Any hope of installing 16bit AutoCad97LT into Win7 Ult 64?

Update: Yes!
Read my post below.

Hello all

Well my transition from XP 32bit to Win764 has been going along well and I have been able to get most everything working or updated except for my old version of AutoCAD97 LT.

Apparently I found out via the attempt to install this that it is a 16bit program and on Win7 64, it won't even let it try to install.

As some of you may or may not know these go for like $800.00 to a $1,000 bucks today and while I use it from time to time, I don't use it enough to warrant a new 64 bit purchase.

As well to after all this time, from the looks of it, it looks like a whole new program too, which as this one even took a college night course to learn, I would suspect the learning curve on the new one would almost make it useless.

At any rate, I was just wondering if there was any way to get this to work on my 64 system?

Note: I have tried running the installer via the older windows version compatibility thing but I really don't think its a version issue but a "bit" issue.

So outside of running a windowed 32bit emulated system, is there anyway to get this to run?

Thanks

WBFAir said:

Just to give a update.

First thanks for all the responses, was finally able to get Virtually PC/Windows XP Mode running.

Basically the install was being blocked by my Firewall program which I guess I can't complain to much about as it did its job.

Had to completely uninstall it though to get VPC install to work but then just reinstalled it after and all is good.

Just wish I hadn't spent 9 hrs doing everything else I could find in regards to the "windows installer service could not be access" failure first before I found that out.

Anyway, just to report, after all was up and running was able to get AutoCAD 97 installed and it is running just fine in XP mode.

Gotta give credit where credit is due, this XP Mode thing is one great feature.

Bout the only thing I could say bad is I sure wish this was just something that could have been part of the install instead of me having to go through all this on my own, quite frankly I can't image why it isn't.

But anyway, all is working so thanks again to all for the help.

How was Microsoft to know how your firewall was to affect it's XP mode installer? Seriously, this is not so much a fanboy post as it is pragmatic. Does every firewall developer contact Microsoft and urge complete compatibility testing? If not how does Microsoft know to conduct such testing? I suppose if Microsoft controlled every aspect of it's platform with an iron fist ala Apple it could enforce mandatory registration and compatibility testing but it cannot thanks to the DoJ.

So it's up to your firewall developer to make sure it plays nice on Windows 7 64-bit. Guess what -- it's doesn't seem to. I wouldn't expect them to stop cashing those license checks though! Do us all a favor an name the offender so we all can avoid it. Thanks!

WBFAir said:

baarod said:

WBFAir said:

Just to give a update.

First thanks for all the responses, was finally able to get Virtually PC/Windows XP Mode running.

Basically the install was being blocked by my Firewall program which I guess I can't complain to much about as it did its job.

Had to completely uninstall it though to get VPC install to work but then just reinstalled it after and all is good.

Just wish I hadn't spent 9 hrs doing everything else I could find in regards to the "windows installer service could not be access" failure first before I found that out.

Anyway, just to report, after all was up and running was able to get AutoCAD 97 installed and it is running just fine in XP mode.

Gotta give credit where credit is due, this XP Mode thing is one great feature.

Bout the only thing I could say bad is I sure wish this was just something that could have been part of the install instead of me having to go through all this on my own, quite frankly I can't image why it isn't.

But anyway, all is working so thanks again to all for the help.

How was Microsoft to know how your broken firewall was to affect it's XP mode installer? Seriously, this is not so much a fanboy post as it is pragmatic. Does every firewall wannabe contact Microsoft and urge complete compatibility testing? If not how does Microsoft know to conduct such testing? I suppose if Microsoft controlled every aspect of it's platform with an iron fist ala Apple it could enforce mandatory registration and compatibility testing but it cannot thanks to the DoJ.

So it's up to your busted firewall outfit to make sure it plays nice on Windows 7 64-bit. Guess what -- it's doesn't but don't expect them to stop cashing those license checks!

Aw now, see what happens when you try to be nice guy and make a post that you hope might be of some help to others.

Well all I can say is that this firewall program that I have was the first thing I installed after the Win7 OS and then installed every program I have after that, including some rather old programs and not a single one required me to uninstall it to get them to install.

Second, again the issue and the final failure report gave me no clue what so ever that this might be a firewall issue and as "every" other program I installed didn't have a problem with it, why would I conclude it might be that?

As well too it gave me the same issues even when I disable the firewall program, so what ever it does to do a install, to have to completely remove a firewall program seems pretty screwy, but kinda hard to comment on that as I don't know all the facts.

At any rate, I didn't make this post to bash or fan boy anything but just to document this to help anyone else who might have the same problem, sorry you couldn't just take that an appreciate that.

Note that I edited before you posted For some reason my original post showed up to you Sorry!