Here are some frequently asked questions about Space Update and Earth Update software. If you do not see the answer to your question here, please send an email to support@spaceupdate.com.
I don't have much disk space - what are my options?
The "SETUP" program helps you install the program. (It should auto-start on most Window and Mac systems). Click "Install options". First, use the "Select a Volume" pulldown to choose a volume to install to. (Obviously, you can't install to the Space Update/Earth Update disk!) If you have the space, click on "full install" at the top left - the program will run much faster. It will check to see if you have space on your hard disk. Also click on "install activities" and "install help files" at the bottom if you want to use those. It will create an "Space Update/Earth Update" folder on your hard drive. It will create a shortcut to that folder in your "START\Programs" pullup (Windows) or an alias to that folder on your desktop (Macs). If you don't have enough room on your hard drive, you have several options:
1. Run the software completely off the CD. This option will disable any internet updating features. This is because new files downloaded from the internet are written to local updating directories and if the software is running off the CD, these directories are also located on the CD and unable to be written to. Only "Space Weather" updates in Space Update, however.
2. Copy only a portion of the software to your hard drive.
Space Update: If you wish to run just one or more standalone module(s) from Space Update [Solar System, Astronomy, Space Weather, or Sky Tonight], you may do so selecting the "install" squares next to the module(s) you wish to install. It will create a folder called "Space Update" which will include folders just for the module(s) you chose (e.g. "astron" and "solarsys".) Go inside those module folders to choose the projector you wish to run (e.g. "Astronomy" or "Solar System"). You may wish to make an alias ("shortcut" in Windows) of the programs on your desktop. Note that if you later want to add more modules, it will overwrite your previous "Space Update" folder, so you may wish to change the name of your "Space Update" folder temporarily so that the new "Space Update" folder doesn't delete any files you wish to save.
Earth Update: If you wish to run just a standalone sphere from Earth Update [Atmosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, Geosphere or Hydrosphere], you may do so choosing "full install" only next to the module(s) you wish to run.
3. Copy only the application and updating folders to your hard drive.
Earth Update ONLY: Select "App only" for "Earth Update" (or any or all of the modules). That will save you disk space and will allow updating, but you must have the CD in the disk drive in order to run the program.
I ran the SETUP installer; now how do I run the program without having the CD in the drive?
Space Update or Earth Update: If you ran the "Setup" installer, it will create a folder called "Space Update" on the disk you selected during the Setup process. There will be an application in that folder called "SpaceUpdate" ("SpaceUpdate.exe" for Windows users) - just double-click on that to run. You can make an "alias" ("shortcut" in Windows) to that program and put it on your desktop to find it easier the next time you want to run the program. "Setup" creates a shortcut to the Space Update folder in you "programs" folder (Windows) or an alias to the folder on your desktop (Mac) - look in there to locate the applications. If you did a full install, you don't need to have the CD in the drive any more.
I already have QuickTime installed. Why do I need newer version?
The latest QuickTime adds better support for new file formats and compression codecs on both the Mac and Windows. You may download the latest QuickTime directly from Apple at...
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Be sure to restart your computer after installing QuickTime, and then install Space Update or Earth Update using the Setup application.
Why do I get errors when I manually copy the software from the CD to my hard drive? (Windows only)
This is probably due to QuickTime not being installed. Run the QuickTime installer (accessible via the SETUP program) to install QuickTime. Restart your computer and try installing the software again. You need a "full install" of QuickTime, but not the "Pro". Windows users may need to "uninstall" their old QuickTime in order to do a full install.
Will the software run under Windows Vista? (Windows only)
The software will work in Windows Vista, but, at least at present, it has to be run as an administrator user and you must turn off UAC (User Access Control) to allow updating of the external files. UAC also causes the operating system to frequently warn the non-administrator user that the software is reading and writing files on the hard drive. To disable the UAC...
1. go to the Control Panel
2. select "User Accounts and Family Safety"
3.
select "User Accounts"
4. select "Turn User Account Control On
or Off"
5. Uncheck the box labeled "Use
User Account Control"
6. select "OK" and restart the machine
I am getting frequent security alerts in Windows Vista or Windows 7? (Windows only)
You may need to disable User Access Control (UAC) on your Windows machine in order to run the software and update files properly. To do this do the following:
Windows Vista
1. Access User Control Panel from Start Menu -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and Family Safety -> User Accounts
2. Select "User Account Control" settings
3. Select "Turn user account control on or off"
4. Uncheck the box labeled "Use user account control"
5. Select
OK to make changes effective
5. reboot.
Windows 7
1. Access User Control Panel from Start Menu -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and Family Safety -> User Accounts
2. Select "User Account Control" settings
3. Move the slider to "Never Notify"
4. Select OK to make changes effective
5. reboot.
How do I run the software under Windows Vista or Windows 7 32-bit? (Windows only)
The software will run if installed onto the main hard drive, however it is most stable if you move the software into the "C:\Program Files" folder.
