* Out of Memory

[Jessie 888]

In the last week, when I'm using the Find My Past hints through Family Historian, I'm getting a message Out of memory at line:1.

Once, it actually just closed the programme which has reminded me to save every 15 minutes!

I don't think my computer is the problem but I'm not sure what's causing it? I'm using version 6.2.7.

[tatewise]

When you say 'using the Find My Past hints' exactly what are you doing?

Are you downloading and adding Media images to FH?
In which case it may be related to the size of the Thumbcache.dat file in the Project's ...fh_data\Cache\ folder.
See Media Problem: 'an error has occurred - unable to load object' (16152).

[Jessie 888]

I'm not downloading any media images or anything like that. I do my own research from all the other sites first, then I just click on each of the hints to make sure I haven't missed anything! I just accept or reject the hint?

[tatewise]

OK, but what action immediately precedes the Out of memory at line:1 error message.
Can you post a screenshot?

[Jessie 888]

I'm afraid I can't post a screenshot because it came up randomly. The action triggering the Out of Memory message was just clicking on the Review button on one of the hints.

[tatewise]

That is an odd one.
Presumably you are using the FH internal Web Search Window.
If so, then try using the External Web Browser option instead.

Might some background utility such as OneDrive, Dropbox, Anti-virus, Backup, etc, be interfering with FH files?

BTW: The default Autosave should happen every 5 minutes so you should not need to Save manually.

[Jessie 888]

Yes, I'm using the FH internal Web Search Window but I've never had any problems with it before. It's a mystery!

I'm pretty sure there aren't any background utilities affecting it. Good news about the Autosave ... I'd forgotten that.

The only thing I think of that might have caused it is that I might have been working on it all day and it's worn out! Also, I'm not sure if I've got too many projects (about 16 or 17). I only ever have one working at a time so I don't think it should matter. I did look up the 'manual' to see if there was any limit on the number of projects you could have but it seemed to say there wasn't any particular limit.

I'm stumped and just hope it doesn't happen again.

[tatewise]

Yes, it is a mystery.
The number of Projects is definitely irrelevant as only one is open at a time.
It just might be the length of time FH was in use without closing and re-opening.
There may be some resource that does not like be used repeatedly - it should not matter - but might.
So every few hours Close FH and Open again to see if that prevents the problem.

Are you sure it was an FH error or might it have been a FMP/browser error?

[Jessie 888]

I don't think it was an FMP problem because I use that a lot (not 'inside' Family Historian) and I haven't had any other problems. I use three browsers depending on what I'm working on (Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari), but they've all been fine.

I think I'll do what you suggest and close FH every few hours. I tend to forget time when I'm following an interesting ancestral line!

Once again, thanks for your time and advice, Mike. Much appreciated.

[tatewise]

An important point is that when you use FMP from FH it involves a special software to software interface (or API) that is NOT used via a standard browser dialogue. So it is that API within FMP that may have raised the error.

[Jessie 888]

Sorry if I wasn't clear ... I usually use Find My Past both 'within' FH plus a separate window running it outside the programme ... simultaneously!

It's not been a problem at all before now but, maybe, it's due to overworking FH without giving it a break.

[goodwin2]

I just got the same message of "out of memory". Somehow I think that in my case it is the same as the "unable to load" that Mike resolved by suggesting that I delete the cache. I closed the program and deleted that file and the media that I was trying to open did open.

I am also wondering if, because I have a very large file - the cache was 2,097,080 kb, I may have this problem frequently?

[tatewise]

Try setting Tools > Preferences > General > Advanced > Thumbnail Images option set to Load When Needed.
Then the Thumbcache.dat file should not get so large so quickly, but may still need deleting occasionally.

[goodwin2]

Thanks Mike - I changed the setting as you suggested. And will be aware that I will need to delete the cache from time to time. Guess my Gedcom is getting overloaded. But I remember that someone said: "once the genealogy bug bites, you will be doing it forever". So true.

Best regards to all you helpful folks!

[Pentris]

I too have been getting this out of memory message in the last week. It is followed by FH closing itself down. As per previous reports I am opening up the FMP hints using internal browser window as I have done for several years without any problems. FMP has been suffering from error 500 in recent weeks which says the fault is at their end. This may or may not be associated with getting the out of memory errors.

[tatewise]

To reiterate, the Thumbcache.dat file just grows and grows, and NEVER shrinks of its own accord.
So once it has reached critical mass, the problem will keep reoccurring until the tactics suggested earlier are applied.