Understanding Sync Weather
While it's quite rare to see red sync weather, we are sometimes asked how it happens. We have monitoring points around the globe that tell us if there are any interruptions in the connection between FTM (2017 and 2019) and Ancestry. At even the smallest interruption, we go to red weather status and block sync activity for five minutes. If there are no further interruptions, we go to orange weather status for one hour, then return to green.
Apart from this system, there are times of constant interruptions, when sync weather is set to orange or red for a longer period. We explain such cases in the sync weather window details specific to the current weather conditions. There are many possible causes for interruptions in sync connectivity, nearly all of which are outside our control. Our engineers work closely with Ancestry’s to analyze the interruptions and make improvements to the system to be more resilient against such interruptions.
As a best practice, we recommend that you always make a manual backup of your tree before syncing. As well, please make sure that you've updated to the latest version of the software, so you can take advantage of improvements to the sync system and other fixes. For FTM 2017, the latest update is 23.3, available at this link. For FTM 2019, the latest update is 24.2, available at this link.
Helpful links:
- FAQ - Return to Green Status - answers to common questions about sync weather since Ancestry maintenance concluded
- Best Practices for Syncing in FTM 2017 and FTM 2019 - recommendations to ensure the best possible sync experience, including links to more information about backing up your trees and troubleshooting sync issues
- Free Update for FTM 2017 Users - detailed information about the free 23.3 update for FTM 2017, with links to the Update Center and instructions on how to download and apply the update
- Free Update for FTM 2019 Users - detailed information about the free 24.2 update for FTM 2019, with links to the Update Center and instructions on how to download and apply the update