Make sure to update to CNG version 1.23 today if you haven't already.  Version 1.22 contained an issue with Geobrowse causing users to receive the ''no results' message whenever they tried to add a location with the Geobrowse tool. This has been fixed but will require the online upgrade of the software to version 1.23. 

Please note that this update does not activate the 'copy-to-hard drive' functionality; however, our next entry provides instructions for PC users who wish to copy their six discs to their local hard drive.

*These instructions have been updated.  Please see the Updated PC/Snow Leopard Copy-to-Hard Drive Instructions instead. 

The following instructions cover how PC users can copy the six The Complete National Geographic: 120 Years discs (not the Bonus disc) to your local hard drive.  Please note: This does not activate the copy-to-hard-drive functionality in your Preferences. That option will be released for both Mac and PC systems in a forthcoming update. We suggest you read what follows in its entirety before copying the DVDs to your hard drive.

Requirements:

• The Complete National Geographic: 120 Years (CNG) v1.12 or later installed on your computer
• CNG DVD discs (not the Bonus Disc
• Two - three hours (most of this time will be spent waiting, allowing you to do other things)

Location of the CNG Cache Folder:

The application automatically uses any images it finds in a special folder called the cache folder.  Whenever the application attempts to read images from a DVD, it first checks the cache folder.  If the images are found in the cache folder, no DVD access is attempted.  The location of the cache folder depends on your operating system.

WinXP

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application          Data\com.nationalgeographic.products.cng120.68B1CC4249876152EBE333BD4B7514ADB4D94062.1\Local Store\cache

Vista and Win7 C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\com.nationalgeographic.products.cng120.68B1CC4249876152EBE333BD4B7514ADB4D94062.1\Local Store\cache

OR

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\com.nationalgeographic.products.cng120.68B1CC4249876152EBE333BD4B7514ADB4D94062.1\Local Store\#SharedObjects

Copy All the 'DiscX' folders to the cache folder:

Each DVD contains a root-level folder called 'discX' where 'X' is the number of the disc you want to copy. So, Disc 1 contains a folder called 'disc1' and Disc 2 contains a folder called 'disc2', etc.  Our goal is to end up with all six 'discX' folders and their contents copied from DVD to their discX' subfolders inside the cacheFolder. When all the copying is done, your cacheFolder should contain six folders:

  cacheFolder/disc1
  cacheFolder/disc2
  cacheFolder/disc3
  cacheFolder/disc4
  cacheFolder/disc5
  cacheFolder/disc6

Six Steps to Copying the Six CNG Discs to Your Local Hard Drive:

1. Shut down the CNG application (select the Exit button).
2. Open the cacheFolder (see the one for your operating system above). The cachefolder will contain just one subfolder named 'thumbs'.
3. Insert Disc 1 into the DVD drive.  Wait for the operating system to recognize the disc, which can take 20-30 seconds. (If you get a message that says 'application is current' when trying to open the DVD drive with Disc 1, then right click on the drive and select 'open' instead of double-clicking on the drive with Disc1).
4. Drag the 'disc1' folder from the DVD drive to the cacheFolder. Dragging the 'disc1' folder to the cacheFolder window will start the copy process.
5. Relax... read a book... weed the garden...walk the dog...take a cat nap. Each disc will take about 20-30 minutes to copy.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for discs 2 thru 6.

You're done and you can launch the CNG application now!

(Windows users: If you are still asked to 'Insert Disc 1' after you have completed copying all the discs, hold down the 'ALT' key and click 'Okay' and you should move past this message.)

Frequently Asked Questions:

1.  What about the other files on Disc 1?

Disc 1 also contains the application installer and Adobe Air Runtime, plus a few other supporting files. None of these files need to be copied and are already stored on the DVD outside of 'disc1.'

2.  Okay, I've copied all the DVDs to the cacheFolder.  Now what?

Just start the CNG application again and you should no longer receive the prompt to insert a disc.

3.  Does the order in which I copy the discs matter?

Nope.  Just make sure you copy all six DVDs.

Of course, if you have any other questions, let us know. 

