Stuck on first step!

[P_D]

I'm a complete newb trying to make topos of a few places in Texas using Oz's tutorial, but I can't get the DEM to download.

I've downloaded dem2topo and the excel sheet.  I copied the DEM link to my Explorer's address bar.  I got 4 ArcGrid quads, I didn't see any GeoTiff download, so I clicked Modify Data Request and changed the data format to GeoTiff and saved the changes.  I got one download in a GeoTiff format that is 232mb.  I click download and get a pop-up that says:

Current order status

Extracting data...

Please wait for the data to be returned.

After a couple of minutes, the window changes to:

The data extraction has completed.

If an error occurs during download, click here to retrieve the download bundle.
After one hour, the download bundle will be automatically deleted from our server.

I also get an information bar that tells me that explorer has blocked this site from downloading, click for more info.  I click on the bar, select "download"

The window changes back to:

Current order status

Extracting data...

Please wait for the data to be returned.

And that's where I get stuck.  My data is never returned.  I've got Vista on my laptop.  I'm currently running default security settings, but I've tried adding the extract.cr.usgs site to my trusted sites and resetting the security to low.  I'm not too computer savvy, as y'all have already guessed, but I'm thinking this can be solved by changing a security setting on Explorer.

Can anyone  help? 

PD

[-Oz-]

I would suggest downloading firefox. http://www.getfirefox.com

The issue you're having is that internet explorer is blocking the site from starting the download (and clicking on here is restarting it).  The bar at the top: if you right click it you should be able to add the site to your trusted sites.  Then it will restart the extracting again then is should download.

Let me know if that helps.

[P_D]

Okay, Firefox did the trick.  Thanks, Oz.

Next question:  On the tutorial, under Processing the Data it says:

8. Find the tif image for the first segment and load it (this could take a very long time, be patient)
9. Click "create mp file"
10. Wait for it to process the data

Question- Do I wait for something to happen after step 8 before clicking "create mp file" or do I open the tif image and immediately click create mp file?

I opened the tif image and clicked on create "mp file" about 5 minutes later and it began to process.  After about 30 minutes or so, the pop-up that says processing said "not responding".  I waited a bit and closed the program.  Is this a common thing?

Also, my screen saver is active, do I need to disable it? 

Thanks for your patience.

PD

[-Oz-]

I'd wait overnight and see if it creates one.  If it doesn't then I have another idea to help you out but most likely windows would report it as not responding because it will be using all the CPU power it can get.

The screen saver shouldn't change anything.

[P_D]

I'll give it another try tonight. 

Do I need to wait before I click on create mp file? 

PD

[-Oz-]

Do I need to wait before I click on create mp file? 

You shouldn't have to.

[shutle64]

I'm a complete newb trying to make topos of a few places in Texas using Oz's tutorial, but I can't get the DEM to download.

I've downloaded dem2topo and the excel sheet.  I copied the DEM link to my Explorer's address bar.  I got 4 ArcGrid quads, I didn't see any GeoTiff download, so I clicked Modify Data Request and changed the data format to GeoTiff and saved the changes.  I got one download in a GeoTiff format that is 232mb.  I click download and get a pop-up that says:

Current order status

Extracting data...

Please wait for the data to be returned.

After a couple of minutes, the window changes to:

The data extraction has completed.

If an error occurs during download, click here to retrieve the download bundle.
After one hour, the download bundle will be automatically deleted from our server.

I also get an information bar that tells me that explorer has blocked this site from downloading, click for more info.  I click on the bar, select "download"

The window changes back to:

Current order status

Extracting data...

Please wait for the data to be returned.

And that's where I get stuck.  My data is never returned.  I've got Vista on my laptop.  I'm currently running default security settings, but I've tried adding the extract.cr.usgs site to my trusted sites and resetting the security to low.  I'm not too computer savvy, as y'all have already guessed, but I'm thinking this can be solved by changing a security setting on Explorer.

Can anyone  help? 

PD

My internet explorer blocked every one.  I just clicked "here" and the save file box pops up.

John

[-Oz-]

I told internet explorer to stop blocking all .gov sites