Windows 7: Better Compatibility Fixes?

Unless you're willing to use Solidworks 2009 on your Windows 7 setup, it seems that going back to Vista x64 would be the most viable option at this point

Sadly, its not a matter of being unwilling but unable... solidworks has not backwards compatibility, so I could easily upgrade to the new version, but then I couldn't deliver any finished projects to my professor. I'll have to do some evaluation of the DLL fix to see if the problems I had with it were isolated or more prevalent before I make the switch back to Vista... Unfortunately I installed Windows 7 on a fresh wipe of my two main HDDs (third is for data/storage) so going back to Vista means wiping and reinstalling everything all over again... too bad vista doesn't have the ability to search through all programs installed on the computer and resolve their locations and registry needs .

Thanks again,
Greg

Honestly, I couldn't wrap my head around Solidworks 2009 not being backward compatible with its predecessor, Solidworks 2008. For me that's just very odd. Even though they've used a totally different implementation and architecture within Solidworks 2009, they should have some way to interface with Solidworks 2008, that's just pretty bad on the consumer side.

I'll try to look into the dll fix you've been mentioning and will get back to you if I have something.

Sorry, if I was not able to provide much help

Solidworks claims that it has something to do with the encoding of the files during save, but its hard to divorce that fact from what must be a nice level income from forced upgrades across the commercial sector. Whatever the case, the DLL fix seems to be working for the moment, but if you can throw some better expertise than mine into it to tell me if the instability and file corrupting are a result of the renamed DLL or of he program interacting with Windows 7.

Thanks,
Greg

Can you please give a summary of the following;
How did you install solidworks 2008
What error(s) you encountered
Where you got the dll fix and how it was applied

I will try to verify from my end the steps you've made to recreate the issue(s)

Thanks

Here are a few things you should look at in your installation of Solidworks 2008;

There's only one dll fix I'm aware of for the crashing during saving and opening files. The suggested approach is instead of renaming/deleting the sldfileopen.dll, "move" it on safe location, make a dummy dll file, and place that where you removed the original sldfileopen.dll. To make a dummy sldfileopen.dll, open notepad, save a blank copy to the desktop as sldfileopen.dll, make sure that under the notepad's save dialog, chose all files instead of *.txt.

Additional references;

Top 10 Cleanup Steps before Installing SolidWorks 2009 by Brian Zias

SolidWorks Tools that keep your workstation healthy

Both contain good best practices on how to do upgrades and to go around crashes.

Cheers

Hello Nos

Tre...

After reading through your thread I have to say that I too have been having a problem as well.

Though it is with SW09 2.0 and recently updated to sp2.1 still same issue that your having namely if I go to open any existing file or save on a newly created file SW crashes immediately.

Funny that this is happening with your sw08sp4 when it's happening with my sw09sp2 & 2.1.

I am not concerned with the 08 to 09 compatibility issue as I have files that are from 04 up to 08; while its true you can not save old files then use them on any old version of sw afterwards.

To get around this I simply don't open then save old files to conversion without a backup of the later version i.e. 08.

This solves any problems.

As for the open file dll issue I will try the note pad route you spoke of NOS.

Well I have tryed to several work arounds such as opening a SW file from the actual windows user files location does suffice. However when it comes to saving a SW file solidworks crashes immediately.

I also have been using the newest SW2009 x64 SP3.0EV with the ev exe and the older files same open/save issues.

Atm I am dl'ing the 3.0ev solidworkscore and addon files to use the fresh 3.0 files to see if the 3.0 has an update within any of these files for resolving the open/save crashing issue while using Windows 7.

I should know in about 5-hours from now as this is when the total package files shall have completed dl'ing.

I will be sure to make a new post on the results.

Well I tryed SW2009SP3.0EV with Windows 7 last night it also has the exact same issues...nothing is different the open files crash out the program as well as saving a file crash out the program.

I even tryed SW2008sp4 & 5 same thing...I know treble tryed 2008 already but I had to test it out for myself.

So, this makes three program/hardware issues that I have found to not work properly
in the transition from Vista to Windows 7;

1-Solidworks CAD absolutely necessary for work for me.

2-Asus Creative Audio Driver is not recognized by Windows 7 with many various updated drivers from creative and non-official creative drivers to the 'ole work around individual driver delete instal...nothing works.

3-Bluetooth driver support is not working properly at all. In Vista I could use the full function features of my bluetooth dongle to any of my devices the one that comes must to mind is my Samsung SGH-P310 Mobile Phone.

Currently Windows 7 only allows for individual photo files to be dl'd one at a time. No Samsung driver support is working.

I must say that I know this Windows 7 -build 7000 is a beta but I hope that Microsoft does not actually plan on going retail after RC unless all of the compatibility bugs are fixed. Otherwise it's just another example of false advertisement of Windows 7 being fully compatible with Vista when it is not~!

Sorry for replying only now... Took a bit of a vacation time but I'm back...

I'd have to dig deep on how it is that it crashes.

Will probably have an answer later in the week at the most.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Thank you for posting your findings