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Convert *.mcd to *.mcdx

hmuhieddine
1-Visitor

Convert *.mcd to *.mcdx

Hello everybody,

I am working on a project where I need to convert some files with the extension .mcd to .mcdx

I have downloaded  Mathcad 15 M030 and Mathcad prime 3.1 for this purpose and managed to convert some files while others fails due to "unexpected error".

I tried to open the failed files with Mathcad 15  to look for any hints but the files could not be opened. I should mention that these files are a bit old, created in 2003.

Could it be that they where created in an older version and includes something that Mathcad 15 do not recognize?

Maybe someone else have encountered a similar problem before and have some idea of how to solve it?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Hassan

23 REPLIES 23
StuartBruff
23-Emerald III
(To:hmuhieddine)

Hassan Muhieddine wrote:

Hello everybody,

I am working on a project where I need to convert some files with the extension .mcd to .mcdx

I have downloaded  Mathcad 15 M030 and Mathcad prime 3.1 for this purpose and managed to convert some files while others fails due to "unexpected error".

I tried to open the failed files with Mathcad 15  to look for any hints but the files could not be opened. I should mention that these files are a bit old, created in 2003.

Could it be that they where created in an older version and includes something that Mathcad 15 do not recognize?

Could be, but Mathcad 15 will recognize mcd files going quite far back.  Another possibility is that they are corrupt.  Could you post one or two examples of the offending worksheets?

The following link may be of interest; some older files can be made readable by changing the "signature" at the beginning.  You should find something along the lines of .MCAD 03xxxxxxxx at the start of the file.  My Mathcad 15 will open .MCAD 03030200000, which I guess is Mathcad 5, given that .MCAD 304020000 is Version 6.

http://lists.adeptscience.co.uk/mathcad/mathcad_Jan_2002/thid_f2a94037e1aa1f3ae6208e87c156488d.html

Stuart

Thank you for your answer Stuart.

I looked at the link you sent and tried to open the files in notepad to see what signature they have.

The files that I was able to open in Mathcad 15 had the signature: .MCAD 310000000 which is version 2001.

However, for the files that I couldn't open with Mathcad I only got random symbols in notepad, but I guess they were created with the same version.

I have attached two examples of the offending worksheets.

Hopefully you have better luck than me and probably can give me any advice of how to open the other worksheets. 

/Hassan

RichardJ
19-Tanzanite
(To:hmuhieddine)

I don't think those are valid Mathcad files. They are either some other format of file, despite the .mcd extension, or they are corrupted. They are certainly not Mathcad 2001 files, which have a distinctly different format.

StuartBruff
23-Emerald III
(To:RichardJ)

Richard Jackson wrote:

I don't think those are valid Mathcad files. They are either some other format of file, despite the .mcd extension, or they are corrupted. They are certainly not Mathcad 2001 files, which have a distinctly different format.

I have a vague recollection of some Mathcad files being compressed .. is there a possibility that we might be seeing some form of compressed file?  I've tried the obvious changing of the extension to xmcdz but that didn't work.

Stuart

RichardJ
19-Tanzanite
(To:StuartBruff)

Back in the days of MC2001 there was only the .mcd format. I looked inside one of my files created using MC2001, and it looks nothing like that:

If I look inside a file saved from MC11 all the plain text stuff is gone, and it's pure binary.

I have seen a case in the past where someone saved the file as rtf, but somehow still had the .mcd extension, but it's clearly not rtf format either.

I am sure these files was created with Mathcad, even though I am not sure in which version.

I guessed it was MC2001 based on the signature in one of the files I managed to open in notepad.

The worksheets I was able to open in Mathcad are of the same size, have the same file extension (.mcd) and are created in the same time period (most likely the same Mathcad version) as the  offending worksheets which I think is strange.

In worst case, I have to recreate these files, a lot of files but maybe there might be any soultion or you have any suggestion of how to proceed from here?

Thank you!

/Hassan

StuartBruff
23-Emerald III
(To:hmuhieddine)

Hassan Muhieddine wrote:

I am sure these files was created with Mathcad, even though I am not sure in which version.

