Older MicroStation versions on Windows 7

We are about to move to 64 bit Windows 7.  I have been maintaining older MicroStation versions because it seems that no matter what new version comes out, there is always some bug that wasn't in a previous version.  Many of those problems can be worked around simply by using one of the older versions.  Sometimes a file that won't open in a recent version will open in an older version and can be repaired or extracted to a clean file using the older version.  As an example, I've run into instances where using the Modify Element command on a specific vertex in a very simple line string or shape (say half a dozen points more or less) will cause V8i versions and XM to crash but is handled by 2004 edition with no problem at all.

The bottom line is that I want to keep the older versions around, installed, and usable as long as possible.  So, has anyone had any luck installing these MicroStation versions on Windows 7 32 bit and 64 bit - (I ask about both Windows 7 versions in the event that we can convince our IT to provide us with dual boot machines instead of just the 64 bit OS):

MS/J

V8 2004 Edition

XM

If you have had success, but had to use some special installation procedure to make any of the above work, please post the procedure(s) so they can be forwarded to our IT.

(I understand that the best solution to any problem is to report the problems and provide sample data so they can be fixed or find a work around in the current version but, in the real world, project schedules and budgets often won't accommodate waiting for a bug fix, or a drawn out trial and error trying to find a work around if temporarily using an older version expedites the work.)

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  • Larry,

    We run all of these versions on Windows 7 boxes. We have both the 32 bti and 64 bit versions. The only thing we do differently is to install into a directory other than Program Files or Program Files (x86). Windows 7 just has some security restrictions that don't always play nice. We use C:\BentleyXM, C:\Bentley7 and C:\Bentley, the last one is because when 2004 came out, we just used Bentley. After that we put the verion in the directory name.

  • Unknown said:

    Larry,

    We run all of these versions on Windows 7 boxes. We have both the 32 bti and 64 bit versions. The only thing we do differently is to install into a directory other than Program Files or Program Files (x86). Windows 7 just has some security restrictions that don't always play nice. We use C:\BentleyXM, C:\Bentley7 and C:\Bentley, the last one is because when 2004 came out, we just used Bentley. After that we put the verion in the directory name.

    Did you install to the root out of previous convention, or was it a problem with Windows 7 (Windows 7 just has some security restrictions that don't always play nice) that they couldn't be installed to Program Files (x86)?

  • While V8i is cetified for Windows 7, which I am still not sure exactly all that means, the previous versions are not. From the best we can tell, the permissions for trustedinstaller seem to disallow us to install to the defualt locations for previous versions. We actually ran MicroStation 7 from a server and only had shortcuts on the users machines. We initially did put 2004 and XM in Program Files folders for XP. It was only after some trial and error when we moved to Windows 7, we started using the root locations. .

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  • While V8i is cetified for Windows 7, which I am still not sure exactly all that means, the previous versions are not. From the best we can tell, the permissions for trustedinstaller seem to disallow us to install to the defualt locations for previous versions. We actually ran MicroStation 7 from a server and only had shortcuts on the users machines. We initially did put 2004 and XM in Program Files folders for XP. It was only after some trial and error when we moved to Windows 7, we started using the root locations. .

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