Users of earlier versions, who are considering downloading and installing the 30-day trial of version 4, are urged to first carefully read the answers to the following frequently-asked questions:
I have a paid-for copy of version 3. Can I install the free trial for version 4?
Anyone can download and install the free 30-day trial of Family Historian 4 onto their computer. But anyone who already purchased a previous version of Family Historian, should be aware that neither of the two Family Historian upgrade products – that is, Family Historian 4 (Upgrade) and Family Historian 4 Upgrade (on CD) – will work with any trial version.
If in the past you purchased version 3, and you now install the 30-day trial, it will automatically upgrade you – but as a trial version. You can of course buy a (full-price) licence for this at the end of your 30-day trial if you wish. But if – as a version 3 owner – you decided that you wanted to buy either Family Historian 4 (Upgrade) or Family Historian 4 Upgrade (on CD), you would have to uninstall the trial version and reinstall version 3 before you could use the upgrade. When you reinstalled version 3 you would have to re-enter your version 3 key as part of the installation. So if you are considering doing this, make sure you still have everything you need to reinstall version 3 installation program, including your version 3 key, before you install the trial version.
If I install the free trial of version 4 on top of a previous version of Family Historian, will it automatically revert to the previous version if I don’t purchase a licence at the end of the trial?
No. If you wanted to revert to your previous version, you would have to uninstall the trial version and reinstall your previous version. So, if you are considering doing this, make sure you still have everything you need to reinstall your previous version. If your previous version was version 3, that means you need to know where your key is (version 2 did not have a key).
I’ve lost my original version 3 CD. If I need to, can I reinstall version 3 from the version 3 trial?
No. Whenever you reinstall, you always have to use the same method of installation that you originally used*. If you originally installed from a CD, you cannot now switch to installing it from a download, or vice versa. If you originally installed version 2 and then upgraded, you will need the version 2 CD, your original upgrade to version 3, and the version 3 key.
[* The only exception to this is that you do not need to re-apply 'minor upgrades' - that is upgrades where the first digit doesn't change. For example, if you originally went from version 2.0.7 to 2.1.8 and then to 3.0.0, you can upgrade directly from 2.0.7 to 3.0.0 - you don't need to repeat the intermediary 'minor' upgrade from 2.0.7 to 2.1.8.]
I am currently evaluating the 30-day trial version for version 3. I have not yet bought a licence for it. Can I install the 30-day trial for version 4?
Yes – and we recommend that you do so, as it is no longer possible to buy a licence for the 30-day trial of version 3.
Is the Version 3 trial installation program still available for download?
Yes you can download it from this link: install_fh3.1.2_dl.exe. But you can no longer buy a licence for it. The link is provided for the convenience of users who have already bought a licence for this version and may need the installation program to reinstall (please remember that if you buy a licence for the download version, you are allowed to make a single backup copy of the installation program).