So, I decided to clean my mount computer. Things were getting sketchier and sketchier, so I figured it was time to clean house and take a fresher start.
Boy, what fun it has been!
So, I did a reset on the laptop I use at the mount out back. Well actually it turned into a couple of clean sweeps before things got right again.
I simply just hate windows and their frivolous use of updates to update the updates they updated because their updates failed to update the updates, they set out to update.
So, I cleaned house. But not like I use to. I used to be able to departion, repartition, and start out with a clean hard drive to reload with my original Programs. (That's what Apps were before we got so darn lazy we couldn't spell anymore.) Doing my partion thing, I survived the '97 KLEZ virus. 
The fun part is trying to reload the Apps into my cleaned-up computer. Because the applications that used to work have been updated so much, they just shove a bunch of carp into my compooter and it can't begin to slide along like it once did.
So, after several tries and the same failures I was trying to weed out, I traveled further and further back in time (updates wise) to get back to the working programs before the endless updates that buggered things up so much.
Fortunately for me, I have downloads that do go far enough back to get around the latest updates that manage to to blow holes in the programs they were intended to fix. I just have to be really careful to not let the updates sneak in and screw things up again.
That was what was taking so long to repair my mount laptop. About the time a program was behaving well, some donut update would pop up a warning to update my currant version. And if I did let it, things went fubar again.
Glad I have some standards that I can rely on, as long as I remain vigilant and don't let the updates to the updates that try to update the updates that fouled the updated program that was working fine before it was screwed up by an update to fix some perceived problem. Which isn't a problem to a Windows computer the program was originally written for.
What happened to the code bangers that knew enough to leave working programs alone, and to fix the problem, instead of trying to fix everything only to foul it all up?
If it works, don't fix it.
So, I've managed to work through the twists and turns of getting things working again, and much faster than it was.
As soon as I open NINA, ASCOM pops up a:
!
Warning
ASCOM Platform version is outdated. Please
update to the latest ASCOM platform version.
Otherwise the application might not be able
to connect to all ASCOM devices.
2025-03-25 17:44:41 Close all
Scary, huh? So, for 2 times (maybe more, I lost track) I did update ASCOM. And for both I got shafted. Finally, by ignoring it and closing it, I worked around it. And still am. But, it comes up every time I open NINA.
There are bugs in there. So, no thank you, I'll stay out of the latest, greatest buggy updates for my sanity and function of my laptop.
Stellarium
I've used Stellarium since forever. Can't say I know it like the back of my hand, but I'm pretty quick setting it up when I need to. It gets massaged a lot, but I've learned for reliability I stay back from the cutting edge. Latest Version is 25.1
How far back> Well, version 23.1 right now. But I know what works for me, and I go through the Configuration pretty quick to set it up to what I like. In the plugins, I use the Remote Control and make sure to tick the load at start up box. That lets NINA and it work together so I can pick my target and NINA will load it from Stellarium. Then all the great stuff NINA can do for me with framing and running my sequences.
Same for the Telescope Control. But not this time. I spent about 3 days and nights trying to discover why my telescope wouldn't move normally like it did before. Finally, this morning I did not put a name in for my telescope like I have for years. GM811G. Nope, Got to leave the name blank, and not tick the ASCOM box, set the serial port (5 for me.) And Woo-Hoo! It took off like a duck a walkin!
I was so pleased to have finally found my way back to the way things should work, I did several mock runs at Stellarium targets to make sure things are working again.
Last night I ran up my Polar Alignment, then a 10 star X 10 star model for alignment. I like doing fat models, so my telescope has an eyeful of the sky to work with. Ren'e Gorlich, the Gemini creator, told me models should have at least 10 stars. I had just picked a number out of my hat and guessed 10 would be good. By 10, the next star is almost dead centered. After all, it's training the mount where it is.
So, all set! And it's supposed to be Cloudy Nights for at least the next week, Perfect!
But the Sun is down and I want to go play with whatever sky I have.
Tootles.
