forum.datacad.com

HI all,

I have not used DataCAD full time since 2008. I changed careers in the great recession and am now a manufacturing engineer. I occasionally want to tinker with some addition and remodeling plans for my own house and for my siblings. I know this might be beating a dead horse but here goes: I have a V12 CD and dongle that I have used occasionally in the last few years. I'm fairly certain I got it working on Windows 10 (could be wrong) with an laptop I used during school. Most recently was on a Windows 7 laptop, but it died. I now have a Windows 11 laptop. I have loaded the most recent hardlock update and ensured hlvdd.dll is in the appropriate location but still get the "Unknown hardlock error!" message. Has anyone successfully used V12 on a newer version of windows?

Since I don't use this much, I don't really want to spend money on an update if I can make this work. LT is an option that I might go with, as long as my old aev files will load appropriately. How bad is the learning curve since I have not kept up with the updates? I feel like there has to be a way to recognise the hardlock on V12.

Kelly

I think the issue will be between the 32-bit 2008 era and the current 64-bit era software, though you *might* cludge your V12 into working by changing the properties of the Compatibility icon to working with Windoze 7 or 8, and absolutely run it as an Administrator. Of course, expecting *any* software that is at least 14-years-old to work with current Micro$oft Windoze iterations may be overly optimistic!

Best of luck, but please consider making the investment in upgrading to V22. Mark and the crew have worked exceedingly hard to give us multiple reasons to keep current throughout the V12 to V22 years.

khales6 wrote:HI all,

I have not used DataCAD full time since 2008. I changed careers in the great recession and am now a manufacturing engineer. I occasionally want to tinker with some addition and remodeling plans for my own house and for my siblings. I know this might be beating a dead horse but here goes: I have a V12 CD and dongle that I have used occasionally in the last few years. I'm fairly certain I got it working on Windows 10 (could be wrong) with an laptop I used during school. Most recently was on a Windows 7 laptop, but it died. I now have a Windows 11 laptop. I have loaded the most recent hardlock update and ensured hlvdd.dll is in the appropriate location but still get the "Unknown hardlock error!" message. Has anyone successfully used V12 on a newer version of windows?

Since I don't use this much, I don't really want to spend money on an update if I can make this work. LT is an option that I might go with, as long as my old aev files will load appropriately. How bad is the learning curve since I have not kept up with the updates? I feel like there has to be a way to recognise the hardlock on V12.

Kelly

Hello Kelly and welcome to the forum,

The only way I can think of to run an older version of DataCAD on Win11 would *possibly* be to install a program called Fusion which then allows you to install Win7 "inside" of Win11. But that requires two software licenses, and it would run more slowly, and boots much slower.

So, depending on what you need to do with DataCAD, I would recommend buying the license upgrade for your DataCAD V12, to either the LT or the Professional license. This supports DataCAD, and you get a better version - but it is still virtually the same to use, as what you are used to. The menu structure is virtually identical, and all the main tools are the same. There are a number of improvements, and it can open all you old drawings.

Neil

Thanks for the quick replies.

Alan, since I "might" use this once or twice a year, as a hobby, I cannot justify the cost of a full license. Actually LT is more than I want to spend really. I do understand the logic and if I were doing this for a living, I would absolutely spring for it. I am all for supporting Mark M. et all. They were wonderful to work with in the past and I am sure that has not changed.

Neil, I was a member way back and I remember you and your helpful posts often. We even had Nick Pyner up to Tucson from down under for some training at one point. Thank you for the suggestions. I will likely go ahead with an LT purchase soon. Looking at the comparison chart, it looks like the only thing I will miss is the command line alias ability. At least that is all I can remember well enough to notice.

Best regards,

Kelly

I understand completely, Kelly - no offense taken here. We all do what we feel is best for our situation.

The other big thing (at least to me) is that LT doesn't work with Xrefs, Xclips or Sclips. If you never worked with them you won't miss them, but if you have worked with them (or are used to them through AckCad) that's a pretty big deal.

Good luck!