   

Geobrowse is malfunctioning at the moment.  New searches (if you try to add a new location either by typing a name or dropping a PIN on the map) are not recognized. If you have existing search locations they are operable. 

The development team is trying to determine if this is a software issue or a problem with the Web interface.  We will keep you informed on progress.

Many of you (and many of us) have reported that not having the ability to rotate landscape pages, photos, or maps reduces the enjoyment level of The Complete National Geographic: 120 Years.  Our initial information indicated that this had to do with copyright issues; however, the development team informed us last week that, indeed, rotation functionality will be available in a forthcoming update. 

We do not have a date for this yet, but will post it here when we have it. 

In the meantime -- not that this is an optimal solution at all -- many users are taking screen shots (using various software products) of content they want to rotate, copy or print. 

*These instructions have been updated.  Please see the newer Update: Copy-to-Hard Drive Instructions for Mac (Tiger/Leopard) Users.

Good News for Mac Users:

As promised the development team has been working hard to release the copy to hard-drive update and can provide it to Mac users now (except for those systems with Snow Leopard).

(The team is still working on the PC version of copy to hard drive, so stay tuned here for news on its availability.)

Here is the link to the zip file for the full installer for Mac users (remember, this update is NOT for systems using Snow Leopard):

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/updates/products/cng120/CNG_DVD_Installer_RC7.zip

Please read through these instructions prior to running the installer:

• Close the CNG application if it is currently running
  

• Download the installer from the link provided above

• Run the application from any folder. It does not need to be installed into any special place

• Insert Disc 1 once the application prompts you to do so

• Wait for indication that the DVD is being copied. You should see indicators of "percentage complete" or an increase in the number of megabytes copied. Please note:  It can take 30-90 seconds for OSX to start allowing the full-content installer to read from a DVD.  One the copying starts copy throughput will take between 1-6 MB/second

• Each disc takes between 30-45 minutes to copy

• Swap discs when prompted

• Continue until you've copied all six DVDs

As mentioned in this morning's entry, it's important to keep your software current by setting your software for automatic updates.  This will, upon start up, notify you of the latest latest builds to download.

The CNG development team announced that the latest update, Version 1.22 of CNG is now available and addresses the following issues:

• Back button -- Top navigation bar includes a previous/next button.
• Find Related Articles Feature  --  Related articles option (roll-over icon which appears in bottom left/right of article pages) now provides a sub-menu to search for related articles by subject or by contributor (author/photographer).
• Printing --  Users can now print full articles.
• Search Data Dials -- Made larger for easier manipulation
• Center Carousel Item Now Clickable --  Users can click directly on magazine cover, article abstract or search result to go straight to cover or article without have to click on button for "read article" or "read issue."
• DVD Switch Cancel --  If you cancel a request to switch DVDs, the application will leave you in your current state.  Previously, it returned you to a "browse issues" state.
• Page Mapping -  Various page mapping errors have been corrected (links to article which may have been off by a page).

Some of you have asked how to tell which version of The Complete National Geographic: 120 Years software you have.  If you click on the Preferences tab on the menu at the top of your screen, a box pops up.  Select the Updates tab and version information will be listed for both the CNG software and Air Runtime.  Setting your preferences for automatic updates will ensure that you always have the most current and updated version of the software.  The development team is constantly working to improve the software and the CNG Support Team is in constant communication with them about the feedback you provide us.

You can track exactly what each update contains by reading the Release Notes.  When starting your software you will be notified if updates are ready (or you can select Update Now in your Preferences).  A box will appear giving you the choice to Download Now or Download Later.  Select Release Notes and a description of each update appears.

A few of you have written to say that during installation of The Complete National Geographic, selecting the button  that indicates you agree to the EULA (End User Licensing Agreement) does not work or freezes your system. Here's what you may have experienced:

1) You scroll to the bottom of the EULA while reading it carefully. (You do read it, right?)
2) You select "Agree" or "Okay" and the UI (User Interface) doesn't respond.
3) You select "Agree" or "Okay" again and the UI still doesn't respond.
4) You try once more and the UI freezes.

Don't feel bad.  It is not you.  It is a known UI issue where the "Agree" button does not change states after it's been selected by the user.  This may be because you didn't scroll to the bottom of the of the EULA, indicating that you actually read it. 

