Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)


General Questions about MountainsMap

What is MountainsMap®?

MountainsMap® is a surface analysis software package based upon the Mountains Technology® from Digital Surf. This technology is integrated by leading surface metrology instrument manufacturers. MountainsMap® is used by thousands of research institutes, laboratories and industrial facilities working on different scales and in many different sectors worldwide.
 More information on Mountains®...

Can I try MountainsMap® with a demo version?

It is possible to test Mountains® for 30 days. This will be a fully functional version and you will be able to test different product levels and optional modules.
 See Get a free trial kit...

Which languages are available in MountainsMap®?

MountainsMap® is localized in several European and Asian languages (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese). Help files are also translated except for some languages where English is used instead.
 See the Technical Specifications...

What are the file formats supported in Mountains®?

MountainsMap® is compatible with almost all surface measuring instruments in the market.
 See the list of File Formats supported in MountainsMap®...

Where can I find help or tutorials?

You can display the online help by pressing F1 in MountainsMap®. Tutorials and example documents are also available from the Help menu. Do not hesitate to spend some time reading the help and discover its features. You'll also find a lot of useful explanations.

A printed version of the complete help (600 pages) can be purchased from Digital Surf. Contact us.

Is MountainsMap® able to drive a measuring system?

MountainsMap Profile is able to drive some workshop profilometers directly. These profilometers are connected by a serial or USB cable. In this case, a dialog box allows one to define measuring parameters, start the measurement, download the profile and apply automatically an analysis template. Contact us to know which profilometer brand is supported.

Other types of instruments are not interfaced directly but through the file formats in which they save acquired data.

I have suggestions for new features in MountainsMap®, how can I suggest them?

Your feedback and new ideas is much appreciated, you can send it by email to support@digitalsurf.fr



Technical Questions about MountainsMap®

What is the recommended minimum hardware and software configuration?

 See the Technical Specifications...

I have problems with the 3D View. Any help?

If you have problem with the 3D view, the first step will be to activate the safe compatibility mode. Go to "Option / General preferences / 3D view" and activate the safe compatibility mode. This mode makes the 3D view more robust.

Should you still have some trouble with the 3D view, our support team will help to fix it. Please follow the procedure hereafter:

  1. Close all Mountains that are running.
  2. Start the Registry (from execute / regedit)
  3. Go to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Digital Surf\Mountains xxx\Settings\Support\TraceLevel"
  4. Double click on TraceLevel and set the value to 4.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Close the registry.
  7. Run Mountains
  8. Load a surface
  9. Display a 3D view
  10. Go to Help / Support / display the diagnostic file
  11. Save it as "trace level4.txt"
  12. Send it to support@digitalsurf.fr

How to reset a lost "production mode" password

You can reset the password by following this procedure:

  1. Close all Mountains that are running.
  2. Start the Registry (from execute / regedit)
  3. Go to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Digital Surf\Mountains vX.Y\Group\"
  4. Delete the folder "GrouP"
  5. Close the registry
  6. Run Mountains


Installing the Software and Using the Dongle

What is a dongle?

A dongle is a USB protection key that must be plugged into a USB port of your computer in order to run the program. Older versions of MountainsMap used a parallel port dongle instead of a USB dongle. The dongle represents the license of your program. Do not loose it.

How can I know the serial number of my dongle?

If the serial number is not written on the dongle itself, you need to launch MountainsMap® and display the About screen (Help > About...). You find the serial number at the bottom of the screen. The serial number is formatted as XX-YYYYYYYY.

Where can I retrieve the installation code?

The installation code is written on the CD cover. It is composed of 6 digits. Contact the technical support if you do not find it.

I've installed MountainsMap® with a wrong installation code, what shall I do?

The installation code does not change the level of MountainsMap which is defined by the dongle. The installation code is used to pre-set some preferences such as installation folder path, product name in the Programs menu. To fix an incorrect installation, just un-install the software and re-install it, using the correct installation code.

The USB dongle is not recognized, what should I do?

Software installation must be carried out using an account with Administrator rights because use of the dongle requires the installation of a driver in the Windows folder. Once the software has been installed, it is possible to use a normal account or even a restricted account. In some cases, it is necessary to reboot the PC.

Sometimes when a new version is installed on top of an old version, the dongle driver is uninstalled. In this case, it is possible to reinstall the dongle driver from the HASP folder on the CD, or by downloading the latest driver from this site (see below).

On certain PCs, USB dongles do not work with drivers delivered with versions 3.x and 4.0 before 4.0.3. In this case, please download the latest driver (see below).

The dongle driver is XP compatible from version 3.0.9. For earlier versions, it is possible to download the most recent driver (see below).

Download and install the latest dongle driver:

  1. Go to the page Mountains updates
  2. Click on the link "Download the dongle driver" and save the file on your hard disk
  3. The compacted file hasp.zip contains several files and two command files
  4. Run reinstall_hasp.bat and follow the installation instructions.
  5. Under Windows 2000 and XP, you do not need to restart your PC.


Updating MountainsMap

Can I update my MountainsMap software version?

Digital Surf improves MountainsMap regularly by releasing new versions that bring new features and correct existing bugs. It is recommended to update your MountainsMap version from our website on the following page.

Is it free to update MountainsMap?

Within the major version number, updating MountainsMap is free, i.e. if you own a version 5.0, you can upgrade freely to version 5.1 but the upgrade to version 6 requires an upgrade fee. If you own a version 5.0, you can upgrade freely to the latest version 5.x.

Can I upgrade to a higher MountainsMap product level?

Yes, you can upgrade to higher product levels by paying an upgrade fee. You can also purchase the optional modules that are compatible with your product level. Please contact us to receive an offer.

How will I be informed of a new release?

MountainsMap® will check automatically on Internet if a new version is available. This feature can be enabled or disabled from the General Preferences. If the PC where MountainsMap® is installed is not connected to Internet, you can check manually from another PC on the following page.

How can I check the version number of the installed MountainsMap® software?

You need to launch MountainsMap® and display the About screen (Help > About...). You find the version number at the bottom of the screen.

Other relevant pages:

  Home
  Technical Specifications
  Upgrades