Ask questions about DataCAD 20, DataCAD LT 20, or previous versions here.
#68619 by David Porter
Fri Apr 22, 2016 6:55 am
For those running W10 with DCAD v18, are there any known glitches to be aware of causing problems using DCAD? Thinking of making the W10 plunge with one computer to test the swamp waters for lurking gators but still don't want to do that if after the W10 install, I then need to revert back to a previous W10 version due to current version bugs.

Thanks for any pointers that can help reduce the number of tranquilizers required for this plunge into the abyss.
#68620 by joshhuggins
Fri Apr 22, 2016 2:15 pm
The only bug I've had with Datacad was squished a few patches back, and actually improves Datacad. Once Datacad is running we can once again quickly open AEC files by double clicking on the file in Explorer to open them and they open just as fast as the File Open menu does and like the old hardlocks did. It no longer is doing some sort of license check in the background. It's great!

As for Windows 10 it's self, I love it. Been running solid on 30 or so boxes I manage. Most of them are between Intel Core 2 - i7 class systems, but several are old Windows XP and vista era laptops. As long as you have at least 4 GB of ram, 6GB recommended if sharing the ram with a video card, a Core2 class or newer processor, a decent harddrive and your components are not some knockoff brands, there shouldn't be a problem. There are a few minor glitches now and then with stuff that uses the new UI. Sometimes they will not launch the first time you try, but then it will a second time. Normal win32 apps have all been running fine. There is really only 2 picky things that bugged me. First was I added Start10 as a start menu replacer because I used the old style jump lists a lot. Second thing is that the Navigation Pane adds temporary shortcuts to things I've visited recently and it fills up with junk I don't need.

Backup those files or make a system image and make the jump! :) If you are using the free update, you can roll back to your previous version of Windows within 30 days if you can't stand it for some reason or have something that's not working.
Attachments
Start10.jpg
#68623 by David Porter
Sun Apr 24, 2016 11:56 am
Josh, You da man. Very thorough report to go on. I can smell a Windows 10 plunge ahead in my future.

Thanks for taking the time to tell us of your experiences with 10.
#68979 by Ted B
Mon May 23, 2016 12:04 pm
I have the auto-update now 'disabled' since Microsoft is trying to trick/force me up upgrade to Windows-10. Last week it started to upgrade my computer to Win-10 against my wishes all by itself!!-- and I had to "Hot Off" abort the entire system and do a cold restart. Numerous people have warned me NOT TO UPGRADE TO WINDOW 10!! ...That once you let Win-10 into your PC, the MS malignant ransomware takes-over and you'll have to pay annual tribute to Redmond FOREVER, despite their quiet-and-calming-voice assurances to the contrary.

Please there's a lot of fear-mongering about programs not working properly under Windows-10, and that PCs built for Win-8 not functioning at 100%. I have a one-man office and a limited hardware upgrade budget. I don't have the smiling-guy from the IT Dept. to debug my PC, or to deal with the MS Blue-Screen-of Death. Without OpenOffice, Quickbooks, Datacad and Sketch-up working 100%, and access to the computer files...I'm worse-than-dead in the water...I'm in full crisis-mode'.

Normally I not a conspiracy-theory type. But having Microsoft try to force or unwittingly trick me into upgrading my operating system seems over the line.
#68980 by MtnArch
Mon May 23, 2016 12:28 pm
My son got bit last week with MS' "automatic" upgrade - I had to talk him down from the ledge and help him find how to roll his box back to Win 7.
#68987 by Ted B
Tue May 24, 2016 7:49 am
But is Windows-10 safe to use?

That's the real question. I just spent 90-mins reading numerous articles on the Forbes website, and other than learning how EVIL Microsoft has been about Win-10 upgrade process and Micrsoft's willing-participation in the national surveillance state, they just danced around whether it's actually safe to actually upgrade.

Does Datacad-18 run safely and predictably on Windows-10? Quickbooks hints that my version of QB Pro might be incompatible with Win-10 and it will cost me HUNDREDS to upgrade, and several hours of my time!!
#68990 by Neil Blanchard
Tue May 24, 2016 8:50 am
Win10 is fine to use on a new computer (at least), and when you are using DataCAD 18. Win10 is much better than Win8 or 8.1.

