FamilySearch website issue

I see, use the psychological approach. Threaten to kill the offending task and it might just mend its ways. Clever.

 

Yes you're right, almost as if it knows what's ahead if it doesn't mend its ways.

 

If you mean Internet Explorer (no add-ons) not by the method mentioned, but if you click on 'Tools' (spiked cog) top right and select Manage Add-ons, this will allow you to enable or disable each add-on shown. (Manage Add-ons is also available by the same method in IE10 my preferred choice for use in Windows 7).

Of course if you mean a fix for Windows 8.1 itself, you will have to wait for Windows 10 later this year (or early next knowing the way things go). I hear they are casting aside Windows 11 and their new Browser will be called Spartan, which -among other things -will accept voice commands. Should have some fun with that if it misbehaves likes its predecessor!

 

Ha! Ha!

 

OK, I have now tried my first visit of the day to FamilySearch using IE without Add-ons and it made no difference - still busy for about 20-30seconds before the page opened and things started working again.

I guess that rules out any of IE's add-ons causing the problem. So it seems to me that this must be down to some kind of problem in the initial interactions between IE and FamilySearch - maybe for some unknown reason FamilySearch is having difficulty identifying my browser and deciding which version of the page to load. Then once resolved further visits to the site are fine - even if I close and reopen my browser - until the next computer restart.

Of course, there may be other possibilities that haven't occurred to me.

 

Pauline, why don't you simply switch to Firefox or Chrome?

 

The short answer is, unlike some people, I prefer IE!

However, I do also have Firefox on my computer now, and I use it as the default browser on an old XP laptop, but as I mentioned above, I don't like the way Firefox displays the text on the FamilySearch website as I find it uncomfortable on the eyes. And IE is working fine on all the other sites I use.

I'm not keen on trying Chrome as it is too much linked to Google, and I'm not interested in having a Google account.

 

Stranger and stranger. Out of curiosity, I checked familysearch record search with both IE and Firefox (and Chrome) on my PC (Windows 7) and all three were identical. Also, the site opened instantly with all three.

 

I too have been a long time defender of IE (Peter I know much prefers Chrome) but mainly because I learned long ago from an IT Pro (not from Microsoft) that as the 'default' browser for so much software development it SHOULD perform effortlessly, with the 'newbies' (true not so new these days) doing their best to keep up. But that is not what happened, at least not since IE's halcyon days of IE 8/9, although in truth IE 10 with a few tweaks is pretty good too. It is just that in some ways its rivals perform just as well, and in some cases better, as for instance the Google Search engine versus Bing. No contest!

When Microsoft brought out Windows 8 they had their work cut out as people disliked 8 almost from the start but they developed IE 11 and after more than a few tweaks - and the introduction of 8.1- it held its own; just! But trying to farm it out to Windows 7 users was a bridge too far as far as I am concerned. Hence I rolled back my Win 7 PC's to IE 10 (my 8.1 laptop has IE11 of course) and the problems largely disappeared. Even so I still use all three Browsers (IE, Firefox & Chrome) and each is assigned a task on a set computer; this routine seldom varies. Should a browser 'play up' in any way I speak to it severely, and if there is no improvement, I change the browser. Its the only way to show them who's boss!

 

Yes with me too but in the past I have had the same comment from others when I am experiencing problems. Especially from my sister in Australia when I had problems using Skype and she tells me 'it must be your end'. I love the moment that always comes when she encounters a problem and I am able to say 'it must be your end' It has now become a family saying.

 

Might IE or Family Search be initially building some sort of index for improved later performance? As others do not seem to be affected, perhaps there is an option to stop such activity??? Alternatively, whenever you first start using Family Search each day, go and make a cup of tea for Bob. When you get back, everything should be working just fine.

 

Have you tried changing the font in firefox? Find it under edit > preferences > content

Also you do not need a Google account to run Chrome. I hate the way google insists on so much personal detail when setting up an account (I imagine them being sent to all those national security departments and online sales companies).

 

Windows 8.1 is far too different to Windows 7 for my poor aging brain. I have bought both Windows 8.1 for Dummies and Windows 8.1 - Straight to the point in Easy Steps. The latter is better because the diagrams are in colour, but the title is definitely misleading !

 

I've got used to W8.1 - start screen/tiles, but I have difficulty finding files etc. It all seemed so straight forward when I was on my old laptop running XP

 

Unfortunately for Bob, it doesn't lock up for quite long enough to make a cup of tea.

With the indexing idea, I have noticed when I go to FamilySearch using Safari on my iPad (desktop version of the site, and going straight to the search page) that, although the page loads promptly, I can't navigate for a few seconds, and the Search button says loading. When it changes to Search everything then works normally.

One other thing I thought of, ages ago I did register on the site, but I haven't logged in for yonks. Could the site be checking for a cookie to see if I'm still logged in?

 

I have only recently gone back to using Family Search but my access route is via my original .paf tree software which I transferred to my current laptop. Although support for this software has been removed, I can still use the search facility on the toolbar to go directly to Family Search.....straight to the search form ...no messing about, logging in etc.

 

That's not a bad point Pauline, or certainly 'cookies' in general. I recently had a similar freeze when checking my bank using IE on a different computer to the one I usually use. Then all was well thereafter.

As a follow up to this (a little bit Geekish so forgive me) when Hitman Pro finished its daily check of unwanted visits (tracking cookies and of course malware if present) and displayed its findings, I spotted a tracking cookie shown for my bank with the word 'suspicious' beside it. (It thinks all tracking cookies are suspicious so nothing new there). I told it to ignore that particular cookie. I wonder do you employ a similar piece of software that scans for 'baddies' as some are set to delete tracking cookies automatically? In which case perhaps the FamilySearch cookie is removed each time? Even if this is not the answer I believe your problem may well revolve around a 'cookie' and not the sort you eat whilst drinking your tea!

 

I have freeze-ups on several sites/pages as if something is going on in the background. Yesterday I was using my image software sorting some pics when the screen went white/blank.
I left it and went for a cuppa but it was still in the same state. So, finger on the on/off button until the laptop went off. Switched on again after an hour (withdrawal symptoms getting the better of me) and it took a long time to re-boot as updates were being applied, presumably continuing from the aborted session?

 

I have IE set up to block all cookies except where I have specific exceptions for sites like familysearch, Ancestry, FMP etc. Third party cookies are always blocked - Norton would identify tracking cookies, and might remove them automatically (I'd need to check the settings), but it never finds any.

One of my pet hates with Win 7 is that it hides IE cookies & TIFs. In XP I can just open the cookie store and delete anything I don't want, but in Win 7 it's much more complicated. Obviously I can delete cookies from within IE, but then it's an all or nothing approach. This is one thing I do prefer about Firefox.

 

Changing the font doesn't seem to make much difference, and this problem with unclear text is happening with Firefox on other computers as well.

I was going to upload a couple of screen grabs showing a small sample of text from FamilySearch in both IE and Firefox to illustrate how it appears differently, but when I upload the two images here (using IE) they both appear identical.

I can't decide if that's odd or logical.