Family Tree Maker crashes while you work
A program that closes itself while you work is a different fault from one that never opens, and the fixes barely overlap. Crashes usually trace to a damaged tree file, a corrupted settings file, or oversized media loading in a particular view. Work out which by noticing when it quits, then fix that rather than reinstalling and hoping.
- Applies to
- FTM 2024 · 2019 · 2017 · 2014
- Platform
- Windows & macOS
- Time
- ~30 min
Crashing is not the same fault as failing to start
These two problems get treated as one, and they have almost nothing in common. Match your symptom first, because the fixes barely overlap.
| Symptom | Usual cause | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| Closes itself while you work | Something inside the tree, or a specific action | This page |
| Never opens at all | Installation, permissions or a damaged program | Family Tree Maker will not open |
| Slows to a halt without closing | Tree size and media volume | Slow performance |
A program that closes itself during use is nearly always reacting to specific data or a specific action. That is good news: it makes the cause findable.
What triggers a crash
Note what you were doing when it closed. The action points straight at the cause.
| Crashes when you... | Likely cause | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Sync with Ancestry | One oversized or unsupported media item | Find the offending item, resize or remove it |
| Open a particular person | Damage in that record | Compact the file, then reopen that person |
| Build a chart or report | Too many generations, or a broken media link | Reduce generations, relink media |
| Open any tree at random | Damaged installation or security software | Update, then check quarantine lists |
| Import or merge | The incoming file is damaged | Restore your backup and retry with a clean export |
Work through the fixes in this order
Back up first, with media. A crashing program can damage the file it has open. Back up before troubleshooting, not after.
Update to the current build. Many crashes are fixed defects. Updates within your edition cost nothing.
Compact the tree file. This rebuilds the database indexes and resolves crashes caused by accumulated damage — see compacting a tree file.
Test with a different tree. Create a small new tree and use it. If that never crashes, the fault is in your tree file. If it crashes too, the fault is the installation.
Check security software. Antivirus tools sometimes interrupt the program mid-write, which reads as a crash.
Reinstall the program. Reinstalling replaces the application and leaves your trees untouched, because trees live in Documents rather than inside the program.
Step 4 is the one that saves time. Testing with a fresh tree splits the problem in half in two minutes, and it decides whether you are repairing a file or an installation.
Repair the installation without reinstalling it
When crashes follow an update or arrive out of nowhere on a machine that was fine last week, damaged program files are a fair suspect, and Windows will replace them without a full reinstall. Right-click , find Family Tree Maker, open Advanced options or Modify, and choose Repair. Your trees are untouched and no registration key is needed, which makes it a cheap thing to try early rather than late.
One piece of advice from researchers who have been through this: if a crashing program does open, even once, export a GEDCOM straight away before doing anything else. People assume they will get another chance and sometimes do not, and a GEDCOM in hand turns a crisis into an inconvenience.
Protecting your tree while you diagnose
A repeatedly crashing program is a risk to the file it holds open. Until it is stable:
- Back up after every session that ends in a crash, to a new file rather than over the previous one.
- Keep several dated backups. If damage crept in, you need a backup from before it started.
- Avoid syncing until the crashing stops. Syncing a damaged tree pushes the damage to your online copy.
- Stop using the tree if a crash is followed by missing people. That points to file damage, covered in repairing a corrupted file.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Family Tree Maker keep crashing?
A program that closes itself mid-session is usually reacting to specific data or a specific action. Note what you were doing when it closed. Syncing points to oversized media, opening one person points to damage in that record, and random crashes point to the installation.
Does a crash damage my family tree?
A single crash rarely does. Repeated crashes can, because the file is open and being written to when the program stops. Back up after any session that ends in a crash, to a new file rather than over the previous one.
How do I know if the problem is my tree or the program?
Create a small new tree and work in it. If the new tree never crashes, the fault is in your tree file. If it crashes too, the fault is the installation.
Will reinstalling Family Tree Maker delete my trees?
No. Trees live in your Documents folder, separately from the program. Reinstalling replaces the application and leaves the trees untouched. Back up first regardless.
Family Tree Maker crashes when I sync. Why?
One oversized or unsupported media item stalls the media stage and takes the program down with it. Identify the item, resize or remove it, then sync again.
Should I keep using my tree while it crashes?
Stop if a crash is followed by missing people or blank fields, because that indicates file damage. Restore a backup from before the crashes started rather than continuing to work in a damaged file.
Crashing every session?
We find the record or media item causing it, on a screen share. No fix, no fee.