---
title: "can't open collect earth"
url: "https://openforis.support/questions/3054/cant-open-collect-earth"
tags: ["collect", "earth"]
status: "answered"
score: 0
answer_count: 1
asked: "2021-02-05T07:40:51"
last_activity: "2021-02-05T16:46:11"
source: "Open Foris Support - Q&A Forum"
license: "Copyright Open Foris, 2026. Some rights reserved under creative commons license."
---

# can't open collect earth

Asked by hong on 2021-02-05

"Open Foris Collect Earth server should be running while the operator interprets data". 
   When I installed and then opened Collect Earth. And the progress bar behind the Operator is red. The screen always showed that " Open Foris Collect Earth server should be running while the operator interprets data".


## Answer (score 0, by collectearth on 2021-02-05)

Link: https://openforis.support/questions/3054/cant-open-collect-earth/3055

Dear Hong,

First of all, when you run Collect Earth you need to set your "Operator" name. This way later you can filter out the data collected by the person (operator) that collected the data. Just put your name or whatever you like to identify yourself on the red text field!

![alt text][1]

Then, when you collect data you need to make sure that the Collect Earth window (the image above) is still open in your computer, meaning that the internal Collect Earth server is running and the pop-up windows in Google Earth Pro can communicate with it! If Collect Earth is running you should not get any error messages on the pop-up ballons that appear when you click on Google Earth!

![alt text][2]

In the example above Collect Earth is running!

![alt text][3]

And in this example Collect Earth has been closed/quit so that the popup balloon is not able to communicate with it :(

  [1]: http://www.openforis.org/support/upfiles/javaw_2021-02-05_10-03-51.png
  [2]: http://www.openforis.org/support/upfiles/googleearth_2021-02-05_10-08-46.png
  [3]: http://www.openforis.org/support/upfiles/googleearth_2021-02-05_10-09-14.png