worked on xp doesn't work on win 7

[LemuelSkidmore]

I used explorer v10 under windows xp.  I upgraded to windows7 (Home Premium, 64-bit, (same computer) and now I'm told my graphics adapter is inadequate.  Same adapter that worked on xp.

Any ideas on how I can get around this?

[V_StuartFoote]

Verify that your Widnows 7 OpenGL driver is at least version 1.3 capable, but preferably OpenGL 2.0

Use this tool:
[INDENT]http://www.realtech-vr.com/glview/download.html[/INDENT]

You will probably find that the default OpenGL drivers installed with Windows 7 is not the most functional for your GPU.  With updated drivers from the video GPU manufacturer you may then be OK. It may take a little to get it all sorted.

Unfortunately, if you can't get to at least OpenGL 1.3 in Windows 7, you will need to replace the video card or move back to XP with OpenGL support on the same hardware.

Good luck.

Stuart

[LemuelSkidmore]

Stuart, thank you.

I think you're telling me that it's a driver problem.

I am unable to download OpenGL--I get no response from the link you provided--click download and all I get is a cycle of ads. 

Anyway, you have pointed me in a direction, so I have some things to check. I also tried installing it on a linux machine (Ubuntu Lucid), but ran into java problems.

[V_StuartFoote]

Yes, chances are that your Windows 7 GPU driver is only meeting OpenGL 1.1 level compliance.

Sorry about the link. The Realtech-VR page is PHP and layout a little confusing to get to the right download. But, here is the direct link to the Windows version of their utility.

[INDENT]ftp://ftp2.realtech-vr.com/realtechv/pub/glview334.exe[/INDENT]

The utility will help you verify what driver you have for both OpenGL and ActiveX, and what level of compatibility you have with each. It also will provide links to the GPU manufacturers driver site which you'll have to download and install.

Post back if you have any questions.

Stuart

[LemuelSkidmore]

Thanks again.

I have a Lenovo Thinkpad r61 with an intel gm965 express driver. Running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

Intel tells me that I have a proprietary driver and may have problems if I install their generic driver. Lenovo does  not have Windows 7 drivers for this machine. They have a Vista driver, but Windows will not install it (wrong os--and yes, I checked that it was the Vista 64 bit). 

I've taken this up on the Lenovo support forums.

[LemuelSkidmore]

Thanks again.

Verify that your Widnows 7 OpenGL driver is at least version 1.3 capable, but preferably OpenGL 2.0

Use this tool:

    http://www.realtech-vr.com/glview/download.html.

The tool reports OpenGL 2.0. I have other reports from the Thinkpad forums of Explorer not working on Windows 7. 

I have the latest driver, I have OpenGL support, what else do I need?

Again, Explorer worked on this same computer under XP...only after I upgraded to Windows 7 does it fail. The problem: it will start up, but will not display anything (the map area contains whatever I had displaying before I launched explorer--desktop, firefox page, or whatever).

[V_StuartFoote]

Lemuel,

OK, you're making progress! A Windows 7 installation is definitely supported with ArcGIS Explorer build 1500. You don't have any other ESRI products loaded at present, correct?

So from the ESRI ArcGIS Explorer support site:
[INDENT]http://resources.arcgis.com/content/arcgis-explorer/1500/system-requirements
[/INDENT]

[INDENT]Supported Operating System
[INDENT]Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, Home Premium (32-bit and 64-bit (EM64T))[/INDENT]

Software Requirements
[INDENT]Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 or equivalent must be installed prior to installing ArcGIS Explorer.

Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) 4.0 Service Pack 2 must be installed prior to installing ArcGIS Explorer.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 7.0 or 8.0 must be installed prior to installing ArcGIS Explorer.[/INDENT][/INDENT]

ESRI provides a link to a "can you run it" test utility.

With a new Windows 7 installation, you will have a number of .NET updates to apply via Windows Updates.

Additionally, I would suggest going ahead and updating the MSXML4 to SP3 and applying the KB973685 update

Work through all those new install Windows 7 updates, AND uninstall the ArcGIS Explorer installation. Clean things up (use a utility like CCleaner-- http:www.piriform.com/ccleaner ) and reboot.

Make one more attempt at installing ArcGIS Explorer. Reboot, and then see if ArcGIS Explorer will launch cleanly.

Stuart

[LemuelSkidmore]

OK. I did install .net before Explorer.  I installed it again. (Explorer claims to verify the .net version during install).

I got MSXML 4.

I ran the cleaner.

Rebooted.

Reinstalled Explorer.

No change.

"Can you run it" won't run now (it says it's installing, but never finishes)...but I did get it to run before and it barked at my graphics card.

That's why I started this thread--I can't believe the card is a problem when it is not a problem under XP.

Any other thoughts?

[V_StuartFoote]

Lemuel,

As you've found, there are a number of driver issues for hardware when vendors like Lenovo, or Intel for that matter, choose not to support their systems when new OSs are released. They can make the economic case, but it often leaves owners in limbo when it comes to applications that require the updated feature support of new drivers to be able to continue to run software on the new OS.

I don't know for sure, but it seems that if you've gotten your Lenovo/Intel GPU driver in place to support OpenGL 2.0 specifications, you should be able to install and run ArcGIS Explorer under Windows 7.

Other than the driver issues for marginally supported hardware, the other major difference between XP and Vista/Windows 7 is UAC--which must be dealt with.

I assume that you know to run the installations as Administrator to bypass UAC constraints. That by-the-way is probably the reason the ESRI provided "can you run it" applet did not run.

A viable alternative with Windows 7, is to activate the built-in Administrator account and attempt the installation and updates under that log-in. Here is how you'd do that.

Run a command prompt as Administrator and enter:

net user Administrator /Active:yes

Since you are on Windows 7 Home Premium you'll also need to launch the registry editor, e.g. regedit.exe, from the same elevated command prompt. And navigate down the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE key opening each "+" and create new registry keys as needed to end up with:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

Add to it a DWORD value Administrator setting its value to "1"

[INDENT][INDENT]Note: Any change to the registry is immediate and irreversible, so be careful and certain of each action.[/INDENT][/INDENT]

Log out.

You'll now have an Administrator login on the welcome screen that you can use for software installation and management free of UAC restrictions.
Note: you should set a password for the newly activated Administrator account from the User Accounts icon on the Control Panel--and don't use this account for your every day use.

Finally, give the "can you run it", and removal/install cycle another go from this account and see if you have any better results.

Good luck, and post back if any of this was unclear.

Stuart

[LemuelSkidmore]

Stuart,

Thanks for hanging with me.  I discovered the "run as administrator" during this process.  The "can you run it" doesn't give me the option--it installs from the web site--I did get it to install once, but now it just hangs.

It appears to me that the administrator account you're suggesting is analogous to the root user on linux and the run as administrator analogous to using sudp.

I'll read up on UAC and decide whether I want to re-install Win7 and start over or try to move forward.

I'll let you know.