Windows 7 Company-wide Deployment

[KRice00000]

Anyone out there work for a company planning to deploy Windows 7 company-wide or as a company standard for all new workstations?

We've been doing extensive Windows 7 testing to prepare to do just that, and we're getting very close to the finish line. We use a wide array of engineering and design software so the testing phase has been quite long. We're a Microsoft Enterprise customer so we've had the RTM version of Windows 7 avaialble since mid August 2009. Some engineering and design software companies are more prepared than others for this transition by releasing either minor or major version updates/upgrades to support the new OS.

Our primary focus has been on Windows 7 64-bit since we're trying to avoid the need for the 32-bit flavor of the software as much as possible. So far we haven't run into any major software compatibility issues that would take us down that road. That's not to say we haven't had our share of problems to overcome.

Please don't hesitate to chime in on this thread, even if it just to ask some questions.

[tarmbruster]

Are these seats stand alone or network?
We are looking to deploy windows 7 x64 for all new workstations, however we are still using release 2009 (Autocad Architecture, MEP and Land Desktop Companion). I am trying to see if there are any issues on using Windows 7 X64 with these products outside of Autodesk support.

[KRice00000]

All of our Autodesk products are network licensed. We currently use the following products:

AutoCAD 2009 x64
AutoCAD MEP 2009 x64
AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009
AutoCAD Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion 2009
AutoCAD Raster Design 2009 x86 & x64
Revit Structure 2009 x64 & 2010 x64
Revit MEP 2009 x64 & 2010 x64

We're currently looking into a sporadic crashing issue with AutoCAD 2009 x64 & AutoCAD MEP 2009 x64 but it's something we're not able to easily force to occur. It randomly crashes when attempting to open files and when sitting idle while using other applications. Not all of our Windows 7 users are experiencing this issue so we're currently trying to isolate the cause.

[dgorsman]

Are you running any database-linked design applications? One of ours can make use of an external database, but we don't have a database admin so we use Access. Lightweight, no muss, no fuss. BUT. I've heard problems with ODBC connectivity to Access databases in Win7 x64. I think thats our major stumbling block right now.

[KRice00000]

We do have some database driven applications but have not run into any issues so far.

[dgorsman]

We do have some database driven applications but have not run into any issues so far.

What type of database are you running? SQL Server?

[KRice00000]

MS SQL & Access

[robert.mercier]

We are using AEC 2010 with Windows7 Enterprise 32 bit.
Are you using the Aero Theme? Beware. there will be crashes.

Best Regards,


All of our Autodesk products are network licensed. We currently use the following products:

AutoCAD 2009 x64
AutoCAD MEP 2009 x64
AutoCAD Civil 3D 2009
AutoCAD Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion 2009
AutoCAD Raster Design 2009 x86 & x64
Revit Structure 2009 x64 & 2010 x64
Revit MEP 2009 x64 & 2010 x64

We're currently looking into a sporadic crashing issue with AutoCAD 2009 x64 & AutoCAD MEP 2009 x64 but it's something we're not able to easily force to occur. It randomly crashes when attempting to open files and when sitting idle while using other applications. Not all of our Windows 7 users are experiencing this issue so we're currently trying to isolate the cause.

[KRice00000]

Thanks for your feedback and suggestion! We're using the Aero Theme with Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit when experiencing the sproadic (around 0-5 times per day) crashing in AutoCAD 2009 64-bit and AutoCAD MEP 2009 64-bit. Maybe we'll try running with Aero turned off for a while to see if the crashing goes away.

[cadtag]

How are you dealing with the lack of c3d object enablers for 64bit vanilla?

[KRice00000]

How are you dealing with the lack of c3d object enablers for 64bit vanilla?

Luckily our Structural engineering discipline is the only group using “vanilla” AutoCAD 2009 64-bit so the need to open drawings containing Civil AEC Object content is rare. When they do encounter drawings containing Civil AEC Object content we use one of our Autodesk vertical products to perform an “Export to AutoCAD” which as you know explodes the necessary content to be readable in “vanilla” AutoCAD. Much rarer would be to have our Structural discipline need to directly reference a Civil drawing not impacting the AEC Object content contained.

I guess you can say we’ve been lucky.

[KRice00000]

How are you dealing with the lack of c3d object enablers for 64bit vanilla?

I just verified that you are able to install the 32-bit Civil Object Enabler on a 64-bit AutoCAD 2009 product but I haven't verified that it functions as it should. If it's able to install I would assume everything would work since with other Object Enablers it will only allow you to install on supported products.

[ckidd]

We started off at my company with two Windows 7 x64 seats, to upgrade from the company-wide XP x32. We are the only two Revit users, so we wanted more than 4 GB RAM. The first problem was AutoCAD 2007 is the standard for the rest of the company, which could not be installed in the 64 bit environment, so it has to be run in the 32 bit virtual machine 'XP Mode'. I quickly made the transition to AutoCAD MEP 2010 x64, but that didn't solve the second major issue. Originally, I was told that all Vista drivers would work with Win 7. Not true, as is the case with our (2) HP Designjet 1050c plotters and our HP Designjet 4000 plotters. HP's website posted the drivers for the 4000 to be available in March 2010, with no expected driver support ever for our two older plotters. The equipment works great, there is no way a small firm could justify trashing it to buy new plotters with driver suppot. How could HP and Microsoft leave customers out in the cold like that? Moreover, there is an article about Windows 7 in the 'sponsor spotlight' this month.

http://www.augi.com/publications/hotnews.asp?id=2051

With the link at the bottom refering to HP's website. I really like Win 7 (I immediately bought 3 upgrade licenses for my home computers), but this article, touting the benefits of Win 7 and HP's integration with their new products makes the driver issues more insulting to those left without support from two VERY large companies. Aside from the drivers and the pain of using a virtual machine for any 32-bit software (load calc. programs), Win 7 is a great product, no issues with crashing or the like.

On a side note, my MSI wifi card on my home PC didn't work with Win 7 and had to be replaced with a new card. I spent $50, and moved on. But Plotters worth $5000 or more?

[KRice00000]

I think HP is the main source of the problem being that they have really retired the DesignJet 1050c product line so at this point it's off their radar. Currently your unable to get a service contract on a 1050c through HP any more which I find odd. Sure, the 1050c model has been around for quite a few years but I think they should still be able to offer a service contract buy possibly adjusting cost based on volume history data (total feet recorded).

As for the updated Windows 7 driver availability from either HP or Microsoft, For now I'd recommend trying to find a similar model that they do have a Vista/Win7 driver that works but configure it to point to your 1050c's IP or Share which usually will work fine. All HP plotters use HPGL or HPGL/2 as it's language but the main thing to be concerned with would be roll/sheet size support.

I the past I've found that drivers designed for Windows Vista work with Windows 7 as long as I use the appropriate 32-bit or 64-bit flavor to match. So far I have not run into any drivers that didn't work but I have found that I needed to dive deeper into the downloaded driver subfolder structure to select the specific driver file rather than pointing at the root and having Windows search for the supported driver. Maybe that is the issue you're running into when you're unable to get a Windows Vista driver to work with Windows 7.


We started off at my company with two Windows 7 x64 seats, to upgrade from the company-wide XP x32. We are the only two Revit users, so we wanted more than 4 GB RAM. The first problem was AutoCAD 2007 is the standard for the rest of the company, which could not be installed in the 64 bit environment, so it has to be run in the 32 bit virtual machine 'XP Mode'. I quickly made the transition to AutoCAD MEP 2010 x64, but that didn't solve the second major issue. Originally, I was told that all Vista drivers would work with Win 7. Not true, as is the case with our (2) HP Designjet 1050c plotters and our HP Designjet 4000 plotters. HP's website posted the drivers for the 4000 to be available in March 2010, with no expected driver support ever for our two older plotters. The equipment works great, there is no way a small firm could justify trashing it to buy new plotters with driver suppot. How could HP and Microsoft leave customers out in the cold like that? Moreover, there is an article about Windows 7 in the 'sponsor spotlight' this month.

http://www.augi.com/publications/hotnews.asp?id=2051

With the link at the bottom refering to HP's website. I really like Win 7 (I immediately bought 3 upgrade licenses for my home computers), but this article, touting the benefits of Win 7 and HP's integration with their new products makes the driver issues more insulting to those left without support from two VERY large companies. Aside from the drivers and the pain of using a virtual machine for any 32-bit software (load calc. programs), Win 7 is a great product, no issues with crashing or the like.

On a side note, my MSI wifi card on my home PC didn't work with Win 7 and had to be replaced with a new card. I spent $50, and moved on. But Plotters worth $5000 or more?

[ckidd]

As for the updated Windows 7 driver availability from either HP or Microsoft, For now I'd recommend trying to find a similar model that they do have a Vista/Win7 driver that works but configure it to point to your 1050c's IP or Share which usually will work fine. All HP plotters use HPGL or HPGL/2 as it's language but the main thing to be concerned with would be roll/sheet size support.


I will try that, and hopefully it works. I did try using a Vista x64 driver for the HP 4000 which printed fine, except the 30x42 sheet was reduced to 8.5x11 (I double checked page sizes and printer setup with no luck), then didn't cut the sheet off of the roll. I'll try the above solution next week and see what happens (this week is all Revit MEP, so I'm trying to ration my patience to make it last :) ).

Thanks for the tip!

[aekblade]

I dont know if you have noticed yet, but here is a windows 7 x32 and x64 driver download for the HP 4000

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=431040&taskId=135&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=431039&submit.y=6&submit.x=6&lang=en&cc=us

[KRice00000]

I dont know if you have noticed yet, but here is a windows 7 x32 and x64 driver download for the HP 4000

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=431040&taskId=135&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=431039&submit.y=6&submit.x=6&lang=en&cc=us

Thanks for the follow-up regarding the HP 4000 driver for Windows 7. Back when we were originaly checking on this issue HP had a note in their Windows 7 information section with an expected month they would have it available, and March it was. HP released Windows 7 drivers for quite a few other printer/plotter models as well areound the same timeframe.

[ckidd]

Thanks for keeping this a live thread. I downloaded the driver last week, but now all of my xrefs are plotting with a slight blue/purple hue. I've checked all of my plotter settings, everything is set right, but the background xref still plots blue. Anyone know of any possible solutions? Also, I'm not sure it's the plotter, since this is the first time I've tried plotting with AutoCAD 2010, x64, on a Windows 7 computer.

Edit:
I cannot reproduce the problem anymore, I'm not sure what corrected it (maybe a 2nd or 3rd restart fixed the problem?)

[jnak89]

I did have a question for KRice00000, how were you able to install "AutoCAD Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion 2009" on the windows 7 64-bit system? Everytime I try I get a "You cannot install this product on the current operating system" error in the install log.
Did you use "Windows XP Mode" in 7?

[KRice00000]

I did have a question for KRice00000, how were you able to install "AutoCAD Civil 3D Land Desktop Companion 2009" on the windows 7 64-bit system? Everytime I try I get a "You cannot install this product on the current operating system" error in the install log.
Did you use "Windows XP Mode" in 7?

I haven't run into that error with LDC 2009, but the only thing that might be unique with the method I'm using is that I'm running the install from a copy of the media on a network share rather than the DVD.

What flavor of Windows 7 64-bit are you attempting to install on? (Professional, Ultimate, Enterprise...)