Problems Firing-Up OpenCPN

[jimbim]

Two friends back home today separately downloaded OpenCPN on my recommendation. Both have Windows 7.

In both cases the program seemed to install fine, but when they tried to launch the program they received a message that said something like OpenCPN.exe has failed. At least one tried to reinstall the program, but received the same message.

Any suggestions? Thanks, Jim

[idpnd]

Installing OpenCPN | Official OpenCPN Homepage <- check on the instructions here to find a log file. Normally it works on win 7 AFAIK

[champ8242]

Just installed 1.3.6 on a fresh W7 without problems. The first question after firing up is about the chart selection, could they encountered the problem after that? My choice was CM93 and running without any problem,

Bart
PS W7 32 bits

[jimbim]

No, they couldn't get it to launch at all, and still can't. One is a computer security guy so knows his way around. But he is having no luck.

[champ8242]

Running as Admin?
Could you/they post the logfile?

[jimbim]

I could get them to send it to me. One is in Kudat, Borneo, the other sailing off the east coast of Palawan.

One did manage to get it working on another XP laptop, but still no luck with the W7 netbooks. The problem might be the version of W7 that is provided in Asia on netbooks. It's called "Windows 7 Starter". Perhaps it lacks crucial features that other versions of W7 have. Looking into it...

Thanks.

[jimbim]

Yes, it appears that Win7 "Starter", a hobbled version MS foists on laptops in the developing world, will not run a host of programs, including OpenCPN, according to computer techs in KL who my friend called seeking help.

He will pay $100 to upgrade to another version of W7. I feel bad about this since he had been having trouble finding a new netbook here with XP (and didn't want to have to install a cracked version of XP in a new netbook) and eventually bought one with W7 based on my recommendation of OpenCPN.

Curious, though, if anyone else has been able to get OCPN up and running with "Starter".

[idpnd]

I suggest you give it a try on Ubuntu my friend.. Nothing particularly complicated about it (especially when you're used to the whims of windows)

[jimbim]

Looking more and more that that will be soon coming, at least for me, but so many also use their computers to run software that does not work on Linux.

[idpnd]

Do you on your nav computer? There are alternatives to many common programmes as well. You could also use an usb stick just with linux and opencpn for navigation and leave your pc as is.

[jimbim]

Yes I do. I have three laptops (two are netbooks) and they do get used for other things. They are all nav computers and can be used as such. I do a lot of work on computers and some of the software I use has no comparable Linux alternative, and more importantly could not be read by people to whom I send files.

But I like the idea of keeping Linux and openCPN on a flash drive. Maybe it will be a help to my friends. If you know of a site that can teach me the ins and outs of doing this, I would be grateful for a link.

Cheers and thanks, Jim

[champ8242]

Originally Posted by jimbim

.... If you know of a site that can teach me the ins and outs of doing this, I would be grateful for a link.

Cheers and thanks, Jim

This is one of them.

I'm planning for tomorrow or this weekend finding a reason why OpenCPN won't run on Windows 7 Starter. As far as i read there should be no restriction.


Bart

[jimbim]

Originally Posted by champ8242

I'm planning for tomorrow or this weekend finding a reason why OpenCPN won't run on Windows 7 Starter. As far as i read there should be no restriction.

I've read the same things. Haven't been able to find anything on the web about such shortcomings, except the three-program limit that MS apparently scrapped. Sure seems odd that both had the problem. Haven't heard from one friend for a while, though doubt he's spent much time playing with it.

Thanks for the link.

[Psyches]

Originally Posted by champ8242

This is one of them.

I'm planning for tomorrow or this weekend finding a reason why OpenCPN won't run on Windows 7 Starter. As far as i read there should be no restriction.


Bart

Thanks Bart, let us know how it goes. Without more info or access to W7S, it's hard to tell from here what the prob could be.

Mark

[champ8242]

I can confirm that OpenCPN runs without any problem on Windows 7 Starter.

I used a Laptop (about 7 years old) 1GB memory. Downloaded W7S form MSDN and ran it as a NEW clean install. No special update or drivers.

I used the standard Windows VGA driver only changed the resolution to 1024x768. Immediately installed the latest OpenCPN version and gave it a go.

As on other OSSes, OpenCPN came with the config screen that no charts where installed.

No problem with W7S

Bart

PS. I will keep it installed for a few days, if someone wants me to run some tests, please let me know