Google Map on Desktop

Last Updated 14th December 2008

Introduction

This page explains the steps that can be used in order to embed a Google Map on the Desktop of your Windows XP computer.

Requirements

This application does have some requirements in order to work correctly. Apologies if this prevents it working for you and your setup but this what I have found necessary get this to work for me. Feel free to expand on or develop this concept.

Microsoft Windows XP
IIS enabled and switched on
Internet connection

The Solution

Follow these steps..

(1) Ensure IIS is enabled and running. This can be confirmed by browsing to the address...

http://localhost/

Where you should see the following page...

IIS is installed

(2) In the folder "C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\", create a new file called "map.htm" and open it in a text editor such as notepad.

(3) Copy the following text...

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
  "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
  <head>
    <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/>
    <title>Google Map on Desktop</title>
    <script src="http://maps.google.com/maps?file=api&v=2&key=ABQIAAAAzsVe8ueaD3_5_TOp88LiKRT2yXp_ZAY8_ufC3CFXhHIE1NvwkxTx4vdshhRQ8yE_6xGK86jpuyUftQ"
      type="text/javascript"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript">

//<![CDATA[

var map;
	
	function load() 
	{
	if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) 
	  	{
        	map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
			map.enableGoogleBar();
						
			map.setMapType(G_SATELLITE_MAP);
        	map.setCenter(new GLatLng(54.596259,-5.929613), 13);

}
    }

//]]>
    </script>
	<style>
/* CSS Document */
    html, body {
      height: 100%;
      overflow: hidden;
    }

body {
      background-color: white;
      font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
      margin: 0;
    }

a:link {
      color: #0000cc;
    }

a:active {
      color: red;
    }

a:visited {
      color: #551a8b;
    }

#map {
      background-color: #e5e3df;
      height: 100%;
    }

.loading {
      color: gray;
      font-size: medium;
      padding: 1em;
    }

</style>
  </head>
  <body onload="load()" onunload="GUnload()">
    <div id="map"></div>
  </body>
</html>

...in to this new file and save it.

(4) Ensure this page works by browsing to the following address...

http://localhost/map.htm

...where you should see a full page map.

(5)To enable this on your desktop right click on your desktop and select Properties

Right Click on Desktop

(6)On the Desktop Tab, click on the Customize Desktop... button.

Desktop Properties

(7)In the Desktop Items window, click the Web tab and then click the New... button.

Web Tab

(8) Browse to the htm file you have just created "C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\map.htm"

New Desktop Item

(9)Click OK, then OK, then Apply, then OK

(10) You will now need to maximise the window that has now appeared on your desktop so that it fills the whole screen. To do this, hover over the window then move up to the top gray bar and click the left maximise window button.

Maximise Window

Notes

I have used Belfast, Northern Ireland as an example start place because... I can. If you do not agree with this and think it should be somewhere else then please change it yourself. There will never be a location that suits everyone.

There are many bolt-on applications this could be used for, but I have not gone down any of these routes. I have kept this example very basic. Again if you wish to add features to this please do so.

Future Development and Ideas

Some possible applications this could be used for, some of which many get implemented at some point in the future...

Have the map open at a random location every time windows loads (preferably not in the middle of the ocean!)
Have the map move slowly but randomly to keep things interesting

Relevant Links

Google Maps API

Previous Comments For This Page

cool... 
 By angie on 17/06/2010

Maybe I'm reading their TOS wrong, but wouldn't this be a violation? http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html#section_9_1 
 On 11/06/2010

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but is this a violation of Google Maps terms of service? http://code.google.com/apis/maps/terms.html#section_9_1 
 On 11/06/2010

when i try this link http://localhost/map.htm  it says 'you are not authorized to view this page' what should i do? 
 On 28/05/2010

http://localhost/
what to do if above link do not appears? 
 By manoj baghel on 03/11/2009

Add your own comment below and let others know what you think:

Logic, but in a different way

Daft Logic