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Pima County Geographic Information Systems

Autodesk MapGuide Viewer Compatibility Issues

This page describes computer, operating system, web browser, add-on, and network situations that can cause problems using the MapGuide Viewer. They are not problems for most users. If you are having a problem, though, one of these issues could be the cause. In addition, you may also want to review MapGuide Tips and Help.

  1. Your computer may be configured to require ADMINISTRATOR rights for successful installation of the MapGuide Viewer. This applies to Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT, and presumably other "protected" operating systems such as Unix and Macintosh OS X. On Windows, the lack of administrator rights prevents the automatic installation or upgrade of the MapGuide Viewer from completing. Without administrator rights, the process runs smoothly, but when finished, the map frame is blank, except for a small box with a red "X" in it. Most home computers are set up to give you administrator rights while many business computers are not. If you don't have or don't know if you have administrator rights on your computer, see your system administrator.

  2. Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, and most other up-and-coming web browsers are not supported but may display the map using the Java Edition MapGuide Viewer or the plugin MapGuide Viewer intended for Netscape 4.x. See Autodesk MapGuide Viewer System Requirements for supported operating systems and web browsers. Mac users have limited MapGuide options and should see Using Autodesk MapGuide with Macintosh. We are working to implement new web mapping technology that will be browser and operating system neutral but can't specify a timeframe at this time.

    While the map may display on an unsupported configuration, some features of our maps do not work properly as these browsers are not supported by the MapGuide Viewer API (Application Programming Interface). It's not likely that Autodesk will add support for these web browsers in future versions of the MapGuide Viewer.

    We agree with our users who feel that MapGuide should work with Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, and other new browsers. MapGuide browser compatibility is out of our control. It's Autodesk's MapGuide Viewer software that doesn't support these browsers, not us. There's nothing we can do to "fix" MapGuide to work with other browsers. We support every browser and platform that Autodesk does (and we support them better than most MapGuide sites with our MapGuide MWF Wrapper technology). We don't lock out MapGuide viewing if it can work at all on other browsers, even though some important features of our maps may not work. Unfortunately, the fact is that Internet Explorer on Windows is the best choice for using MapGuide maps.

  3. Layers and groups can't be clicked on or off in the legend with some dual monitor configurations. This is only a problem when the "primary" display is the right monitor and the map is on the "extended" secondary display on the left monitor. Most dual monitor users have the "primary" display on the left and don't have this problem. An easy solution is to simply use the other monitor for MapGuide. Or, pick to select the layer name text with the mouse and then use the spacebar to turn the layer on or off. See our Dual Monitors page for more help with this problem.

  4. If you set your web browser, security software (anti-virus etc.), or add-in tools to aggressively block pop-ups, then MapGuide reports, "double-click" map detail reports, and map tool dialogs may not be displayed. Pop-up blockers may even prevent you from getting as far as seeing our Disclaimer dialog box, blocking access to the MapGuide map.

    If you are getting a message saying a pop-up was blocked, the message box may give a hint of the program that generated it, perhaps along the top edge. The Google Toolbar is one example of an add-in that can be set to block pop-ups but there are other toolbars that can block pop-ups, including some you may not have realized are installed or you don't think would be involved. You or someone else may have installed something or set something to be more "secure" but prevents things from working that you need to do.

    Check:

    The solution is to enable pop-ups or at least change to less-restrictive pop-up blocking settings. The Google Toolbar should be removed. See the following item for more on Google toolbar problems. While potentially risky, if you can't find what's blocking pop-ups, then you may want to briefly disable your Internet protection entirely as a short test.

    Use the pop-up tests on our plug-ins page to ensure your system is allowing "good" pop-ups. Look for "Pop-ups" near the bottom of that page.

  5. Internet Explorer add-ins or toolbars such as the Google Toolbar may interfere with the MapGuide Viewer, causing Internet Explorer to crash with an error when you close Internet Explorer (i.e. when Internet Explorer exits). The solution is to disable or remove the third-party toolbars. You may also be able avoid the problem by navigating away from the MapGuide map to another page (try the browser's Back button) and then closing Internet Explorer. Microsoft explains this Google Toolbar problem in Knowledgebase article 912945 as follows:
    You may experience an access violation in the Google Toolbar when you close a window that contains an inactive ActiveX control. Microsoft and Google technical teams have been working together to address this issue. Google is expected to fix this problem by using its automatic "servicing mechanism" for Google Toolbar users. This problem affects Google Toolbar versions before version 3.0.129.2. Visit the following Google web site to download the latest version: http://toolbar.google.com

  6. If you are using an old web browser "Favorite", "Bookmark" or shortcut to start MapGuide, you may need to update it to get all our map features and functions. For more, see Are Your Web Browser MapGuide Favorites or Bookmarks Up-to-date?

