The latest version of OptiPath is available for downloading. You are free to use it for learning, teaching or research purposes but not for commercial use. Please cite OptiPath in any publication involving its use (for example, "OptiPath, Version x.x, Brett Shepardson and Fred Shepardson, www.shepardsons.net/optipath.html").
If you have previously installed OptiPath since July 15, 2004, and have not uninstalled OptiPath, you can download just OptiPath.exe. This file will be downloaded as a Zip file. It must be unzipped and saved to the same folder that contains your previous version of OptiPath (most likely C:\Program Files\Shepardsons\OptiPath), replacing the old OptiPath.exe file there. This only works if you have an installed older version of OptiPath (but not too old - not earlier than July 15, 2004) and have not deleted any of the essential files in the installation folder (such as the DLLs or the OptiPath.ops database file). If this does not work for you, you can still resort to Option 2. The OptiPath.exe Zip file is approximately 70 kilobytes, and downloads very quickly.
If you are doing a quick and dirty update of your OptiPath.exe file without a full installation, you may also want to update your OptiPath help files. OptiPathHelp.chm. This file will be downloaded as a Zip file, OptiPathHelp.zip. It must be unzipped and saved to the same folder that contains your previous version of OptiPath (most likely C:\Program Files\Shepardsons\OptiPath), replacing the old OptiPathHelp.chm file there. The OptiPathHelp.zip file is approximately one megabyte, and takes ten to twenty times as long to download as the OptiPath.exe Zip file. The help files were most recently updated on February 4, 2006. It is not necessary to have the most recent version of the help files to run the most recent version of OptiPath.
If you are doing a quick and dirty update of your OptiPath.exe file without a full installation, you may also want to update your OptiPath database file, OptiPath.ops. This file will be downloaded as a Zip file, OptiPathOPS.zip. It must be unzipped and can be saved to any folder. The OptiPathOPS.zip file is approximately fifteen kilobytes, and downloads very quickly. The database file was most recently updated on July 15, 2004. It is necessary to have the most recent version of the database file to run the most recent version of OptiPath.
To install the full OptiPath package, download the OptiPath Setup.
Warning! The OptiPath Setup package gives you the option of installing the database file OptiPath.ops. OptiPath will not function properly without a database file. If you include the database file in your installation of OptiPath it will overwrite any existing OptiPath.ops file in the installation folder. Any data you have in your old OptiPath.ops file will be lost. If this is your first installation you will want to download the database file. If you are reinstalling OptiPath, to prevent losing data, you can choose not to include the database file, or you can rename your existing OptiPath.ops file. If your version of OptiPath is earlier than 0.04.07.15 you will need to install a new version of the database with the new version of OptiPath.
The download is a zipped file. After unzipping it, run the Setup.exe file.
If the loader cannot find the InstMsiA.exe file
If you get an error message saying the loader cannot find the InstMsiA.exe file, you can download InstMsiA.exe. Be sure to save the file to the same folder as your Setup.exe program. Then run the OptiPath setup again.
If the loader cannot find the InstMsiW.exe file
If you get an error message saying the loader cannot find the InstMsiW.exe file, you can download InstMsiW.exe. Be sure to save the file to the same folder as your Setup.exe program. Then run the OptiPath setup again.
If you get the message "This setup requires the .NET Framework"
If you are using an older computer you may get the following message "This setup requires the .NET Framework. Please install the .NET Framework and run this setup again." The .NET Framework is Microsoft's way of managing software, and not all versions are compatible with OptiPath. You can install the .NET Framework version you need by running the file Dotnetfx.exe, which can be found at the Microsoft Windows Update Web site. Then run the OptiPath setup again.
If you get a message saying the Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 provider is not registered
If you get a message saying that the Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 provider is not registered, your computer does not have an up-to-date version of the database engine needed to open Microsoft Access database files. You can remedy this by downloading the Jet 4.0 Service Pack 8 from Microsoft.
If you get the message "Database format is out-of-date"
OptiPath does not remove your database when installing a new version. If an outdated copy of the OptiPath.ops database file exists in the installation folder you may get the following error message on starting up OptiPath:
Database format is out-of-date. Errors may occur! A new database can be downloaded from http://www.shepardsons.net/OptiPath/install.html.
If you get this message, you will have to manually delete or rename your old database file (OptiPath.ops) in the installation folder (Program Files\Shepardsons\OptiPath by default). Then run the OptiPath setup again.
OptiPath is continually in development. Please use it at your own risk. It is performing well for us on a Windows XP Home Edition operating system.
For tips on how to get started and use the software please see documentation.
Please let us know what you think of the OptiPath software. Any bugs you find, any suggestions you have for improving the interface or the functionality. We welcome it all. Thank you.
4/12/08