RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Malcolm Bull on Monday 16 June 25 11:52 BST (UK)
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I'm sure it must be me (it usually is), but when I use Find-My-Past and enter the name, DOB etc for a person, the list of Results appears as usual. I click the item on the list that looks relevant, to view, say the original census return, then that all behaves as usual. But when I return to the list of results, I can't remember how to go back to the original page of details to make changes (say) to the spelling of a name.
Can anyone help an old man out here?
Malcolm Bull
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You can use the panel at the left hand side to change the search terms
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Thanks, but I don't appear to have a Panel on the left
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While Shaun is absolutely correct I would add a word or two of warning. Don't just type in a new name in place of the old one. Use the X beside the name, year of birth etc to delete the first entry, then type in the new details. Secondly be wary about changing too many items all at the same time. For instance, in my experience, putting in a new name, new date of birth and location all at the same time can bring up results where at least one of these parameters remains unchanged from the first search. In such circumstances I advocate using the 'Clear all' option at the top before entering new search terms from scratch.
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Thanks, but I don't appear to have a Panel on the left
What kind of device are you using? Possibly the mobile phone/tablet version of the site doesn't have the same layout as Shaun and I are referring to.
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On an iPad I see the side panel.
If I shrink the window a little then the side panel disappears and I see no alternative route to the search details.
If I shrink it even further to force the phone version to be delivered then a clickable rounded rectangle appears at the top of the results with the name of the person and the words ‘When|Where”, and clicking on that opens a version of the side panel.
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In some record sets, eg census, there are parameters you cannot change from the LH panel, eg "other household member", but have to return to the original search screen by selecting "Advanced options" at the foot of the panel.
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Thanks for everyone's help so far.
I am using a laptop and have always used this to access FindMyPast. It's just that over the last week or so, the display has changed.
I always start at the SEARCH option, this takes me to (1) the screen where I fill in the details of the required individual, this takes me to (2) the List of Results from where I select one of interest (original document or transcription). When I leave this stage I am taking back to (2), but I don't see any way of getting back to (1) to make minor changes to the original search.
I didn't realise that a laptop made such a big difference
Malcolm Bull
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I think you are going to have to say what your laptop, operating system and browser are in the hope that someone with a similar set up can investigate.
On my MacBook, with Safari, I have just reproduced the behaviour that I described above for my iPad—at an intermediate window size I can force a view that looks like the view that you posted above, with no search modification options. Are you changing window sizes at all? If so, try increasing the window size to see if the FindMyPast sidebar reappears.
Also I noticed that in my set-up, where Safari has its own sidebar (to display tab groups, bookmarks etc), toggling that to visible can modify the FindMyPast window to transition from full FindMyPast side bar visible to the state with no options.
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Reading AlanBoyd's comment made me think... I use the Firefox browser and if I go to the browser menu I can select the option to zoom in on a web page. If you do this, the percentage of zoom is then shown on the right hand side of the URL in the search bar. You can also use the scroll wheel on a mouse to achieve this, but that probably won't apply if you are on a laptop. The thing is, the browser then saves this setting and every time you return to that particular page it presents it at the same zoom setting as the one previously set. Unless you looked at the search bar you wouldn't necessarily be aware that you weren't seeing 100% of the page. Maybe this feature also appears in other browsers apart from Firefox.
Does any of this chime with your setup?
Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the size of the overall window which is open, as Alan was talking about. The zoom factor applies irrespective of the window size.
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Using FindMyPast there is a difference when you use the “Back” button within the program or use the Return to last web page. Might be not relevant but just thought I would mention it.
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Thanks to everyone who took the time to help with my query.
Regards
Malcolm Bull