• HOW DO I INSTALL THIS CD ON MY COMPUTER’S HARD DRIVE?
    Instructions are given on the inside cover of the case. The CD should open automatically upon insertion. If it fails to do so: Select "Start", "Run" then type the CD drive letter and "xidro". For example: D:xidro. To install the program on your hard drive: Select "Start", "Run" then type the CD drive letter and "install". For example: D:install (This may take several minutes, there are thousands of files!). During installation, Windows XP users may see a message: "Install.exe not found…." Choose "Yes" to continue. You may also be asked to restart your computer following installation.

  • HOW MUCH FREE SPACE DO I NEED ON MY HARD DRIVE?
    700 megabytes.

  • WHEN I TRIED TO IDENTIFY DANDELION IN THE TUTORIAL, THE NUMBERS REMAINING DO NOT AGREE WITH THOSE ON THE SCREEN, WHY?
    You are probably in the broadleaf database and you should be in the tutorial database.

  • CAN I USE THE PHOTOS FOR A PRESENTATION OR DO I NEED PERMISSION?
    Since the photos are public domain, you may use them without any additional requirements. Photographic credits must remain on all images for all usages. When feasible, please include the statement "Courtesy of WSSA and XID Services, Inc.". To copy an image, right click on the image, then left click “Save Picture As” to save the image as a JPEG file in a standard file. You can also transfer a copy of the image to a Power Point presentation by right-clicking on the image, left clicking "Copy" and then pasting to a blank screen in a Power Point presentation.

  • CAN I USE THE DESCRIPTIONS FOR A PRESENTATION OR DO I NEED PERMISSION?
    Since the descriptive materials are public domain, you may use them without any additional requirements. When feasible, please include the statement "Courtesy of WSSA and XID Services, Inc.".

  • WHY ARE SOME PLANTS THAT ARE NOT WEEDS IN THE DATABASE?
    The database is a compilation of the contents of many published references on weeds. All plants included in the program have been published in one or more references. You can refer to the "References" section of the species description to see which references have included that species.

  • WHY ARE SOME PLANTS THAT ARE WEEDS NOT IN THE DATABASE?
    There are about 3,000 to 4,000 species of weeds in North America. Since the database contains only 1,000 species, there are many that are not included. This is an ongoing project, maybe someday we will get them all. You can contribute images to help make this happen!! See the "Contribute photos" link on the WSSA website.

  • IS THERE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS THAT COVERS NON-WEEDY SPECIES?
    Yes, for some parts of the country. Flora ID Northwest publishes similar programs for all native and naturalized species in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and British Columbia. You can order these CDs through WSSA.

  • WHY ARE THE PICTURES SO SLOW TO COME UP WHEN RUNNING FROM THE CD DRIVE?
    That is a function of the drive speed. They will be much faster if you install the program to your hard drive.

  • DO I HAVE TO USE INTERNET EXPLORER AS MY BROWSER?
    No, it just has to be present on your computer and you do not need internet access.

  • WILL THE PROGRAM RUN FROM A NETWORK?
    Yes, but you must have a site license to avoid violating the terms of usage. Contact WSSA for ordering site licenses.

  • WILL THERE BE UPDATES?
    Updates are anticipated and registered users will receive a substantial discount. Be sure WSSA has your current e-mail address so you can be contacted.

  • PLANT IMAGES ARE TOO SMALL TO SEE CHARACTERISTICS CLEARLY. CAN THEY BE ENLARGED?
    Be sure that you are not in "thumbnail" mode (see "Species list report" under "Options"). Images can be made full size by clicking the image once or can be expanded by moving the split line to the left.

  • THE TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE GLOSSARY IMAGES IS DISTORTED AND HARD TO READ, WHAT CAN I DO?
    The image needs to be enlarged to make the text clear. Images can be made full size by clicking the image once or can be expanded by moving the split line to the left.

  • I AM TRYING TO INSTALL THE PROGRAM AND THE INSTALLATION RUNS FOR A WHILE AND THEN I GET AN ERROR MESSAGE.
    Some CD drivers are incapable of handling the 1,000s of images that are present on the CD. This is a problem with your machine and not the program.


If you have additional questions, please describe the problem in an email to Dr. Richard Old at . Print screen attachments can be very useful in illustrating your question. Be sure that you have completed the training videos before sending questions!