Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents [Hide/Show]


1 - General Questions
    1.1 - What is Weather Defender?
    1.2 - How does it work?
    1.3 - Where do you get your data?
    1.4 - How much does it cost?
    1.5 - Where can I download the latest version?
    1.6 - Do you have Weather Defender for Mac/iPhone/Droid users?
    1.7 - Is there a phone number to call you?
    1.8 - Does the program cover Canada / UK / other countries?
    1.9 - I receive a message “These files might be harmful to your computer” during installation
2 - Account Questions
    2.1 - I forgot my password
    2.2 - My username/password isn't working
    2.3 - I can't access the Registered Member section of the User Forums
    2.4 - Can I install on more than one computer?
    2.5 - What is ranking and how does it work?
    2.6 - Authentication error while logging in
    2.7 - I did not have enough time to evaluate. Can you extend my trial?
    2.8 - PayPal canceled my subscription. How do I resubscribe?
    2.9 - Do I have to pay the Activation Fee if I change my current package?
    2.10 - How do I cancel my subscription?
    2.11 - How do I change my credit card information?
3 - Technical Questions
    3.1 - I messed up the Map. How do I reset to the original?
    3.2 - Icons on the map are flickering.
    3.3 - How do I turn off sound effects?
    3.4 - Map is taking a very long time to repaint.
    3.5 - 'Animation Capture' takes a long time
    3.6 - No GPS device could be found...
    3.7 - Invalid Cast Exception when Starting Weather Defender
    3.8 - I have trouble loading Swift WX 2.7 after installing Weather Defender
    3.9 - Local/Site-Level Radar is not updating/stopped working
    3.10 - How do I turn off the animation capture?
    3.11 - Some of the labels and other controls are overlapping or not displaying correctly.
    3.12 - Weather Defender crashes at startup
    3.13 - Map is stuck and won't pan or zoom
    3.14 - When I start the program I receive an error message "You must have a license to use the Active X Control".
    3.15 - Application crashes immediately after signing in (on Vista)
    3.16 - Geo-referencing an image file
    3.17 - Is there web-cam support?
    3.18 - How to get a tool tip on the Watches, Warnings and Advisories so we can click to see the text for that alert?
    3.19 - Can I modify the Roads Layer under Reference to include all major and minor roads including side streets, neighborhood streets and major thoroughfares?
    3.20 - Can I rig a GPS System to the computer and automatically plot all of the above listed information on the map automatically?
    3.21 - I am missing the Email Alert action undert Perimeter Settings. How do I restore that?
    3.22 - My nearest radar station isn’t displaying when I use Local Radar.
    3.23 - Animation does not stay in one place.
    3.24 - When try to add a layer in the Layer Browser, it is not getting added.
    3.25 - Weather Defender is not responding immediately after startup.
    3.26 - How to transfer a saved map from one computer to another with all information I need?
    3.27 - Some layers are being hidden by other layers
    3.28 - Why do I still see "Locked" when I unlock my map?
    3.29 - I keep getting "Unable to connect with Server" error message.
    3.30 - How do I configure Weather Defender to work with multiple users on the same computer?
    3.31 - Not receiving email alerts on GMail, Yahoo, MSN
    3.32 - The program does not run anymore on my computer
    3.33 - Radar Stopped Updating.
    3.34 - Error while installing update: “The feature you are trying to use is unavailable…”
    3.35 - AnimationViewer Has Stopped Working
    3.36 - Can't install on Windows 8 or error 2502 while installing
    3.37 - I can't unlock my map
4 - Data Questions
    4.1 - How do I get lightning data?
    4.2 - I have purchased a lightning layer, but I don't see any lightning on my Map
    4.3 - If I use Weather Defender at my office, will I be able to see where my house is if Weather Defender is not installed at home?
    4.4 - When I open the map and click on U.S. Radar it appears all solid Red. How can we fix that?
    4.5 - Radar/Storm Tracks/Storm Attributes Aren't Updating
    4.6 - What do the colors on the Relative Humidity layer mean?
    4.7 - What do the colors on the Wind Chill layer mean?
    4.8 - What do the colors on the Heat Index layer mean?
    4.9 - What are the Lightning Data Specifications?
    4.10 - How do I display a 7-Day Forecast?
    4.11 - Why do I receive ‘Access Denied’ message when I attempt to add layers from the Commercial Layers category?


