installing rockwell software on new notebook

I was issued a new notebook and now I have to install the rockwell software on it... I recall that as being a major ordeal the last time I did it.... Including it not liking the OS service pack 3.

I have RsLogix 500, RsLogix 5000, factory talk view ME, Panel builder 32 and rsLinx Classic.

I'm hoping you folks will have some advice for me before I start, and help while I am doing it, because I feel a sense of dread that this is going to be a major bollux. (see... I'm getting in the mood...I picked up on the "x" stuff )

How do I know before I start that I am installing the latest version of each? Is it possible that I don't want the latest version? are they backwards compatible?... seems to me that some of them are not. I just feel like they have set some sort of trap for me, that I'm gonna hafta walk into before I know about it.

VMWare is the way forward, multiple images of various things, easy peasy

Second VMWare.
And in any case, install FTView ABSOLUTELY LAST.

rdrast said:

Second VMWare.
And in any case, install FTView ABSOLUTELY LAST.

Click to expand...

Make a VM Machine for XP or whatever, with all SP's

Copy this

Install first Rockwell product, make sure it runs and connects etc

Copy VMware machine

Install second rockwell product

etc etc

And FT last as above

Once all working on VM, make a copy, you have a backup thats up and running in less than a minute

Ok first I agree wih the VMware suggestion. But 504Bloke, you need to look at snapshots. Repeated cloning is unnecessary, slow , and uses a lot of hard drive space.

Now, lets assume for a moment that VMware is not possible and tackle the OP question from that angle.

You are right in that Windows XP SP3 does actually break some software due to some internal Windows changes. In fact, customers using AMD processors often were greeted with the infamous BSOD after upgrading. That was a big mess at the time.

For Rockwell software, mainly this showed up in the communications software like RSLinx Classic and RSLinx Enterprise. Here is a RA document on their KnowledgeBase detailing the more common RSLogix and RSLinx products that have *official* SP3 support. Most others worked without issue. There is also a link on that page to the RA software compatibility matrix. That details what software works with what O/S.

http://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/52120

Now, that said, I would reiterate that you consider a virtual machine like VMware Workstation (what I use). There are other good products out there too but VMware is the most common. VMware offers a trial for 30 days which can be extended (repeatedly). Some of the others out there are free.

OG

Goto Rockwell Knowledge base
then to Aid 42682
at the bottom is an attachment link to the compatibility matrix

This is the link I used try copy and paste you may need to sign in.

http://rockwellautomation.custhelp...._id/42682/kw/compatibility matrix/r_id/113025

vmware is awesome. definitely the way forward in the automation world.

+1 on VMWare Workstation. I had a new Dell E6410 and the VM's were just as fast as native software.

The only RSI software I ran on my host OS is RSLinx Gateway and the FactoryTalk Activation Manager. All the VMs use the drivers I create in RSLinx Gateway, and they all get their activations from the Activation Manager.

This is especially useful if you need to support multiple versions of FactoryTalk View SE, or multiple versions of Kepserver Enterprise. There's just no other easy way around it.

The handful of A-B software utilities that I can't run on VMs (the Net-ENI and Net-DNI utilities, the BOOTP/DHCP Server and the DeviceNet Traffic Analyzer) are all small-footprint, non-FactoryTalk programs.

The principal problems I encountered with VMs were with the FT Activation connection between the VMs and the Host. It could get messed up when I switched network settings (WiFi to wired, DHCP timeouts, etc). When the Activation client can't reach the activation server it will show a popup indicating it's going to close RSLogix or RSView, but you can still go to the application, close it down normally, then click the "OK" from the activation manager popup.

Many of you are suggesting VMWare.
Can you explain it a little bit further in detail?

If I get a new laptop with say Windows 7, then do I buy a copy of VMWare Workstation ~$150, and install that first?
I take it that the VMWare runs a Virtual machine on the same Notebook where you then install Rslogix, Panelbuilder Linx etc running. Correct?
Is this Virtual Machine running Windows 7, or XP?
Thanks

Operaghost said:

Ok first I agree wih the VMware suggestion. But 504Bloke, you need to look at snapshots. Repeated cloning is unnecessary, slow , and uses a lot of hard drive space.
OG

Click to expand...

Each to their own, i prefer cloned machines all backed up on a server as a duplicate

I had a play with snapshots but didnt like it or autoprotect, hard drive space is cheap these days so i have separate machines for most applications and manufacturers and multiples thereof

And each snapshot can take up as much space as is allocated to the virtual disk

Ken,

I am trying to use VMW Player, and I am having an issue with connecting the Hasp dongle to the VM, any suggestions? (I feel like I just opened a can of worms)

I admit that I cheated a little: I use Concurrent Activations.

My Activation Manager and RSLinx Classic are installed on my host OS. Both of them therefore have access to all my hardware; dongles, serial ports, PCMCIA, the works.

In my VMWare Player instances, the path to my Activation server is the name of the host PC.

Unfortunately this won't work unless you have a Toolkit or Gold Master (I was an RA field engineer).

As for passing the Dongle through to the VM with VMWare Player, I'm not certain how that works. I know that ESXi hosts can pass through a HASP dongle, and that Apple OSX hosts can't. What's your host OS ?

My host is win 7 64 bit and my RSLogix is node-locked. I am about to pull my hair out, what little I have left. I am almost to the point of ditching the win 7 and do a clean XP install.

Snapshots work great as you are building your VM, to serve as a go-back between installs. Once I have the VM working I delete the last snapshot.
Then make a new snapshot before the next install venture.
Repeat as needed until the VM is complete.

Once the VM is complete, I make a copy of it.
Then work from the VM without snapshots.

I was referring to wiping out win 7 as the machine host and installing XP pro on the machine, I wouldnt need any VM then. But I give up the bells and whistles that I bought with the laptop... : (