How do I fix this...

Jim Thompson wrote:

The windows are always within the "cage" of the PSpice
Schematics editor.

So there never were 2 windows, just 1, even under Windows XP. That
"cage" is the window. What you were calling windows were doc frames
inside the one window. Okay, got it now.

From within PSpice Schematics I can do file/open, and open another
window... just doesn't work from Explorer.

Have you tried ensuring the filetype association is correct? Instead of
double-clicking on the file, right-click on it in Windows Explorer and
select "Open with" (if that option does not appear in the context menu
the then Shift+rightclick on the file). Use the Browse button to find
the PSpice executable. Check the box to remember this selection. That
assigns that handler (program) to that filetype (.cir or whatever you
were double-clicking).

Another cause for not seeing a window is that it previously got
positioned outside the screen area.

I take it that hovering the mouse over the program's icon in the Windows
taskbar (assuming you are using an Aero theme that shows the window(s)
for a program) or using Alt+Tab (or Win+Tab) doesn't show a window for
the 2nd document you tried to open.

I[n] Task Manager's Processes tab, you should see the memory footprint of
the PSpice program go up when you open the 2nd document. Does it?

Did the memory footprint for the PSpice process go up when you [tried
to] open the 2nd document?

As noted earlier:

NOTE: Schematics can only be run on 32-bit
Operating Systems; Windows 7 and earlier

So what bitwidth of Windows 7 are you running? 32- or 64-bit? While
most 32-bit programs run under 64-bit Windows, that is not guaranteed.
Their statement doesn't say PSpice is a 32-bit program and will run
under 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows. They say their program will
*only* run on a 32-bit version of Windows. That they restrict their
program to ONLY a 32-bit version of Windows makes me suspect that
portions of their program are 16-bit code. 32-bit versions of Windows
include a 16-bit emulation layer; that is, 32-bit versions of Windows
can run 16- and 32-bit code. 64-bit versions of Windows have a 32-bit
emulation layer but no 16-bit emulation layer. That is, you cannot run
16-bit code on 64-bit Windows.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/896458

By saying only "Windows XP", it is assumed you are talking about the
real Windows XP product which is 32-bit (so it has the 16-bit emulation
layer) and not about the fake Windows XP product which is 64-bit by
using the Windows 2003 Server core with an XP desktop. That is,
"Windows XP" means the 32-bit version. You have to say "Windows XP x64"
to mean the frankenjob version of crippled Windows 2003 Server with an
XP desktop.

So what bitwidth version of Windows 7 are you running? 32-bit? 64-bit?
Windows will back support a prior bitwidth emulation layer. They do not
back support 16- and 8-bit programs. 32-bit versions of Windows support
32-bit programs and provide a 16-bit emulation layer for 16-bit
programs. 64-bit versions of Windows support 64-bit programs and
provide a 32-bit emulation layer for 32-bit programs. Just one bitwidth
back is supported.

If you are running Windows 7 x64 and if their statement that their
program *only* runs on 32-bit versions of Windows then you'll have to
wipe your current 64-bit install of Windows and replace it the a 32-bit
version of Windows or you'll have to run a 32-bit version of Windows as
a guest OS inside a virtual machine and install PSpice in that guest OS.
In the latter scenario, you'll need to buy another license of Windows
(unless you have a non-Home edition of Windows 7 which includes a free
license to Windows XP that runs in XP Mode which is a virtual machine).

On Mon, 2 Nov 2015 14:08:45 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

The windows are always within the "cage" of the PSpice
Schematics editor.

So there never were 2 windows, just 1, even under Windows XP. That
"cage" is the window. What you were calling windows were doc frames
inside the one window. Okay, got it now.

From within PSpice Schematics I can do file/open, and open another
window... just doesn't work from Explorer.

Have you tried ensuring the filetype association is correct? Instead of
double-clicking on the file, right-click on it in Windows Explorer and
select "Open with" (if that option does not appear in the context menu
the then Shift+rightclick on the file). Use the Browse button to find
the PSpice executable. Check the box to remember this selection. That
assigns that handler (program) to that filetype (.cir or whatever you
were double-clicking).

