Expert: Bill DeShawn - 7/12/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have signed up for the Autocad Assistance Program and have downloaded 2010 Civil 3D, in the install it tells me I'm not SSE2 compliant. I have 2006 on my computer and have never heard of this before. My repair tech recently built this computer new for me. What is SSE2 and where does one get it?

ANSWER: Hi, Nancy
I'm afraid this is one that you are going to have to address with the manufacturer of your computer.  I believe it's the only way you're going to get SSE2 compliance.  It's a new requirement of AutoCAD 2010.  Apparently, my computer is SSE2 compliant, because I had no trouble installing it.  Autodesk addresses this issue on this website:
http://withoutanet.typepad.com/without_a_net/2009/04/for-my-first-posting-on-wan

Shaan Hurley addresses it, too, on this website:
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2009/03/sse2-cpu-support-requirement

Bottom line:  SSE2 means improved performance with hardware that is up-to-date.  Autodesk wants you to have it.  We apparently have no choice.

Let me know how it goes.

Bill DeShawn


Nancy:  I did some checking and from what I've been reading, it may be possible to merely change out the AMD processor with one that supports SSE2.  Don't be fooled by software patches.  They cause your computer to think it's running an Intel machine and then they crash.

Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My repair man is going to change the motherboard, video card and add more memory. I have a legal copy of Autodesk 2006 with civil 3D and survey but no longer have the discs to download just the registration number and autorization code from autodesk. Problem the repair man doesn't know how to ghost over, is this a difficult problem? Do you know if Norton's ghost over works or is there something else?

Answer
Nancy:  That's good!  Now AutoCAD 2010 Civil 3D should work well.  As for the 2006 version, it is no longer a supported version anymore.  Therefore if you call your Autodesk software reseller, they might not be able to help you.  I am not able to help you with whether or not Norton's hard disk ghosting program will work.  My experience doesn't include ghosting hard drives.  However, I did a Google search for the following text:
ghosting hard drive
and I came up with quite a few links including a video on how to ghost your hard drive.  Try it and see what you come up with.

AutoCAD 2010 family of products works well, but yes, it puts you back in the classroom mode for a while.  The "Ribbon" is a whole new interface that is confusing at best, especially since the old pull-downs work so well for all of us old-timers.  But since Autodesk is insisting on this change, I recommend going with the flow (even if I didn't).  If however, you don't want to mess with the ribbon (it does, after all, take up a lot of screen real estate at the top of the display - not for me thank you) you may use the RIBBONCLOSE command to make it go away.  That may be an undocumented command.  I couldn't find it in help.  I just typed it in at the command line and it worked!  

Keep in touch
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn