Mathcad Express free watermark

[MaikTheBike]

Hi,

I've heard, that there is a free version of mathcad (Mathcad Express).

I downloaded the free version with the link provided under this video from CreoParametric: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqLumZBXfv8

After installation I'm able to create new mathcad-worksheets, but it seems, that there is a very annoying watermark in the background (something like "Created with PTC Mathcad Express... For further information visit....").

Is this really the free version ? Its not very nice to work with it and it doesn't really make any sense to print out the sheets created.

Thanks,

Maik

[LucMeekes]

Yes, that is the free 'Express' edition.
In previous versions (Prime 2, 3 and 4) there would only be a footer text like this. Less annoying. Besides, Express 6 brings nothing compared to Express 4.
Problem is that it's going to be hard to install 4, once you've had 6 installed.

Success!
Luc

[MaikTheBike]

Thanks Luc,

So its a free software that cannot really be used. Makes sense. 🤔

Is there really no way to install Express 4 ?

thanks

[LucMeekes]

Using the package installer that you can download from PTC website, my experience is that it will not install versions of Prime less than the highest ever installed. The package installer will inspect your system and then show you the version(s) you can install. You choose one and then the package installer downloads the complete installation source depending on your machine (it'll choose between 32 and 64 bit, for one thing). Even if you completely uninstall Prime 6, it 'll still not allow you to install Prime 4 (is my experience). A clean windows (re-)install is needed for that, or you have to find where it stores the info and delete that.

If you can grab a hold of a full installation source (usually a .iso file) of Prime 4, you stand chance of being able to install Prime 4 while Prime 6 (or 5) has ever been installed on that same windows installation.

Success!
Luc

[MaikTheBike]

Thanks Luc,

Does anybody have the installation-files of Mathcad 4 or any other version that doesn't have this annoying watermark ? I can only find version 6.0 on the internet.

And did anyone manage to install an older version of Mathcad ?

Thanks,

Maik

[MT_8045729]

It seems like you would be able to download the 4.0.0.0 installer from here. But i haven't tried it.

http://support.ptc.com/support/mathcad_downloads.htm

[Fred_Kohlhepp]

So its a free software that cannot really be used.

Can't be used?  If you want to see a Prime 6 file that someone else posted you're going to need Prime 6; part of PTC's "you must have the latest version," corporate strategy.  Express will show you the last filed version of any Prime file, complete with programming, solve blocks (and their results), and all of the "premium" functions.  Just don't recalculate.

So get version 4 (to lose the watermark) but always install the latest version too.  Remember, the first month is full and free.

[RT_7770705]

The watermark can be partially removed after printing the document to a PDF pretty easily. Just open it in any PDF editor and delete the background text box. Bits of the watermark remain and are  hard to remove, but it removes most of it.

This is surely annoying since you have to delete it from every page 1 at a time, but it's tolerable for small documents. And if you don't want to have to do this, you can always pay for the full version.