Everything about PSpice works just fine _except_ loading a second
schematic from Windows Explorer.


Another cause for not seeing a window is that it previously got
positioned outside the screen area.

I take it that hovering the mouse over the program's icon in the Windows
taskbar (assuming you are using an Aero theme that shows the window(s)
for a program) or using Alt+Tab (or Win+Tab) doesn't show a window for
the 2nd document you tried to open.

Nope.


I[n] Task Manager's Processes tab, you should see the memory footprint of
the PSpice program go up when you open the 2nd document. Does it?

Did the memory footprint for the PSpice process go up when you [tried
to] open the 2nd document?

Nope.


As noted earlier:

NOTE: Schematics can only be run on 32-bit
Operating Systems; Windows 7 and earlier

So what bitwidth of Windows 7 are you running? 32- or 64-bit? While
most 32-bit programs run under 64-bit Windows, that is not guaranteed.
Their statement doesn't say PSpice is a 32-bit program and will run
under 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows. They say their program will
*only* run on a 32-bit version of Windows. That they restrict their
program to ONLY a 32-bit version of Windows makes me suspect that
portions of their program are 16-bit code. 32-bit versions of Windows
include a 16-bit emulation layer; that is, 32-bit versions of Windows
can run 16- and 32-bit code. 64-bit versions of Windows have a 32-bit
emulation layer but no 16-bit emulation layer. That is, you cannot run
16-bit code on 64-bit Windows.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/896458

By saying only "Windows XP", it is assumed you are talking about the
real Windows XP product which is 32-bit (so it has the 16-bit emulation
layer) and not about the fake Windows XP product which is 64-bit by
using the Windows 2003 Server core with an XP desktop. That is,
"Windows XP" means the 32-bit version. You have to say "Windows XP x64"
to mean the frankenjob version of crippled Windows 2003 Server with an
XP desktop.

My XP machine was 9 years old... XP Pro 32-bit.


So what bitwidth version of Windows 7 are you running? 32-bit? 64-bit?

64-bit

Windows will back support a prior bitwidth emulation layer. They do not
back support 16- and 8-bit programs. 32-bit versions of Windows support
32-bit programs and provide a 16-bit emulation layer for 16-bit
programs. 64-bit versions of Windows support 64-bit programs and
provide a 32-bit emulation layer for 32-bit programs. Just one bitwidth
back is supported.

If you are running Windows 7 x64 and if their statement that their
program *only* runs on 32-bit versions of Windows then you'll have to
wipe your current 64-bit install of Windows and replace it the a 32-bit
version of Windows or you'll have to run a 32-bit version of Windows as
a guest OS inside a virtual machine and install PSpice in that guest OS.
In the latter scenario, you'll need to buy another license of Windows
(unless you have a non-Home edition of Windows 7 which includes a free
license to Windows XP that runs in XP Mode which is a virtual machine).

Seems like a lot of folderol just for one thing not working.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Jim Thompson wrote:

Seems like a lot of folderol just for one thing not working.

Depends on how the program was coded. A long time ago when my dad used
Peachtree, that program was a speghetti product that consisted of
multiple but separate modules that were called by other modules. There
were dozens of modules. If something broke, you had to figure out if it
was in the caller module, in the callee module, or something between.
It was not a unified program.

Considering the origins of Spice, it could very well still have 16-bit
code used in loading anything beyond the first document or how their doc
frames works. It works under a 32-bit version of Windows (XP) but does
not fully work under a 64-bit version of Windows (7). It seems their
declaration that their program must be run under a 32-bit version of
Windows is true.

