Updating Navionics CF cards

[laika]

At the boat show I bought an update CF card from the Navionics stand. The gentleman who sold it to me said there was no time limit on when I had to activate it and that I could install on it a different area from my existing card (currently have UK, want western europe). The box says it's simple: plug in the card, download the Navionics installer and hey presto.

I have Windows 8.1 in a virtual machine. I connect the CF reader to it. I can see the Navionics card in windows. I download the installer, run it, it says "detecting" with a spiny thing then...lands me on the page telling me to download the installer. And so it goes. Tried clicking on some other things but it always goes back round in a loop to the page telling me to install the installer (which is installed). Tried closing IE and running the installer. Tried turning it off and turning it on again.

The instructions are unclear as to whether I should start with my old card or the new one in the reader (I assume I'll have to validate my "update" with the old card at some point): I've tried both.

Support query sent to Navionics but they can take weeks to respond and I'm heading off cross channel for a couple of weeks this weekend.

Anyone used the Navionics updater on windows 8 and hit this problem?

 

[winsbury]

Had a similar cyclic installer problem when I updated last; I found that it was important that once the installer was running to reboot with the card out of the machine. Only once the pc was running then reinsert the card - the installer then detects the card and its just a matter of following the instructions. Admittedly this was a Vista machine and I wasnt trying anything so fancy as adding a new region so this may well be different for you.

 

[laika]

hmmm... I'll give it another go then although I did try rebooting at one point. Did you start by inserting the old card first or the new card? Wondering if they're expecting the account you're using to have admin rights rather than requesting them as needed. I'm not wholly comfortable with Windows...

 

[winsbury]

I was just updating one card which had expired so dont know the procedure for combining two or even if that is/isnt possible.

 

[prv]

For what it's worth, it worked fine on my Mac. I think you should start with the update card in the reader, and it asks for a quick look at the old one during the process.

You're on Linux, presumably?

Pete

 

[laika]

It seems that the process assumes that you've got admin rights. Not really being used to this insane old-style windows way of working I was using an unprivileged account. I had previously tried an admin account but that was before turning it off and turning it on again. I have now (with an admin account) progressed right up to the point where I've selected my region to download and it says "Oops! it looks like we had a problem while processing your request!" and the suggestion that I try again. Which I have done repeatedly.

I wouldn't fancy putting these clowns' rubbish software on a shiny new mac....

 

[prv]

I wouldn't fancy putting these clowns' rubbish software on a shiny new mac....

It does all feel a bit amateurish, but so far it has done what it's supposed to and not harmed anything else. I only have to use it once a year.

Pete

 

[winsbury]

It seems that the process assumes that you've got admin rights. Not really being used to this insane old-style windows way of working I was using an unprivileged account. I had previously tried an admin account but that was before turning it off and turning it on again. I have now (with an admin account) progressed right up to the point where I've selected my region to download and it says "Oops! it looks like we had a problem while processing your request!" and the suggestion that I try again. Which I have done repeatedly.

I wouldn't fancy putting these clowns' rubbish software on a shiny new mac....

You jogged my memory - yes that was the problem I had too on Vista, you must run the program with admin rights. Presumably 8.1 is similar.

 

[laika]

So the hugely informative "Oops!" message still appears despite clearing browser cache, reinstalling the downloader, turning-it-off-and-turning-it-on again. This is all on a pristine and fully updated install of windows with no other 3rd party stuff. The Navionics installer does have the helpful if grammatically dubious follow up of:
"You should try again, and if the problem is still there, and we'll help out. "
48 hours since I logged a support call. Yet to hear anything. Departing for the channel islands on the weekend. Fortunately have my paper charts. 90 quid of update chart and they don't even have an acceptable support structure in place. If only purchase of a chart plotter didn't tie you into one brand of chart....

 

[Barbican]

At the boat show I bought an update CF card from the Navionics stand. The gentleman who sold it to me said there was no time limit on when I had to activate it and that I could install on it a different area from my existing card (currently have UK, want western europe). The box says it's simple: plug in the card, download the Navionics installer and hey presto.

I have Windows 8.1 in a virtual machine. I connect the CF reader to it. I can see the Navionics card in windows. I download the installer, run it, it says "detecting" with a spiny thing then...lands me on the page telling me to download the installer. And so it goes. Tried clicking on some other things but it always goes back round in a loop to the page telling me to install the installer (which is installed). Tried closing IE and running the installer. Tried turning it off and turning it on again.

The instructions are unclear as to whether I should start with my old card or the new one in the reader (I assume I'll have to validate my "update" with the old card at some point): I've tried both.

Support query sent to Navionics but they can take weeks to respond and I'm heading off cross channel for a couple of weeks this weekend.

Anyone used the Navionics updater on windows 8 and hit this problem?

Had the same issue on 8.1 finally got a link to a different installer which worked, unfortunately the link for the download no longer functions. I found an old win7 laptop and that worked first time.

Looking at some of the files in my download folder I think I have the winzip file the link supplied. Happy to send it at your risk if you PM your email address

 

[laika]

Thanks to Barbican but I think I'll stick with doing everything strictly as they say so there's no excuses (if they ever reply to me). I found a windows 7 system (not virtualised): same problem. In desperation I did what I said I wouldn't do and put it on my shiny new mac. Still the same problem. Must be something to do with my account but you'd think they could be a bit more informative with the errors. I am very, very displeased with a company I was already unimpressed by following my experiences with their mobile stuff

 

[Barbican]

I understand - Good luck!

 

[laika]

Still no word from Navionics support but today I tried creating a new Navionics account. The one I had been using was the one I've used since purchasing the old card 3 years ago: that was right when they first introduced the ability to update charts online. Thought this wouldn't work seeing as I'd just validated the old/new cards with the existing account.

However it seems to have done the trick. Allowed me to progress to the "install freshest data" screen. Won't know if it works until I plug it into the plotter tomorrow but it hasn't thrown any errors. Perhaps there's some element of backwards compatibility they've broken for the early Navionics update accounts?

I am underwhelmed with Navionics security, error reporting, (possibly) backwards compatibility and certainly customer support (or lack thereof)