FAQ

Setup is recommended for normal use. It includes the .NET runtime, so no separately installed .NET is required. It offers a desktop shortcut and Start menu entries. Choose Install all / Choose data / Later for astronomy data; downloads may take several minutes. Install astronomy data… provides the same choices later. Settings, logs and imported data are stored separately under %LOCALAPPDATA%/AmrumSoftware/OrbitWorkbench. The standalone package contains the executable, its source-built core DLL and necessary runtime resources: keep these files together. Large JPL, asteroid and bias files are not bundled. Updates preserve user data and back up the previous program version.

OrbitWorkbench is a Windows x64 application by Jost Jahn. Its orbit determination core is compiled from Bill Gray’s Find_Orb source, with lunar, planetary and satellite libraries. It does not control an external Find_Orb executable. The GUI keeps observations, residuals, timing diagnostics, station details and ephemerides together. Interface labels, menus, messages, hover help, calculated texts and documentation support six languages. Settings → Language applies changes immediately.

An optional MPC availability report shares a random common installation ID, product/version, time, latency, HTTP status, byte count, checksum and broad error class, at most once per ten minutes across participating apps. It never sends observations, object names, file paths, account names, email or hardware. The status server uses the public IP to determine provider and a location rounded to about 10 km. Disable Share MPC availability (all apps) in Settings to turn it off for all participating applications.

A daily HTTPS update check sends a product-specific random installation ID with validation components, no hardware-derived identity. It is stored locally and mirrored in your user registry; updates retain it. A 90-day update period starts only after a genuinely newer published version is successfully detected. Network failure alone never starts that period or blocks calculation.

Windows x64 is the provided platform; no Mac, Linux or mobile build is supplied. Valid Authenticode signing identifies the publisher but does not prove absence of bugs or prevent every SmartScreen warning. Report can include personal file paths and observations: inspect the prepared attachments before sending.