Common issues and solutions for the DNAGedcom Client. For the current status of each DNA service, check the Service Status page.
First, make sure you’re using your DNAGedcom username — this is typically NOT your email address, FTDNA kit number, or any DNA service login. If you’ve forgotten your password, use the password reset option on the login page. Check your spam/junk folder for the reset email. If you still can’t get in, email support@dnagedcom.com with your username.
Make sure you can log in directly to the DNA service’s website first (a*.com, 23andme.com, etc.) in a regular browser. If that works but the Client login fails:
The most common cause is incorrect credentials for the DNA testing service. Also check your cM range settings — if the minimum is set too high, you may have very few matches to gather.
DNA services occasionally change their websites or APIs. Check the Service Status page for current service status. Make sure you’re running the latest Client version — updates are usually released promptly when a service changes. Report persistent issues on the Service Status page.
Some DNA services (especially 23andMe) expire sessions during long gather operations. The Client handles re-authentication automatically when possible. If it can’t recover, log out and log back in to start a fresh session. Consider gathering in stages with higher cM ranges to reduce session length.
This error means the built-in browser components could not be extracted or have become corrupted. Common on Windows 10, often caused by antivirus software.
To fix:
%LocalAppData%\DNAGedcom\BrowserData\%LocalAppData%\DNAGedcom\If the problem persists, uninstall and reinstall the Client.
macOS has multiple security layers. Common issues:
See the complete macOS Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions.
The DNAGedcom Client shows a small “DB” badge in the top-right corner of the window. Its color reflects the state of your database connection. This is different from the colored weather indicators next to gather services and analysis tools (those describe whether a feature is working — see Weather Indicators). The DB badge is specifically about your database file.
Hover the badge to see a tooltip with the underlying message. The colors mean:
| Color | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Database is initializing. Shown briefly at app startup while the database file is opened, schema checked, and any pending migrations applied. | Wait. The icon will turn green within a few seconds on a healthy database. If it stays blue for more than 30 seconds, the database may be very large or on slow storage — check the log if it never turns green. |
| Green | Database is open, healthy, and writable. This is the normal operating state. | Nothing — you're good to go. |
| Yellow | Non-critical warning. The database is still usable, but the Client has logged a transient issue — for example a brief SQLite contention spike, or a recoverable I/O hiccup. Often resolves on its own. | Hover the icon to read the tooltip and see what triggered the warning. If everything seems to be working, you can keep going. If gathers are visibly stalling or reports won't generate, treat it like a Red and follow the Red guidance. |
| Red | Critical database error. Most commonly the SQLite file is locked (typically because another tool — another DNAGedcom Client session, a SQLite browser, a backup utility — is holding it open) or there's a disk I/O failure (full disk, network drive disconnected, permission denied). |
|
Once the badge goes Red, it stays Red until either the underlying error clears or you restart the Client — this is intentional, so a critical message can't be hidden by a less-serious warning that arrives afterward.
Make sure you have gathered both match AND ICW data for the selected kit. All clustering tools require ICW data. Check the kit summary (People > Kits) to verify data availability.
For Shared Clustering: The match count may exceed the Max Heatmap Size setting (default: 1000). Increase this value or reduce the cM range.
For Warthen Interactive Cluster: Make sure clustering completed successfully (check the status message). Try clicking “Fit to View” to reset the zoom.
If the solutions above don’t resolve your issue: