Jump to content

Anyone use the old canal Planner software?

Arthur Marshall

By Arthur Marshall
in Boat Equipment

 Share

Featured Posts

Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

Posted
Posted

Anyone out there still use Syd Arkless old Canal Planner? Mine has stopped working all of a sudden, and I suspect some kind of Windows update has knackered it. I've always liked it and it runs (or rather, ran) offline, which was nice... anyone else having a problem with it, or am I the last dinosaur?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lydfordcastle Community Regular

lydfordcastle

Posted
Posted

Anyone out there still use Syd Arkless old Canal Planner? Mine has stopped working all of a sudden, and I suspect some kind of Windows update has knackered it. I've always liked it and it runs (or rather, ran) offline, which was nice... anyone else having a problem with it, or am I the last dinosaur?

 

Yes, I'm still using it with no problems apart from the lack of updates. If you need to borrow the original CD just PM me next time you're passing Grimes Bridge on the North Oxford and I'll let you borrow it for a reload.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pelicanafloat Community Regular

pelicanafloat

Posted
Posted

Anyone out there still use Syd Arkless old Canal Planner? Mine has stopped working all of a sudden, and I suspect some kind of Windows update has knackered it. I've always liked it and it runs (or rather, ran) offline, which was nice... anyone else having a problem with it, or am I the last dinosaur?

 

Arthur, are you still at Sid's farm, Astbury?

 

 

Yes, I'm still using it with no problems apart from the lack of updates. If you need to borrow the original CD just PM me next time you're passing Grimes Bridge on the North Oxford and I'll let you borrow it for a reload.

 

there is a possibility we might be coming past you om our way from Reading to Yelvertoft ... that is, if we could find Grimes Bridge on the map. We could pic a copy up and give it to Arthur when we go up to Macclesfield later this year. Or we could post it to Sid ....

 

cheers! Stewart

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Trouble it, I;ve tried reinstalling the damn thing and I've got an activation code and a key code, but it wants something else as well that it used to get from the website, which I haven't got and there's no website any more. The guy who fettled it sent me a code yonks ago but its lost in the maze of computers I;ve owned since then! Ah well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dave Payne Influencer

Dave Payne

Posted
Posted

Is this the software that he stopped selling as he has moved to Oz? I think he still supports you if you purchased a copy, mail him!

 

Net framework linky http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17851

 

As above poster says, uninstall the software, then download this and install, or update, then try the software back on again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Reinstalling doesn't work. It gets as far as the registration, when you have two codes that come with the thing. The prog then tries to go online to get the third code it needs, but as the site doesn't work any more, the final code is unobtainable and everything grinds to a halt. I've mailed him at the address on the website, but am not sure it's still even looked at.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lockedout Collaborator

lockedout

Posted
Posted (edited)

The website is still up and the registration doesn't expire until March 2014. The initial registration is down to a Dave A... in Lincs but has been transferred to an address in Perth, Aus.

 

So that all fits.

 

Try emailing - dave@infoclub.co.uk - this is the admin address for the site. If he is still maintaining the site from down under, this should get to him. (sorry if this is the one you have tried already)

 

I can get you a snail mail address in Aus, if you think you need it.

 

HTH

Edited by lockedout
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Thanks for that - I've tried the email address on the website and now the one above. No reply yet but I live in hope... I know the website still exists, but the registration engine doesn't connect to it any more.

That bounces... says try dave at metis-au dot com... so have...

Edited by Arthur Marshall
Link to comment
Share on other sites
PhilR Experienced

PhilR

Posted
Posted

Thanks for that - I've tried the email address on the website and now the one above. No reply yet but I live in hope... I know the website still exists, but the registration engine doesn't connect to it any more.

That bounces... says try dave at metis-au dot com... so have...

 

I have an old beta copy if that is any help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Bugger - just got this from Dave Arkliss:
"I regret to say that I have had to decommission the server required for Canal Planner 7 to run. I kept it running for 2 1/2 years after stopping selling Canal Planner, but the costs of GBP 1,300 per annum were just to high to maintain on an ongoing basis.

I am truly sorry that I can't help, but I am afraid I had to draw a line under it somewhere. "

 

 

Understandable, but there you go. Only hope is if anyone out there could let me have duplicate codes - all three of them - the two that came with the prog and the one that they got off the website. Then I can boot up again (I think.) Otherwise it has to go in the bin, and it was useful. Shame he couldn't just amend it so it ran without the final code, but I suppose its my fault for not writing the damn thing down!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Seems an obvious question...

 

If you are in email contact with the chap, can he not provide you with the necessary code??

 

(Or was it algorithmically generated by the server?)

I think it was provided by the server, so he can't provide the codes any more. Hey ho.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
lockedout Collaborator

lockedout

Posted
Posted

Another thought......

 

If he has given up on the software completely, would he be prepared to relinquish his IPR and pass the source code on to someone else?

 

I have never used it, but if it is any good it might be worth finding a coder (nope, not me) who might be able to resurrect the project?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Richard Fairhurst Rising Star

Richard Fairhurst

Posted
Posted

Faintly horrified that an activation server can cost £1,300 to run a year. I've just bought a crazily powerful Hetzner webserver (32GB RAM) and even that costs under £500 a year. I can't imagine the hardware requirements of an activation server for an early-2000s Windows app can be that great...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 7 months later...
Arthur Marshall Veteran II

Arthur Marshall

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi, have same problem, tried to install on new machine. Has anyone got a copy of the earlier version which did not need activation ?

or has anyone found a similar program for using on a PC?

I've given up and binned it. Thought I had the old one somewhere but no... shame he couldn;t just issue a universal activation code seeing as how it wasn;t the cheapest software in the world. Or put the old version online...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I've given up and binned it. Thought I had the old one somewhere but no... shame he couldn;t just issue a universal activation code seeing as how it wasn;t the cheapest software in the world. Or put the old version online...

That's because he is dead

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.