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1 - General Questions



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1.1 - What is Weather Defender?

Weather Defender is a weather-monitoring software application that you install on any Windows PC with an Internet connection. Read more.



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1.2 - How does it work?

Weather Defender connects with our servers and downloads all the weather information for your specific location, and keeps the data current.

When threats are detected, Weather Defender will issue alerts to your computer, email, or other methods you specify.



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1.3 - Where do you get your data?

Our servers aggregate weather data from numerous weather agencies, both public and private sector, and compile that information into a common format that can be rendered on your computer.

You gain to access to hundreds of weather providers through a single, easy-to-use interface.



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1.4 - How much does it cost?

Weather Defender costs $21.95 per month for personal use. This price includes all features and free upgrades for as long as you hold the subscription. If you sign up before the end of your trial the $99 activation fee is waived.

There are no contracts, so you may cancel any time. Our 30-day refund policy guarantees you will be satisfied with your purchase.

See the Purchase Page for ordering.



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1.5 - Where can I download the latest version?

The latest version is always available from the My Account page of the website.



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1.6 - Do you have Weather Defender for Mac/iPhone/Droid users?

Weather Defender will run under a Windows emulator on Mac, but we do not currently have any plans for a native Mac version.

Weather Defender does not run on mobile phones directly, but some of the features such as email/SMS alerts can be forwarded to mobile phones.

If you are using Windows Mobile device with Remote Desktop app, you can access Weather Defender through desktop computer it is running on.



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1.7 - Is there a phone number to call you?

Phone-based support is only available for Commercial Edition customers. All other technical support is handled via e-mail and online documentation.

If you would like a quote on our Commercial Edition for government and business, click here.



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1.8 - Does the program cover Canada / UK / other countries?

Weather Defender is primarily a US-based application at this time. Some southern regions of Canada are covered as well as U.S. Territories.



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1.9 - I receive a message “These files might be harmful to your computer” during installation

Newer versions of Internet Explorer may prompt you with this message when you try to install. This is a standard security message displayed for software you are about to install, so you have an opportunity to provide confirmation. Click “OK” to proceed with the installation.

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2 - Account Questions



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2.1 - I forgot my password

Click here to retrieve your password by e-mail



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2.2 - My username/password isn't working

If you are trying to upgrade from SWIFT WX - Effective April, 2010, we are no longer offering free upgrades. You must create a new account on WeatherDefender.com.

If you have a Weather Defender account - Our system currently does not recognize special characters like "#" and "%". If your password contains one of these characters, please contact support in order to reset your password.



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2.3 - I can't access the Registered Member section of the User Forums

You must be a paying subscriber to access the Registered Member section of the User Forms.



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2.4 - Can I install on more than one computer?

The license is per-user, so you may install on more than one machine as long as you are the only user of the program on each machine.



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2.5 - What is ranking and how does it work?

Ranking measures a user's veterancy (experience using Weather Defender). Rank increases based on the length of time you have been a member, activity in the user forums, and through training tutorials.



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2.6 - Authentication error while logging in

FIPS140 is a security requirement for most, if not all, government branches now. There is a Group Policy that enforces this registry setting, located at HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA|FIPSAlgorithmPolicy, which controls which DLLs are allowed to be loaded. In these settings, the login encryption mechanism will not succeed.

To fix, have your network administrator turn off the Security Options policy for "System cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing and signing." This can be done with REGEDIT, or preferably with SECPOL.MSC.

(Thanks to Bill Longman / Bonneville Power Administration for solving this issue)



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2.7 - I did not have enough time to evaluate. Can you extend my trial?

If you need additional time to evaluate Weather Defender, please contact support with your request and someone will follow up with you.



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2.8 - PayPal canceled my subscription. How do I resubscribe?

If the cancellation was unplanned (due do expired credit card, for example), simply resubscribe through the website (My Account - checkout page) and then send a support request to refund the activation fee.

If the cancellation was on purpose (suspending use between storm seasons) you will need to pay the regular activation fee when you subscribe through the website.



