Old timer with a newbie Encore problem

[Whitey]

Hi, folks.

I've been away for a couple of years, from this site and from my CPAP machine.
Mostly because of my wifes insistence, I am now using my machine again. That part is going ok, my problem is with trying to get Encore to work again. I have Encore Pro version 1.6 and both of my current computers are running Vista. After a couple days of searching and reading it seems that I need EP 1.8, but I haven't yet figured out how to obtain it. I can't even find a "2factors" website anymore and it doesn't appear that Respironics supports it anymore.

I found an old laptop, running XP, in my daughters bedroom (she now has her own house). I got EP installed on it, but couldn't get the card reader to work. In the realm of things I tried to get it operational, I uninstalled EP thinking I would start over from the beginning, now EP won't reinstall on that computer. I get either an error message saying "data base failed to backup" or something close to that, or a message about the SQL not being valid or something...

I guess what I need is an opinion on the two options I think I have;
#1 Buy a new XP disc (I threw everything out with my old computers) so I can reformat, reinstall XP and start over with the old computer.
#2 Buy the new Encore Viewer and card reader from Respironics.

The cost seems to be very comparable between the two options...so maybe I just answered my own question...go with the newer version. So, then the question becomes, will I have the same ability to read and chart the data with the Viewer that I had with Encore Pro and My Encore?

I hope someone can follow through my ramblings and offer some advice

[jules]

the driver for the card reader is floating around somewhere - someone found it a few weeks ago - maybe off a mako site with a windows update

[6PtStar]

Why buy a new card reader, your old one should still work with Encore Viewer. Viewer will not work with My Encore but is simpler to use because it does not use the SQL data base. Encore Pro 1.8 will not work with My Encore either but James Skinner has written Pro Analyzer which will work with 1.8i and gives the same information. Pro Analyser will not work with Encore Viewer however.

Encore Pro is still the most frustrating program I have ever tried to use!!

Jerry

[blarg]

You need the driver from the Encore disc, not the Mako disc. Encore doesn't offer to install it for you, and you have to dig into the contents of the disc to find it.

You'll know when you've got the right driver going when inserting the smart card results in the light on the card reader going green. And you're right that you need 1.8 for Vista.

[SleepyT]

congrats for listening to your wife! welcome back.

[Whitey]

OK, so it looks like no one can sell 1.8 any more...thanks to the poor underpaid doctors and dme's

Does the viewer really provide usable information or would I be better off trying to get my old computer and EP 1.6 working?

Thanks for the help so far!

[Hawthorne]

Encore Viewer gives exactly the same data as Encore Pro. You will get all the same detailed data as you did with Encore Pro.

[Guest]

Encore Viewer gives exactly the same data as Encore Pro. You will get all the same detailed data as you did with Encore Pro.

Thank you very much! I'd say the viewer is the way for me to go, all I need is the data and none of the fancy stuff.