  7. Your Internet Explorer security settings may be set too high, although Internet Explorer's default settings should be okay up through Internet Explorer 8. If Internet Explorer's default security settings have been changed by you or some other process, then you may need to change them for MapGuide. Internet Explorer 9 may need it's default settings adjusted to allow installing the MapGuide Viewer.

  8. Internet Explorer 9's default tab settings should be changed so that new MapGuide's pop-ups open in new windows rather than new tabs. Pop-up windows are a fundamental part of MapGuide's operation for double-clicking on map features as well as displaying other non-map data such as reports and map tools. Every version of Internet Explorer up through Internet Explorer 8 opens pop-ups in new windows by default. Internet Explorer 9 changed the default behavior for pop-ups, opening them in new tabs rather then in new windows.

    MapGuide users should change Internet Explorer 9's tabbed browsing settings back to Internet Explorer 8's default setting that opens all pop-ups in new windows. To make this change, pick Tools, then Internet Options from the Internet Explorer menu or header bar. Locate the Tabs section under the General tab and click on the Settings button to open the tabbed browsing menu. Pick "Always open pop-ups in a new window" as shown here.

  9. A very few users may experience Internet Explorer crashes when opening new windows from within MapGuide. The somewhat newer MapGuide Viewer version 6.5 SP1 resolves Internet Explorer crashes for some users, typically when opening new windows from within MapGuide, such as double-clicking on map features. It also introduced new bugs which prevent it from being the primary version supported by Pima County. These bugs include:

    Due to these problems, we don't install or recommend the 6.5 SP1 version (6.5.6.11 or 6.5.6.12) by default, but we make it available to those who have consistent problems with Internet Explorer crashes. Almost without exception, users should be running the base 6.5 version (6.5.5.7) MapGuide Viewer as automatically installed when the MapGuide Viewer is installed from our web site. MapGuide users who are having consistent problems with Internet Explorer crashing can download the MapGuide Viewer version 6.5 SP1 installation file. Once you have downloaded the MapGuide Viewer, manually install it for your web browser by double-clicking the .EXE file you downloaded. You can also run the downloaded file by selecting "Run..." under the "Start" menu, and then use "Browse..." to locate installation file you downloaded. After installation, close all browser windows and re-start your browser.

  10. The MapGuide Viewer ActiveX control may be disabled in Internet Explorer. If the MapGuide Viewer ActiveX control is disabled, the MapGuide Viewer can be installed successfully, but Internet Explorer acts as if the Viewer is not installed. If you’re using Windows 7 or Windows Vista and manually deleting and re-installing the MapGuide Viewer, be sure the MapGuide Viewer is enabled using "Manage Add-ons" as explained below before you delete the MapGuide Viewer. Otherwise, the re-install may not work.

    When you try to use a map, you may see an alert from Internet Explorer on the lower right and a warning icon on the status bar at the lower right of the Internet Explorer window indicating that an add-on may be disabled.

    Check the enabled/disabled setting by choosing Tools from the Internet Explorer menu, then Internet Options..., Programs tab, and pick the Manage Add-ons... button. In the Manage Add-ons dialog, set the "Show:" drop-down at the top to "Add-ons that have been used by Internet Explorer". The "Autodesk MapGuide ActiveX Control" status should be "Enabled". If the status is "Disabled", select the "Autodesk MapGuide ActiveX Control" line and then pick "Enable" under Settings at the bottom of the dialog. Click "OK" until all the Tools windows are closed. You may need to restart Internet Explorer for the change to take effect.

  11. 64-bit versions of Internet Explorer are not supported by our website's MapGuide Maps. 64-bit versions of Windows itself are fine. With 64-bit Internet Explorer, the browser may appear to install the MapGuide Viewer, but our maps respond as if the MapGuide Viewer is not installed. This is a problem with the 64-bit version of Internet Explorer on both Windows Vista and Windows 7. The solution is to use the 32-bit version of Internet Explorer with our website.

    Note that the 64-bit versions of the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems are not the problem. It's the 64-bit version of the Internet Explorer web browser that's not supported by MapGuide and many other plug-ins. It's unlikely that MapGuide will support 64-bit Internet Explorer in the future. Very few users need or want to run the 64-bit version of Internet Explorer due to compatibility problems with many plugins and websites, not just MapGuide.

    There should be two shortcuts for Internet Explorer in the "All Programs" menu, one for 32-bit Internet Explorer and one for 64-bit Internet Explorer. Here's the menu title of each and the path to the executable .exe files they run:

    • Internet Explorer   "C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"
    • Internet Explorer (64-bit)   "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

    The first shortcut runs IE from the "Program Files (x86)" folder, this is the 32-bit version you should use, even though the name just says "Internet Explorer". The second shortcut is the 64-bit version. If you can't find the menu shortcut to the 32-bit version, try making a new desktop or menu shortcut to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" without the quotes.

  12. Your organization's network may have a firewall or proxy server that blocks access to our MapGuide server. In this case, you can access all our web pages and open a MapGuide map as far as seeing the legend of map layers on the left and the MapGuide toolbar on the top, but you get errors or other failures attempting to display the map itself. Generally, no map layers are ever displayed.

