New MathCad to open old mcd files created on Windows 10-64 bits operating system

[BC_9466490]

Our company has been using MathCAD Plus 6.0
However it doesn't seem to work anymore when we migrate our operating system to Windows 10 - 64 bits.

We're looking for a solution that allows us to continue running our Mathcad files (*.mcd) created on the new operating system
with minimal hassle. I have downloaded the trial version of PTC Mathcad Express but couldn't use that to open the mcd file.

Could you tell me what options I have? Will MathCad 15.0 work in this case?

Thanks.

[Werner_E · Accepted solution]

Mathcad Plus 6 is really a very old version!

But Mathcad 15 runs under Win10-64bit and should be able to open files created with your version.

Mathcad Prime (current version is 6) is PTCs infamous attempt to build Mathcad from anew on a newer code base (after all MC15 is more than 10 years old). Unfortunately PTC wasn't able to create a software which would be able to at least live up to old Mathcad, let alone surpass it. There a a few improvements in Prime but IMHO they don't by no means outweigh the disadvantages.

Prime is not able to read files created with real Mathcad, no matter which version. But you are given the ability to convert legacy sheets to the new Prime format. For the converter to work you need to have a full installation of a current version of Mathcad 15 installed in parallel to Prime. You can't buy Mathcad 15 but if you rent Prime you are also entitled to use Mathcad 15 using the very same license file. To give it a try you may download the trial version of MC15 - its the full version for 30 days and after that time it refuses to work. This in contrary to Prime which falls back to a still usable but limited "Express" version after the trial period.

So your options are:

1) Rent Prime and then just use Mathcad 15 which should be able to open and edit your files directly (give it a try with the evaluation version of Mathcad 15)

OR

2) Rent Prime, install Prime and MC15, convert all your worksheets to the new format and use Prime.

Some words of caution:

With option 1) you may find yourself in a dead end, as sooner or later PTC will drop maintenance and support for old Mathcad. As you cannot buy Mathcad/Prime but just rent it (typically for one year), chances are that future license files may not support real Mathcad anymore.

With option 2) you upgrade to a newer, more modern software, but in terms of functionality, ease of workflow, etc. its a downgrade in my opinion (maybe not, given that you start from a very old MC version). Furthermore you can't expect the converted worksheets to run without problems in Prime. You may have to manually post-process the converted files and maybe you'll find that some may not work in Prime at all. It depends on what features your sheets are using. You can testdrive the quality of the conversion using the evaluation versions of both Prime and Mathcad.

Good Luck!

[LucMeekes]

Other options include (I know: low chance, but still) to find a copy of Mathcad 8, 2000 or 2001 on sale. This will run your files just as well, AND they run under Win10-64 bit (Mathcad 7 or less will not allow installation under Win10-64).

At the same time, it makes sense to investigate if what you use from Mathcad 6 is covered by Prime Express. You can try out Prime Express at no cost and experiment with it, to see if you can build all constructs that you're presently using.

Shortcut: If your Mathcad 6 sheets use Mathcad Programming, Solve blocks or Symbolics this is not a valid route. However if all you do is calculations, defining simple functions, maybe working with matrices, then Prime Express could be OK for your needs. And even for part of the functions not supported in Express, there are work-arounds.

If you do choose to investigate, or even use Prime Express, if possible get Prime 4 or 5  Express: since Prime 6 Express there's a nasty banner diagonally across your page that you cannot get rid of (unless subscribing to a license). In Prime 4 and 5 it's just in the footer. For Express users there's no difference between Prime 4, 5 or 6 worth mentioning. What IS worth mentioning is:

You can run all versions of Prime next to each other on the same machine. They don't bite one another. Howevere take care when you have a license for a specific version and you need to convert files from mathcad to Prime.

Any Prime version will read files created by any previous Prime version, but you cannot save files to a previous Prime version (or to any Mathcad 15 or below).

In any case: be aware that with any of Mathcad 8 and up, or any version of Prime, you need to get used to a different user experience. I know I had to get accustomed to the new keys and other interface aspects going from Mathcad 6 to Mathcad 2001i (the immediate predecessor of Mathcad 11).

Also the symbolics have changed. Starting Mathcad 14, instead of Maple, there's a different symbolic processor, MuPad, which is also used in Prime. But that is changing too: Prime 6 gives a choice of 2, chances are Prime 7 will have done with Mupad.

Success!
Luc