info Mathcad explorer

[AC_4002355]

I have some spreadsheet created for mathcad explorer 8

Now Mathcad explorer 8 still run on Windows 10 but not calculate the results.

What I can do to use these spreadsheet ?

[RantEng]

I tried opening and converting the first file in Mathcad Prime 8.  It says there are collapsed and locked areas.  It looks like it would need to be opened in an earlier version (Mathcad 15).  Then open and unlock any of the collapsed areas.  This assumes that you have passwords to unlock any locked areas.

Bob

[Werner_E]

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@RantEng wrote:

I tried opening and converting the first file in Mathcad Prime 8. 

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We don't know if the OP has access to Prime or if he even is aware of Prime.

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It says there are collapsed and locked areas.

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Actually the region is not collapsed but just password protected to avoid anybody tampering with the data

BTW, a true converter would ask for the password and would then convert the sheet. Even better it would recreate the locked area und relock it using the same password using the Prime method. As far as I know it is possible to retrieve the password from the Mathcad file somehow and so it seems that there is not just a hatch but the full password saved in the file. So PTC should know how to retrieve it.
The way it is now, the user is told to use a software which is not for sale, not available anymore to unlock the areas. That is out of the question and unacceptable.

It would be nice if the converted at least would convert the sheet partially, leaving out the protected area. So the OP could easily retype the few definitions (which he is able to see in using Mathcad Explorer). But unfortunately Prime refuses to convert anything and so the OP would have to retype the whole sheet - given that he would be willing to use Prime.
The other option is to contact the author Mr. King and ask for the password to be revealed and then asking some kind soul here who is still in possess of a real Mathcad to unprotect the area. It should not be necessary to have to become a double supplicant!

[AC_4002355]

On old Windows versions without the author password was possible modify some parameters in these spreadsheet and see the result on the various plot.

If I run Mathcad explorer now the calculate does not start and no plot is show.

[LucMeekes · Accepted solution]

Mathcad explorer 8 will install on (my) Windows 10 64 bit PC, but silently abort after starting to run.

I guess on 32-bit systems it will install AND run.

Two of your files are newer that Mathcad 8 (TL_... and TQWT...) and will probably not load in Mathcad explorer 8.

Success!
Luc

[LucMeekes]

There are more locked regions in the files. Only the first is expanded, the others are all collapsed, so you cannot see what's inside....

Luc

[Werner_E]

My bad, yes. I did not scroll down after I noticed the first expanded locked region.

So the best option seems to be to contact the author Mr. King, hoping his mail address is still valid.

[VladimirN]

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@Werner_E wrote:

....So the best option seems to be to contact the author Mr. King, hoping his mail address is still valid...

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Limk: http://www.quarter-wave.com/ 

[Werner_E]

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@AC_4002355 wrote:

I have some spreadsheet created for mathcad explorer 8

Now Mathcad explorer 8 still run on Windows 10 but not calculate the results.

What I can do to use these spreadsheet ?

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Mathcad Explorer was just a viewer which was given away for free so everybody examine and take a look at all Mathcad sheets. But if you wanted to use those sheets and do calculations with different input values, you would have to buy Mathcad, of course.

EDIT: As Luc clarifies below, this infomation of mine is incorrect and MCExplorer would allow you to use the full power of Mathcad just with the exception of being able to save the file. And of course it will not open files created in the format of Mathcad 2000 and above.
So not being able to calculate the results is not a limitation of Windows 10 but its the to expected behaviour of the Mathcad Explorer.

I see three options how you coul manage to actually use/calculate the sheets:

• Obtain a license for legacy Mathcad (Mathcad 15 or below). Mathcad is not sold anymore so you would have to see if you have luck by buying a second hand perpetual license.
• Obtain Prime (also called Mathcad Prime by PTC). Its less capable compared to legacy Mathcad, it more expensive and only available through a subscription which had to be renewed (and paid) yearly. Current version is Prime 8.
  When you download and install Prime 8 you have a trial period of 30 days. During this time you are also allowed to use the converter to convert the legacy files to Prime format (you have to explicitly check the installation of the converter when installing as by default it is not installed).
  Depending on the worksheets contents its likely that the converted sheets won't work OK in Prime as Prime is less capable and missing a lot of features compared to legacy Mathcad. Often converted sheets need a lot of manual rework to make them run in Prime. Sheets using only very basic feature should work OK after conversion, though, and may need just some reformatting.
  After the first 30 days Prime falls back into a limited so called Express mode. You still can open all Prime sheets and you may even be able to use them and recalculate them but in this free version a lot of functions and features are disabled (like programming, symbolic calculations, etc.). So if the sheet uses some of those features it will fail when you try to recalculate.
• The free SMath Studio has a (very limited) import support for Mathcad files. You may give it a try, but IMHO SMath is no serious replacement for Mathcad (unfortunately Prime isn't, too).

[LucMeekes]

Mathcad Explorer is fully functional software except for one thing: You cannot save the file.

So: you can change, add and remove expressions and recalculate, but you cannot save the result.

Success!
Luc

[Werner_E]

Thank for the clarification.

I never used it and always thought it just was a viewer.

[ValeryOchkov]

You can use (my) not Mathcad Explorer but Mathcad Calculation Server

MCS (mpei.ac.ru)