Swapping a hard drive with XP and PC-Dmis 4.1 to a similar PC?

Since you are a 4-head, you are still using the physical dongle.  YOU CAN install any version of Pcdmis UP TO the expire date programmed into the dongle without needing to contact anyone at Hex.

downloads.ms.hexagonmi.com/

This is where you can find the old versions of the software (including the all important V3.7 MR4, the STEP file fix, under the custom/FORD folder, but it still shows MR3)

Now, you could GHOST the old hard drive (so you have an exact copy of it) and put the copy in the new PC box and see how it does.  IF it pukes on you, then re-install XP on that drive and reinstall Pcdmis over the old install of Pcdmis.  That "SHOULD" make everything fine and dandy.

Hi Matthew D. Hoedeman  and louisd ! I am the IT Technician that is helping Badhorsie with this issue!

The initial issue that he was facing when he brought it in, was that when his machine would boot up into Windows XP, it would load into the desktop, and freeze. It started acting better, and froze after 6-7 hours, however that is still not ideal.

I've tried:
Adding more DDR2 RAM with the same exact speed, his machine had 2x 1GB Ram sticks, I tried going up to the max of 2x 2GB RAM sticks. Windows XP would not even load.

Putting the hard drive into other comparable hardware machines (6 different machines) but just had more (working) RAM in it, Windows XP did not load.

Yesterday I cloned/carbon copied his Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD onto an SK Hynix 500GB SSD using EaseUS Disk Copy, the 870 EVO works but the SK Hynix would not load in his machine or those 6 others.

At this point I was considering calling Hexagon to see if his version v4.1 would be at least compatible with Windows 7, or 10 - Windows XP is a little bit harder to get ahold of (not pirated) if I want to do a fresh install then just copy over the files manually.

EDIT: Wanted to point out that I have been in the IT Industry for about 5 or so years now, but I have not worked on a specialized software machine like this, so I am treading very cautiously, I haven't used Windows XP besides network/server racks in a couple of years, so the comment LouisD made where Windows XP won't recognize it, really helped me, and I hope that possibly if V4.1 works on a newer OS, that would solve almost all the issues, we have plenty of *Newer* machines, newer hardware, and Windows 7, 10, 11 bootable USB's, but not a lot of older style machines. 

---I put everything back to his original desktop's configuration, and the issue is that sometimes when I boot it up the system will freeze/lock up on the Windows XP login screen, other times I can login but will freeze/lock up when I go to click the start menu, but yesterday I was doing a 12 hour YouTube video and it didn't freeze for 4-6 hours roughly.

Version 4.1 is 32 bit and "should" run in Windows 7/8. The hasp driver might be a bit different and is best installed from the command line. Don't be surprised if V4.1 frequently BSODs Windows 7. For that reason, if you can get V4.1 running in XP. load all of your programs and resave them as V3.7. Install V3.7 in W7 and run that instead.

Which versions of Windows will my PC-DMIS software run on? (hexagonmi.com)

Windows 2000 and XP are the only "compatible" software versions for PCDMIS 4.1 according to hexagon.

If you don't have a system physically capable of running Windows XP to start with... I would presume you might be better off trying to run a virtual terminal with XP loaded in the virtual terminal; than you would be getting XP to run on modern equipment.

If it were me, i would just buy a working windows XP machine off ebay for like $60 and install old video card get drivers going for vid card, then install a fresh version of pcdmis into that machine.  Also that Aladdin hasp driver deal (that Matthew D. Hoedeman said) is imperative for the HASP to be recognized. i forgot about that lol

while it may seem 'expensive', this is a viable option, simply buy one of these PC's, install the Aladdin hasp driver, then install Pcdmis.

https://nixsys.com/legacy-computers/windows-xp-computers

It is less expensive than not having the use of the machine.

That being said, there are other issues involved here.  This is the reason I suggested using a cloned HD in a new box.  Depending on the controller of the machine, you MAY need several files off the old drive for the table map so that the machine is still in calibration.

Also, if I remember right (from WAY BACK in ancient history) the Windows XP install disk has a REPAIR option instead of install.  It may be that if you can find the disk, you can run the REPAIR on a cloned drive in the same box to see if that fixes the issue.

isn't the machine's volume map embedded in the controller?

depends on the controller.  My Validator has a file called COMP.DAT on the PC that has the table map in it.  If my hard drive were to die, even with a new PC and such, the machine would need to be recalibrated (except I have several copies of the file, here, there, everywhere so that doesn't happen).

Our dual boot Cordax 1808M is almost the same way. I have multiple copies of the table data and calibration files. The MP30 died a few years ago and had to buy a used one off Ebay. Just had to change the serialization and load all the data in. No calibration necessary. Saved us $1k from having to re calibrate, especially since it happened a month after it was calibrated.

Our dual boot Cordax 1808M is almost the same way. I have multiple copies of the table data and calibration files. The MP30 died a few years ago and had to buy a used one off Ebay. Just had to change the serialization and load all the data in. No calibration necessary. Saved us $1k from having to re calibrate, especially since it happened a month after it was calibrated.