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 can I run the program without having the CD in the drive?

SPACE 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 a program ("projector") in that folder called "SpaceUpdate" ("SpaceUpdate.exe" for Windows users) - just 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" created 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 see the projectors you wish to see. If you did a full install, you don't need to have the CD in the drive any more. See below for more details.

EARTH UPDATE:
If you ran the "Setup" installer, it will create a folder called "Earth Update" on the disk you selected during the Setup process. There will be a program ("projector") in that folder called "EarthUpdate" ("EarthUpdate.exe" for Windows users) - just 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. If you only did a partial install of one of the modules (e.g. Biosphere), then the Biosphere projector will be in that folder inside "Earth Update". "Setup" created 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 see the projectors you wish to see. If you did a full install, you don't need to have the CD in the drive any more. See below for more details.

I already have QuickTime installed. Why do I need QuickTime 4 or higher?

QuickTime 4 adds better support for new file formats and compression codecs on both the Mac and PC. Note that you may need to Uninstall older versions of QuickTime before installing newer versions. You may also download the newest QuickTime directly from Apple

See the Apple web site http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

Be sure to RESTART YOUR COMPUTER after installing QuickTime, and then install Space Update/Earth Update using Setup!

Why do I get errors when I manually copy the software from the CD to my hard drive? (PC only)

This is probably due to QuickTime 4 not being installed. Use the QuickTime 4 installer (use the SETUP program) to install QuickTime 4. Restart your computer and try installing the software again. You need the "full install" of QuickTime, but not the "Pro". Windows users may need to "uninstall" their old QuickTime in order to do a full install.

How do I quit the program?

SPACE UPDATE:
You can specify whether to have a "quit" button visible or not. (This is so that museums and school libraries can have "captive" programs.) The default for "Space Update" is to have the "quit" button visible. To change to "noquit", edit the "config.txt" file in the "resources" folder. None of the submodules (e.g. Astronomy) have a "quit" button option. Just hit "command-Q" (Mac) to quit. For Windows, use "escape" or "control-Q" to quit.

EARTH UPDATE:
You can specify whether to have a "quit" button visible or not. (This is so that museums and school libraries can have "captive" programs.) The default for "Earth Update" is to have the "quit" button visible. To change to "noquit", edit the "config.txt" file in the "resources" folder. Similarly, each of the submodules (e.g. Atmosphere) has a "config.txt" file to specify whether to have a "quit" button visible. If there is no quit visible, just hit "command-Q" (Mac) to quit. For Windows, use "escape" or "control-Q" to quit.

Why do I get a "script error" or red X-ed out boxes when I run Earth Update?

This is probably due to QuickTime 4 not being properly installed. Use the QuickTime 4 installer provided on the CD (or run SETUP) to install QuickTime 4. 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 - 64 or more 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 system you are operating with.

EARTH UPDATE:
Try recopying that file from our web site ftp://earth.rice.edu/Earth_Update/new_topics/complete_set/,
Or just remove the .top file that corresponds to that image.

Why does 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 browsing software 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 - 64 or more MB is recommended<. Depending on whether you have other background applications running, you may need more than 64 MB of RAM.

Why don't (some of) the movies display when I run the software?

This is due to QuickTime 4 (or higher) not being properly installed. Use the QuickTime 4 installer provided on the CD to do a full install of QuickTime 4. 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 Earth Update again.

The latest version of Quicktime is available directly from Apple. http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/

The software times out (resets) 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 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. See the System Configuration page for more details.

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 (jpg, gif, QT), and are readily found in the appropriate folders - you can use the files directly in documents, handouts, or powerpoints, etc. for educational use. Just don't 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 main memory (RAM) - we definitely recommend at least 64 MB, especially if you have a newer operating system that takes more memory (Windows ME, Mac OS 9). Failing that, you can reach all the EARTH UPDATE material via our web site. SPACE UPDATE is not accessible via the web.

EARTH UPDATE:
Slower machines will load the files more slowly, but they usually will eventually load. Be patient! Our software unpacks and organizes on the fly, so it does take some time to load each section, especially Atmosphere.

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? (PC only)

This CD autostarts 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. Space Update runs at a resolution of 640x480 pixels, while Earth Update runs at 800x600. 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 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 ON. 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 ON.

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 available, you can click this button to then get options on how and where to download the latest version of the image. 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?

We keep a full version of the Sky Tonight movies on line, on our web server earth.rice.edu/Space_Update/module/updates/ (choose "Sky_Tonight_2001" to get the 40 degree N or 30 degree S movies (others can be ordered from our web site). There will soon be a "Sky_Tonight_2002" folder with year 2002 movies).

How can I get the newest topics items to keep my Earth Update up to date?

We keep a full version of the Earth Update topics on line, on our web server http://earth.rice.edu/Earth_Update/new_topics/ (choose "complete_set" to get all topics; choose NewSince2.1 for recent additions).

How can I make the software show the weather for my area, or otherwise personalize my list of 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 files, so if you want to move something to the top of the list, 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 to make the software show the weather forecasts and storm maps for your area. For example, to personalize the local regional weather map in Atmosphere/latest, edit the "0localweather.top" file. On line 3, modify the file name
sa1_temp_ne_00.gif by changing "ne" to your region's identifier:
nc for "north central" (i.e. make it "sa1_temp_nc_00.gif")
nw for "north west"
se for "south east"
sc for "south central"
and sw for "south west".
Also modify line 5 and line 6 with the your two-letter region. (At Rice we mirror all of the two major basic regional weather graphics.) You should also similarly change the url of the precipitation graphic in the "regionalweather" subfolder. In addition, you will probably want to change the state abbreviation in the "stormalert.top" file in the "severe_forecasts" folder, and get the stormalert graphic for your state.
You can also change the link(s) to an entirely different weather graphic of your choice. Just find the url of a *graphic* (i.e., a .jpg or .gif) on your favorite weather web page. Be sure to put the complete url of the graphic on line 5 and line 6 of the .top file, and put the full web page link on line 9. (We won't be mirroring that file, so you need to put the link in line 5 as well as line 6.) Bring over a sample image, put that into the "latest" folder (or the subfolder where the .top file is), and be sure to edit line 3 with the name of the new graphic you are getting. For more details, see the section on "To Add your own topics" in the "EU_top.html" help page.