E.P.C. Alternatives - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Adriel · #31 06-05-2017, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

I will work on getting a write-up done in the next day or so. Bear with me, we're entering our "busy" season at work so things are a little chaotic.

Thank you for taking time to do this for us despite the schedual.

Graham · #32 06-05-2017, 03:24 PM

While waiting for Diseasel, impatient Mac owners might find help here:

Electronic Parts Catalog IS NO LONGER FREE - Page 5 - Mercedes-Benz Forum

ROLLGUY · #33 06-05-2017, 04:00 PM

I have no problem paying $75 per year for the online EPC, but I would have to get a Windows computer. Yes I could probably get a cheap laptop on CL, and may just do that. However, I am also concerned that if I somehow get the ebay $16 program to work in my Mac, I may run out of space in my hard drive. It seems like a very large program. I am not sure what is best, so I will just wait a bit to see if Adriel gets it working on his Mac........Rich

ROLLGUY · #34 06-05-2017, 04:09 PM

Would something like this be adequate for using the ebay EPC program or online?
EXCELLENT CONDITION, Dell Vostro 1000 laptop windows Vista, wireless internet, DVDR/W lightscribe drive, 2GIG Ram, 120 GIG Hard Drive. GREAT PC COMPUTER FOR HOME , BUSINESS, OR SCHOOL.

Specification:
Dell Vostro 1000 laptop
AMD CPU 2.0 GHZ
2GIG RAM
120 GIG HDD
DVD/RW lightscribe drive
Wireless for internet
MULTIMEDIA SOUND
HEADPHONE
MICROPHONE
ETHERNET PORT
USB PORTS
VGA PORT
AC adapter/ charger
Rechargeable battery

WINDOWS Vista HOME PREMIUM.

Adriel · #35 06-05-2017, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

Would something like this be adequate for using the ebay EPC program or online?
EXCELLENT CONDITION, Dell Vostro 1000 laptop windows Vista, wireless internet, DVDR/W lightscribe drive, 2GIG Ram, 120 GIG Hard Drive. GREAT PC COMPUTER FOR HOME , BUSINESS, OR SCHOOL.

Specification:
Dell Vostro 1000 laptop
AMD CPU 2.0 GHZ
2GIG RAM
120 GIG HDD
DVD/RW lightscribe drive
Wireless for internet
MULTIMEDIA SOUND
HEADPHONE
MICROPHONE
ETHERNET PORT
USB PORTS
VGA PORT
AC adapter/ charger
Rechargeable battery

WINDOWS Vista HOME PREMIUM.

Rich, consider that Microsoft has killed XP, next is Vista.

Worse, only 2 gigabytes, exactly what the program takes. Having used 2, 4, and 8, would not wish 2 gigabytes even on my enemy. You can upgrade to 1 gigabyte each slot for total of 4, but means putting money into something that is not long term.

Since willing to spend a hefty amount of money ($75 plus a year), how about looking for at least a 8 gigabyte Windows 7?

7 should be supported for a while, compromise between XP (my favorite) and 10 (current and a R.A.M. sucker).

Edit: This fellow, who have no experience with:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Pavillion-17-e020dx-AMD-A8-ATI-RADEON-HD8550-NEW-8GIG-PC12800-NEW-750-GB-HDD-/132199615852?hash=item1ec7b60d6c:g:-k0AAOSwgQ9VqXnp, claims to build custom laptops, maybe ask. Just a thought... hope helps.

Diseasel300 · #36 06-05-2017, 06:55 PM

Please note that this is a simplified guide to getting this software working on Macs. You need to be running OSX 10.8 or later. As always, if you screw up your computer, don’t yell at me or hold the forum liable. Use at your own risk.

Before you start you will need the following:

1: 4 DVD set of the Mercedes EPC + WIS/ASRA available from eBay
2: RAR Expander available as a free download here: RAR Expander
3: VMWare Fusion. Available as a free 30 day trial here:
Download VMware Fusion 8.5 or Fusion 8.5 Pro - VMware Products

Now to set up your software:

1: Start by installing VMWare Fusion. Open the file you downloaded from above and run the installer. If you paid for it, insert your license code. If you already have it installed, skip this step.

2: Rar Expander comes in a ZIP file. Double click it and it will self-extract. Move the extracted RAR Expander program to your main Applications Folder.

