We're not going to upgrade to 2010 yet - it is not an option. My laptop with XP just crashed and I need to buy a new one.
The Dell salesman is saying that compatibility mode will run any 32 bit software. Quite a commitment based upon his word.
Is anyone actually doing that successfully? I'd really rather not buy Vista Home Premium if I can help it.
I recently installed Windows 7 Pro (64-bit) on my system (new hard drive), and installed v2009 on this system, though SolidWorks says it's not supported. I'm running SP 5.1 now, and it seems to work fairly well (more glitchy than my XP install, especially with assembly configurations where parts are suppressed).
If you'd like to see more about what I've seen with all this, check what I've posted here:
https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/32276?tstart=0
This is mostly an aggregation of things others have posted that helped me get things functioning in Windows 7.
As for "compatibility mode" particularly, I've really not encountered this as an overt part of Windows 7. When I install 32-bit software, it simply gets installed in the "Program Files (x86)" directory automatically. The only thing I've really tweaked was the SWIM for updating service packs for v2009 on my machine, as detailed in the post above.
Good luck.
Thanks for the insight. It was encouraging - except for that glitchy part. I also read the link you posted.
I ordered the Dell back on Monday after my local computer Geek assured me he would make it work.
The Dell is "in production." I should know by mid-May whether I'm going work or fight software. I'll repost then.
Much appreciated!
If you buy a workstation class laptop, Dell Precision series, you can get a Windows XP downgrade. I suspect you are getting a consumer grade laptop of you can't get Windows XP on it from Dell.
Cheers,
Anna
You're right about the laptop model. I'm a self employed contractor, so I am making a "value" purchase. I'm getting a 1700 series unit. The precision units are just financially out of reach.
Buying an XP downgrade would have been my preference - but that costs extra too - and I would remain unsupported in about 3 other softwares.
By Mid-May I'll know if I've made a mistake.
Thanks
I promised an update on my install. Here's where I ended up:
I had an XP virtual matchine installed on my new laptop. The VM software was a free download from Microsoft, but the XP license did cost me.
I can run all my old software that won't run on Windows 7, including SW 2008. That alone is a good reason to have done this. However, this is not a long term solution, and here's why:
These two constraints are slowing me down. With all the horsepower I have, I can't make use of it. I'm having to manage the number of files I have open, etc.
Secondly, it is truly like running two seperate computers. So office, email, drivers, etc. are all duplicated.
Thirdly, the "integration" feature is clumsy. Sharing files and printers is not easy or fast. I need to take the time to eliminate some difficulties. Some day...
If you have an option, I'd say do it another way. After the smoke clears, I'll try an install over on the Windows 7 side and compare it to this arrangement.
That is strange. I run Windows 7 at home, and I installed "Windows XP Mode" (which is a virtual machine). It did not cost me anything, it never even prompted me for a license number.
I'm discouraged that you were unable to run SW2008 natively in Windows 7.
SolidWorks 2008 does not run real well on my Windows 7 machine. I would not recommend it to anyone.
Cheers,
Anna
This is link version solidworks with OS : http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/SystemRequirements.html
So far I have had little in the way of problems running 2009 in windows 7. To do the updates you do have to disable solidworks in the start menu before you can run the updates. Then enable it afterwards. I think that it actually works better in window7 than vista. Naturally it ran better under windows XP x64 professional. I did have to use and older driver for my nvidia Quadro FX . I used version 8.17.11.9562
I recently installed Windows 7 Pro (64-bit) on my system (new hard drive), and installed v2009 on this system, though SolidWorks says it's not supported. I'm running SP 5.1 now, and it seems to work fairly well (more glitchy than my XP install, especially with assembly configurations where parts are suppressed).
If you'd like to see more about what I've seen with all this, check what I've posted here:
https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/32276?tstart=0
This is mostly an aggregation of things others have posted that helped me get things functioning in Windows 7.
As for "compatibility mode" particularly, I've really not encountered this as an overt part of Windows 7. When I install 32-bit software, it simply gets installed in the "Program Files (x86)" directory automatically. The only thing I've really tweaked was the SWIM for updating service packs for v2009 on my machine, as detailed in the post above.
Good luck.