I use Cakwalk 3.01 with Windows XP...How can I use it with Windows 7 , wich driver do I need ?

Greetings
Hen

Unfortunately, you probably can't get it to work with Windows 7, especially the 64-bit version. There are just too many things that have changed between Cakewalk 3 and Windows 7.

Windows XP was a lot more forgiving of 16-bit applications, and had relatively lax security. Windows 7 (64-bit) doesn't allow 16-bit applications, and has ridiculously severe security "features". These "features" will block many parts of Cakewalk from working properly.

Sorry about that.

Windows 7 (64-bit) doesn't allow 16-bit applications, and has ridiculously severe security "features".

That's a bunch of baloney. It has great security features which are MUCH more transparent than Vista. Windows 7 is the best Windows ever. It may not run 20 year old programs, but I doubt Cakewalk 3 runs on XP either.
 
If you must run that ancient program, get Windows 7 Professional. It has a virtual XP environment, IF your computer can handle it. Its time for you to upgrade to a newer version of Cakewalk. You're missing out a lot trying to use Cakewalk 3. Otherwise, stick with XP.

That's a bunch of baloney. It has great security features which are MUCH more transparent than Vista. Windows 7 is the best Windows ever. It may not run 20 year old programs, but I doubt Cakewalk 3 runs on XP either.

Thanks for the Windows 7 cheer-leading, Dave...and for missing the point of the post.

Yes, Windows 7 may be the "best" Windows ever--but that's grading on a curve. The security is still onerous--it's just hidden now. And it will still get in the way of old apps trying to access things they're not supposed to. You may not see the warnings now; it's just that the app won't work properly, and you won't know why.

The 16-bit subsystem was removed from Vista. Windows 7 is basically Vista with the ugly parts painted over. Microsoft did not add the 16-bit subsystem back to Windows 7; they merely grafted on an "XP Mode" to justify the upgrade after the Vista debacle.

Anyone who's still running XP with Cakewalk 3 (which fhender clearly states he's doing, despite your doubt that he is) may not necessarily have the money to buy a new computer that's powerful enough to run Windows 7 Professional (which he'd need for "XP Mode"). On top of that, he'd have to upgrade the sound card and MIDI I/O and other hardware, probably. You can't easily "upgrade" to Windows 7 from XP; you have to basically install it and then install all your applications and new drivers. Microsoft recommends you buy a machine with Windows 7 on it instead!

Many people have had trouble trying to run 16-bit apps in Windows 7 (64-bit), even with XP Mode, and there's no guarantee that XP Mode won't slow down Cakewalk in general, since it was only designed to support "productivity" apps that ran on XP (and to calm IT manager fears about "yet another upgrade breaking my apps").

There are many potential problems in trying to put Windows 7 onto a machine that was running XP and then getting a 12+ year-old app to run on it. I was trying to suggest he not attempt this, because he could end up with no working version of Windows or Cakewalk when he's finished. And if that happened, I doubt fhender would agree with you that Windows 7 is "the best Windows ever".

I respect your knowledge of SONAR and audio recording, Dave, and I've read many of your posts in this forum. I'm just not sure what you're suggesting here is best for fhender. Yes, he should probably upgrade to SONAR 9 (when it comes out in a few weeks), but he'll also need a new computer then, and that will come with Windows 7. Unless and until he's ready to drop several hundred dollars on that, there's no need to "push" him to Windows 7 now if it's only going to cause problems on his old computer.

A word to The Powers That Be at Cakewalk:

I also use Cakewalk v3.01, because it is a solid program and I do not need anything more than a MIDI sequencer. It runs just fine for me in WinXP Pro. For years I have longed for, at the very least, the availability of CWv3.01 on CD so at least I can install it from that medium, since floppy disc drives seem to now be a thing of the past.

I will not be moving to Win7 any time soon.

I have been using Cakewalk since it was a DOS program. I know this program's functions like the back of my hand. This allows me to get my work done very quickly. To update to a new sequencer would only slow me down. As such, I have little desire to upgrade to a new version of Cakewalk's sequencing software, especially since the newer versions are loaded with audio functions that I do not need, as well as altered menu's and keyboard shortcuts which only serve to confuse and frustrate.

Please, please, please, consider making v3.01 available as an installable from CD version, if only as an update/backup for us loyal v3.01 users. You'd be making many of us very happy. I for one would happily pay a reasonable amount for this.

DanZ

Danz - I don't wish to crush your hopes, but there's no way cakewalk will update v3.01 for you and other users.  their philosophy has been "upgrade" if you want it to work on the newer OS.  that's been their advice for as many years as I've been on the forums.

also, they rarely read these threads anyway.

DanZ can't you copy the floppy to cd or flash drive and run as an installable from there? (burn as ISO or something?)

Copying the floppy to CD, etc. would only be a backup measure. The files would have to be copied back to a floppy for installation or recovery of the program, because the setup routine searches for files on drive a:. I tried running setup from a CD backup once, and got error messages to the effect of, "Can't find files on drive a:"

Maybe the setup.exe code can be updated so that the installation routine searches for files on whatever drive letter the CD drive has assigned to it. If there's a way for a layman such as I to do this, someone please explain how.

DanZ,
You can't edit the SETUP executable without some specialized software and knowledge of the code used to compile it. Even at that, it's a violation of the license agreement.

While I agree that it would be nice/convenient to run old programs in Windows 7, that's not going to happen. You're going to have to upgrade Cakewalk eventually. And if you're willing to pay "a reasonable amount" for this, why not just upgrade to X1 Essential, even if you don't use most of its features? You can get it right now for only $79 (http://www.store.cakewalk...uctid=10-CXSE1.00-20E) and you won't have to worry about not being able to load Cakewalk any more.

That said, there are several decent, low-cost (or free) MIDI sequencers out there if you simply don't need the audio part. These programs won't read your Cakewalk files, but they'll read Standard MIDI files, and they'll work under the latest version of Windows.

If you don't want to deal with any of that, check the forums gamers use. For years, they've had to get old DOS games to work in ever-newer versions of Windows. There are some old DOS commands that might do what you need, once you get the files onto a CD. If you do a search for "install DOS games windows xp", you'll see a lot of resources on how to do this. The same basic concepts should work for Cakewalk, but you'll want to try them before it's too late.

Steve

Imagine buying a new car and finding that the turn signal stem is now on the right side instead of the left, the steering wheel turns the car to the left when you throw it to the right, and the gas/break/clutch pedals have been reversed, forward gear is now reverse and reverse gear is now forward. You'd have to learn how to drive all over again.

That's what the new version of Cakewalk software feel like to me. I've downloaded several of the trial versions of Sonar, and found the new interface to be confusing. It's more geared for audio users than MIDI sequencing users. The screens look different, the old keyboard shortcuts that I'm familiar with are gone. It's like having to learn to program all over again.

At this point I'll search for some other sequencer program before I pay to upgrade to any new version of Cakewalk. They've left their original supporters in the dust in favor of newer, more complicated versions of their software, when a tweak or two that are relatively easy for them and would keep us older users happy would have done the trick -  and they could have charged us $59 - $79 for it.

Looks like I'm going to have to keep a second machine with at least WinXP on it to do my MIDI programming work, and keep a backup of the diskette on CD ROM just in case my floppy ever fails. Cakewalk, I knew ye well...