In order to update the images using the software's UPDATE DATA feature you may have to do the following:
1. right-click the "Space Update.exe" file (in the "Space_Update" folder)
2. select "run as administrator"
If the user account is not an administrator (for example, in a museum you might have a "visitor" account), then an admininistrator needs to give the visitor write access to the "data" folder (e.g. in "Space_Weather"). To do this:
1. Navigate to the "data" folder inside the "space weather" folder.
2. Right-click on the "data" folder name
3. Select "properties"
4. Select "security"
5. Select the visitor account
6. Click "edit"
7. Click "allow" next to "full control"
8. Click "apply" then "ok"
How do I run the software under Windows Vista or Windows 7 64-bit? (Windows only)
Our applications are 32-bit, and the software will run if installed onto the main hard drive, however it is most stable if you move the software into the "C:\Program Files (x86) " folder. You should then do the following for maximum performance:
1. right-click the "Space Update.exe" file (in the "Space_Update" folder)
2. select "Properties"
3. select "Compatibility" and from the drop menu select "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)"
In order to update the images using the software's UPDATE DATA feature you may have to do the following:
1. right-click the "Space Update.exe" file (in the "Space_Update" folder)
2. select "run as administrator"
If the user account is not an administrator (for example, in a museum you might have a "visitor" account), then an admininistrator needs to give the visitor write access to the "data" folder (e.g. in "Space_Weather"). To do this:
1. Navigate to the "data" folder inside the "space weather" folder.
2. Right-click on the "data" folder name
3. Select "properties"
4. Select "security"
5. Select the visitor account
6. Click "edit"
7. Click "allow" next to "full control"
8. Click "apply" then "ok"
I am getting warnings when installing under Windows 7. What should I do? (Windows only)
It may give you a warning of "unknown publisher" or "do you want to allow this program to write to your disk?". Just agree to let it install. After installation, it may give you a warning: "This software may not have installed properly - shall I reinstall with recommended settings?". Just first try the software and check to see if it is working. You can certainly reinstall if you want, but generally if you set the program to "run as administrator" and "run in compatibility service pack 2", then it should do fine. (see the answer to the FAQ on Win7/64).
How do I uninstall?
Just delete the application folder. The software does not install any hidden files or place anything in the system folders.
How do I quit the program?
Quitting any of our software requires a keyboard. This is so they can run in a public kiosk setup without fear that an unsupervised user will terminate the application. Simply hit "Command-Q" on a Mac or "Control-Q" on a Windows machine to quit. You can also hit the ESC key on either platform to quit the running application.
Why do I get a script error or red X-ed out boxes when I run Earth Update?
This is probably due to QuickTime not being properly installed. Use the QuickTime installer provided on the CD (or run SETUP) to install QuickTime. Restart your computer and try installing or running Earth Update again. Note: Windows users may need to "uninstall" older versions of QuickTime before installing the new version.
Sometimes script errors come from not having enough memory or trying to display a corrupted file. Check your memory - 512 MB is recommended (more is always better). If only one file is corrupted, try recopying that file from the original CD. If you have a lot of trouble, you can return your disk to us for replacement. Be sure to tell us what operating system and computer platform (Mac or Windows) that you use.
Why do I get an "illegal instruction" error or a software crash when for example I click on the "For More Information" links that launch my web broswer?
This is due to memory issues with your computer. Running the software in addition to launching and running internet browsers takes up a lot of computer memory resources. Make sure you don't have any other applications running that might be taking up memory. Check your memory - 512 MB is recommended. Depending on whether you have other background applications running, you may need more than 512 MB of RAM.
Why don't (some of) the movies display when I run the software?
This is due to QuickTime not being properly installed. Use the QuickTime installer provided on the CD to do a full install of QuickTime. You do not need to register the PRO version. A full Basic Quick Install is sufficient. Note: Windows users may need to "uninstall" older versions of QuickTime before installing the new version. Restart your computer and try running the software again.
The latest version of QuickTime is available directly from Apple. http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
The software resets (times out) too quickly when I'm reading a long caption - what do I do?
Edit the "config.txt" text file in the "resources" folder, using any text editor. Change the "timeout length" to a bigger number. The default number is usually 300 (seconds), or 5 minutes. Note: the lines which start with # are comments. Only change the lines which don't start with #. Don't add any carriage returns.
How can I print from the software, or use the images in a Powerpoint presentation?
You can print a single page of the software by using the page-capture function on your machine (for a Mac it is Command-Shift-3) and then printing using image software (e.g. Picture Viewer). Better yet, all images are in standard image formats (JPEG, GIF), and are readily found in the appropriate folders - you can use the files directly in documents, handouts, or powerpoints, etc. for educational use. You cannot sell, post, or distribute material without the permission of the copyright holders.
My computer is just too slow or too old to meet the minimum requirements. What can I do?
