CodeMeter users cannot run old versions of ArchiCAD

[Jussi_]

Windows has had better backwards compatible than Macintosh since OsX was introduced. As a Mac user I can tell we can cope with newest version running on newest operating system and hardware.

But I cannot tolerate that we cannot run obsolete ArchiCAD versions on old machines or on virtual machines, because of hardware key not supporting old ArchiCAD versions.

It should be my right to open ArchiCAD file on exactly same ArchiCAD version that it was created. Being perfect document, not almost correctly converted version of my design.

Hardware keys not supporting old version is just wrong. Buildings lifespan outruns software and hardware lifespan or company lifespans.

And I do have old machines and operating systems stored alongside with my old ArchiCAD documents.

I recommend that ArchiCAD 7 and ArchiCAD 9 should be released without hardware lock. Maybe AC 3,4 and AC4,5 are needed too. AC16 can handle documents from AC10 onwards very well and hardware keys still support all of those ArchiCAD versions.

[Jussi_]

I typed WIBU to Google and found out
http://www.wibu.com/hardware-copy-protection.html
there is plenty options to choose from.
Those of us who need standalone dongle for laptop would love to have tiny CmStick/C Basic model instead of old large green or gray models. Having this tiny (not popping out of your laptops back or side) model would give laptop users security against bending their dongle. Bending breaks either USB port or the dongle. We are talking added value to customer. Something all business should address.

Also by reading WIBU systems technical datasheets

The CmStick/C is the heart of the CodeMeter Digital Rights Manage- ment system as USB device in a very small and noble case. It contains a SmartCard chip including a secure memory of about 384 kbyte available for storing thousands of licenses. The basic idea of the revolutionary CodeMeter concept is that licenses can be stored for many products even from many different vendors at the same time.

It puzzles me that Graphisoft cannot implement support to older ArchiCAD versions in new CodeMeter hardware.

Software companies are arrogant, it is still young profession, but in the end is up to us customers to demand more. We have paid for old versions of ArchiCAD and we should have right to use old ArchiCAD versions when needed.

[Jussi_]

Graphisoft has released un-copyprotected versions of ArchiCAD 7 and 9 on their file convert download page. They just fail to tell about it. There is also copyprotected version of 10 that runs on Yosemite with either WIBU or CodeMeter.
This resolves my issue the best way.

[Laszlo Nagy]

The File Converter versions of ArchiCAD have been mentioned numerous times on the forum:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=34448
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=46439
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=46465
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=46631
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=47049

For more results see:

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=016275366140242324015%3Alzpwu44m7f8&ie=UTF-8&q=%22fileconverter.html%22...

Even if you go back to the first page of this discussion which you started, post 4 by Barry Kelly mentions the File Converter download page.