptop on which I’ve never had Gramps, plugged in the USB, tried same again, got same result.
My main computer is Win 11, all updates current, with antivirus, and no other of my applications are malfunctioning.
Can you suggest something?
–Edwin
Try running your copies of Gramps from the command line to see if it produces any additional information you can share here?
What type of antivirus and/or file cloud backup software do you have running?
Did all these issues start after a Windows update?
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Portable Apps has their own “splash screen”.
It is intended to appear for a short period each time Gramps is launched then disappear.
The first time Gramps runs, it takes a MUCH longer time than the normal 2 to 5 seconds. (About 30-40 seconds on a typical system.) It has to compile and cache each of the modules. Subsequent starts are much faster.
It will also be probably be slower is running on a slow USB port. Much certain to use the fasrest port on your machine.
Let it churn for about five minutes without trying to launch again.
Thanks Gioto. Thanks Brian.
Unfortunately, no luck yet.
Running from command line produced same result:
just the opening graphic for 2 seconds, then nothing.
Running and then waiting more than five minutes, same result.
(And task manager reported no ongoing GrampsPortable activity.)
Running from command line, piping output to a text file, produced same result and an empty text file.
Went back to my old Win 10 laptop which has never had Gramps,
tried running PortableGramps from the thumb drive, waited an hour, awoke it from sleep, but nothing.
(At first, windows explorer had displayed its miniature hourglass after the 20second graphic disappeared, but only for a few seconds.)
Well yes, there was a Windows update since Gramps last ran successfully.
And a change from AVG to PCMatic antivirus… um, no, I think the failures began before I did that.
–Edwin
Have you whitelisted Gramps?
I would be rather surprised to hear if your anti-malware did not complain about installing Gramps. The installer is unsigned. If it did not complain, maybe it just silently blacklisted what was installed.
Brian, and Gioto,
Yes! The PC Matic antivirus had indeed blocked PortableGramps, Gramps, and the Gramps uninstall attempts, all without telling me. But it was easy to “allow” to whitelist them. Also it seemed I had to “run as administrator”. Initially, I also had to get into Windows 11 Safe Mode in order to get the uninstall to work on the old versions of Gramps, and I’m sorry to say I had quite a time figuring out how to restart in Safe Mode, but got it eventually. I have now got Gramps 6 running successfully on my main Win 11 desktop computer, and successfully accessing my Gramps data base. Thank you both so much for persisting in helping me through this crisis! --Edwin
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As an aside, I’ve never used a ‘paid for’ AV software. The built-in Windows Security, and it’s predecessors, has never failed me.