Solution:  Please be sure to scroll to the bottom of the EULA by using the Up and Down arrows on its side scrollbar.  Then press "Agree".   The agreement should then be accepted.

In some cases because the UI doesn't communicate that a user agrees, the user continues to click "Agree" quickly or several times in a row.  This can cause the application to freeze. 

If this happens, just close the application and re-start it.   The application should load, bypassing the EULA acceptance screen.

Several of you have commented that during installation, the green installation progress bar stops moving about 3/4 of the way through the process and there is nothing to indicate whether the program is still working or may have stalled. If you suspect that the installation has stalled and close the progress bar window while the software is still running, you should receive a message asking if you wish to interrupt installation. If you do not receive that message, close the window, and restart the process. The software should continue at the point where it was interrupted.

The Development Team is addressing this issue in upcoming versions, but please share your experiences with the installation progress bar window so that we can provide the development team with as much information as possible and, perhaps, find another solution until the next version is released.

The CNG Support Team doesn't believe in scripted answers to your questions. We believe in the shared experience. So, along with learning all the information, FAQ documents and QuickStart Guides, we load The Complete National Geographic DVDs and Hard Drives on our machines, too. This means we install the software on PCs, MACs, machines with different operating systems, different RAM amounts and different hard drive sizes. We have systems that scream and systems that, well, might not. You name it, we do it. In this way, we are more likely to recognize and already have a solution for a problem or issue you report to us. Of course, there are always a few among the members of the CNG Support Team who open the box and toss their QuickStart Guides to the side. 

We among the "read the QuickStart Guide" group on the CNG Support Team had fewer issues with the installation process. Those among the "don't read the QuickStart Guide" group reported that in most cases their problem was addressed in the guide once they read it or reread it.

This is not to say that the QuickStart Guides will address every question or issue everyone may have with installation. It's just that in our opinion, the best start is reading the QuickStart Guide. Here are some tips from the team.

• Make sure your computer system is listed as one that supports The Complete National Geographic: 120 Years.  
• As with adding all new programs to your system, before you start, check to make sure your system is running as well as it should.  Remove unused programs, back up old documents, scan your discs.  Regular computer maintenance isn't a bad thing and installing new software, no matter what type or when, is always a good reason to tune up your system.
• Read the QuickStart Guide twice (it's short and... quick).  Then read it one step at a time as you go through the process.
• Download Adobe Air (not Adobe Reader or another Adobe product) if you do not have it on your system.
  
• The CNG Support Team suggests you download the latest version of Adobe Air before starting the installation process. Then if prompted with the choice to upgrade Adobe Air, you can select "no."

Remember, we're here if you have questions.

The CNG Support Team, stood by this weekend ready to answer the questions and read the comments you all had after receiving and installing The Complete National Geographic.  We saw three main categories of questions:

• Installation issues
• Whether photos could be rotated
  
• Copying DVDs to Hard Drives
  

Installation Issues

So far the questions raised about installation have been disparate and sometimes required that we request more information from you.  If you are having problems, please use the Ask the CNG Support Team link in the left sidebar and provide as much information as possible.  We will raise your issues to the Development Team, if we do not have an answer, and respond to you as quickly as possible. 

Your questions may help us identify universal issues which can be addressed through simple instructions or in future product updates. We'd like to thank those of you who took the time to provide detailed emails and, in some cases, screen shots as we worked with you to sort out your problem.

Rotating Photos

For those of you who asked whether there was a way to rotate landscape pictures, the answer is no. The content and photos were scanned as they were originally printed in The National Geographic Magazine. Everything was scanned with the binding vertical. There is no way to rotate pictures now and it will not be a forthcoming update.  There aren't any lawyers on the CNG Support Team, but we're sure the inability to rotate photos has to do with copyright agreements and such.  We are not allowed to change much about the content from the way it was originally published or scanned.

Copying DVDs to Hard Drives

A free update that will allow you to copy your DVDs to your Hard Drive will be available soon.  Watch this blog for the announcement of its availability.

We're always checking in to see if you leave comments. Feel free to share your thoughts on The Complete National Geographic.