Windows 7 and ACAD 2006 - issues

I just got a new computer at work and it has the Win 7 64 bit operating system. I have the DWGateway converter that I use on my laptop (learned about that program here on this site by the way, thanks) with XP. I can't get it to work on my new computer. I had to use the cool feature on Win 7 to get my ACAD to load and work, but can't get DWGateway to do anything. Anyone have any ideas?

The "cool feature"? Do you mean XP Compatibility Mode?

Ah, the price we pay for trying to make "old" software work with "new" hardware. Glad MS and AD don't design / sell cars for a living.

That would be it.

Figured it would be understood what I was referring to.

Guess I need to make it clearer.

Anyway, it made ACAD work, but can't do the DWGateway in the same method for some reason.

Is this the version of DWGateway you're trying to get to work?

http://dwggateway.findmysoft.com/

Updated 01-Dec-2009

not sure. I am trying to find on the program where it shows the version number.

Is that download site that you sent safe to download from?

My site advisor didn't like it too much.

I can't answer that. I have no need for DWGateway. Go to the Solidworks site and get the latest version. That is the safest bet.

The version I have is the latest. No luck on re-installing or repairing it. So I guess I am out of luck with Win 7. Any other programs that are super cheap ( aka free ) that will convert newer ACAD dwgs to my older 06 version? One of the sub-contractors I use utilizes a newer version and I have to convert everything before I open and add my information into it.

You might want to tell your sub-contractor he needs to save his drawings down to 2004 format before sending them to you.

Otherwise, download and install the Autodesk DWG TrueView program. It's free.

Troy:

"Windows 7 is supported in AutoCAD 2010 (and 2011 and higher) and Inventor 2010 (and 2011 and higher).

If you want to install and run older versions of AutoCAD, LT, or Inventor (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, R11...) in Win7, you can use the virtualized "XP Mode" available for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise (both 32-bit and 64-bit).

To use the Windows XP Mode you will need a CPU hardware support.

You can detect the HW virtualization support in your processor with the utility havdetectiontool.exe.

The Windows XP Mode add-on (application) can be downloaded from the Microsoft web.

Then you can install the tool through Windows Virtual PC > Windows XP Mode."

Tankman: I think that's what the OP did. He lucked out with AutoCAD but DWGateway gave him fits.

You are both correct, that's what I did. The computer accepted my AutoCAD 06 using the built in "compatibility mode" and it works pretty well (still gives a message when starting up - but I'm less than a week into using Win 7, so hopefully I'll figure out how to get around that). But when I install DWGateway, it says that it installed successfully, but it does not show up in ACAD as a toolbar like it did before, and when I do: start > search programs and files, the only place it shows up is the actual installer package download location. I can't figure it out.

I am going to download the True View program as well, as suggested above, but liked that the DWGateway was an add-on toolbar in ACAD. Made it easier since it's all available in one spot.

I downloaded and figured out the AutoDesk True View program and used it to convert the 2010 dwgs to 2004 so that I can modify them in my 06.

Works nice.

Thanks