Could not Merge Changes

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Warwick Wilson
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Could not Merge Changes

Post by Warwick Wilson » Thu Oct 13, 2016 2:49 am

Manifestation:

This error manifests with two pop up messages

1. Could not merge changes.
Image

2.Database validation error.
Please email the file DatabaseError.text
To support@ifamilyformac

Image

Background:

This error refers to a file system level error that represents a failure to save the database document.

Each time you make a change to any data field, add people and events, change relationships or add any media files, iFamily will commit these changes to the database by "merging" what you see on screen with the persistent file store, (the database file).

Fixes:

There are two causes for this error, each with different solutions.

1. Most likely, this error has been caused after installation of iFamily for Mac V2.9.2 or V2.9.4 and relates to Apple restoring the saved state of the program. iFamily has always opened your most recent file upon load, and since OSX started to "Restore state of previous windows when rebooting", (on OSX El Capitain+), and similarly for reopening iFamily post crash, (on macOS Sierra). It then occurs that two copies of the file are opened, the first of which has locked the file for editing.

Delete the saved state file to remove this problem:
A) Close iFamily.
B) Use Finder: select Go->Go to Folder... from the menus and enter ~/Library/Saved Application State/
C) Delete the file called com.kswa.iFamilyForMac.savedState
D) Reopen iFamily.

NB: Restarting iFamily one or more times will flush this saved state file without the above steps, eventually.

2. The file no longer exists due to being renamed, deleted or moved with Finder while it is open. (This can also occur if the file is on an external drive and the disk has had a communications failure, eg: the usb wire fell out.)

A) Close iFamily
B) Verify the file exists using Finder.
C) Reopen iFamily

There are some variants on the above, please contact support if the above does not not solve your "Could Not Merge Changes" error.

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