The easiest way to upgrade old machines is to add more memory (RAM) - we definitely recommend at least 512 MB, especially if you have a newer operating system that takes more memory. Failing that, you can reach much of the Earth Update material via our web site. Space Update is not accessible via the web.
I'd like to look at the files on the CD, but when I click on the D: drive, it starts the Setup program. How can I get files directly from the CD? (Windows only)
Depending on how your computer is configured, the CD may autostart when inserted into the drive, or when the disk is selected from the "My Computer" listing. To get to the files on the disk without starting up the Setup.exe program, select the disk but don't double-click. Then, pull down under "File" and choose "Explore". That will allow you to view files and folders on the disk without starting "Setup".
Why is there a black frame around the software on the computer screen?
Your monitor resolution is set larger than the display area of the software. All of our software (other than MediaShow) runs at a resolution of 800x600 pixels. To get the software to run full screen adjust your monitor settings in your System's Control Panels. The closer your settings are to this resolution, the closer the software will be to filling the screen.
Why is there a black frame around the software on the computer screen?
This version of the software is optimized for a personal user, who generally wants to keep the rest of the desktop visible. For kiosk or library use, you may wish to replace the executable files with full-screen ones. The full-screen versions are included on the software disc in the FULLSCREEN folder. Simply copy the desired fullscreen version of an application to the same location as the non-fullscreen app. The full-screen applications require a registration key to run beyond the demo period. Contact us to learn more.
Why is the updating feature disabled?
Updating is only enabled when the software is running from the hard drive. This is because new files downloaded from the internet are written to local updating directories and if the software is running off the CD, these directories are also located on the CD and unable to be written to. The "config.txt" file also controls whether file updating is enabled. The default setting is TRUE. This setting is cancelled when the software is running from the CD. If you have copied part or all of the software to your hard drive (see questions on installation options), the "config.txt" file located in the "resources" folder can be edited. Make sure the option line for updating from the internet is written as TRUE.
The image I see has an old date. How do I get it to show a more recent image?
Some of the images are stock files which do not change. If the file in question is on a screen that has the UPDATE button enabled, you can click this button to then get options on how and where to download the latest version of the image from. If the UPDATE button is disabled, this means you are either running the software from the CD, or file updating is disabled in the "config.txt" file.
I only have a dialup connection - can I still update the images?
Certainly! If your connection is just a slow dialup connection, you can still update... it will just be slow getting the files. Be patient!
How can I get the newest Sky Movies to keep my Space Update up to date?
Sky Tonight can be fully updated from within the software application itself. Select "Update Data" from the main screen and follow the instructions. We also keep a full version of the Sky Tonight movies on line, on our web server, for manual downloading if you choose. Go to...
http://earth.rice.edu/Space_Update/updating/skytonight/
Choose the year directory, and then the latitude directory to locate the sky movie files you need. To successfully update your sky movies manually you will have to download each of the movie files found in the "5AM" and "8PM" directories and use them to replace the existing files in your Sky Tonight installation. We recommend that you use the Sky Tonight application itself to handle any updates for you.
How can I get the newest topics items to keep my Earth Update up to date?
Earth Update can be fully updated from within the software application itself. Select "Update Data" from the main screen and follow the instructions.
How can I edit or otherwise personalize my Earth Update topics?
It is easy for you to edit the topics files to show just the topics that you wish. Each topic has a text file describing the image or movie (the name ends in ".top"), and an image file. The list of topics show in alphabetical order of the .top file namess, so if you want to move something to the top of the list, you could put a "00" (double zero) in front of the name of the topic. I.e., change the name of "ozone.top" to "00ozone.top" and it will show as the first topic in that folder.
You can edit the .top files with any plain text editor. Each file consists of a structure of comment lines beginning with "#", and then lines which you can edit and have the file still function properly in the software. Be careful to never change any of the "#" lines, and do not add any extra carriage returns to any section of the topic file other than the "caption" or "credit" entries. You may also create your own topics files by using an existing one as a template, writing your own content, and including the associated image or movie file in the same directory. If there are any layout or structural errors in the topic file, the software will fail to list or dislpay that topic when running.
How can I get the software to blank out the rest of my screen instead of running in a window?
Updating for users is controlled with the settings in the config.txt file located in the "resources" folder. The UPDATE DATA feature in SPACE UPDATE can be accessed at any time however by using the keyboard shortcut Control+"D". The Space Weather module has an additional shortcut of Control+"I" to trigger the update of all updating images. These shortcuts will work regardless of the settings in the config.txt file and are useful if you wish to disable updating for users (e.g. a museum kiosk) but wish for an admin to be able to do updates without reconfiguring the software.
How can I get the newest Sky Movies to keep my Space Update up to date?
Run the SKY TONIGHT application on your SPACE UDPATE installation and select the UPDATE DATA feature. Each sky movie (a full set includes 10) is 30-40 MB so downloading a full set may take an hour or more
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