Spring 2015 Update to the Himalayan Database

The Spring 2015 update to the Himalayan Database adds new records for expeditions in the Spring-Summer 2015 seasons and provides corrections and additions to records for the previous seasons from 1900-2014.

Note that all 2004 through 2014 Updates to the Himalayan Database should be applied to the original database before this update is applied. If you have not applied these earlier updates, you may apply instead the Combined 2004-2014 update to the original Himalayan Database from the CD before applying the Spring 2015 update.

This update also adds four new fields to the MEMBERS database (NECROLOGY, MSPEED, MSMTBID and MSMTTERM). These new fields are only added if you first download and install the new Himal 1.8 version of the database program before applying the update. If you apply the update with an earlier version of the Himal program, the new fields will not be added.

This update package includes:

Spring 2015 update files for Himalayan Database

The complete instructions for updating the Himalayan Database are given in Appendix E of the Himalayan Database Program Guide. A brief summary is given below.

Updating the Himalayan Database

First download the compressed Spring 2015 Update files from the web site onto your hard drive and decompress by double-clicking on the update package.

For Windows users, the update package is in the file Himal Spring 2015 Updates.zip

For Power Macintosh users, the update package is in the file Himal Spring 2015 Upd.sea.hqx

The result of the decompression is a folder with the name "Himal Spring 2015 Updates" containing 14 update files:

expchgs.dbf

expchgs.fpt

expchgs.cdx

explog.dbf

memchgs.dbf

memchgs.fpt

memchgs.cdx

memlog.dbf

refer.dbf

refer.fpt

refer.cdx

peaks.dbf

peaks.fpt

peaks.cdx

The files of the form "exp..." and "mem..." contain the changes to be applied to the EXPED and MEMBERS tables. The files of the form "refer..." and "peaks..." are replacement files for the current files in the Himdata folder that are automatically loaded during the update process.

Make sure that you have your original Himalayan Database CD (and inserted into your computer) and printed guidebook available before starting the update process as you may be required to re-authenticate the database when you restart the program after completing the update. If you are updating with Himal 1.8, the CD insertion will not be required for authentication.

Start the Himal program and use the Update command in the File menu to apply the updates to the Himalayan Database. Confirm that you wish to proceed with the update and then navigate to the Himal Spring 2015 Updates folder and select the first file named "expchgs.dbf" and click the OK button in the Open dialog box. All remaining update files are loaded automatically during the update process. Confirmation messages are given that each of the four tables (expeditions, members, literature references, and peaks) has been updated.

For Windows users, the Himalayan Database may be updated using either the original version of the Himal program or versions 1.1 through 1.8 of the Himal program. Himal 1.8 is now available on this web site.

For Power Macintosh users, the Himalayan Database may be updated using either the original version of the Himal program or versions 1.1.1 through 1.4 of the Himal program. Do not use version 1.1 which was posted earlier as there is an error in the update processing in that version. There are no Himal 1.5 or later versions available for Power Macintosh users. Himal 1.4 is the last version that is compatible with Power Macintosh.