Windows 10 & Solar Fire

[Jim Eshelman]

Many astrologers on the Solar Fire users' groups complain that Windows 10 gives them problems with Solar Fire. This baffles me - Windows 10, in general, is significantly better and more stable than earlier versions. It has unique features that make Solar Fire actually work better (more flexibly) than earlier versions.

Also, nobody here on Solunars has complained of such problems, and I've had no problems Solar Fire - none - running it on Windows 10. I know that many of the people complaining are running Solar Fire 9 (while I'm still running Solar Fire 8), but I don't think this is the issue either.

This post on using Solar Fire on Windows 10 may, therefore, be of more use to outside parties than to people on Solunars.

Here we go...

[Jim Eshelman]

Excluding those Solar Fire problems that are simply SF problems or user errors, I believe the cause of nearly all problems people have with Solar Fire on Windows 10 come from one source: Not using Windows 10 the way it was designed to be used.

What follows isn't the only way for Solar Fire to work on Win 10, but is what I consider "best practices" - using the OS the way it was made to be used.

1. Use a Microsoft Account, not a local user account
The genius of Windows 10 is that - for the first time in personal computer history - individual users have all the added advantages that Windows has always shown on a workplace network. This is accomplished by Win 10's integration with the network storage ("cloud") service, OneDrive, which acts much like a workplace network.

When you first log into Windows 10, you need to create a user account. This can be either a local account (one that exists only on the hard drive of your computer as in personal copies of Windows in the past) or a Microsoft Account. A Microsoft Account is a single login account you create online. It helps you coordinate all your interaction with Microsoft through a single user name and password. This also adds great security benefits.

Whether you pick a local account or a Microsoft Account, you can change to the other one anytime you want.

If you don't have a Microsoft Account, create one. (It's free.) You can do this from several locations on the Internet, e.g., account.microsoft.com or www.outlook.com or www.onedrive.com. (The last two are really the same site, entered from different doors, with the same resources available.)

Several benefits appear immediately when you create a Microsoft account. For one thing, you have immediate free access to the online versions of Microsoft Office. These aren't as powerful as the installed full copies of Microsoft Office, but they're pretty good (with most features most people most use). You also get a small amount of free OneDrive storage space (5 GB). - More later about how useful (essential) this is.

If you are logging into Windows 10 for the first time, log in with your Microsoft Account. If you have previously created a local account, I recommend that you change this: Go to Settings in Win 10, click Accounts, and change to "sign in with a Microsoft account." (You can always switch back.)

[Jim Eshelman]

2. Rely on OneDrive
OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage platform. It works like this:

1. You have a OneDrive folder on your computer.
2. You have OneDrive storage space on a secure Microsoft server ("in the cloud").
3. Whenever you have Internet connection, these synchronize with each other according to settings you select.

If you work on multiple computers, logging into each of them with the same Microsoft account, the OneDrive local folder of every computer you use will synchronize with OneDrive in the cloud AND with each other. For example, if I make a change to a file in my OneDrive folder on the personal laptop I keep at work, it's up-to-date on my home computer long before I get home.

The extent to which each computer and the cloud OneDrive synchronize is under your control.

1. Whatever files or folders you select can exist on BOTH your local computer and "in the cloud."
2. You can save space on your computer's hard drive by specifying that some files or folders exist ONLY in the cloud.
3. You can save space on OneDrive by specifying that some files or folders exist ONLY on your local computer.

On your Windows 10 computer, you will see a OneDrive icon (a small cloud) in the lower right corner (near the clock). Right-click on this and pick Settings. On the Settings tab, I recommend you check all boxes except the last one, "Save space and download files as you use them." (However, if you have very limited space, you can check this box also. Your files will only exist in the cloud but will appear as icons - similar to Windows shortcuts - on your computer. You can see them and click to open them, at which point they will be pulled out of the cloud and opened on your computer. This process is slower than having the files exist both in the cloud and on your computer.)

[Note 2024: These menus have changed. If you have trouble finding the settings, ask me. I may come back and edit these instructions to fit current menus. The main item to turn OFF now is called "Files On-Demand."]