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2.9 - Do I have to pay the Activation Fee if I change my current package?

No. You can resubscribe under the other plan and we will refund the activation fee. Please email us after you have resubscribed and we will process the refund.



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2.10 - How do I cancel my subscription?

If you have subscribed through PayPal:
1. Log in your PayPal account.
2. Find the most recent payment under "Recent Account Activity", click the Details link.
3. On the Transaction Details page, click the link where it says "In Reference to: S-##########" towards the top of the page. On the Subscription Details page, scroll to the bottom and click Cancel Subscription.

If you have a credit card subscription:
1. Please submit a cancellation request here
2. Choose your payment method.
3. Enter your email address associated with your account.
4. Enter either your credit card or your subscriber ID.
5. Search and confirm cancellation.

You can obtain your payment and subscription information by logging in My Account on our website.

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2.11 - How do I change my credit card information?

If you have subscribed through PayPal, log into your PayPal account and follow the instructions for changing your payment method.

If you have a credit card subscription:
Go to: https://support.ccbill.com/

You will need to enter at least two types of identification (Email, Credit Card # or Subscription ID/Order Number) and then you will be able to edit your information.

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3 - Technical Questions



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3.1 - I messed up the Map. How do I reset to the original?

Click Help > Reset Map to Default.



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3.2 - Icons on the map are flickering.

This is a problem with some video cards and animated icons. The only workaround is to disable animated icons. Click the Animated Icons button on the Interface tab to toggle animated icons on/off.



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3.3 - How do I turn off sound effects?

Click the Sound Effects button on the Interface tab to toggle sound effects on/off.



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3.4 - Map is taking a very long time to repaint.

The more Layers you have added to your map, the longer it will take to repaint. But in general, painting should never take more than a few seconds.

If you are seeing delays of 5 or more seconds, then you might be experiencing a unique issue video driver. This sometimes happens when your computer returns from a 'sleep' or 'hibernate' mode. Rebooting will usually fix the problem. If it persists, check if any driver updates are available for your video card or mouse.



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3.5 - 'Animation Capture' takes a long time

The time it takes to make an animation capture (or screen capture) is wholly dependent on two things: 1) the number of layers you have active on your map and 2) the zoom level. In general, the less layers and the closer zoom will result in a quicker capture.

Also, certain layers are more resource intensive than others because of the amount of data being plotted. For example, 'U.S. Cities' is 30 megabytes and contains over 35,000 records. Turning these layers off will improve performance more than simple layers such as 'World Countries' (only 1.5 MB and 200 records).



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3.6 - No GPS device could be found...

We support the "NMEA" protocol, which is the standard protocol for 3rd party GPS applications. Your GPS must be providing data in that protocol on your computer's COM port. You might try looking this up in the GPS manual or contacting the GPS manufacturer and asking them how to get the device to work with "3rd party applications". If the GPS does not support NMEA output, then it will not work.

USB GPS devices are supported only if the device includes a special USB-to-serial driver. Please check the manufacturer's website for appropriate drivers.

Make sure of the following:

1) Your GPS is properly connected to your computer, and 2) Your GPS device has a signal lock

The latter can often take 5-10 minutes after turning on your GPS depending on location and signal strength.

If you have a Bluetooth GPS device, sometimes the Windows COM ports stop working correctly. You may need to remove and re-add the COM assigned COM ports for your device in the Bluetooth applet in the Windows Control Panel.



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3.7 - Invalid Cast Exception when Starting Weather Defender

Some users have reported problems starting Weather Defender while using 3rd-party firewall applications such as AVG. If you are using a firewall program and experiencing this problem try temporarily disabling the firewall and re-starting Weather Defender.



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3.8 - I have trouble loading Swift WX 2.7 after installing Weather Defender

You need to have special script installed on your computer in order to run Swift WX. Please download the script below:

http://www.weatherdefender.com/SWX27_Launcher.zip
http://www.weatherdefender.com/SWX27_Launcher_x64.zip (only for customers using 64-bit operating systems)

1. Unzip the file to your desktop
2. Double click the file "SWX27_Launcher" each time you want to start SWIFT WX
3. After you close SWIFT WX, the launcher will re-register the proper components so Weather Defender will work normally

NOTE: Only one application can be running at a time. You cannot run both Weather Defender and SWIFT WX 2.7 at the same time.



