New Computer - Can't Use OpenRocket

I'm a dope when it comes to software stuff.

I just got a new computer, and downloaded OpenRocket, but when I try to open it, it asks me what app I want to use. Nothing I do seems to be working.

Do I need to install something first? Do I need Java or something? Help me, Obi Wan, I just want to build rockets...

You need to install java. Read this page fully and it'll help you. https://openrocket.sourceforge.net/download.html

Well you are most likely using Win 8 from the sounds of it, and you need the Java runtime files once they are installed you can place the OR file on your desktop and double click to run it. The op system is just a guess on my part.

rharshberger said:

Well you are most likely using Win 8 from the sounds of it, and you need the Java runtime files once they are installed you can place the OR file on your desktop and double click to run it. The op system is just a guess on my part.

Click to expand...

It's Windows 10, actually. Do I need to go to java.com and download something?

lcorinth said:

It's Windows 10, actually. Do I need to go to java.com and download something?

Click to expand...

I would assume so, hopefully its the fix. Please keep us posted if you get it fixed. I plan on upgrading to Win10 soon, only because supposedly its better than Win8

yes. you will need to install on Windows 10. I did here as well. That's the proper site. Just install and you should be able to double click open rocket at that point. I did here.

lcorinth said:

It's Windows 10, actually. Do I need to go to java.com and download something?

Click to expand...

Yes, go to Java.com and download the latest Java.

You are retracing my steps of about a month ago! As Mark recommends, download and install the latest version of Java. At that point Open Rocket will run just fine!

Disclaimer

At least OR has been working fine on my Toshiba Laptop/Windows 10 platform for the last month. I can't guarantee that some rogue programmer somewhere might not find out about this solution and screw it up. :lol:

Diggr

Be careful with the Java install. Oracle used to also install the crappy Ask toolbar unless you unchecked a box during the install. Don't know if they are still doing that.

I'm not sure what I've done wrong here. I didn't have this problem with my last computer.

OK, I've installed and re-installed Java about 8 times. I've deleted and re-downloaded OR about 8 times.

First of all, the OR icon doesn't have the little rocket icon. It looks like this:



I don't know what that is.

If I right click on OR, I see that it tries to open with an app called Provisioning package runtime processing tool. If I try to select another app, I cannot find Java anywhere as an option (I don't know if Java counts as an app - again, I'm not the best at this stuff).

I'm scratching my head as to what to do next here. The Java and OR website links above aren't telling me much - at least, not that I can make sense of.

What other information could I give you guys in order to help me figure this out?

You can try the following: Open a command prompt.
Click start, type cmd and it should appear. Click on it
Change the directory to whatever directory you downloaded the openrocket file to
Then in the command prompt enter: java -jar OpenRocket-15.03.jar

I'm on my cell so I cannot give a valid path reference at the moment.

To know where it is, you can fins I in windows explorer, press shift and right click on it, then choose copy as path. Paste that into the command prompt, or a notepad and you'll know the path to go to. I launched OR this way the first time on win10 and it worked fine

kcobbva said:

You can try the following: Open a command prompt.
Click start, type cmd and it should appear. Click on it
Change the directory to whatever directory you downloaded the openrocket file to
Then in the command prompt enter: java -jar OpenRocket-15.03.jar

I'm on my cell so I cannot give a valid path reference at the moment.

To know where it is, you can fins I in windows explorer, press shift and right click on it, then choose copy as path. Paste that into the command prompt, or a notepad and you'll know the path to go to. I launched OR this way the first time on win10 and it worked fine

Click to expand...

Hmm... Well, I opened the command prompt and couldn't figure out how to change the directory. But I moved OR to the directory that was in the prompt, typed java -jar OpenRocket-15.03.jar and it opened!

Then I put a shortcut to OR on the desktop. Clicking on the shortcut does nothing - a box opens for a second, then closes. So, I guess I can open it with a command prompt. Can anybody help me figure out how to go that last step and fix it so I just have to click on the icon?

[Edit] The OR icon is now the Java icon. Still no tiny rocket icon.

It seems I did this and it opened. Then if I go to the directory I is within, I can now just click on it to run. I haven't movednit from there, but maybe right click-create shortcut, then move that to the desktop

Btw to change directory

If you start off at c:\users\username. Just type cd /
Then at c:\. Type >cd directoryname
You'll now be in that directory. Keep doing that until you follow the path
You can also start typing the directory name and hit tab to fill it out for you.

Sorry for the typos. Watching my kids at the pool and trying on the phone.........

with win10 getting the java icon is normal as that is the program associated .jar files. to get the wee little rocket you first need to have the picture, then make a shortcut for OR, you can then change the icon for the shortcut. feel free to D/L the attached pic and place this into the folder with OR.
Rex

Just remember to save the icon as a .ico file extension, or use a free online converter.