On the Account tab, click Choose Folders. This will let you choose which folders in your OneDrive folder you want to synchronize. Most people probably will want ALL folders synced locally, but you may have some that you don't use much and just want to leave in the cloud until you want to access them.

This Choose Folders option will be important to your Solar Fire use, as discussed below.

2a. Decisions about OneDrive size (storage space)
With your free Microsoft Account, you get 5 GB of OneDrive storage. You will want and need more than the 5 GB free space. There are several ways you can increase this.

Since most people use Microsoft Office, this is the most logical option for most people: If you have a single-license copy of Microsoft Office (currently branded as Microsoft 365 Personal), you get one terabyte (1 TB) of OneDrive storage. (That's a lot!) Because I need several copies of Office for the multiple computers my wife and I use, I subscribe annually to what is currently called Microsoft 365 Family, which gives each user 1 TB of OneDrive space (up to a maximum of six users).

If you don't have or want Microsoft Office, you can also just pay for extra OneDrive space. It currently costs $2/month for 100 GB.

2a. Backup & Recovery with OneDrive
Another benefit of OneDrive is automatic backups. Historically, computer users have been terrible about backing up their computers. Anything you add to OneDrive, though, is automatically backed up. Microsoft retains (private to you) multiple versions of your OneDrive files. It also has its own Recycle Bin for OneDrive files you delete. You can restore earlier versions several ways, such as: log into OneDrive.com with your web browser, right-click on a file, and pick Version History.

Good backup is basic to being happy with your computer. OneDrive takes care of this for any files you put in your OneDrive folder.

[Jim Eshelman]

3. Add your Documents folder to OneDrive.
Solar Fire stores your most important files (all of your chart collections, custom wheels and other items, default settings, and more) in the Solar Fire User Files folder. Solar Fire places this folder inside the Windows Documents folder (previously called "My Documents").

If you don't do anything to change it, your Documents folder exists only on your local computer hard drive. However, you have the option of having Documents reside inside of OneDrive. For Solar Fire, you want to do this! This is the key to flexible Solar Fire happiness!

Here is how: Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the lower right corner of your screen (near the time). Pick Settings. On the Backup tab, click Manage Backup. You will then have options to have Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders reside in OneDrive. Click to have Documents backed up to OneDrive. (You can pick either or both of the others if you want. It doesn't matter to Solar Fire.)

At this point, your Solar Fire Users Files folder, which is inside your Document folder, is moved to OneDrive. Solar Fire doesn't care that it moved because Solar Fire is just looking for Documents. Some advantages:

1. Your Solar Fire user files are all stored safely in the cloud AND exist on your local computer. This keeps them much safer than if they were only on your local computer. For example, if you lose or damage your computer, your files are still safe.

2. OneDrive keeps several old versions of these files. If a file ever becomes corrupt, you can recover an older version.

3. You are entitled, by your Solar Fire license, to install the program on multiple computers (as long as it's just for your use). If all the computers are Windows 10, with OneDrive setup as instructed above, then your chart files and other user settings follow you from computer to computer - each time you open Solar Fire.

One more recommendation for safety: Copy the entire Solar Fire User Files folder under another name on your OneDrive (e.g., Solar Fire User Files BACKUP). Update this every now and then. While you can recover damaged files from OneDrive's version protection, this extra folder makes it easier and faster in extreme cases. Accidents sometimes happen, so you might as well make your life easy. One example of where you will want this: If you install Solar Fire on a second computer, it will overwrite everything in your user files folder with the "out of the box" Solar Fire files - not what you want! So, make a back up copy (in OneDrive) immediately before installing Solar Fire on a second computer, go ahead and install Solar Fire, then copy all the backed up files into the newly created Solar Fire User Files folder when you're done.

3a. Make all your Solar Fire files local, not "cloud-only."
If you didn't already tell OneDrive to keep ALL OneDrive files on your local computer, go back to OneDrive settings, the Account tab, the Choose Folders button and make sure that (inside of Documents) the Solar Fire User Files folder is marked for local storage. You do NOT want Solar Fire to have to go across the internet to the cloud server every time it accesses a file! (It will be a terrible experience.) Instead, you want to make sure that all your SF files are on your local computer.

[Jim Eshelman]

And they lived happily ever after.

[SteveS]

Thanks Jim.