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3.9 - Local/Site-Level Radar is not updating/stopped working

August 2016 Update:

If you have installed Weather Defender prior to August 24, 2016, please download the updated "Summer Weather" map to fix "Local Radar" layer. Unzip this file to your Documents\Weather Defender\Projects folder.

If your customized map with site-level radar stopped working, simply re-add the layer from the Layer Browser to fix the broken link.


1) The radar is in clear-air mode, so it only updates every 10 minutes.

This is the standard update interval when little or no precipitation is present. During storms, the standard update interval is 4-6 minutes. Doppler Radar stations update every 10 minutes when there is no active weather, and every 6 minutes when weather is active (storms are present). When there are delays unfortunately we cannot do anything about it since the data comes directly from the National Weather Service.

2) The National Weather Service data servers are temporarily down.

Server outages are possible at the NWS, just like any other facility. If you are getting a "Not Updated" message when the radar attempts to update and it has been more than 10 minutes, then you are most likely experiencing a problem with the NWS servers. Fortunately, these outages are rare and often resolved quickly.

3) An error on the local machine is preventing the radar from updating.

If you see a yellow "!" icon after the radar attempts to update, try removing the radar layer, saving your map, and re-adding the layer from the Layer Browser. If the problem persists after re-adding the layer, click on the yellow "!" icon to view details about the error and send this information to Support.

Special Note: Weather Defender provides alternate radar products for cases such as these. Consider using the U.S. Radar / National Composite and Winter Radar layers available under the Radar Category of the Layer Browser if you experience difficulty with the site-level radar products.



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3.10 - How do I turn off the animation capture?

(v1.1) Click the drop-down arrow at the base of the Animation button. Select "Disable Animation Capture".



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3.11 - Some of the labels and other controls are overlapping or not displaying correctly.

Your computer's display is set to a non-standard font resolution. Weather Defender was designed to run at the standard 96dpi mode. If your mode is higher than 96dpi (perhaps 120dpi), then some of the controls and dialog windows will not display correctly.We will be correcting this issue in later versions of the program.

As a workaround, you may adjust your computer's display to the 96dpi standard: Windows Vista: Right-click on your Desktop, select Personalize. Click "Adjust font size (DPI)" in the left task column. Select "Default Scale (96 dpi)" and click OK.

Windows XP: Right-click on your Desktop, select Properties. Click the Settings tab. Click "Advanced" button. Select "Normal Size (96dpi)" in the drop-down and click OK.



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3.12 - Weather Defender crashes at startup

This has been reported to happen on Windows Vista operating systems and may be related to a memory issue. Ensure you are running the latest service pack (currently Service Pack 2) for Vista. This may fix the problem with Weather Defender as well as other programs running on your system Vista.

Also see FAQ 3.14 below




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3.13 - Map is stuck and won't pan or zoom

Sometimes returning from saved-state power modes (such as laptop hibernation), the map in Weather Defender may become unresponsive. If this is the case, just click Help > Reload Map to restore functionality.



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3.14 - When I start the program I receive an error message "You must have a license to use the Active X Control".

Here's the instruction for the fix:

1) Unzip this file on your Desktop http://www.weatherdefender.com/download/wd11-03-activex-patch.zip

2) Windows XP users: Double-click "WeatherDefender_Patch" to run it

Windows Vista users: Right-click "WeatherDefender_Patch" and select 'Run As Administrator'

3) If the patch works, you should see a message "DllRegisterServer ... Succeded!"

4) Re-run Weather Defender.



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3.15 - Application crashes immediately after signing in (on Vista)

1. If you have User Accounts Control (UAC) enabled in Vista, you might encounter the application crashing. This is due to some internal security restrictions in the Vista operations system that are preventing components from running. To solve this problem, disable UAC, reboot your computer, and restart Weather Defender.

How to disable UAC? Read here.



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3.16 - Geo-referencing an image file

To georeference an image file (GIF/JPG/PNG/TIF/BMP) for display in Weather Defender, you must first create an associated "World File" that contains coordinate information about that image.