I guessed it was MC2001 based on the signature in one of the files I managed to open in notepad.

The worksheets I was able to open in Mathcad are of the same size, have the same file extension (.mcd) and are created in the same time period (most likely the same Mathcad version) as the  offending worksheets which I think is strange.

In worst case, I have to recreate these files, a lot of files but maybe there might be any soultion or you have any suggestion of how to proceed from here?

Thank you!

/Hassan

Do you have a copy of Mathcad 2001, or Mathcad 11.2, and a PC sufficiently antiquated that it can be installed on?

Stuart

After witnessing a few problems with trying to get at old data, I normally recommend that projects archive a suitable computer and media as well the software itself ... it's amazing how much stuff companies lose because they can no longer read data or run the original software.   It should be a conscious decision by the Project as to what needs archiving and how, and the Company should also have an archive management process that rationalizes such archives (eg, if several Projects can make use of a single computer type or OS, then keep m computers rather n computers (m to be decided by an appropriate reliability model) and ultimately decides (on a cost/benefit analysis) whether to quietly consign archives to Bin 13 or migrate them to a newer system.

Ah!  There's nothing quite like the sound of the bolts on the stable door slamming shut after the horse is long gone!

I like your metaphor and I definitely agree with you regarding the archiving issue.

Unfortunately, I have neither the Matchad versions you refer to or any older PC.


I will try to contact the support and see if they can help me, otherwise I will have to spend some time enjoying to recreate the worksheets.


Thank you anyway for your help!


/Hassan

Later I will try to open these files in Mathcad 11.2a version.

RichardJ
19-Tanzanite
(To:VladimirN)

Don't bother. MC11 will not read them either.

Vally
2-Explorer
(To:StuartBruff)

Hi,

 

I am a new user. I have just downloaded the current version of MathCad Prime 4.0 with the free 30-days trial.

I need to open an old file .mcd given to me by a Professor. And MathCad says it is unable to open it. 

I cannot use the converter functionality in the Import tab either, as it is disabled (perhaps because of the free 30-days trial? I thought for at least 30 days the program was supposed to be in full functionality).

Can somebody please help me? I'm attaching the file that I need to open/convert.


Many thanks.

Werner_E
25-Diamond I
(To:Vally)

> I cannot use the converter functionality in the Import tab either, as it is disabled (perhaps because of the free 30-days trial?

No, its because in order to be able to use the converter, you need a full installation of a current Mathcad 15 (there is a 30 day trial available) additionally to your Prime installation. Its curious, yes, but PTC seems to have a strange sense of humor.

Find the converted file attached

 

Vally
2-Explorer
(To:Werner_E)

Thank you very much!

Can anyone help me convert the attached file from *.mcd to a format which is able to open in MathCAD Express Prime 6.0.0.0?

Please find it in attachment.

Hi VladimirN,

 

Many thanks, now I were able to open the file.

 

Have a nice weekend,

Johan

RichardJ
19-Tanzanite
(To:hmuhieddine)

Regardless of the extension, time period they were created, and file size, they are not valid Mathcad files. All files saved in .mcd format have that signature at the top, and these files don't have it.

Hi,

Can you provide these Mathcad worksheets (".mcd" and ".mcdx") for testing?

Hello Vladimir,

Here are two examples of the offending worksheets (".mcd") you can test.

Thank you!

/Hassan

I try to open your document in versions Mathcad 15 M030, Mathcad 7 Explorer, Mathcad 8 Explorer, but all no results. When I try to convert the source files into ".mcdx" files the converter does not even recognize them as Mathcad files and not show version of Mathcad in which they were created. So I recommend you to contact with PTC's technical support by using "Mathcad Support Center":

http://www.ptc.com/support/mathcad_supportCenter.htm

http://www.ptc.com/appserver/cs/case/case_logger.jsp

I will contact the technical support to see if they can help me.


Thank you!


/Hassan

Please let us know when you get a response from tech support.

Sorry for the late reply.

I will let you know when I get any response or solution for this.

/Hassan

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