Troubleshooting Mapping Problems (Aurora Only)
Document 5078
Revised 2/28/2008 JB3


Most common mapping problems in WinTOTAL can be easily fixed by changing a few settings or making some minor changes to your workflow.

This document outlines the most common problems WinTOTAL users experience when using the new mapping utility and how to fix them.

 
 

 

While we use the most up-to-date mapping data supplied by Microsoft Virtual Earth, and provide mapping tools in WinTOTAL that are second to none, you may still experience difficulties when downloading maps and mapping data. In most cases, if this occurs, it's related to problems geocoding the address supplied for one of many reasons. Common mapping problems are as follows:

Error Messages

  • "Unable to geocode subject property, please verify the address fields below."
  • "The geocoder failed. You may have Internet connectivity problems."
  • "WinTOTAL's map wizard is experiencing difficulty retrieving a map. This may be due to your Internet connection malfunctioning or the interference of antivirus or firewall software on your computer."
  • "alaMapUtil.exe - Application has generated an exception that could not be handled... Click OK to terminate the application. Click CANCEL to debug the application."
  • "WinTOTAL was unable to verify your annual membership agreement."

Incorrect Balloon Placement

  • Balloons are only slightly off placement.
  • Balloons are at the center of the zip code.
  • Balloons are not appearing at all for certain properties.

Other Mapping Problems

  • Blank or black maps (typically flood maps)
  • Map distances or data not transferring back into your report

Most of these symptoms are caused by incorrect settings or setup either in WinTOTAL or in Windows. In some cases, these problems may occur due to the interference of firewall or antivirus software, a weak Internet connection, or simply a lack of sufficient data for your area. See the details outlined below for more information about how to fix the problems you're experiencing.

 

Handling Error Messages

If you receive an error message while you're attempting to generate a map, it's typically a problem with the address. Here are a few things you should try if you receive an error while trying to download a map.

  • Verify that you've spelled the address correctly.
  • Try a different address to verify that it's just the address that's the problem.
  • Try to get a map for the same property through a 3rd party map provider. If Microsoft MapPoint or Yahoo! Maps can't find the property either, the problem is the property address and thus is beyond the control of a la mode.
  • You may also want to verify that the Work Offline option in Internet Explorer is unchecked. When this option is checked, your computer will act as if it is disconnected from the Internet and can affect WinTOTAL's Mapping Utility in the same way as a non-existant connection. To check for this, open Internet Explorer and click the File menu (or the Tools menu if you're using Internet Explorer 7). If Work Offline is checked, click it in the list to uncheck it. If there's no check beside Work Offline, just close Internet Explorer.
  • If you receive this error "WinTOTAL's map wizard is experiencing difficulty retrieving a map. This may be due to your Internet connection malfunctioning or the interference of antivirus or firewall software on your computer," something is blocking WinTOTAL's map utility from accessing the Internet to download the map. Typically it's antivirus or firewall software on your computer. For more information about how to unblock this WinTOTAL component, see our firewall configuration instructions to find the right information for your AV or Firewall software. Then, be sure to unblock alaMapUtil (alaMapUtil.exe). In some cases, it's actually caused by problems with your installation of Microsoft's .NET Framework. To verify if this is the case, see Tech Doc 5093.
  • If you're receiving an error indicating, "alaMapUtil.exe - Application has generated an exception that could not be handled," your installation of Microsoft's .net Framework is either malfunctioning or non-existant. You must reinstall the .net Framework to resolve this problem. For more information about this process, see Tech Doc 5093.
  • If you're getting a map and get this error: "WinTOTAL was unable to verify your annual membership agreement," the most likely culprit is your firewall. Make sure that you have the correct settings according to these firewall instructions. If you're still having trouble after you verify it's not the firewall, browse to c:\Windows\ and find the file "alaredun.ini." Right-click on the file and rename the file as "alaredun.old." Then open the Tech Support Assistant by going to Start, All Programs, WinTOTAL, Tech Support Assistant. Choose the option Analyze System and click Next. In the Update History window at the botton, choose the topmost update, double-click on it, and choose the option to Redownload Updates. Click OK and let the program download and reinstall the last update.

Handling Incorrect Balloon Placement

WinTOTAL uses a process called "geocoding" to determine a property's latitude and longitude based on the address you supply in WinTOTAL. While geocoding tends to be quite accurate in major metropolitan and suburban areas, it can often be a bit inaccurate in areas of new construction or rural areas due to the lack of available information about those areas. Of course, this problem is not exclusive to WinTOTAL. Typically, other major map providers like Microsoft MapPoint and Yahoo! Maps suffer from the same problems. The only way to completely avoid the caveats of geocoding is to supply WinTOTAL with the exact latitude and longitude of the property you wish to place on your map, but you can always annotate your maps and move the balloons as well. Here are a few ways you can handle misplaced balloons.

  • In addition to the items outlined above, you can move the balloons manually with just a few clicks. To learn how to move balloons in WinTOTAL's new mapping wizard, just click the map where you want to move the balloon and then choose the balloon you wish to move from the list that appears. For more information about WinTOTAL's new mapping utility, see the Maps PowerView chapter of the WinTOTAL User's Guide.
  • If you'd rather not have to move balloons at all, you can also use a GPS device to determine the latitude and longitude of the properties from the field and then have WinTOTAL use that information instead of trying to locate the property for you. See the Address and GPS Verification section of the WinTOTAL User's Guide for more information about using GPS coordinates.

Avoiding Blank/Black Location or Flood Map Pages

WinTOTAL is designed to simplify the process of retrieving maps. Since you'd typically have to add a map page to your report in order to add a map to it, WinTOTAL pools both steps into the same retrieval process. Adding blank map pages to your report prior to generating a map is not necessary and may require you to remove the blank map page later after you have successfully retrieved a map. Here are some ways to avoid blank map pages.

  • Do not add blank map pages through the Contents view. WinTOTAL does that for you when you generate a map.
  • If you're generating Flood Maps, be sure to configure WinTOTAL to pull the maps from your InterFlood account. If you do not, you may get errors when downloading flood maps, blank flood maps or black flood maps. If you need to configure WinTOTAL for your Interflood account, see Tech Doc 5012 for more information.
  • If you need to reset your InterFlood Username and Password, visit https://www.alamode.com/configurepassword/default.aspx to reset you gloal a la mode login.

Ensuring that Flood/Census Data Transfers to Forms

The most common reason that the flood and census data you download with WinTOTAL's map utility doesn't transfer into your forms is that WinTOTAL is not properly configured to transfer that data. You can easily reconfigure WinTOTAL to download all the appropriate data with the following methods.

  • You may need to reset your Report Transfer Options. To do so, click the Report Transfer Options link at the top of the Information pane on the left of the Maps PowerView and mark the Remember the Last Fields I Checked option as outlined in the Report Transfer Options section of the WinTOTAL User's Guide.
  • Download the FEMA/Census data again by clicking the drop-down arrow beside the New Maps button in the Maps PowerView and choosing Flood, Census, and USPS Data from the list that appears.

If Problems Persist...

If you continue to experience mapping problems that cannot be solved by the methods outlined above, contact a la mode Technical Support for assistance. To request improvements to this documentation or the WinTOTAL User's Guide, send an e-mail to docs@alamode.com.