When / if you upgrade to Win10, you need to look into drivers for any and all peripherals. It is relatively quick to do, compared to what it took in the past. I really like to add Classic Shell: http://www.classicshell.net/ which makes Win10 (or Win8/8.1) look virtually the same as Win7.
Last edited by Neil Blanchard on Tue May 24, 2016 9:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
#68991 by MtnArch
Tue May 24, 2016 8:51 am
I haven't experienced any issues running DC 16, 17 or 18 on Win 10 except for the one issue that Dave was able to patch a few months back. I'm also running QB Pro 2015 without any issues. This has been across my laptop, old(er) desktop, and new desktop. The older desktop, a very old desktop, and my laptop were all upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 - no issues with any of the software that I use.
#69003 by joshhuggins
Tue May 24, 2016 12:21 pm
Ted B wrote:But is Windows-10 safe to use?

That's the real question. I just spent 90-mins reading numerous articles on the Forbes website, and other than learning how EVIL Microsoft has been about Win-10 upgrade process and Micrsoft's willing-participation in the national surveillance state, they just danced around whether it's actually safe to actually upgrade.

Does Datacad-18 run safely and predictably on Windows-10? Quickbooks hints that my version of QB Pro might be incompatible with Win-10 and it will cost me HUNDREDS to upgrade, and several hours of my time!!
It's safer from external hackers than previous versions of Windows. As for Big Brother's state overwatchers built in backdoors? Who really knows? I do all my dissident work with a pen and paper so I don't care if they are spying on me on my day to day boxes. I have a couple clients who run QB 2012-2016 on them just fine. I've seen the notices from QB, they are just trying to use scare tactics to get people to upgrade (just like MS). Make a system image backup and give it a go. If you don't like it you can roll it back. If the upgrade or the roll back fails, you can restore your system image back up. Or do nothing and wait until you buy a new box.
#69005 by Robert Scott
Tue May 24, 2016 12:52 pm
I was 4 minutes away the automatic windows 10 install late last night...just couldn't do it :) Seriously considering keeping 7 on my main rendering machine and taking it off the grid..use my laptop for internet.

Still loving W7 Pro.

Bob
#69038 by David Porter
Wed May 25, 2016 12:40 pm
I can now report my experience with updating from W7 Pro to W10. I did this on a Dell desktop and a Dell laptop. I must say that I think it went more smoothly than anything I have ever tried doing with Microsoft software. I haven't noticed any glitches with DCAD or any other programs or printers. I find the W10 interface to be quite user friendly and nothing that I needed to take a week off to relearn. Again, this is just from my perspective so don't throw old, rotten computers at me if you try the updating and don't get the same euphoria that Microsoft may have actually done something right this time.
#69040 by Paul Nida
Wed May 25, 2016 1:34 pm
I updated to Windows 10 when it was first released. I have had very few glitches and they were minor. My recommendation is that if you are afraid of it, don't update. You don't have to, for now anyway, but at some point you will probably have to update to some new version of Windows or change operating systems. If you are not afraid of it then go ahead and update. I doubt you will have any problems but if you do or just don't like it then I believe you can revert back to your previous version. At least I believe you can, I don't know for sure because I haven't checked as I like it and have had no problems with it.
#69041 by joshhuggins
Wed May 25, 2016 1:43 pm
Paul Nida wrote:I believe you can revert back to your previous version. At least I believe you can, I don't know for sure because I haven't checked as I like it and have had no problems with it.
I've rolled back 3 systems so far for people and they have all rolled back successfully. I had one system that would not upgrade because we had changed the product key (downgraded) from Windows 7 Ultimate down to Windows 7 Pro a few years ago so that box required a reinstall of Windows 7 Pro then it upgraded to Windows 10 Pro fine.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 31 guests

About DataCAD Forum

The DataCAD Forum is a FREE online community we provide to enhance your experience with DataCAD.

We hope you'll visit often to get answers, share ideas, and interact with other DataCAD users around the world.

DataCAD

Software for Architects Since 1984