AutoCAD LT for Windows, 1994

[lwhutson]

I have been using AutoCAD LT for years now on a PC with a Windows 95 operating system. I have recently up-graded to Windows 7 and find that the program will not install. Is there a patch or other method whereby I can install this very old program on a much newer operating system?

Thanks

[ReMark]

There are no "patches" to make older versions of AutoCAD work on newer computers running Windows 7 or 8. There are options but they are limited.

 

Is your new computer 32-bit or 64-bit? What are the full specs on this new computer?

[lwhutson]

My computer is a HP 120-1134 using an AMD E2-1800 APU. It has HD graphics 1.70 GHz and 4.00 GB (3.61 useable) and is 64 bit. That is about as much as I can find right now about this computer system. Hope this helps.

Thanks.

[ReMark]

Your 64-bit system does not support the 16-bit installer for that version of AutoCAD therefore you would not be able to load it. There is a program available called The Longbow Converter that might allow you to run AutoCAD but it won't be easy. Are you pretty skilled when it comes to computers?

[f700es]

I would just install one of the many free LT alternatives out there and go with a more modern program made to work with Windows 7.

Here is a list of ones to look at.

 

Draftsight

 

NanoCAD

 

LibreCAD

 

Draftsight will probably be the most robust of the group, with NanoCAD being second and I threw in LibreCAD as it is OpenSource and might turn into something big one day. All of these offer similar tool sets to what you are used to with your older copy of Acad LT. Good luck and stick around

[ReMark]

I was just thinking the same thing but you know how these diehard AutoCAD users are. LoL

[lwhutson]

As you probably deduced, no, I'm not real conversant with these newer computers, so using the Longbow Converter is probably not a good option! I did see a post that is directing me to several LT alternatives and they are evidently free, yet very similar to LT. I suppose it means that will have to experience some down time with a learning curve, but maybe that's my only option.

Thanks for your help.

[lwhutson]

Thanks for your input here. I had heard about Draftsight, but not the other two. I even took a look at Draftsight, but found it just different enough to convince me that I wanted to avoid the learning curve I knew it would require. I am very comfortable with LT and would prefer to continue using it, but if I am unable to bring it to my new computer I suppose I'll have to try something else.

Thanks for your help.

[ReMark]

Draftsight isn't really all that different. Yeah, the command names may vary slightly but icons pretty much look the same. I think that after a single day you'd already find yourself comfortable with the switch. Have some faith.

[Fire_col]

We used draftsight at my last company as they were too tight fisted to pay for AutoCAD. If you are like me and still type a lot of commands then you'll have no problem with Draftsight as all the typed commands are exactly the same

[lwhutson]

I do type quite a few commands rather than jumping up to the pull down menus so I'll look at Draftsight more closely to see if I can quickly get up to speed. Can I use my various ACAD LT symbol libraries (landscaping, electrical, plumbing, etc) with Draftsight? If not, are ther such symbol libraries available for Draftsight?

Thanks.

[ReMark]

Stop and think. What is a symbol? It is nothing more than a block saved in DWG file format. DraftSight as well as the other AutoCAD clones reads and writes to the DWG file format current to 2010.

[f700es]

Be careful, I had an older copy of LT that used wmf files as symbols. It was r12 LT for windows iirc.

[lwhutson]

A symbol library allowed me to get a vast number of commonly used drafting symbols for architecture, plumbing, electrical and landscaping without having to draw them myself and create blocks in order to insert them where I needed them.

[ReMark]

I guess you did not get my point. I know what a symbol library is. Do YOU know what the file extension on those blocks is? WMF or DWG? It's simple to find out. Do that and get back to us.

Edited July 23, 2013 by ReMark

[Bill Tillman]

There is of course the VM method. You could build a Virtual Machine which runs Windows 95 and then you're off to the races. It might run on Windows XP as well. I have several legacy pieces of hardware which will not run on anything newer than Windows XP. I hated swapping out the hard drives all the time so VM worked great for my needs. One day I will finally throw out this old HP Scanner but I will still use VM for running other OS'es like SUSE or FreeBSD on my Windows machines.

[f700es]

Good idea Bill but any of the newer clones would give more features than his old version would.

[ReMark]

When you run a virtual machine you are actually running two instances of Windows so the computer better have the horsepower to do so otherwise you might see a performance hit.

[ReMark]

A symbol library allowed me to get a vast number of commonly used drafting symbols for architecture, plumbing, electrical and landscaping without having to draw them myself and create blocks in order to insert them where I needed them.

Did you know that DWG files created in any version of AutoCAD from 2010 or earlier can be opened in any of the AutoCAD clone programs? A block is normally a DWG file. I have yet to fact check that AutoCAD LT at some point used WMF files for blocks. Do you know what a WMF file is?

[f700es]

When you run a virtual machine you are actually running two instances of Windows so the computer better have the horsepower to do so otherwise you might see a performance hit.

 

Yeah that is were I was going as well. An AMD E2 is not a workhorse cpu. I put it right with an Intel Atom on terms of performance. The only advantage the AMD has over the Intel is the addition of the GPU with the CPU. The E2 will allow HD video playback while this will kill an Atom cpu.