Corrupted Download?

[stillgolfing]

As a newbie here, this is more for my info than something I am really concerned about. When installing Silverback Mountain tonight, the Course Manager appeared to be working it's way (via the standard library not installed error message) through all my recently installed libraries that had nothing to do with the libraries associated with this course and was telling me I needed to install them. When the error messages finally ended (20 recently installed libraries later), I tried to play the course (the libraries associated with this course were installed initially before the other unrelated library notifications appeared). As expected - I guess? - when I tried to play the course I got a "cannot initialize selected course" error message
It is late, and I will delete all related files and try another download/instln again sometime tomorrow, but in the interim I was just curious if anyone had encountered anything like this before? Also, now that I think about it I'm not sure how I should delete a course. I notice in my directory the "designer" library files I have been installing via the "Course Manager"are external to the course directory, but the course file is in it. Should I go back and check the courses list for the associated library files and delete them also or should I just do another download and use the Course Manager to replace all the required files over the existing?
Cheers, Dave

[Indy Anna Jones]

I'm not sure I understand the first part of your question, but I can address the second part.

It's very simple to uninstall courses/libes. Open your course manager, click on the course/library you want to remove, then click "uninstall." Poof, it's gone. Also, I've both uninstalled existing libes/courses before reinstalling and I've overwritten them; both ways have worked okay for me, but I'm more likely to delete because they tend (on my computer anyway) to get written in various places on the HD and sometimes there's a conflict.

I don't think I've ever run into the problem you're relating. I guess the first thing I'd do is just shut down and reopen the course manager and then give it another go. This has solved the case of a missing libe that simply hasn't made it into the registry or something (sorry, I'm not very technical lol, I just try to find something easy that works.) Fortunately for all of us, we do have the "nerds" here who can help with the technical advice.

[tincup]

Dave,
The message you mention "Cannot initialize selected course..." is almost always a library problem.

I doesn't really matter where you put a course or library at install time. When you install a course/lib, a registry entry is built indicating where you put it... so, PGA2000 can find the elements at launch time via the registry. However, as a matter of good house keeping, you should have system that makes sense to you and allows you to find things when you need to. As a point of reference, I install everything... courses, libs, music files, course notes, etc into my Sierra > PGA2000 folder. Within that folder, I can group the entrys by type so all courses are together, all libs are together, etc. It is really handy to have all items together in one place.

Now, since you had trouble reading your course CDs at install time, you may not have gotten the stock libraries installed. That could be why you got so many "Lib missing..." messages.

I looked at Silverback Mountain's libraries and notice that it uses MHOtextures. This is one of the "Evil twin" libraries and may be the problem here. There is an item in the technical area (page 2) that discusses "Evil twin" libraries. In the case of MHO textures, Snowcappedmountain wipes out MHOTextures and visa versa. It is a pain, but there is no way to fix it since the designer is not around any more.

There is another item in the technical area that discusses the "cannot initialiize..." problem. In that post, there is some discussion on what tools you can use to analyze library problems.

Dar

PS... If you are seeing the contents of a folder in icon format, simply click on the "view" menu item and select "details". That will present the folder items in a list format (easier to work with, IMO)

[SteveHorn]

Dave! You should download the library idenification tool for any further problems with the
(cannot initilize course error). Any course that you download that gives you a problem, you can open this handy utilty select the course you are installing and it will tell you what libraries are missing. Don't forget what Dar told you about the evil twin.

[stillgolfing]

Thanks to all for your prompt responses. I will check out your recommendations and referenced info over the weekend.
Hope you all have a wonderful Easter, cheers Dave

[stillgolfing]

I would like to apologize for my newbie ignorance regarding this thread. I'm guessing my erroneous assumption that Course Manager was asking me to install certain libraries that I thought I had already installed was a result of finishing off that second gallon of red wine last night .
Apparently the course libraries listed with some courses are incomplete. How do I know this? .... you might ask, but then again, you might not ask, but I'm going to tell you anyway.
Today, while downloading courses I was (being sober .... I guess?) able to realize that the library lists for several courses are incomplete, which the Course Manager exhaustingly reminded me of, with the infamous library error message. Fortunately, Course Manager also kindly advises you of the other libraries that are required. Is that where the Library Identification Tool comes in handy? Haven't got around to checking out all the utilities yet, as there doesn't seem to be any explanation of the reason these utilities exist or how one might use them.
Possibly a "sticky" could be created for newbies advising of these issues. The good news is now that I figured it out, the courses I thought I had problems with run fine.
I know this all sounds really newbie whiney, but I still do really appreciate how helpful you all have been. Hope I haven't worn out my welcome.
Cheers, Dave

[SteveHorn]

Dave! The library identification tool is real helpful when you've had that second gallon of wine. The course manger will tell you whats missing as you install it but you ussually will tell it to keep going with the course install. Then if there are several libraries that still need installed and suddenly you can't remember them all, WALA library ID tool hear I come.

[Stan Nehilla]

Dave,

The CLTool is another nice utility. I have all the libraries installed and cloak all but the ones I need to play or design.
It also helps find and uncloak needed libraries & Courses

[Indy Anna Jones]

Dave, no apologies necessary. And if you got drunk on red wine( ) your hangover is enough punishment, lol.

Please ask away, any question, any time. You can't imagine how pleased we all are when someone comes aboard who is enthusiastic about our game and is running into the same problems we dealt with years ago (took my hub and I a day to get our first course installed, and then only because someone in Case's Ladder was kind and patient enough to type instructions and work with us.

I sometimes feel envious of people just starting out with the game and designer. What a joy it would be to discover it again for the first time. But then I think of what I would have missed over the last 10 years... well, it ain't so bad after all!