BMW's Repair Manual CD will not Install on my Laptop - Please Help

[Michael B]

Soon after I purchased my new 2011 R1200 RT, I bought the companion BMW Motorrad Repair Manual CD from the dealer at $110!

 

Well, last night I tried to install the CD onto the same small ASUS Laptop PC I carry on trips for GS-911 purposes. Try as hard as I might, no install features were present. It is possible that BMW doesn't want the CD to install and made it Read-Only. Does anyone know? This sounds like a DR speciality!

 

Promised BaseCamp update for DR: A month or so ago I put out a string asking if there was an easier routing program than BaseCamp. You responded with a new-to-me way of planning routes in BaseCamp and it has worked very well...to the point I am actually appreciating BaseCamp and its more than expected capabilities. It has been an interesting revelation. I also found some excellent tutorials that may help others struggling with BaseCamp: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/41134

 

Would appreciate any help with installing the BMW Repair Manual CD on my little laptop.

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Michael

 

There are more than a few ways to install that BMW Manual on your computer.

 

First, it is a DVD not a CD so it is very large (will your laptop hold it?)

 

When I install those DVD's on my computer I just drag & drop the entire DVD contents onto a drive on my computer (usually into a folder I make named BMW RepRom (or anything you want to name it).

 

Then, find the .EXE in those contents (probably something like XX RepROM.exe). (usually has a BMW roundel showing)

 

Then drag or right click that .exe & make a shortcut on my desktop.

 

A simple double left click on the shortcut should then open the RepRom.

 

Added: BMW did not make them with an installable application so there is no simple INSTALL option on the DVD.

[Michael B]

DR, thanks for your quick reply, but I'm still hung up.

 

First, I'm no computer wizard. I tried each of your suggested steps with no luck, or partial actions. Never found a RepRom.exe file. I did get a desktop shortcut, double clicked it and got the first three or so usual screens all messed up. It is asking a lot, but if you could give me a detailed install step-by-step here or on pm, it would be appreciated. If you are ever in Cincinnati, I'll be happy to buy you lunch.

 

The BMW DVD needs "at least 200 MB free storage capacity and write access." My laptop C: drive has 82.9 GB free, and Data D: drive has 157 GB free space. It also has Windows 8.1 and I can make little sense of it. Also, your BaseCamp info last month was very helpful, so thanks there!

 

 

[dirtrider]

Morning Michael

 

That 200MB for your DVD is JUST working room for things accessed from the DVD.

 

To put the DVD ON your computer you will need WAY more room than that (probably well over 1.5 GB).

 

It looks like you have plenty of space on your laptop to put it & have enough left over to allow it to work.

 

I don't have a windows 8.1 computer handy that I can install the BMW DVD on so I'm not sure what you are dealing with.

 

Hopefully someone will post here shortly that has installed your version RepRom on a Windows 8 computer.

 

Otherwise about all I can tell you is to make sure--

 

That you dragged the ENTIRE DVD contents to a folder & drive on your computer.

 

That you are then clicking on the correct .EXE to execute the program (on my computers it looks like a small BMW roundel)

 

 

Maybe right click on the shortcut & look at it's Properties to see if it points to the drive, & folder it is in , & it says something like RepRom.exe.

 

 

 

 

[mwood7800]

I had same problem. Had to borrow another laptop

[dirtrider]

Have you dragged the ENTIRE DVD contents to a folder & drive on your computer.

 

Additional thought-- You might to turn on show hidden files & folders to see if you copied ALL the files & folders from the DVD to your computer.

[awagnon]

Just for fun, I just installed my shop manual DVD onto my computer hard drive. Works great ( thanks DR ) and it took up 5.76 GB for the F-twin, all models, DVD.

[Michael B]

DR, I finally have the BMW DVD installed on my laptop hard drive, but not as you would think. I tried your "show hidden files and folders" and everything else the past several days with no luck. Then I called the service department of the BMW dealer I bought the DVD from...no help. Called Microsoft Technical Support and got a sales pitch for a $149 support package...no help. Finally I called a reputable local computer shop and a very knowledgable guy took over my computer and installed the DVD in fifteen minutes...SUCCESS!! But thanks lots for trying to help as much as you did. I now have my GS-911 software, BaseCamp, and service DVD all on my small laptop...it doesn't get much better than that!

 

Now, another question: In reviewing some routes I created in PC BaseCamp on my laptop today, the magenta line suddenly is beside but not entirely on the chosen road or lane. I didn't make any changes I know of and have perused every item in the program to get it back on the road. Any ideas? Thanks much.

[dirtrider]

Evening Michael

 

Lots of ideas but nothing that is a for-sure.

 

Was the route made on the exact same map as the map that is on your laptop?

 

Is the map showing in your "Base Camp" map box the same as the route was made on.

 

You might try recalculating the route in your laptop's Base Camp to see if it THEN follows the road (if so then possibly a mapping issue between where the route was made & what you currently have on your laptop.

 

If after recalculate it still doesn't follow the road then possibly a view angle error (I would have to research on how to verify or correct that little devil)

 

So try a few thing then let me know if you made any progress.

 

 

[Michael B]

Okay DR, that was helpful. The routes that went off track were all done on the same newest updated map (CN North America NT 2015.30)...the only map on my laptop due to installation of BaseCamp on my laptop just over a week ago.

 

I tried every adjustment I could find in the program and nothing worked...routes were still off their correct place on roads.

 

So, with nothing left, I took a flyer: I went into Options/General and "Reset options to default values and restart the application," sort of a start-all-over kind of thing. I then checked to make sure the correct map was checked...the one above, 2015.30. I then called up each route and "recalculated" and bingo, they all came back recalculated correctly on every road, and with no changes.

 

The only thing left was to go back and reset all of my original options...which I did and am now ready to go. I'm learning. Appreciate the suggestions.