Downloading, Installation and Trouble Shooting
Download Instructions. To download
Compass, you begin by clicking on one of the options listed on
the download page. Usually, your browser will display a message box giving you several
options. Select the "Save" option and choose any directory or folder to save
the information. I usually create a new temporary folder to store these files
so I don't clutter up the disk. Once you have done this, the download process
will begin. Depending on the speed of your modem and how heavy the internet
traffic is, the process may take several minutes.
Troubleshooting Downloads.. Sometimes people have trouble downloading
Compass files right after I have posted an update. This problem can occur
when your browser has cached an old version of the web page. Since the
browser is using an old copy of the page, it tries download a copy of the
file that is no longer on the page. If you have trouble downloading one of
the Compass files, try clearing cache in your browser.
Downloading can be slow depending on the time of day and other conditions.
During the daytime, the Internet can be bogged down with thousand of users.
The best time seems to be after midnight US Mountain Standard Time. This
is tricky though because 1AM in Colorado is 7AM in England. At 7AM in England,
internet traffic is picking up, so downloading from England slows down after
1AM Colorado time.
Installing Compass Programs. Each
of the Compass programs have been packaged into a single file that includes
the complete installation package. Once you have downloaded the files to
your computer, locate them in Windows Explorer and double click on them.
This will begin the installation process. Just follow the instructions and
the programs will be installed. A Compass folder will appear in Program section
of the Start Menu which contain all programs, help files and supplementary
materials. There will also be an Icon for the main program on your desktop.
Trouble Shooting Installation. Some
systems may have problem installing Compass programs. The Compass installation
program may give you one of the following error messages:
| The Windows System File RichEd32.dll is missing or damaged. This
program cannot run without it. Please reinstall. |
RichEdit Line Insertion Error |
If you receive either one of these messages, it means that your computer
is missing a key system component that is required for the operation of Compass
and many other programs. This key component is a file called "riched32.dll".
It is usually missing from your system because a defective de-installation
program has removed it.
You can reinstall the missing file by going to
this web
page and downloading the appropriate file. Be sure to use the correct file
for your operating system. You may also find that other system files are
missing. For example, I have had reports of users getting the a
message "gapi32.dll" is missing. If that is case, you probably need
to reinstall Windows because your system is missing key components. You can
download a copy of "gapi32.dll" at
this web page.
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