    If you believe this firewall or proxy server issue may be a problem using MapGuide, have your network administrator enable access to:

    • www.maps.pima.gov (159.233.156.200)
    • mapguide1.dot.pima.gov (159.233.156.20)

    You may want or need enable access to our other related webservers as well:

    • gis.pima.gov (159.233.156.30)
    • dot.pima.gov (159.233.156.30)
    • eim.dot.pima.gov (159.233.156.21)
    • pcmaps1.pima.gov (159.233.2.50)
    • pcmaps2.pima.gov (159.233.2.50)

    Also see Some versions of McAfee security software may interfere with MapGuide and Internet Explorer 7's phishing filter settings may be blocking the display of map layers on MapGuide maps below with similar symptoms.

  13. Your organization's network may have a firewall or proxy server that blocks access to the MapGuide Viewer installation file or MapGuide map definition files. While our MapGuide map display pages may provide some helpful information in these cases, we've seen that one symptom of this may be a completely blank map window with no MapGuide map legend on the left and no MapGuide toolbar displayed. If you can open a MapGuide map as far as seeing the legend of map layers on the left and the MapGuide toolbar on the top, then this particular firewall issue is not likely to be the problem. One user has reported their SecureWorks firewall was blocking this content.

    If the firewall is checking content, it may be blocking these types of required MapGuide files:

    If you believe this firewall issue may be a problem using MapGuide, have your network administrator enable access to these content types for:

  14. Internet Explorer 7's phishing filter settings may be blocking the display of map layers on MapGuide maps. In this case, you can access all our web pages and open a MapGuide map as far as seeing the legend of map layers on the left and the MapGuide toolbar on the top, but you get errors or other failures attempting to display the map itself. The problem may be intermittent and may affect some or all layers. This problem and solution does not apply to Internet Explorer 8, which replaced phishing filters with the SmartScreen Filter.

    To disable Internet Explorer 7's phishing filters

    1. Select Tools, Internet Options, Advanced tab. Scroll down to "Phishing Filter" and pick "Disable Phishing Filter".
    2. Select Tools, Internet Options, Security tab. Pick the Internet zone, scroll down to "Use Phishing Filter" and pick "Disable".

    Also see Your organization's network may have a firewall or proxy server that blocks access to our MapGuide server above with similar symptoms.

  15. Some versions of McAfee security software may interfere with MapGuide. Symptoms of this problem may include seeing just a portion of the MapGuide Viewer, such as the MapGuide tool buttons and the "autodesk" logo, very slow response, and finally a "Network request failed" error message instead of the map. MapGuide may be erratic, sometimes working very slowly and sometimes failing altogether. Hopefully, McAfee has fixed this problem in your version. If not, you can work around the problem as follows:

    1. From the Start button, click Run...
    2. Type "Services.msc" (without quotes) and hit Enter.
    3. The services window list will appear. Scroll down until you find the "McAfee Redirector" service.
    4. Right-click on the McAfee Redirector and choose "Stop". This should fix the problem for your current session.
    5. To prevent the McAfee Redirector service from starting the next time you restart your computer, right-click on the McAfee Redirector, choose "Properties", then change the Startup type on the General tab from "Automatic" to "Disabled".
    6. Contact McAfee support for further resolution of this problem. It's not a good idea to leave the McAfee Redirector service disabled permanently as this disables needed McAfee function.

    We don't have McAfee software and aren't knowledgeable in its use. If you find a better workaround, such as disabling a certain McAfee feature through its user interface, or if you have additional information or helpful experience with this problem, let us know using the GIS webmaster contact on the Contact Us! page.

  16. Your security software's settings may be set to something too restrictive. Generally, the manufacturer's default settings should be OK, but you, someone or something may have changed one or more settings that prevent MapGuide from working. While it's easy to change settings thinking you want to be more secure, more aggressive settings aren't the default because too many things won't work. There are far too many different security programs (Norton, McAfee, etc.) for us to identify and list all the settings that could cause trouble. You may want to try TEMPORARILY disabling your security software.
    • A McAfee user reports that turning on "Mobile Code Control" in the Privacy File caused MapGuide to fail.

  17. A few users have reported problems printing from MapGuide with Internet Explorer 8. See Problem Printing from MapGuide with Internet Explorer 8 for more. (No users have reported printing problems with Internet Explorer 9 yet, but it could have the same printing problem and solution as Internet Explorer 8.)

  18. A web accelerator such as the Google Web Accelerator may interfere with viewing MapGuide or our web pages with dynamic content. If you are using a web accelerator and are having problems, try turning it off or disabling it.

  19. Many users have problems viewing documents in TIFF format because Apple's QuickTime Interferes with TIFF Viewing. See Viewing TIFF Images for more help for viewing TIFF files.

The following compatibility issues are not problems for the vast majority of users: