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Installation of SolidWorks 2004 SP0

Today I received my set of 2004 SP0 CDs and launched right into installing it to replace the Pre-Release 1 version which I've been running alongside 2003.

I should have read the "Read This First" sheet more carefully to recognize that 2004 SP0 is NOT to be installed as an upgrade to the

2004 Beta or Pre-Release.

However, since I made the mistake of attempting an upgrade, let me describe the results:

  1. The Windows Installer routines seemed painfully slow - probably just a coincidence.

  1. The upgrade installation simply hung after making some progress.

  2. I logged off and back on to find the Installer still running and my Windows "Active Desktop" went bonkers - needing restoration which couldn't be performed with the Installer in progress.

  1. After using Task Manager (in Windows 2000 Pro) to manually "kill" the Installer-based processes, I reset the computer and found the Installer to still be alive and kicking with the Active Desktop continuing to be in trouble.

  2. I then shutdown the computer and used Safe Mode to allow me to easily delete the *.MSI file, the SolidWorks 2004 installation files directory and the 2004 Pre-Release files/directories.

  1. Rebooting normally and installing a "new" copy of 2004 then proceeded without a problem...

(I understand that there's a utility available (via the SolidWorks website) named "Remove2004pr2.exe". I don't know if it would have done anything to remove the Pre-Release 1, but I certainly wasn't going to try to get the Pre-Release 2 files for an update and then run the utility!)

Anyway, the point of all of this is that I think the SolidWorks 2004 SP0 CD #1 should include more detailed installation directions for the user to read on the computer screen, if desired, during (or before) the beginning of the Windows Installer's procedures.

The difficulty with an upgrade to an earlier version of 2004 may not have been recognized soon enough to allow for the inclusion of the "removal" utility as part of the production CDs.

I often wonder if the developers spend enough time performing "real world" installations on systems with multiple versions of SolidWorks running side by side - including Beta and/or Pre-Release? I suspect that too often the installations are standalone. It's so easy in a non-production environment to simply wipe the slate clean and reinstall.

While I should have taken more time to carefully plan the installation, I'd say that all too often the SolidWorks setup program misses opportunities to present useful prompts to the user within the on screen dialog boxes.

Per O. Hoel

Reply to
Per O. Hoel
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Does 2004 only install with the Windows Installer? If so, I have a problem in that my C: partition is too small to allow WI to run. I have found no way to direct it to another partition.

Thanks, Gary

Per O. Hoel wrote:

Reply to
Gary Knutson

Yes, 2003 is only WI...

I thought you could direct it to a different drive. Maybe I be mistaken...?

I posted to a different thread the part about uninstalling the old (downloaded) before the new CD's.

Reply to
Mr. Pickles

Hmm,... are you trying to make sense of this, Per!?

I will sorely miss the traditional installer, it was fast and easy.

IMHO, the WI sucks and is another way of idiot proofing but at the same time it will create more problems than lessen them!!

Yeah, you screwed up but your point is spot on! If the installer was setup to really be productive and fore warning, it would have noted your previous beta, PR1 or PR2 or web sp0 traditional install and suggested you remove them or it would remove them to install the CD sp0 WI.

oh joy,.. you know the person or persons who are responsible for the sp0 CD release are reading this... (hello, who ever you are.... yes, should have done more to curb previous installs especially since you are only allowing the WI.

.. ;^)

"Per O. Hoel" wrote:

Reply to
Paul Salvador

Hello Per,

I did something similar with one of the pre-release packages and goofed things up. The fix that I discovered was to reinstall the pre-release and choose the repair option. I then was able to uninstall the pre-release completely and then install 2004 sp0.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Wolfe

and yet they still haven't added a warning to disable antivirus before installing.

Reply to
Mike J. Wilson

formatting link
.. ;^)

"Mike J. Wils>

Reply to
Paul Salvador

You guys act suprised. I've learned to "Sit down, shut up. You can do that can't you."

Reply to
Jeff N

Gary,

Thanks for the related solution.

I have avoided using the Windows Installer for SolidWorks, since I prefer the Traditional method. Now with 2004, users are no longer given the choice.