World Files can be created using any text editor (like Notepad) and only contain six lines.

Sample World File:
0.0025393951
0.0
0.0
-0.0025393951
-122.70761233
18.29

Explanation:
Line 1 - Pixel width (longitude)*
Line 2 - always 0
Line 3 - always 0
Line 4 - Pixel height (latitude, always negative)*
Line 5 - Longitude value of left side of image
Line 6 - Latitude value of bottom side of image

You must save this World File with a special extention to be recognized by the GIS engine. For example, if your image is named FILENAME.JPG, your World File must be named FILENAME.JFW and be placed in the same directory as the image.

Other extentions are as follows:


If you do not know the pixel size, you can calculate it by dividing the width in longitude by the width in pixels. For example, if the image is 5000 pixels wide and spans 64 degrees (from 122 W to 58 W), then the pixel size is 0.0128.



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3.17 - Is there web-cam support?

Web-cam support and URLs are not part of the user profile in Version 1.1. It will be implemented as we roll out profile updates in Version 2.



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3.18 - How to get a tool tip on the Watches, Warnings and Advisories so we can click to see the text for that alert?

Currently it is preventing multiple icons from showing, only one per county is allowed. We are looking for a way to rectify this in the next version.



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3.19 - Can I modify the Roads Layer under Reference to include all major and minor roads including side streets, neighborhood streets and major thoroughfares?

A national roads layer of that detail would be several gigabytes at least and it will not be efficient to the majority of users. We compromise by offering a major roads layer and minor roads-by-county layers.

Minor roads can be added for each county in the US using the Add Layer button on the map toolbar, then click the "Roads" category.



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3.20 - Can I rig a GPS System to the computer and automatically plot all of the above listed information on the map automatically?

Weather Defender can import any standard GIS format (see here), including large road datasets you may find elsewhere. Depending on your device, it might also handle the data from your GPS if it can be exported to your computer.



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3.21 - I am missing the Email Alert action undert Perimeter Settings. How do I restore that?

If you are missing one of the Perimeter Alert actions, it's possible you deleted one of them by accident. To restore the actions, please download and unzip the corresponding file:


..to the following directory:

For Vista/Win7:
C:\Users\{user}\AppData\Roaming\Weather Defender\Settings

For XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\{user}\Application Data\Weather Defender\Settings

If You Do Not See an AppData Folder:
  1. Click Start.
  2. Type %appdata% and press ENTER (XP users: click Start > Run, then type)
  3. On the Explorer window that appears, go into Weather Defender\Settings
  4. Copy the Actions file here. If prompted, you should overwrite the original file.

NOTE: Be sure to "unzip" the downloaded file before copying into the Settings folder.



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3.22 - My nearest radar station isn’t displaying when I use Local Radar.

Make sure you have the latest version of Weather Defender v1.1.0.9 installed. See FAQ 3.33 for details.

Please make sure you have the latest version of the radar station file. The file ‘radarstations.csv’ should be placed in the following directory:

For Win XP Users:
C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\ Application Data\Weather Defender\Settings

For Vista/7 Users:
C:\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Weather Defender\Settings



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3.23 - Animation does not stay in one place.

By default, animation frames will be captured based on whatever is currently visible on your screen. This means that if you pan or zoom on your map, the animation will pan and zoom as well. You can “lock” the location of your animations by modifying the animation settings.

On the Map toolbar, click the down-arrow just below the Animate button to display the animation menu. Then select Animation Settings. On the popup screen select Capture at fixed coordinates, and enter a latitude/longitude dimensions. You may also click Use Current to lock the animation to your current screen view. Click OK.

Now you will be able to pan/zoom the map without affecting the animation loop.



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3.24 - When try to add a layer in the Layer Browser, it is not getting added.

The Layer Browser window actually uses an IE browser component to navigate the available layers. If nothing happens when you click "Add to Map" on the Layer Browser, then there might be a problem with one of your Windows components. The easiest fix for this is to re-install Internet Explorer (any version), whether or not you use it as your primary browser.



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3.25 - Weather Defender is not responding immediately after startup.

Normally, when Weather Defender downloads corrupted data files, it will simply ignore them and try again in a few minutes. On very rare occasions, such data might cause Weather Defender to freeze and stop responding. Further, restarting or even reinstalling Weather Defender may not solve the problem if the corrupted data file remains on your local hard drive.

