Topic: Humviewer does not open file {how long should it take?}

[drawde]

I downloaded file to desktop and clicked on file in Humviewer but it will not open.

[sonar2000]

Depending on the size of the file it could take forever. 

Seriously, for  files longer than 10 minutes of recording you will start to see longer load times.
This increases as the recording files gets longer.

Other factors are other open programs, speed of processor, memory including paging memory, graphic settings or hardware.....

what is the size of your recording in minutes?

Chuck

[drawde]

Thanks Chuck. The recording is 10 minutes.  I have a Compaq FS7600 with Intel 346 and 512 MB memory.  I even downloaded zipfile from Humviewer website and it has been opening for 15 minutes.

[sonar2000]

1/2 meg of memory is small these days, but still should open the 10 minute recording. 

Try right click on the bottom of the screen and open the task manager.  click on task manager, then click on applications.  check to see if you have any applications not responding. 

when you downloaded the zip file did you have an unzip program. 

Which is hanging.  the download or the opening of the recording. 

I may have misunderstood you.

Chuck

[drawde]

The download of the file is hanging. My CPU usage is in the 4 to6% range.  I can click on utilities and get the zoom window so the program seems to be properly downloaded.  Would adding another 512MB to computer help or is it time yo upgrade?  Once again thank you Chuck for your replies.

[sonar2000]

wow, I dont know if adding memory or getting new.  I am in the same decision proces here on one of our computers  (older model) .   slow internet downloads. 

I am thinking that by hanging of the recording file is what you are saying.  This coul.d be the small memory. However on one of our older computers we do see longer downloads of the recordings before humviewer will open.  that usually is on recordings of 30 minutes.  Which is why we try to keep recordings to the 10 to 12 minute runs.  Even on the newer larger computer we see slow loads if the recording file is  big.

dont know what to say except try this on another computer if you have one available. 

Interesting.  Keep us up dated on any findings. 

Also check with an IT teckie and see if a memory upgrade is worth the expense   or is it better to purchase a newer puter.
Chuck

[pig75]

My old laptop has 512m ram and a 1500 processor, windows XP runs humviewer fine
have opened up 1/2 hr recordings with no problems

[sonar2000]

Another thought is what virus program are you running.  Or maybe check some of the setting on the virus menue. 

Chuck

[benamen]

I used Humviewer for the first time this week and thought I had the same problem. The screen showed the first second of play and then stopped there and never went any further no matter how long I left it. Finally found out I had to start the playback of the file manually. Viewed the one hour file without a problem after that.
Ben

[sonar2000]

Good job, Ben.  Yes humviewer does not start up auto.  Glad you figured that out.  Also, other than a longer time to load the file the 1 hour is good data.   where we run into long times is above the 1 hour and for SAR we really try to keep the files down to 20 minutes. so we can reference back easier.
Glad you are finding humviewer useful and remember that in the winter the old files are great to watch over a hot cup of tea.

Chuck

[drawde]

When I try to open a file it shows it opening at 50% but will not go any higher.

[benamen]

Generally speaking, a computer with a shortage of ram will just take a long time to work with a file but will finally complete its task. I tried to see what the specs are on your computer but I could only bring up a Compaq monitor with the model number you provided. A couple things you could try would be: find an inexpensive registry cleaner and run it; back up All of your data and important files, then format your hard drive and reinstall Windows and all the drivers for the devices connected to your computer. Also check to ensure you have not run out of storage space on your hard drive.
Of course it is always nice to have a faster computer if your budget can stand it. I am running Humviewer on a 32 bit Vista computer(2 GB ram) and a 64 bit Windows 7 computer and have had no problems with either.

[drawde]

Thanks everyone! I got the viewer to work with SD card in the UBS First recording will not play, but second one did. I also got the sample to run by assigning the file to the Humviewer. For some reason when I downloaded the files I could not transfer them to Humviewer. Thanks for all your help!

[muskyhunter]

To answer the question of whether to get more memory or a new computer, that decision should be made after performing some system tuning.  I have been working in I.T. for over 10 years and it still amazes me how much junk people have on their computer and how many systems are not set correctly.  Many systems can benefit from some system optimization and removal of junk software.   

The following items are some basic areas I will generally target for improving system performance.
 
NOTE: This is not intended as a step by step guide for improving performance. 

DISCLAIMER: If you are unfamiliar with these items, it is strongly recommended to have your computer professional address your performance issues.

1.  Visual Effects:  Each visual effect/animation consumes memory and adds little value to the user.  Suggest to choose a custom level.  De-select all options except for "Smooth edges of screen fonts", "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop", and "Use visual styles on windows and buttons." 

2.  Startup items:  How many programs run at startup?  If the system tray is loaded with icons, each of those programs claims a chunk of physical memory on each startup.  Some ways to avoid this is when installing programs, choose the custom option and look for an option that suggests running at startup.  Advanced users can use the msconfig utility to de-select items from running at startup, but will not go into this as this is a risky option reserved for advanced users.  The goal here is to reduce the number of programs that run at startup so that more RAM is available for other applications.

3.  Defrag and Check Disk:  Right-click your C: drive and select Properties.  Select the Tools tab.  I generally recommend that the Error-Checking item be selected first.  Click the Check Now button and select both options in the next window.  Reboot the computer to start the error checking.  This can take 30 to 60 minutes or longer depending on the number of files and drive size.  Performing this check identifies areas of the drive that might be problematic and correct those errors or mark the area of the disk as a problem.  This will help in the event the disk is being accessed for virtual memory and not able to access parts of the drive. 

For defragmentation perform this after running check disl.  Access the same menu but select defragmentation and the defragment now button.  In the next window select "Defragment."  This process can take quite some time as well.  What will occur is your disk files will be essentially resorted so that your file pieces are not scattered on the hard drive which contributes to the hard drive responding slowly. 

4.  Page File Size:  Once your drive has been checked and defragmented, set the min and max page file size to 3 times your physical memory.  Set it in blocks of 8.  For example, 1G of RAM or 1000MB of RAM is actually 1024 MB of RAM.  3 times would be 3072.  The reason is setting the min and max to be the same is to reduce fragmentation on the hard drive.  Microsoft recommends the min to be 1.5 times the RAM and the max to 3 times but will result in file fragmentation over time.  Working with large files and non optimal virtual memory (page file) sizing can over time have an effect on drive and system performance.  Having windows manage the page file size is not my favorite recommendation as it tends to make fragmentation worse in my opinion.

5.  Remove Junk Software:  As a general rule, remove toolbars such as google, bing, ask jeeves, etc.  A lot of these find their way onto a system by means of another software install and the user did not select the custom option to uncheck that item from being installed.  It won't necessarily help with memory but is a good practice as they are redundant and can corrupt Internet Explorer files and functionality. 

Advanced Users:  For those who want to delve into addressing startup items, here is a link on how to use msconfig

DISCLAIMER:  Using msconfig incorrectly can potentially prevent your system from running correctly or starting.  It is recommended that for most users consult with a computer professional about performance issues.  There are no do-overs with this tool.  The startup tab is fairly safe to get into, but the other tabs should not be used at all.  Only deselect programs from startup that you are familiar with or research other listed programs before disabling a program from startup.

http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/index.html