3: Make sure you have 50GB of free space on your hard disk. If you aren’t sure, click the apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen and go to “About This Mac”. In the window that opens, click the “Storage” tab. You want to see more than 50GB “available”. If you have less, you will need to clear out some space or use an external drive to extract your VM onto (that is beyond the scope of this how-to). See the first image below for what you’re looking for. Note that my computer already has the VM extracted onto it. (See the 1st picture)

4: Insert DVD #1 of 4 in your DVD slot and wait for it to appear on the Desktop. Double click the DVD icon to open it. You should see a file titled “Mercedes Virtual PC.part1.rar” (see the 2nd picture) You are not interested in ANY of the other files on the disk.

5: Double click the “Mercedes Virtual PC.part1.rar” file and it should open and ask where you want to extract it to. For right now, click on the “Desktop” button and let her rip. You will see a folder called “Mercedes Virtual PC” show up on the desktop and the program will begin extracting into it.

6: At this point you’re going to be doing some waiting. A lot of it. Each disk takes ~30-45 minutes to decompress depending on your computer and drive speed.

7: When each disk is extracted, the program will stop and ask you where the next file is located. For example, when Part 1 is complete, it will stop and ask where “Mercedes Virtual PC.part2.rar” is located. When this happens, eject the current DVD and insert the next one. Wait for it to show up on the Desktop, then point the installer to it for it to continue extracting. (See the 3rd picture).

8: When the image finishes extracting and you’ve grown older and your clothes have gone out of style, you’re ready to set up your VM. Open VMWare Fusion and choose File -> Open. In the window that pops up, navigate to your Mercedes Virtual PC folder and open the file titled “Mercedes Virtual PC.vmx”. It should have an icon associated with it that looks like the VMWare icon. (see the 4th picture)

Diseasel300 · #37 06-05-2017, 06:56 PM

9: The file will open and present you with a black screen with a “play button” in the middle of it. Click it to start the VM. If you are asked if you want to “Upgrade” your VM, go ahead and do it. (See the 1st picture)

10: You will be asked if you moved or copied your VM. Choose “I Copied It”. (See 2nd picture)

11: The VM will now boot for the first time. Let it do its thing. Depending on how fast your computer is, this may take a few seconds or a few minutes. On the first boot, VMWare should automatically run an installer to install the latest version of VMWare Tools. (See the 3rd picture) Let this process complete. It will take a few minutes. When completed, you’ll be asked if you want the VM rebooted. Choose “Yes”.

12: Congratulations. You now have a working EPC/WIS system on your Mac!

Diseasel300 · #38 06-05-2017, 07:01 PM

For those wanting to use a Windoze computer to run the VMWare program, please note that you need a relatively modern mid-spec or higher computer for VMWare to run properly. At a minimum you should be running no less than 4GB of RAM (preferably 8GB+) and your processor must support Intel VT-x technology. AMD has a similar technology referred to as AMD-V, but I haven't had good success with programs like VMWare recognizing it.

The Mac guys have it easy, Apple has been using VT-x capable CPU's since 2007 in ALL of their machines. Anyone who used a Mac in the 90s probably remembers Virtual PC before Micro$oft got a hold of it and ruined it.

ROLLGUY · #39 06-05-2017, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adriel

Rich, consider that Microsoft has killed XP, next is Vista.

Worse, only 2 gigabytes, exactly what the program takes. Having used 2, 4, and 8, would not wish 2 gigabytes even on my enemy. You can upgrade to 1 gigabyte each slot for total of 4, but means putting money into something that is not long term.

Since willing to spend a hefty amount of money ($75 plus a year), how about looking for at least a 8 gigabyte Windows 7?

7 should be supported for a while, compromise between XP (my favorite) and 10 (current and a R.A.M. sucker).

Edit: This fellow, who have no experience with:

HP Pavillion 17-e020dx AMD-A8-ATI RADEON HD8550 NEW 8GIG PC12800 NEW 750 GB HDD! | eBay, claims to build custom laptops, maybe ask. Just a thought... hope helps.