Here are the steps to fix the problem:
  1. Open the following folder: My Documents\Weather Defender\GIS\www.swiftweather.com\feeds\imagery
  2. Delete the following file: Winter%20Weather%20Radar4000.gif
  3. Restart Weather Defender
    • If you receive the following error after restarting: "A network error has occurred..." then you will need to re-download and run the Weather Defender installation file:
    • Download Installation File



If these steps do not fix your problem, please contact support and let us know you have already tried this fix.



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3.26 - How to transfer a saved map from one computer to another with all information I need?

There are a couple of steps:

1) Copy the map file “MapName.Map” from My Documents\Weather Defender\Projects to the destination computer

2) If Alert Perimeters have been created, you will need to copy those as well. These are located under the Perimeters folder, and named with the same name as the map. It is important to copy all of these files:
- MapName_Perimeters.gml
- MapName_Perimeters.xsd
- MapName_Perimeters.gml.ini

3) If you have created custom drawings (points or lines), those may likewise be copied from the Drawings folder:
- MapName_Drawings.gml
- MapName_Drawings.xsd
- MapName_Drawings.gml.ini


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3.27 - Some layers are being hidden by other layers

In Weather Defender, layers are rendered in order of placement in the Map Layers window (this is the window where layers are turned on/off). The top-most layer listed will be shown first, with all other layers behind it.

If one of your layers is being obscured by another layer, you may simply move it up on the list so it renders in front of the other layer.

This is accomplished by dragging-and-dropping the desired layer to a new location:

Drag-and-drop to rearrange

Drag-and-drop to rearrange


To drag a layer up or down, press and hold the left mouse button while the cursor is over top of the Layer button. While the left mouse button is depressed, move the mouse away from you (up) or towards you (down).

As you move the layer, white markers will appear to indicate where the layer can be dropped (i.e., between which 2 layers, or in which Layer Group it can be dropped). Finally, release the left mouse button to drop the layer into its new position.

After the layer has been dropped, the Map will refresh to display changes.

Tip: Entire Layer Groups can be moved in front of or behind other Layer Groups using the same drag-and-drop method.

See also: Reference: Main Interface



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3.28 - Why do I still see "Locked" when I unlock my map?

The button (Map > Lock) just shows and says “Locked” when you click on it. If it is highlighted in orange, that means the map is locked. If not, then it is unlocked.
The best way to unlock the map is to click the small pad lock icon in the left hand layer window, it is at the top right corner next to the close button (x). If your map is unlocked, then you will see an 'opened' pad lock.



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3.29 - I keep getting "Unable to connect with Server" error message.

Problems like this are most commonly related to antivirus or firewall software blocking the program from accessing the internet. Please temporarily disable your antivirus/firewall programs to see if it connects again.

If you do not wish to disable your antivirus/firewall programs completely, you may want open Port 80 on HTTP and “whitelist” the Weather Defender application, so it gives permission to the firewall to run the program. However, that is all different depending on the firewall setup.

Sometimes this problem can be caused by a malware that is undetectable on your computer. Please make sure your computer is 100% protected.



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3.30 - How do I configure Weather Defender to work with multiple users on the same computer?

By default, Weather Defender installs for only the logged-in user account. Data files are copied to the user's private documents folder, per Microsoft's recommended security best practices. To enable multiple users to access the program data on the same machine, you must copy the data files to each users' private documents folders.

Solution 1 (simplest option):
Solution 2 (if first solution is not feasible):
  1. Install Weather Defender under the administrator account
  2. Do not start Weather Defender, yet.
  3. Copy the following folders to each users' private folder:
    a) C:\Users\Username\Documents\Weather Defender (all subdirectories)
    b) C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Weather Defender (all subdirectories)
  4. Start Weather Defender



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3.31 - Not receiving email alerts on GMail, Yahoo, MSN

This is due to the SSL security requirement implemented recently by most web-based email providers.

Installation instructions:
1) Download this patch
2) Unzip files into the following directory:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Weather Defender\Actions\ (you should overwrite the existing “EmailAlert.exe” files)
3) In Weather Defender, configure the email “Server Settings” tab as appropriate for your email provider (see below).

