Computer requirements for running Weather Buddy

	Windows 98, ME, 2000, 2003, XP
	Mac OS 9, OS X
	The latest version of Macromedia's Flash Player
	Internet Connection (preferably always on like Road Runner)
	Minimum 256 MB of RAM
	Minimum Pentium III-class processor, G3 or better

Weather Buddy Frequently Asked Questions

Although we think you'll find Weather Buddy a great online tool for monitoring weather, we know that computer programs don't always work as desired. So should you have troubles, please read through these frequently asked questions in hopes of solving them.

1. What if Weather Buddy is unable to contact the weather server?

First, make sure you are connected to the Internet. If so, double-click the Buddy icon in the system tray to try reconnecting. Note that sometimes when Weather Buddy is launched on startup, it may attempt to connect to the weather server before your Internet connection has been established. If the connection continues to fail after two attempts, it may just be the weather server is temporarily unavailable and you should try again later.

2. I'm not seeing any cities during the setup. Why?

The Default City/Weather Station page requires access to the Internet. If the lower area is blank, it's likely that you have a personal firewall or spyware prevention software on your computer that won't let Weather Buddy, a new program on your system, access outbound. If you're prompted by your firewall to approve Buddy access do so. You may have to grant specific access for Weather Buddy in some applications in order for it to retrieve the list of cities and weather station locations as well as data from those instruments.

3. Why are only a few cities available?

Weather Buddy is provided by Time Warner Cable news channels in Albany, Austin, Charlotte, Raleigh and Syracuse, thus the local weather information for those cities. Each of these channels provides 24-hour local news to customers of Time Warner Cable in these cities. Weather Buddy can be used by anyone in any city, but you will not get the same level of detail.

4. How do I prevent Weather Buddy from launching when my computer starts up?

Right click on the Weather Buddy icon or Temperature icon in the system tray (the area with the clock in the bottom right of your screen). Select “Do Not Load at Startup”.

5. Why do the actions seem so slow?

The speed of your computer's processor and memory available have the biggest impact on Weather Buddy's performance. Because Buddy is Flash-based, it requires a modern computer with plenty of horsepower. The version of your operating system also plays a part.

6. How do I stop Weather Buddy from playing sounds when there are weather alerts?

To turn off sound in the Buddy, click on the menu button in the application's upper right, click on the options tab and select “Weather Buddy Setup” from the menu. Now click on the ALERTS tab. Select “Off” under Audio Preferences. Click “Save” in the bottom right.

7. How do I change my default city?

Click on the menu button in the application's upper right, click on the options tab and select “Weather Buddy Setup” from the menu. Select the WX STATIONS tab and then choose the city you want as Weather Buddy’s default. Click “Save” in the bottom right.

8. How do I change my default weather station?

Click on the menu button in the application's upper right, click on the options tab and select “Weather Buddy Setup” from the menu. Select the WX STATIONS tab and then choose the weather station you want as Weather Buddy’s default. Click “Save” in the bottom right.

9. Why is a particular location I'm used to seeing listed not available?

Sometimes the remote weather stations we have in the field fail to report. When that happens Buddy will not display its data to prevent you from seeing outdated weather information. If you're looking at the Big Buddy view that station will be grayed out.

10. Why is the weather station camera image for a particular station outdated or not available?

Occasionally, weather station images and data are unavailable. This is not a malfunction in the Weather Buddy and the image will return automatically when the weather station comes back online. You can use the refresh button on the camera images to retrieve the latest picture available.

11. Why can’t I view the timelapse movies under the Weather Station tab in the Big Buddy?

These files require Macromedia's Flash Player. If you have the player installed and still encounter problems, try downloading the latest version of Flash Player. There is also a possibility that a particular weather station will fail to create a timelapse. If other locations' cameras are playing the movies, then it's probably just a temporary problem with that one station. You can use the support form to report problems like this.

12. Why does Weather Buddy require so much system memory?

The Weather Buddy application relies upon Flash to display its weather information. Due to the multiple Flash animations and different Buddy display formats, the program will use a fair amount of memory. The amount used will vary by computer and based on current settings. Buddy does tend to use less memory than a typical use of Internet Explorer.

13. Does Weather Buddy automatically reboot itself?

If you leave the program running all the time it will reboot itself overnight. It does this to check for any navigation updates and to maintain the most efficient use of your computer's resources.

14. How do I upgrade Weather Buddy?

Weather Buddy is designed so most upgrades will happen without user intervention. When there is a new download required, you will be notified in the advertising banner position at the base of Big Buddy.

15. What's being planned for future versions of Weather Buddy?

Longer timelapse videos are being developed. A masked version for Macs is also on the list. We are looking at other ways to improve the Weather Buddy experience. We'd love to hear your ideas too. Please fill out our contact form and send along your suggestions.

16. Is Weather Buddy available for Macintosh?

Yes, just visit our download page and look for the Mac download button.

17. How do I uninstall Weather Buddy?

To uninstall Weather Buddy, go to the Windows Start Menu. In the “Programs” menu, select Weather Buddy/Uninstall Weather Buddy.

18. I've gone through all the FAQ and I still can't get Weather Buddy to work correctly. What do I do now?

Please fill out this form and describe in detail your computer configuration and the troubles you're having. Please include as much information as possible about your computer's specifications (CPU speed, OS version, etc.).