From zero to INPA

[S14]

I have absolutely nothing to use INPA, and I need to do some stuff to my 04 M3 that the bluetooth code reader won't do. In 2020, what equipment (laptop/cable/software) would you use to get INPA up and running reliably?

Thanks!

[eacmen]

I have absolutely nothing to use INPA, and I need to do some stuff to my 04 M3 that the bluetooth code reader won't do. In 2020, what equipment (laptop/cable/software) would you use to get INPA up and running reliably?

Thanks!

Any K+DCAN cable that has the switch on it to short pins 7 and 8 will work.

Software from here:

https://www.bimmergeeks.net/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[S14]

Any K+DCAN cable that has the switch on it to short pins 7 and 8 will work.

Software from here:

https://www.bimmergeeks.net/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks!

Use this software and cable on a tablet, my android headunit, or a laptop, or an ancient laptop that runs windows XP?

[heinzboehmer]

Laptop that runs Windows. You could use a dedicated laptop or just use a VM for the BMW tools.

[SteelGreyM]

make sure the laptop is a 32 bit windows xp laptop. Otherwise ncs expert won't run

[heinzboehmer]

make sure the laptop is a 32 bit windows xp laptop. Otherwise ncs expert won't run

I have NCS Expert running on a 64 bit Windows 10 VM

[Rich022]

I downloaded bimmergeeks INPA the other day- Are you all missing the SMG adaptions ie special tests? Running Windows 10.

[eacmen]

I downloaded bimmergeeks INPA the other day- Are you all missing the SMG adaptions ie special tests? Running Windows 10.

Did you try pressing "Shift + F9" for "older models"?

[Rich022]

Shift F9, if i recall, brought me to my older model of interest e46.. again no special tests to be found for smg. I then decided to downloaded EZ Mikes which has adaptations for SMG.

[eacmen]

Shift F9, if i recall, brought me to my older model of interest e46.. again no special tests to be found for smg. I then decided to downloaded EZ Mikes which has adaptations for SMG.

can you post the link for the one that worked for you?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cubieman]

Follow the bimmergeeks.net instructions verbatim and you will be ok with basically any version of windows, I personally use Win. 7 32bit. As mentioned above a dedicated laptop is good idea, format the HDD and just use it for your BMW related programs. It all seems a bit confusing at first (same goes for NCS) but just keep on it and keep reading and you'll be fine.

[gixxer]

Hello,

Sorry to hijack the OP's ramp up, but I too am going from a total zero to try setting up the (latest) Ediabas suite for working on 2003 e39 and 2004 e46, for doing usual diagnostic, coding, flashing/programming.

The online, internet has been tremendous source of brain dumps from so many folks, for past few days have most definitely been overwhelming, mainly because of the sheer volume of details on all variations of BMW tools over many, many years. Not to mention the language differences to overcome in certain areas of the tools, scripts, and volume of updates.

Good thing is e39 and e46 programming updates have more or less stopped after these cars have gone out of production. But the coding possibilities, and diagnostic with INPA, good stuffs (IMHO).

There are all in one BMW standard tools to make the setup bit easier but thank the others for making their own standalone installers.

And add to that i have interest in doing the same but with 2019 g01, means in addition to Ediabas suite, i now am learning about ISTA. Urgh...

So, back to Ediabas, i too am mulling over the tradeoffs to determine where to install these tools, mainly between these choices,


a) Windows xp (32-bit) <<--------- will be a vm on a dedicated host OS
b) Windows 7 (64-bit) <<--------- can be a vm or dedicated,
c) Windows 10 (64-bit) <<--------- can be a vm or dedicated,

In terms of cables i have what most folk's have as the BMW scanner cable and the K+DCAN cable (purchased from bimmergeeks, although the ones in Amazon seem like the same stuff) to support the pins 7 and 8 bridging.


So, questions to those particularly have gone through the installs in recent times, how are folks installing or preferred to install these Ediabas tools suite, say on a laptop?

Install in dedicated?

VM?

Would both run these tools, say "smooth"? I'm learning that these tools are not a performance hog or resource heavy thus runs smoothly from VM. And having the Ediabas itself communicate through VM through native FTDI driver in host OS to the cable, seem to work well for many.

My preference would be to install everything natively in dedicated Windows 10 64-bit already running on a laptop. But if recommendation, preferences is to run these BMW tools in 32-bit OS, then i will have to do that in a VM on this laptop. Although, i am investigating having separate dedicated laptop to run 32-bit OS.

But i do like the idea of isolating the BMW software suite to a VM.

I believe these tools can all run in a 64-bit OS, with help from OS compatibility help, particularly from Windows 10 and 7.

Thanks much.