Sync Troubleshooting Guide for FTM 2019

We have prepared this Sync Troubleshooting Guide for FTM 2019 to present you with common scenarios that you may encounter in FTM 2019 while using sync, with step-by-step instructions on how to resolve them.  To get started, please review the General Advice and list of scenarios to see which closely matches your experience.

GENERAL ADVICE

1. The very first step to try in case of a sync failure, applicable for all scenarios, is simply to try again.
2. Do not make any changes to the online Ancestry tree (in your web browser) while Upload/Download/Sync is in progress in Family Tree Maker. Please note that people you invited to edit your Ancestry online tree may also make changes while you sync. 
3. If Upload/Download/Sync fails a few times in a row - consider trying again during off-peak hours (such as early in the morning) when fewer users are actively syncing to Ancestry.
4. If none of the sync troubleshooting instructions help feel free to contact our Live Chat (click here). 

LIST OF SCENARIOS

1. Changes in FTM aren't syncing to Ancestry
2. Changes on Ancestry aren't syncing to FTM
3. Changes both in FTM and on Ancestry aren't syncing
4. Tree upload to Ancestry fails
5. Tree download from Ancestry fails
6. Large tree and sync is timing out
7. FTM tree is lost or cannot be opened and Ancestry tree is outdated
8. Sync failed because Ancestry tree was modified during sync
9. "Upload / Download Interrupted" or "Sync Incomplete" error
10. “Family Tree Maker appears to be offline” error

SCENARIO #1

Your last Sync failed, the latest changes have been made in your FTM 2019 tree and those changes have not been synced to Ancestry.

SOLUTION:

1. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File.
2. Back up file.
3. Use the Turn Back Time feature to roll back half of the changes added since the previous sync.  
4. Attempt to sync again.
5. If sync is successful, restore the backup made in step 2 and sync it to Ancestry to add the remaining changes.

SCENARIO #2

Your last Sync failed, the latest changes have been made in your Ancestry tree and those changes have not been synced to FTM 2019.

SOLUTION:

1. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File.
2. Attempt to sync again.

IF SYNC STILL FAILS:

1. Download tree from Ancestry as new linked FTM tree file.
2. Use the downloaded file as host and merge the original copy of the FTM tree into it to preserve all changes at the same place.
3. Sync the merged tree back to Ancestry.

SCENARIO #3

Your last Sync failed, changes have been made in both FTM 2019 and Ancestry trees, but those changes are not syncing between the trees.

SOLUTION FOR FTM 2019:

1. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File.
2. Attempt to sync again.

IF SYNC STILL FAILS:

1. Back up file.
2. Use the Turn Back Time feature to roll back half of the changes added since the previous sync.  
3. Attempt to sync again.
4. Once sync is successful, you can restore THE backup created before rolling back changes and sync it to Ancestry.

SOLUTION FOR FTM 2017:

1. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File. 
2. Attempt to sync again.

IF SYNC STILL FAILS:

1. Download tree from Ancestry as new linked FTM tree file.
2. Use the downloaded file as host and merge the original copy of the FTM tree into it to preserve all changes in the same place.
3. Sync the merged tree back to Ancestry.

SCENARIO #4

Tree can’t be uploaded to Ancestry, upload fails.

SOLUTION:

1. Log out from your Ancestry account in Family Tree Maker.
2. Restart Family Tree Maker.
3. Log in to Ancestry again.
4. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File. 
5. Attempt to Sync again.

IF UPLOAD FAILS AGAIN:

1. Restore previous backup of the tree and try to upload it instead.

SCENARIO #5

Initial download of Ancestry tree failed.

SOLUTION:

1. Log out from your Ancestry account in Family Tree Maker.
2. Restart Family Tree Maker.
3. Log in to Ancestry again.
4. Repeat download attempt.

SCENARIO #6

You haven’t synced your FTM tree to Ancestry for a long period of time and Sync of your large Tree database (100k+) has been stalling for hours at Analyzing changes step on the sync progress bar and then you’ve got the message that sync failed.  (Time-out issue)

SOLUTION:

1. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File.
2. Log out from your Ancestry account in Family Tree Maker.
3. Restart Family Tree Maker.
4. Log in to Ancestry again.
5. Attempt to sync again.

IF SYNC STILL FAILS:

1. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File.
2. Back up file.
3. Use the Turn Back Time feature to roll back half of the changes added since the previous sync. 
4. Attempt to sync again.
5. If sync is successful, restore the backup made in step 2 and sync it to Ancestry to add the remaining changes.

SCENARIO #7

FTM tree with the latest not-synced changes is lost or cannot be opened and the tree on Ancestry is outdated.

SOLUTION:

1. Use the Emergency Restore of your Antenna tree from TreeVault to create new FTM 2019 tree.
2. Sync the restored tree to Ancestry.

SCENARIO #8

Sync failed because the Ancestry online tree was modified during Sync.

SOLUTION:

1. Close Ancestry in your web browser.
2. Attempt to sync again.

SCENARIO #9

Initial upload / download or sync fails with "Upload / Download Interrupted" or "Sync Incomplete" message.

SOLUTION:

1. Log out from your Ancestry account in Family Tree Maker.
2. Restart Family Tree Maker.
3. Log in to Ancestry again.
4. Compact file through Tools -> Compact File.
5. Attempt to upload / download / Sync again.

SCENARIO #10

Initial upload / download / sync failed and the “Family Tree Maker appears to be offline” message is shown if you attempt to repeat the process.

SOLUTION:

• Check Internet connection and try again.
• Check if FTM is in online mode (File => Go Online).
• Restart FTM and/or computer.
• Try to use another connection type if available.
• Check if turning off antivirus or firewall helps.