GMAIL Server Settings:
· SMTP: smtp.gmail.com
· Port: 587
· Use SSL: True
· Username: Your full Gmail email address (including “@gmail.com”)
· Password: Gmail password

YAHOO Server Settings:
· SMTP: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
· Port: 465
· Use SSL: True
· Username: Your full Yahoo email address (including “@yahoo.com”)
· Password: Yahoo password

Hotmail/MSN/Live Server Settings:
· SMTP: smtp.live.com
· Port: 587
· Use SSL: True
· Username: Your full Hotmail/Live email address (including “@hotmail.com”)
· Password: Hotmail/Live password



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3.32 - The program does not run anymore on my computer

Please follow the instructions below:

1. Make sure Weather Defender is closed
2. Click Start and enter %temp% into the command box (on XP, click Start > Run)
3. Inside the Temp folder, find the folder labeled Weather Defender.
4. Delete the folder (if very full, this may take several minutes).
5. Restart Weather Defender


The latest version of Weather Defender v1.1.0.9 corrects the problem of deleting temp files automatically. This version can be downloaded from the My Account section of the website. But you will still need to remove the old temp files if they exist.



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3.33 - Radar Stopped Updating.

Ensure you have the latest Version 1.1.0.9 of Weather Defender installed. This new patch replaces the old Local Radar/Site-Level Radar imagery with a new more accurate data source. The old radar source was expired by the National Weather Service in December, 2012.

Click Here to Download the Update (must have version 1.1 already installed).

NOTE to Internet Explorer 9 Users: You may have to click "Actions > Run Anyway" to bypass new security prompts.



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3.34 - Error while installing update: “The feature you are trying to use is unavailable…”

Windows sometimes requires the original installation package when applying updates. The original version package can be downloaded here.
Do not run this file. After downloading, copy this file to the location of the original (specified in the Use Source: field in the error window), and rename wd11_old.msi file to wd11.msi.
After the file is copied and renamed, re-run the update installer.



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3.35 - AnimationViewer Has Stopped Working

Please redownload and install the latest patch. This bug was only affecting users who upgraded from a very old version of WD to 1.1.0.9.



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3.36 - Can't install on Windows 8 or error 2502 while installing

Windows 8 has increased security measures which prevent standard users from installing 3rd party applications. If you see error 2502 or 2503 while installing Weather Defender, that means your account does not have administrator permissions to install software.

Solution 1:

Make sure your Windows account has the highest level of security permissions. Refer to Windows documentation for your operating system on how to do this.

Solution 2:

Run the installation file "As Administrator":

1. Find the installation file on your computer. Normally you have the option to save or run an installation file when downloading from the Internet. If you do not know where the file was downloaded, check the Downloads folder in File Explorer. The current version of Weather Defender is named wd11.msi.

2. Right-click the file and select Run As Administrator* from the pop-up menu.




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3.37 - I can't unlock my map

NOTE: Trial users cannot unlock maps. You must be a paid customer to unlock and modify the default maps.

There are two ways to unlock a map for modification:

1. In the Map Layers dialog window, click on the padlock icon:

Image

If the padlock is closed, the map is locked. If the padlock is open, it is unlocked.

2. In the Map toolbar, click on the Locked button:

Image

If the button is highlighted, the map is locked. If it is not highlighted, it is unlocked.



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4 - Data Questions



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4.1 - How do I get lightning data?

Starting with Weather Defender v1.1, Lightning Data is bundled into the Residential & Commercial subscription plan and preloaded into several maps.

If you opt not to purchase the Lightning Data package when you subscribe, but decide you want it later, please Contact Support for instructions on upgrading.



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4.2 - I have purchased a lightning layer, but I don't see any lightning on my Map

1) There might not be any lightning activity right now. Check the Lightning Activity Map for verification.

2) Lightning is only displayed in a 150-mi diameter (300mi in Commercial Edition) from the center of your screen. Make sure your map is positioned near the center of the lightning activity you are trying to track, and it is zoomed in far enough to see properly.



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4.3 - If I use Weather Defender at my office, will I be able to see where my house is if Weather Defender is not installed at home?

