Windows Vista OS

The laptop my company is wanting me to use has Windows Vista (Business) OS on it. Someone had already tried installing Factory Talk View and RS Logix 500 standard on it prior to me being hired. They told me they had a "new laptop with RS 500 already installed" and I had ordered USB adapters to accomidate, I got ahold of the laptop today and when trying to open software today had found:
1. Operating system is Vista (not new)
2. No key disk or activation for RS Logix 500
3. Factory Talk requires XP pro with service pack 3 or later, or Windows 7 pro.
4. No RS Linx available either.

Has anyone tried to upgrade thier laptop OS from Vista to W7 pro and had success communicating to AB SLC 500's family and Micro Logix family w/o fail, or used Vista to do so.....

I can tell you for certain, Allen Bradley software will NOT run in Vista. I have a dual boot system with Vista for my personal use and XP Pro for anything to do with A-B...or Siemens for that matter.

There will never be a FactoryTalk View edition that runs on Windows Vista, and I doubt that RSLinx and RSLogix are doing much testing with it anymore.

In my opinion a Vista-equipped PC has a negative value to an engineering user. Depending on the hardware and power (what make and model ?) it's worth it to get a dependable, functional, tested OS.

Thats what I thought I had remembered about Vista, reading a couple years ago was just double checking before I let them know that laptop won't work!!! Just wondered if anyone had tried an upgrade and had it work. I haven't heard of any yet. Vista was short lived.

I have never used Vista, but the RA compatibility matrix does show some stuff that's supposed to work with Vista.

Definitely push for a laptop with Windows 7 Pro (64 bit so you can jump to 8 gigs of ram) and get on the VMWare bandwagon!

Windows 7 Pro will license a virtual machine running XP SP3. So if it does not run on Windows 7 you have a great laptop with XP functionality. Only downside is the PCMK adaptor will be useless so you'll need other options to connect to those DH485/DH+ networks.

I guess I need to retract my statement about FTView, then. It's been a while since I checked the matrix.

I still wouldn't use Vista if I had any choice in the matter.

Does W7 have to be pro? They have(home)available here. Also I am looking into getting RSLinx. I came across classic which supports the 5, 500, and 5000 but does not mention Micro's family. I have used RSLogix Lite before also, but ab.com just kicked me off for being signed on in 2 locations at same time. OOOooops. Waiting for a new password. We have SLC 503, 504, 505, Micrologix 1100, and 1200 so far that Ive found.

highvoltage8471 said:

Does W7 have to be pro? They have(home)available here. Also I am looking into getting RSLinx. I came across classic which supports the 5, 500, and 5000 but does not mention Micro's family. I have used RSLogix Lite before also, but ab.com just kicked me off for being signed on in 2 locations at same time. OOOooops. Waiting for a new password. We have SLC 503, 504, 505, Micrologix 1100, and 1200 so far that Ive found.

Click to expand...

Look at the Excel sheet. It outlines what works with what.

You can run the VMs in Vista...MS or other but I still wouldn't touch that operating system with a 10-foot yardstick.

Thanks Guys,

Im not trying to be lazy just got kicked off rockwell for being signed in on two different computers. Again thanks.

I guess we all had different experiences with Vista. I loved it - only had to re-do my hard drive about every 9 months with Vista as opposed to XP Pro every 3-6 months.
Omron software ran perfectly on it - they were Vista compliant about 5 weeks after Vista was released.
Everything else went into Virtual Box.
When Windows 7 came out I had it on a machine well before the first service pack and have found it the most stable Windows so far, closely followed by the one you all dislike - Vista.
Running 7 x 64 bit these days with 12 gig RAM as my board runs triple threaded RAM - nice. Also running an Intel 8 core processor - i7 - 3.06 ghz. It really flies once you get it going. Very impressed with the nVidia GTX450 as well - pretty good card and not too bad on fast games either. It gets tested as it is running a Dell 30" monitor @ 2550 x 1600.
Once again I run my Omron stuff straight in the OS - it has 64 bit drivers and has had since I first updated to the latest software revision.
Everything else is either inside Virtual Box or XP Compatability box.
The great advantage with Virtual Boxes is that all those nasty programs that hang on to serial ports, leave drivers running that foul everything else up etc are closed when you close the box.
These nasty programs are usually supplied by many of the 'major' manufacturers and they should, quite frankly, know better. It is probable that most of you will know who I mean - and probably some that I have never used before.
I find Virtual Box is usually best and I have a box for each manufacturer. I had 2 manufacturers in the Windows 7 XP Pro compatability box and they played merry hell with each other as neither wanted to let the serial port go or shut down the serial port drivers when the program was shut down.
Why do they not fix this? And no, I do not want to run things as a service - I should be able to start and shut down programs with no left overs to foul up the next brand of PLC software that I open.

I second the 64 bit Windows 7 with VMware, create a base installation of Windows XP and then clone it for each Manufacturer you use to keep them separate.

dskohio said:

Windows 7 with VMware, create a base installation of Windows XP and then clone it for each Manufacturer you use.

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Is a Windows XP license required for each clone or is the license cloned too?

AJZ said:

Is a Windows XP license required for each clone or is the license cloned too?

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It clones the XP license, but to met the licensing requirements you need to have a license for each clone (developers license?) according to our IT department.