Michael Smith

RSLinx will not install on Windows 7 64-bit. I don't think Rockwell currently supports any 64-bit OS, but I may be wrong. However, its getting harder to find any new laptops that don't have Win7 64-bit, so I can tell you what I've done to make it work. In contrast to what some others have said on this post, "Virtual PC" and "Windows XP Mode" work excellent in Windows 7. I tried to do a virtual XP in "Virtual PC 2007" in Vista, and it was a joke. Always had problems. However, I'm using "XP Mode" in Windows 7 now and it always works great. It's actually hard to believe that Microsoft did something right. Also, keep in mind that "Windows XP Compatibilty Mode" and "Windows XP Mode" are two COMPLETELY different things. "Compatibility Mode" is when you tell Windows 7 to try and run the program with the settings that should be compatible with an older OS (such as Windows XP). I've had luck with this for non-Rockwell products, but this never works for Rockwell products and it didn't under Vista either. "Windows XP Mode" is a virtual OS that you run through "Virtual PC" (Not Virtual PC 2007, just Virtual PC). 1. Download and install Virtual PC and XP Mode from Microsoft's website. They are easy to find and there are easy instructions. They only work on Win7 Professional or Ultimate. 2. Run Windows XP Mode and install RSLinx. 3. If you are not using DHCP for your laptop to get its IP address, then you have to set an IP address for your Network card in Win7 and ALSO in WinXP Mode. In your Virtual PC settings, set up 2 network drivers. The first should be the default "NAT" (which passes through your internet from Win7 to the virtual OS), and the second should be the physical Network card you are using. Specify an IP address in Win7, and a different IP address in XP Mode. It doesn't matter what they are as long as they are different and in the same subnet as your PLC. 4. Then install RSLogix, RSView, FTView or anything else that you want to use in XP Mode as well. I've been using this for months and it works great. Also, here is another tip - after installing FTView ME (for programming Panelview Plus) it is not going to allow you to run the program because it says you can't set the FT directory on a "remote machine". This is because XP Mode uses terminal services to do all of the nice features that pass through your drives and networking from Win7. All you have to do is go up to the Virtual PC menu and select "Disable Integration Features". Then set the FT directory. Then select "Enable Integration Features" and you are set to go! (Integration Features are in the "Tools" menu which is only available when you are running XP mode in a window and NOT full screen. So if you don't see it, then go out of full screen view to enable the menu first.)