This machine would ONLY be used to access the online EPC, or run the program available from eBay. If it has the capacity to do that, then that is all I would need. What would be the minimum specs I would need to run the program? I don't want to spend a lot on a computer. Also, I don't have Internet access where I work on cars, so having EPC access on a laptop without WiFi would be best for me.........Rich

Adriel · #40 06-05-2017, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

This machine would ONLY be used to access the online EPC, or run the program available from eBay. If it has the capacity to do that, then that is all I would need. What would be the minimum specs I would need to run the program? I don't want to spend a lot on a computer. Also, I don't have Internet access where I work on cars, so having EPC access on a laptop without WiFi would be best for me.........Rich

Here:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

For those wanting to use a Windoze computer to run the VMWare program, please note that you need a relatively modern mid-spec or higher computer for VMWare to run properly. At a minimum you should be running no less than 4GB of RAM (preferably 8GB+) and your processor must support Intel VT-x technology. AMD has a similar technology referred to as AMD-V, but I haven't had good success with programs like VMWare recognizing it.

So my suggestion of at least 8 gigabytes has been confirmed. Diseasel300 as strongly suggested an Intel processor, that is the only one I too have experience with, but not knowledgeable enough to be of much use, except to say more cores, more processing power. Myself only have a dual core, 1.7 GHz Intel Core i7 and 4 gigabytes of R.A.M..

ROLLGUY · #41 06-06-2017, 12:20 AM

Diseasel300, thanks for the write up. So what happens after the 30 day trial expires?

Diseasel300 · #42 06-06-2017, 09:53 AM

After the 30 day trial expires, you can either perpetually reinstall VMWare every time you want to use it (pain), or shell out for the program. Of the VM enviornments available for the Mac, VMWare Fusion is by far the best available anyway. It's useful for more than just the EPC, if you ever have a Windows-only or Linux program you want to run, you can set up a separate VM for that. I've used it for years to get around the hassle of running 2 computers. 98% of what I run is on the Mac, that pesky 2% isn't enough to justify another laptop.

VT220D · #43 06-06-2017, 11:15 AM

Like many others I went with the ebay VM version of the EPC. I also have the BMW VM which covers motorcycles in case that interests anyone.

I have all the service manuals too. Those were a constant source of trouble with every update. I use Firefox ESR to slow the pace of change but 95% of my computer problems come with an update. A windows update glitch last year caused all the machines I maintain to run at over 50% cpu continuously. For months this continued without any solution except to turn off updates - not safe. The last straw for me was having to download the local service manual PDFs every time I opened a section of the service manual. I've dealt with this several times before by changing security settings but this time nothing worked. All I wanted was to view the PDF in a browser window and not open Adobe reader or download a PDF from my own C drive.

My solution was a used 5 year old Panasonic Tough-book CF-31 core I5 8gb running Win7. I added the Mercedes and BMW VMs and an old version of Firefox that restored the desired service manual behavior. To prevent any updates to the machine under advanced settings for the Ethernet adapter I removed IPV6 and edited IPV4 to a fixed address with no gateway. That way the machine can communicate with local network resources like my printer and NAS but it can't connect to the internet. It's set to not share with other machines on the network.

VMs can also be prevented from connecting to the internet either by disabling the network bridge inside the VM settings or disabling the Ethernet adapter inside the guest OS. The Mercedes EPC wants an internet connection so the above won't work. To get around this in XP's control panel set the Ethernet adapter to a fixed address with no gateway (like I did for the Win 7 host). The EPC will think it has an internet connection but XP will be prevented from communicating with the outside world. The BMW software worked fine by simply disabling the Ethernet adapter.

I also added an Ubuntu VM for internet access. In this case I left the Ethernet settings alone and allowed the VM to bridge to the host Ethernet adapter. This gives the Ubuntu VM internet access but the host still has no access beyond my local network. I can open all the VMs at once without slowing the system.

The result is the windows 7 host can have all the programs I need with access to printing and shared resources but without internet access and therefore no updates. The BMW and EPC XP VMs have no internet access while the Ubuntu VM has full internet access for browsing. I turn it on every day and it just works.

The Toughbook is about as rugged a laptop as you can get. It's perfect for bringing out to the garage. It has a super bright screen that can be viewed in direct sunlight. It has water resistance and can be dropped on cement from 6 feet without damage.

I leave it docked most of the time and use it via remote desktop. I get all my favorite software configured how I like it and I don't have to go through hours of troubleshooting after every update just to get back to where I started! Also the CF-31 is in current production with updated internals and full accessory compatibility with older models so in five years when the new ones are retired I'll get another one and lock it down like this one.

