DiscoverAus with Vista laptop
Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 17:35
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colincam
Hi all, has anyone succeeded in upgrading their PC to a Vista OS and are using DiscoverAus with a Magellan Meridian and USB ports?
Have version 1.0 and was using a serial cable to connect the GPS to a laptop to download regions from DiscoverAus. Done this for three years. Then I bought a new laptop!
The new laptop has Vista and no serial port. Purchased the "purple" USB-Serial adapter cable. Whereas Moving Maps finds the GPS, I can't get DiscoverAus connected as the seemingly available ports are higher than the software might support. ie, when the program wants to look for the GPS, it can't find it at the listed ports.
Trying to rename the ports in Vista seems to simply move the ports and DiscoverAus still doesn't synchronise with the device.
Anyone help?
Magellan Australia Agent did not respond to an email whereas in previous years, always had lot's of help.
Cheers, Col
Reply By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 17:53
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 17:53
Hi Col,
I have had similar problems trying to run OziExplorer and other software with my Explorist500 on Vista. I have never been totally successful in getting the Explorist running on Vista. I have to go through the configuration process each time I put the Explorist on Vista. These meant going through "device manager" to discover the port, then set up OziExplorer.
Having said that, you may have more success with the Meridian once you have been to the Magellan web site and downloaded the new vista drivers. Follow their instructions carefully when installing the new driver. Hope that helps.
Fred
AnswerID:
346195
Reply By: Member - Warfer (VIC) - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 17:55
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 17:55
**Magellan Australia Agent did not respond to an email whereas in previous years, always had lot's of help.**
These companies need a good kick up the ass,Just like Icom...Its great to see companies take on Sony (like LG) and do very
well because they think they hav the market,Sony lost me and mates years ago due to poor service...anyway enough of that, have you downloaded the latest patch from magellan to work with vista ???
**Purchased the "purple" USB-Serial adapter cable***
You dont need this it should pick up the usb port ! I am running XL on a Lenovo Vista System no probs..
Downloads here
Cheers
AnswerID:
346196
Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 19:07
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 19:07
Most people would consider going from XP to Vista to be a downgrade.
Even Microsoft finally have more or less admitted Vista is crap and are bringing out a supposedly more user friendly Windows 7.
Beta versions are available if you know where to look.
Best of luck but as said above no reason for it not to find the USB mouse
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Warfer (VIC) - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 21:15
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 21:15
**Most people would consider going from XP to Vista to be a downgrade.**
Hi Graham
From what i have seen people that take the time to understand Vista do not go back to XP,most drivers hav been sorted now...
Generally every product has to hav its improvements,Software is no different..I usually wait a year for most of the bugs to be ironed out before installing new OS Software..Vista reminds me of the ol Windows Me (people did not take to it at all)..
Windows 7 is already causing issues and Microsoft should not be using the general public as guinea pigs by releasing the Beta version for free....
Cheers
FollowupID:
614188
Reply By: Boobook2 - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 19:30
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 19:30
After much screwing around I got it working on Vista with the standard USB ports on the laptop.
The key is the drivers here
Magellan vista driver
AnswerID:
346211
Reply By: colincam - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 21:33
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 21:33
Thanks for the quick responses fellows but still "up the creek"
It is a "Legacy discontinued) product, Meridian GPS (new 2005-6) Not the Explorist Range, no drivers ever for it. Only a firmware update for America only.
The GPS needs a serial cable to go into a serial port on the PC. Hence the need for the "purple USB-Serial Adapter. (Used worldwide I am told for similar reasons.)
Perhaps there is no hope for this perfectly good at it's job old faithful.
I'll keep trying! cheers again,
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Boobook2 - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 22:41
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 22:41
I also had a meridian colour ( serial). The usb to serial device had a driver that made the computer think it was talking to serial. There were some config items in the device manager to select the correct baud rate ( 19,200 from memory) and bits and parity. Have you set those? From memory these were supposedly setable in discover aus but really needed to be set in the drivers.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Boobook2 - Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 22:43
Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009 at 22:43
One more thing. When you installed the software, did you install it in XP compatibility mode? ( right click on the installation program, under properties I think)
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Follow Up By: colincam - Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009 at 11:02
Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009 at 11:02
Yep, tried all this, the serial works for Moving Maps with NatMap installed in Compatibility Mode.
Info from the supplier of the serial cable says that he thinks DiscoverAus needs a Port numbered under 5. When I tried to get to control panel and change the port with the cable on, "not available or in use" error. Swapped USBs, got a different number and was able to get it swapped to one under 5. Then would you believe, the Discover GPS menu only tried to connect on two completely different and higher (9-11) numbers. (Remember how Auto-detect searches the ports?) I can't find out how to tell DiscoverAus to select say, Port 5. It seems to select ports to try with no rhyme or reason as to which.
Will have another play as its too darned hot to do anything else! Thanks for thinking about it,
Cheers again,
FollowupID:
614290
Reply By: Isuzumu - Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009 at 13:36
Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009 at 13:36
I have a similar problem with my Magellan Meridian Gold trying to get it to run on my new Eee PC 900 (see post 65410).
I have two cables the original serial port one which is no go on the Eee as it is a female and so is the cable and a USB one. And it just keeps coming up "error opening com port" no matter what I try it just does not what to work. I am running it on Ozi and have not tried to do DiscoverAus, as I am running an external hard drive and have not worked out how to put programs on it like Discoveraus, Natmap etc.
Cheers Bruce.
So I have ordered a new Globalsat BU 353 Gps mouse, hoping that will sort out the problem.
AnswerID:
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