The Home icon can only represent one location. Each end user needs to be using Weather Defender for their position to show in the map.

Use the Add Point tool to display other locations (like your home) on the map.



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4.4 - When I open the map and click on U.S. Radar it appears all solid Red. How can we fix that?

1. Remove the US Radar layer
2. Wait about 3-5 minutes
3. Re-add the US Radar layer from the Add Layer menu
(if red shows up again, repeat steps again and it should definitely work the 2nd time)

This bug will be fixed in the next update.

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4.5 - Radar/Storm Tracks/Storm Attributes Aren't Updating

Make sure you have the latest version of Weather Defender v1.1.0.9 installed. See FAQ 3.33 for details.

We monitor our weather data feeds 24/7 and work to resolve problems as quickly as possible. However, we are not able to resolve issues stemming directly from Radar facility problems at the NWS.

Please check that the radar sites are updating normally on the Weather Service's monitor page: http://weather.noaa.gov/monitor/radar3

Problems with Radar facilities may affect the following products/layers:
If the problem is not originating from the Radar facility, please contact us directly and let us know about the problem.



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4.6 - What do the colors on the Relative Humidity layer mean?

Green: Low humidity. Generally will not affect health except in extreme temperatures.

Yellow: Moderate humidity. Fatigue possible

Orange: High humidity. Sunstroke, muscle cramps and/or heat exhaustion are possible.

Red: Very high humidity. Sunstroke and heat exhaustion are likely at higher temperatures.

Please see the following chart for more details: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/vortex/images/heatcht.gif



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4.7 - What do the colors on the Wind Chill layer mean?

White: Well above freezing. Not significant risk for frostbite.

Light Blue: Potential for frostbite if prolonged exposure.

Medium Blue: Potential for frostbite after 30 minutes exposure.

Dark Blue: Potential for frostbite after 10 minutes exposure.

Purple: Potential for frostbite after 5 minutes exposure.

Please see the following chart for more details: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml



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4.8 - What do the colors on the Heat Index layer mean?

White: Below 80°F - Not significant risk for heat-related illnesses.

Yellow: 80°F to 100°F - Caution: fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure and activity. Continuing activity could result in heat cramps.

Orange: 100°F to 110°F - Extreme caution: heat cramps, and heat exhaustion are possible. Continuing activity could result in heat stroke

Red: 110°F to 120°F - Danger: heat cramps, and heat exhaustion are likely; heat stroke is probable with continued activity

Pink: 120°F or higher - Extreme danger: heat stroke is imminent



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4.9 - What are the Lightning Data Specifications?

The Lightning layer displays a summary of lightning strikes (cloud-to-ground) over the past hour in 5-minute, 10-minute, 20-minute, and 60-minute intervals.

The strike icon does not represent individual strikes, but rather if a strike has occurred in that area. Resolution is 2.2mi. The size of the icon is correlated to the number of strikes detected.

White: Lightning detected in the last 5 minutes

Yellow: Lightning detected in the last 10 minutes

Orange: Lightning detected in the last 20 minutes

Blue: Lightning detected in the last 60 minutes

Strike icons are displayed in a 150 by 150 mile region from the center of your map (or 300 by 300 mile region in the Commercial Version), and are updated every 2 minutes. Alert radius is 25-miles and 50-miles, respectively.

Individual strikes and additional stroke information can be displayed as a custom layer. Please Contact sales to discuss needs and request a quote.

As with all weather data that we provide, we make every effort to provide reliable, timely data but do not guarantee accuracy. The Lightning layer should not be used as the sole determinant for lightning activity.



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4.10 - How do I display a 7-Day Forecast?

1. On the Map Toolbar, click the Forecast button.

2. Then click anywhere on the map to retrieve a 7-Day Forecast for that exact location.

3. A floating window will appear with the forecast details. You may drag this window to the edge of the screen and leave it open. It will update the forecast automatically throughout the day.



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4.11 - Why do I receive ‘Access Denied’ message when I attempt to add layers from the Commercial Layers category?

You must be signed in with an account that has Commercial Edition access. For more information about the Commercial Edition, please visit http://www.swiftweather.com or contact support@swiftweather.com