Doug Turnbull:
I can appreciate your problem.
I recently tried to install ERmapper6.1 on a 1.6 GHz P4 (running windows 98) and had nothing but problems. The installation seemed to go ok and when I first ran the program, I got to the licencing screen. I dutifully filled in all of the info to request the site authorization code and received one in a couple of days. I entered the number, ERmapper shut down and when I started it the next time, it went back to the licencing screen and the site code had changed. I repeated this procedure with the Ermapper people about 3 times.
 
The support staff had me do a bunch of different things but nothing seemed to work. They seemed to think the problem was with the licencing drivers.
 
After a few days of this the program operation degraded further, to the point that if you started it with the dongle inserted, it would simply bomb, and lock up the computer. If you started it without the dongle, you got to the endless loop with the licencing/authorization code problems.
 
The computer had been setup with a dual boot option, to allow me to run linux. Even though the ermapper staff didn't think this would be a problem I felt it might be. I wiped the harddrive, reinstalled Windows 98 and ermapper again. Things got a little better but are still not quite right. I can now run ermapper on the P4 but not all of the options are working. I can't generate any sort of ouput without having the machine crash. Also, the program seems very unstable and will crash at what appears to be random times.
 
Basically, I spent a couple of weeks trying to get the program compatible with the hardware. The ermapper staff have run out of ideas (at least they are not giving me anything new). I've pretty much given up on the whole idea, which is unfortunate. The main reason I don't use Ermapper more than I do is that it takes an unacceptable amount of time to generate any sort of hardcopy output. I was hoping that upgrading the computer from my 450mHz P3 would make things easier but it hasn't worked out that way.
 
Anyway, there seems to be a wealth of free programs in the linux world that will replace the ermapper functionality. That's the way we're leaning right now.
 
E. Trent Pezzot, P.Geo.
S.J.V. Consultants Ltd.
www.sjgeophysics.com
www.sjgeop.bc.ca

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