If switching from 64-bit Windows 7 to a 32-bit version of Windows is too
onerous (I wouldn't do it) then you'll have to look at VMMs (virtual
machine managers) provided you have an unfettered license of Windows to
install in the VM (virtual machine). Using VMs with guest OSes under
which a program will correctly run is how many users and business
continue using legacy or vertical market software. Or stick with your
Windows XP computer since it is 32-bit (and has a 16-bit emulation
layer).

PSpice is a commercialized product so I don't know if its source code is
available. However, compiling the source code to 32- or 64-bitness
could take awhile to figure out and involve lots of debugging.

Not all old 32-bit programs will run correctly on a 64-bit version of
Windows. If any part of them is 16-bit code, there is no 16-bit
emulation layer in a 64-bit version of Windows to run that 16-bit code.

You might try Cadence's OrCAD Lite which is free with an unexpiring
trial period. It might support everything that PSpice Schematic can do
and more. See:

http://www.orcad.com/buy/try-orcad-for-free

On Tue, 3 Nov 2015 11:50:07 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

Seems like a lot of folderol just for one thing not working.

Depends on how the program was coded. A long time ago when my dad used
Peachtree, that program was a speghetti product that consisted of
multiple but separate modules that were called by other modules. There
were dozens of modules. If something broke, you had to figure out if it
was in the caller module, in the callee module, or something between.
It was not a unified program.

Considering the origins of Spice, it could very well still have 16-bit
code used in loading anything beyond the first document or how their doc
frames works. It works under a 32-bit version of Windows (XP) but does
not fully work under a 64-bit version of Windows (7). It seems their
declaration that their program must be run under a 32-bit version of
Windows is true.

If switching from 64-bit Windows 7 to a 32-bit version of Windows is too
onerous (I wouldn't do it) then you'll have to look at VMMs (virtual
machine managers) provided you have an unfettered license of Windows to
install in the VM (virtual machine). Using VMs with guest OSes under
which a program will correctly run is how many users and business
continue using legacy or vertical market software. Or stick with your
Windows XP computer since it is 32-bit (and has a 16-bit emulation
layer).

PSpice is a commercialized product so I don't know if its source code is
available. However, compiling the source code to 32- or 64-bitness
could take awhile to figure out and involve lots of debugging.

Not all old 32-bit programs will run correctly on a 64-bit version of
Windows. If any part of them is 16-bit code, there is no 16-bit
emulation layer in a 64-bit version of Windows to run that 16-bit code.

You might try Cadence's OrCAD Lite which is free with an unexpiring
trial period. It might support everything that PSpice Schematic can do
and more. See:

http://www.orcad.com/buy/try-orcad-for-free

OrCAD lite won't support enough components/nodes. I'm a pro designing
custom microchips using PSpice (contrary to Cadence claims that it
can't be done with using their VERY expensive Virtuoso... been doing
it for at least 30 years :-)

See my website at...

http://www.analog-innovations.com/

S.E.D/Schematics page, in particular, has many examples.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Jim Thompson wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

You might try Cadence's OrCAD Lite which is free with an unexpiring
trial period. It might support everything that PSpice Schematic can
do and more. See: http://www.orcad.com/buy/try-orcad-for-free.

OrCAD lite won't support enough components/nodes.

Is there a good reason to abandon your Windows XP computer? Many
companies linger on old versions of Windows because that is where their
critical or vertical programs will run correctly.

On Tue, 3 Nov 2015 13:10:40 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

Jim Thompson wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

You might try Cadence's OrCAD Lite which is free with an unexpiring
trial period. It might support everything that PSpice Schematic can
do and more. See: http://www.orcad.com/buy/try-orcad-for-free.

OrCAD lite won't support enough components/nodes.

Is there a good reason to abandon your Windows XP computer? Many
companies linger on old versions of Windows because that is where their
critical or vertical programs will run correctly.

It's a laptop with limited speed (and only 2-core)... inherited my
work because my Win2K machine went up in flames... literally :-( As
chips get larger and more complex, I need the speed... and it seems
impossible to buy anything with XP loaded on it... and I'm
OS-illiterate... I only understand circuit design :-}

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.