Sorry I was off the forum for a few days, guys, and didn't get to reply to your suggestions.

I was going to get on here and describe what was working and what wasn't. I was going to say, first, that I realized that on my old computer, the icon was also the Java icon, and that the rocket icon isn't really that important to me.

On both the old and new computer, clicking on the icon was set to "Open with" the application called "Java (TM) SE Platform Binary," and while that worked on the old computer, on the new computer it wouldn't work, and my only option was to use the command prompt.

However, I wanted to double-check this stuff before posting here, so I clicked on the icon... AND IT WORKED!!

I have no idea why it wasn't working before or why it is working now. I can tell you that this is just after I returned to the MicroCenter where I got the computer because there seemed to be something wrong with the headphone port, and the guy at the store simply pushed the jack all the way in, which I guess I hadn't been doing. Imagine my embarrassment. At least I didn't have to return something or get it repaired.

So, today is kind of a humbling day for me, computer-wise.

Anyway, thanks for the help. I have never had to use the command prompt on a computer before, so I wouldn't have known what to do.

Now, it's time to design some rockets!

Don't feel bad Daniel. When it comes to making my computer do what I desire I'm all thumbs. But I've found this to help on numerous occasions.

First, I take a deep breath. Next, I grasp my left earlobe with my right thumb and index finger. Then I grasp my right earlobe with my left thumb and index finger. On the count of three, I simultaneously twist and pull both ears and I am usually able to jerk my head completely free of my ass!

I hope this helps in any future computer quagmires. c:

tmacklin said:

Don't feel bad Daniel. When it comes to making my computer do what I desire I'm all thumbs. But I've found this to help on numerous occasions.

First, I take a deep breath. Next, I grasp my left earlobe with my right thumb and index finger. Then I grasp my right earlobe with my left thumb and index finger. On the count of three, I simultaneously twist and pull both ears and I am usually able to jerk my head completely free of my ass!

I hope this helps in any future computer quagmires. c:

Click to expand...

So, it's right hand - left ear, left hand - right ear.

I shall remember that. Thanks, Ted! That's advice the Geek Squad would probably never have given me!

FWIW, I'll repost this link so one can know what they're getting into with Windows 10.

https://wa8lmf.net/Windows10-Info/index.htm

It's from a Ham Radio APRS tracking site for the old UI-View program. It still has a following even though the code is frozen in 2004 when the author died.

Kurt Savegnago

Glad you are up and running. As for windows 10. My preference is to install it. The updates are a good thing. Too many years of folks not updating their systems nor understanding how to update their systems, thus leaving always on, vulnerable machines across the internet. Yes there are IT Savvy folks that can handle it themselves, but many that cannot. I won't drag out a debate, but I do believe it's a good thing.

kcobbva said:

Glad you are up and running. As for windows 10. My preference is to install it. The updates are a good thing. Too many years of folks not updating their systems nor understanding how to update their systems, thus leaving always on, vulnerable machines across the internet. Yes there are IT Savvy folks that can handle it themselves, but many that cannot. I won't drag out a debate, but I do believe it's a good thing.

Click to expand...

Basically I wouldn't trust any OS to protect one from anything. Best to have a hardware firewall to operate behind. I just reloaded a Winbook tablet and oh my gosh if one just clicks on the "usual" install instead of "custom" I was pretty aghast as
to what one was allowing them to do. It essentially gave MS blanket permission to monitor all that you do on the internet. Sure, if one isn't doing "purient" browsing fine, but if you wonder where all these "pop up" suggestions and ads are coming from,
now you know. Kurt

lcorinth said:

Hmm... Well, I opened the command prompt and couldn't figure out how to change the directory. But I moved OR to the directory that was in the prompt, typed java -jar OpenRocket-15.03.jar and it opened!

Then I put a shortcut to OR on the desktop. Clicking on the shortcut does nothing - a box opens for a second, then closes. So, I guess I can open it with a command prompt. Can anybody help me figure out how to go that last step and fix it so I just have to click on the icon?

[Edit] The OR icon is now the Java icon. Still no tiny rocket icon.

Click to expand...

I did the same thing you did, and here's what I ended up with:

GRRR.

I was having a similar problem launching OpenRocket and I found the problem to be that my default browser was set to Chrome. Chrome no longer supports Java and as a result, the application didn't launch correctly, even though I had installed Java correctly. As soon as I changed my default browser to Firefox or IE or Edge, it worked perfectly.

MikeBarnett said:

I did the same thing you did, and here's what I ended up with:
View attachment 284887
GRRR.

Click to expand...

No idea what all's going on there, but it appears you have an ATI graphics card which Java / OpenGL doesn't like.

Might be worth checking to ensure your graphics drivers are up to date.