Topic Title

I have been using version 5.02 off and on, non professionally, for years. I just renovated an old HP 1055cm plotter and was setting up an old PC to run it. When I tried to install my dcad5 disks I found that the 1st (and maybe 8th)disk(s) had some corrupt segments. I ran chkdsk /r to repair it and it said it had successfully done so, NOT!. That really screwed it up. I can't even do a dir command on it now. I'm sure I made backups but that was 20 yrs ago and can't find them. Thought maybe Datacad could email me the 1st and 8th disks(if that works) but unfortunately they don't have them. Anybody have any ideas besides upgrading to the current version. I really can't justify the cost for the limited architectural usage I do.

Can't help you with the version (I think the earliest version I still have hanging around is V7) but why not pop for a license of LT16 - it's only $295 for the first license and it will run RINGS around V5 (and you'll help support DC LLC!)!

The only thing I would really like about 16 that 5 doesn't have (remember, not a professional) is the boolean function, mostly because I design things in 3D and that would cost $500 to upgrade. Not opposed to supporting DD LLC but it just doesn't make financial sense for me.

What are you creating? If your looking to do 3D on the cheap, you should really look at Sketchup.

The only thing I would really like about 16 that 5 doesn't have (remember, not a professional) is the boolean function, mostly because I design things in 3D and that would cost $500 to upgrade.

Wow, I feel so inadequate knowing that's the only thing we've added in the last XX years that you would find useful.

You should also know that your $500 would be used towards our "Support a Programmer" initiative that I am, personally, spearheading.

Regards,
Dave

The problem is I've already drawn up a building I'm renovating, right down to the existing framing and nitty-gritty details in 3D(way too many hrs) using dcad5. At the moment I just need to get some drawings produced to show the inspectors for a building permit. Down the road I will be looking for mechanical program for other mechanical design projects.
I just noticed Dave's post and really no offense was intended. I'm sure there are many,many new and better features on all of the new versions but I'm just an amateur and as I said I do very little architectural drawing.

... I just noticed Dave's post and really no offense was intended.

Nor was any taken. My post was meant as tongue-in-cheek. No harm, no foul my friend!

Best,
Dave

(but a donation to the "Programmers Old-Timer Retirement Fund" wouldn't be turned down, would it Dave?)

The fact that you have an old PC running MS-DOS is just mind blowing. And yes, floppies have a high failure rate. Those v5 disks are close to 24-25 years old.

The fact that you have an old PC running MS-DOS is just mind blowing.

Would you please tell my engineers who's DOS apps I have to keep alive for them via VM's?

Actually It was an older xp machine that we formated and loaded NT on(actually I told him to put 98on it but he put NT on instead?) because I didn't know how to configure EMS on an XP machine. I did the aforementioned drawings on a laptop that I had loaded dcad5 on by copying the datacad folder from my long gone original 95 machine and copying to the laptop some time ago. It dosen't have a lot of the functions needed because I didn't do a proper install on the XP laptop without EMS. Now I can't run the plotter with the laptop and don't have working disks to load onto the NT machine.