Windows 7 workarounds - SoilVision Database v4

The SoilVision™ v4.x or earlier product is not officially supported on Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8. The primary issue is with the legacy dongle drivers and not the software itself. Depending on your requirements, there are a number of possible scenarios.

Scenario 1: I only require access to the professional soils database

In this scenario, you wish to import material types from the soils database into your SVOffice models. To do this, simply install SVOffice normally, followed by SoilVision version 4.21 or later. Do not install the legacy SoilVision drivers. If required, all products can be authorized directly from SVOffice. To access the soils database, use the "SoilVision Import..." button on the Material Manager dialog to search the database by soil type or characteristics.

Scenario 2: I require full access to the SoilVision product and its features

In this scenario, you wish to use the full power of SoilVision. This will require some extra configuration to get the SoilVision legacy dongle drivers to work on Windows 7. The following two methods have been reported to work by our users:

Method 1:
Windows 7 supports a compatibility mode. There are a few steps involved:

Step 1: Install the HASP drivers. Refer to this article for details on installing the HASP drivers if you wish to run both SoilVision and SVOffice together on the same computer.

Step 2: Install SoilVision 4.21 or later by enabling Compatibility mode.

• Right-click on the installation file you downloaded from our website and select Properties.

• Click on the Compatibility tab and set appropriate options for Windows XP compatibility. The installer should now run normally, if you use administrative privileges.

Method 2:
Microsoft has a download called Windows Virtual PC which allows you to run multiple Windows environments such as Windows XP Mode from your Windows 7 desktop.

Step 1: Download and install Windows Virtual PC here.

Step 2: Associate your USB port, where your security key is plugged in, to Windows XP mode.

Method 3:
Install the software on a computer running Windows XP.