Any feedback would be appreciated.

Heres the deal...
A lowly jackleg mechanic has been tasked with moving all AB software, licenses, etc. to a new (hand me down) maintenance laptop. It is all on the up and up. I have cds and key disks for everything in question.
No tech connect support until next year.
Specifically...
RS 5 v7.10
RS 500 v7.1 (have 7.30.2 on the old laptop, but it doesn't appear to make a difference w/ the current pgms)
RS 5000 V12,13,14,15 (13.2 is the only one that applies to the one control logix machine in my plant.)
Panel Builder 32
Rsview 32 (don't have a license for it on the laptop top but all machines are up to date and working)
factory talk studio me 5.0 (I have already fixed the bugs with RSLinx 2.57 on the old laptop, but if any one can post the quick fixes, It would be appreciated.)
RSLinx 2.57 lite
Gml Commander.

Its seems like a lot of typing to ask my question, but I know how the forum likes the details.

I have searched the posts ad nausem.

I just want to make sure I haven't missed any thing.

I have gone online w/ the 3 platforms using the disks. PCMK, drivers and new laptop seem to be playing nice.

I would like some kind words and reassurance before I transfer all the activation keys and pgm files to this computer.

Thanks in advance
Billy

No small feat at all.

I would first, ensure that all the license and serial numbers are recorded on paper, and registered with R/A. Make sure you know the name of the person who last registered each license.

Proceeding from there will be best left to the attendant experts who may recommend using a VM for some of these installations.

Thanks OKie,
I got most of that info from Mc_Mc, our local RA distributor. Anything else
to worry about?

first of all – what operating system is installed on the "new" laptop? ...

are you sure that you have enough hard disk space available? ... (how much do you have?) ...

personally, if I only needed version 13 of RSLogix5000, then I wouldn't install the other versions ...

now then ...

I used to work for a McNaughton-McKay distributor ... my advice is to call them up, and make a sort-of-kind-of "appointment" to drop by – and then do the installations and activations "over there" at their place ...

I've spent many a long frustrating hour trying to straighten things out that had somehow "gone awry" – and I therefore used to make it a point to help people install stuff like this – for free ... it always seemed to go easier on me – and on the customer - that way ...

(notice that I didn't say "easy" - just "easier") ...

of course a lot depends on your working relationship with the distributor – and on whether or not their technicians will be available, etc., etc. ...

but that's my advice ...

Give something to get something

My experience was very similar to Ron's, when I worked for RA. I got taken advantage of a few times, but more often it was a chance to sit down with the customer and talk to them directly about their needs and their budget and what we could do to help.

Usually I told the responsible account salesman: "I'm having John from BigCorp come in and I'm going to set up his laptop with fresh software. You're going to go talk to Mike in BigCorp's purchasing department and deliver a detailed quote for next year's TechConnect contract, and talk about the cooling tower control retrofit and our training schedule".

Commercial stuff aside: FactoryTalk View Studio and RSView32 are the ones you need to worry about.

FTView Studio is now on Version 6. If you are only using PanelView Plus terminals, I strongly recommend installing Version 6 because it can create runtimes for any older revision.

For FactoryTalk View SE and RSView32, your editing environment needs to match the runtime or server environment you're supporting. If you have FTView SE 5.0 deployed, go ahead and install only FTView Studio 5.0.

I used to support FTView 4.0, 5.0, and 5.10 systems simultaneously and the only way to do it and retain sanity is to use VMWare to install different versions on different VMs.

FTView 5.0 uses the modern FactoryTalk Activation, with *.LIC files, not the older diskette-based EVRSI activation. Even if you choose to install the older 5.0 revision, you're going to also have to do a "Re-Host" to create an Activation that's directly tied to your new laptop.

Ron B,
Thank you for showing an interest.
The "new" lap top has XP service pack 3 on it.
the old laptop had a 30g hard drive w/ only 6 left free.
New one has an 80 w/ about 40 free.
When we got our tech connect contract, last year, I dowloaded updates until it worked. Thankfully I saved the update files and repeated the process. I do not know how to tell from an offline .acd file what version I need.
I think the Company has a good relationship with Mc_Mc.ie I keep asking for stuff and it keeps showing up. Never really asked them for any tech support. I have always talked to AB directly.

Thanks again for your time.
For what its is worth, I lobbied again today, to send one of us to your class.

Ken R
Thanks for the input.
The online stuff with factory talk is the least of my concerns. I have moved the activation 3 times via internet.

Unfortunately in this case, I am only an indian and not a chief.
All I can do is ask. I can't get anyone an appointment w/ anyone.
Bottom line is ... I have to do as I am told and fix what is broke.

I am so thankful for you who take time to read and respond to my posts.

The "new" lap top has XP service pack 3 on it.

Click to expand...

XP Pro - or XP Home? ...

I do not know how to tell from an offline .acd file what version I need.

Click to expand...

just open the ACD file in Windows Notepad ... you won't be able to read much of the file (no rungs, etc.) but there will be a list at the top which will show you all of the versions that have been used to save the file ... (don't forget to check the bottom of the list – sometimes the list is LONG - and the version gets changed part way through during development) ...

.

Sorry, XP pro 2002 service pack3. 1.6 ghz processor, 1gb of ram.

l was going well until, I installed factory talk view me. I thought it was just a matter of installing it and the patches and all would be good.
Yeah, about that, not so much.
The problems started with FTVME not reacting to the patches the same way, as they did on the old laptop. They didn't work.
After installing and un installing so many times, I have created a bunch of registry errors (I think). The new laptop is now very slow and keeps throwing up "Rockwell application manager needs to close" errors. The errors are associated with rsvchost.exe not finding what it looking for.
Throw in a little ignorance, I thought I was just going to copy the HMI projects folder to the new laptop and all would be ok. Again not so much.

Again, any guidance or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Billy

Monday, I'll beg the IT dept(not on site) to see if they can undo my damage.

This is not a barn burner, yet... I still have the old laptop, and all the files and programs are intact. If need be, I will transfer the FTVME license back to it.

If you can restore to a point before you started the FTViewME Studio install, that would be helpful I think. Also, be very careful about the .net updates. In the past, the rockwell stuff would break your .net installation when it was already updated to a version newer than what the rockwell installer thought you needed.

I would get back to a clean slate, and install everything else first, test it all out, then create a backup of the machine and a restore point before installing FTViewStudio.

If you can restore to a point before you started the FTViewME Studio install, that would be helpful I think. Also, be very careful about the .net updates. In the past, the rockwell stuff would break your .net installation when it was already updated to a version newer than what the rockwell installer thought you needed.

I would get back to a clean slate, and install everything else first, test it all out, then create a backup of the machine and a restore point before installing FTViewStudio.

Thanks Okie, I'll give it a try.

A couple system restores later, I have the machine acting some what normal. The AB stuff is working, except for FTVME. I don't have the time or patients to miss with it today.
Thank you all for your feed back.