BTW: I was able to edit the matrix.swf files to get rid of the annoying engine sound at launch. I still want to fix the loading delay for the year buttons. If anyone has a fix for that I'd love to hear it. 85 seems to take forever and I'm sure it looked slick the first time but it gets old! I'd also like to edit the matrix to eliminate the Disk 1/2 split.

Graham · #44 06-06-2017, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VT220D

Like many others I went with the ebay VM version of the EPC. I also have the BMW VM which covers motorcycles in case that interests anyone.

I have all the service manuals too. Those were a constant source of trouble with every update. I use Firefox ESR to slow the pace of change but 95% of my computer problems come with an update. A windows update glitch last year caused all the machines I maintain to run at over 50% cpu continuously. For months this continued without any solution except to turn off updates - not safe. The last straw for me was having to download the local service manual PDFs every time I opened a section of the service manual. I've dealt with this several times before by changing security settings but this time nothing worked. All I wanted was to view the PDF in a browser window and not open Adobe reader or download a PDF from my own C drive.

My solution was a used 5 year old Panasonic Tough-book CF-31 core I5 8gb running Win7. I added the Mercedes and BMW VMs and an old version of Firefox that restored the desired service manual behavior. To prevent any updates to the machine under advanced settings for the Ethernet adapter I removed IPV6 and edited IPV4 to a fixed address with no gateway. That way the machine can communicate with local network resources like my printer and NAS but it can't connect to the internet. It's set to not share with other machines on the network.

VMs can also be prevented from connecting to the internet either by disabling the network bridge inside the VM settings or disabling the Ethernet adapter inside the guest OS. The Mercedes EPC wants an internet connection so the above won't work. To get around this in XP's control panel set the Ethernet adapter to a fixed address with no gateway (like I did for the Win 7 host). The EPC will think it has an internet connection but XP will be prevented from communicating with the outside world. The BMW software worked fine by simply disabling the Ethernet adapter.

I also added an Ubuntu VM for internet access. In this case I left the Ethernet settings alone and allowed the VM to bridge to the host Ethernet adapter. This gives the Ubuntu VM internet access but the host still has no access beyond my local network. I can open all the VMs at once without slowing the system.

The result is the windows 7 host can have all the programs I need with access to printing and shared resources but without internet access and therefore no updates. The BMW and EPC XP VMs have no internet access while the Ubuntu VM has full internet access for browsing. I turn it on every day and it just works.

The Toughbook is about as rugged a laptop as you can get. It's perfect for bringing out to the garage. It has a super bright screen that can be viewed in direct sunlight. It has water resistance and can be dropped on cement from 6 feet without damage.

I leave it docked most of the time and use it via remote desktop. I get all my favorite software configured how I like it and I don't have to go through hours of troubleshooting after every update just to get back to where I started! Also the CF-31 is in current production with updated internals and full accessory compatibility with older models so in five years when the new ones are retired I'll get another one and lock it down like this one.

BTW: I was able to edit the matrix.swf files to get rid of the annoying engine sound at launch. I still want to fix the loading delay for the year buttons. If anyone has a fix for that I'd love to hear it. 85 seems to take forever and I'm sure it looked slick the first time but it gets old! I'd also like to edit the matrix to eliminate the Disk 1/2 split.

So there you have it guys - piece of cake

Adriel · #45 06-14-2017, 02:08 AM

Hey Rich, sorry didn't get to this much sooner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diseasel300

Congratulations. You now have a working EPC/WIS system on your Mac!

Okay, had some trouble because of my actual laptop allotted VMWare memory (total is 500G.B., but only 70 on the split).

This lead to me extracting the files on the Macintosh side. I used RAR Expander to extract the .rar files.

The only thing is that you have to manually watch, as does not tell you how the progress is going or ask for the next disk. Not a problem for me, as only took about 15 minutes a disk, so about an hour and was using the E.P.C.. Instead of asking, states an error finding the next part. You simply eject the C.D., put the other one in, and select the path.

Once done, still puts a folder on the desktop. To open, will need either VMWare or VMWare Fusion. Then, you can expand to full screen and it is then the same as running Windows O.S..

Not sure how much R.A.M. ended up getting allotted, but works just fine.

In summery, one does not need to purchase an additional Windows O.S., simply download the different expander and run from Macintosh.

Hope this helps.