After complaints from customers who had bought the Admiralty / RYA chartplotting software, the RYA has confirmed that there is a compatibility problem with the newest version of Windows operating system, Windows Vista.

PBO reader Sandy Chisholm of Crianlarich, Scotland, wrote to PBO (published in PBO August issue on sale 5 July) as well as the RYA to complain that the chartplotter software would no longer work.

An RYA spokesman told PBO: ‘The current (2007) version of the Admiralty RYA Chart Plotter software was written before Microsoft launched Windows Vista and the compatibility issues Mr Chisholm has experienced could not have been anticipated at the time. We understand that these should be addressed when the UKHO releases the 2008 edition in December.
‘In the meantime, the UKHO has devised a fairly straightforward work-around that seems to solve the problem – although this cannot be guaranteed.’

The solution
The Vista operating system has a higher level of security than XP when installing data files within the C:Program Files folder. This causes the Chart Packs installation to fail with the error message ‘Chartpack Installation Failed’. The solution is to install the programme in its own specified folder outside the C:Programme Files folder structure. To do this:

1. Uninstall the programme (select Start – Programs – UKHORYA – Uninstall Admiralty RYA Electronic Chart Plotter).

2. Re-install the Chart Plotter but, when the ‘Select Installation Folder’ screen is displayed, select an alternative location by clicking Browse and creating a different folder within the C: drive, eg C:Chart Plotter.

3. When a new folder has been created, click on Next to continue the installation.

4. On completion, double-click on the Chart Plotter icon to run the programme and install the Chart Packs.

The current version of the Chart Plotter remains compatible with Microsoft Windows NT4, Service Pack 4, 2000 and XP, as stated on the packaging. For students beginning RYA training courses this autumn, The Training version of the Chart Plotter included in course packs has already been made Vista-compatible.