Hopefully, with multiple versions of SolidWorks installed side-by-side, the Windows Installer will be able to remove one version of the program while leaving the other's files and Registry settings intact.

In the past I have always deleted program files and Registry settings manually, since using the Add/Remove applet in the Windows Control Panel would strip so much out of the Registry that the version(s) of SolidWorks not selected for uninstallation would no longer function.

I don't understand why the SolidWorks installation programs have never included intelligent and automated (user attended) prompts for the proper removal of Beta and/or Pre-Release versions.

Per O. Hoel __________________________________________________________________________

Reply to
Per O. Hoel

Per O. Hoel quipped:

heh. you funny guy.

i installed sw2004, then uninstalled my old version, and all my add-ins were gone!!! I had to repair my sw2004 installation in order to get even pdf printing back!

-nick e.

Reply to
Nick E.

Per,

I just had to uninstall the CD-WI version of SP0. You have to use the "remove" utillity on CD#1. If you use the "add remove" in the control panel your machine locks up, at least mine did, causing you to have to power down. This results in an incomplete uninstall process that loads when you start the machine back up. Fortunately, the "remove" utillity on the CD was able to stop the process, and uninstall SW2004.

I can tell right away that the WI installer is going to make things ten times more difficult, and lengthy, than they were with Install Shield.

Thanks SW

Mark

Reply to
MM

Although I signed up for the Beta program I never loaded it because of my fears (from past experience) of WI on my NT box. I finally upgraded to XP and loaded the SP0 version. The only problem so far is that it screwed up printing on SW2003 when printing single sheet drawings.

As far as I am concerned any piece of software that takes over an operating system to the extent you are describing without documenting what is happening is to be avoided. I am not sure what the benefit to the customer is for WI. But as has been said, we have no choice yet.

As usual Per, you have provided some very useful > Today I received my set of 2004 SP0 CDs and launched right into

Reply to
kellnerp

I think the only reason for the WI is to prevent people from installing the software without having the disks on hand.

Jay

Reply to
Jay

formatting link

Reply to
Paul Salvador

Mark,

I didn't realize that the "remove" utility is provided right on CD#1. My prior post just mentioned its availability on the SolidWorks website.

While it's certainly good to have the utility supplied on the production CD, I have to wonder how anyone launching right into installing 2004 (especially during a hectic workday) is supposed to know of the utility's existence and to understand how and when it's supposed to be used.

Even if there happened to be some mention of it on the "STOP Read This First" sheet, the best way for the user to be advised is through the installation software routines which SolidWorks really needs to make more comprehensive and complete.

I often feel as though I'm expected to piece together tidbits of information from various locations (printed instructions, CDs, website, newsgroup, etc.) in order to be prepared with everything needed for a successful installation.

People are oten unfamiliar, impatient, rushed and/or distracted.

It's SO easy, for example, to forget to temporarily shut off virus scanning during a SolidWorks installation. There are many other software programs which prompt the user to do so AUTOMATICALLY during setup. This is just one of many things the user should be prompted for during the installation of SolidWorks!

Reply to
Per O. Hoel

All,

I had so much trouble with the new CD's that I had to 'restore to an earlier time' with windowsXP and get back my downloadable version of 2004 sp0.0. the one that came out to subscription service customers before they shipped the CD's out.

Question: will I be able to do future service pack upgrades to this original downloadable version or will I have to switch to the WI cd version at some point?

I tried switching when I got the cd's but gave up after three hours of useless aggravation and did a system restore.

Reply to
Navy Diver

Dear Navy,

I found that the SW 2004 SP0 disks would not install on our computer (Dell

360, P4 2.4 GH, XP Pro SP1). We had to copy each CD onto the hard drive (C:) into directories Disk1, Disk2, etc. and install from disk 1. Also Sw couldn't find all of the CAB files and was forever telling me about it, so I finally copied all of the cab files from disks2 & 3(swwi/data) to disk1(swwi/data) . It finally loaded with no problems.

Our IT says that many programs have a problem loading from RWCD's in XP. They do this often.

It's the first time I saw it, but loading from the hard drive fixed the problem.

Tom Marine Pilot

Reply to
Tom Chasteen

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