No, this is a computer my DH put together for me (just basically upgraded his old computer) and it has WindowsXP (I insisted on that so everything would work just like my laptop).

I tried starting from the beginning by installing my DS4 and DS5 from the disks, but I got the error message that the codes from the disks were invalid. When I tried to retrieve my codes from the website, that area was blank.

On my laptop I have version 6.19 and own Doll Shop, Spring & Summer 2005 Collection, Dress Shop Illusions, Dress Shop Essential Lingerie, DS Essential Activewear, Ultimate Pants, Addons 1 - 14, and pattern sets, 1045 & 1046.

I have been quite ill for some time and just haven't done much sewing, but now I want to start sewing again and I want to used DS from my desktop as it has a printer. Sorry to be so much trouble. Judith Nelson judiesews@verizon.net

quote:

this is a computer my DH put together for me (just basically upgraded his old computer) and it has WindowsXP (I insisted on that so everything would work just like my laptop).

I tried starting from the beginning by installing my DS4 and DS5 from the disks, but I got the error message that the codes from the disks were invalid. When I tried to retrieve my codes from the website, that area was blank.

On my laptop I have version 6.19 and own Doll Shop, Spring & Summer 2005 Collection, Dress Shop Illusions, Dress Shop Essential Lingerie, DS Essential Activewear, Ultimate Pants, Addons 1 - 14, and pattern sets, 1045 & 1046.

Hi Judie,

Sorry the initial advice was for the wrong operating system. More people have been having questions about Vista and Windows 7 lately than about WinXP. For your system, none of that applies, so let me start over.

First, throw away your Dress Shop 4 CDs. They were written in a version of Java that can no longer be sold and they will be very difficult to ever get running again. If you did manage to get everything setup for it, you would have a version of Dress Shop that I believe we would all agree is hopelessly obsolete at this point.

Next, throw away your Dress Shop 5 CDs. Microsoft made some changes to Internet Explorer (IE) since that CD was made and it will not work properly with the current version of IE. If you manage to get those installed, they would open a very small window on your screen, not large enough for you to use any menu function. You will need to update that version so extensively that you would be better off installing the latest full build.

If you are not using a dial up telephone modem for your Internet connection, then your best approach just now would be to visit the Livingsoft web site downloads page. Download and install the "Full Product Download" for Dress Shop 7. That includes support for the Dress Shop 6 that you own. Activate that using your old email address and password. I will email those to you separately.

Off hand, I no longer recommend that anyone ever buy CDs. They go out of date and cannot be updated like the web site's download files can be. But, if you really, really, really need a CD, the one you want is the Dress Shop 7 version. That is no longer sold on the Livingsoft web site (the CD offered on the web site is for the current Dress Shop 8 and it does not include copies of earlier versions). I'll check and see if there are still any of the older CDs around. Usually, our shipping department throws away obsoleted CDs when the new ones arrive. But, if there are any left, I will add some means of ordering them to the web site.

The download option will always be there, though.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Anna Q. Nguyen,

quote:

Activate that using your old email address and password. I will email those to you separately.

I tried emailing your account information to the two email addresses associated with your forum account (one verizon.net and the other charter.net). Both addresses produced an error, so I do not know if you received your Livingsoft customer account information which was associated with a different charter.net email address. If you did not get that and do need it, you will need to send a note to Reports1 at LivingsoftNW.com with a working email address I can send it to.

RE:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Next, throw away your Dress Shop 5 CDs. Microsoft made some changes to Internet Explorer (IE) since that CD was made and it will not work properly with the current version of IE. If you manage to get those installed, they would open a very small window on your screen, not large enough for you to use any menu function. You will need to update that version so extensively that you would be better off installing the latest full build.

If you are not using a dial up telephone modem for your Internet connection, then your best approach just now would be to visit the Livingsoft web site downloads page. Download and install the "Full Product Download" for Dress Shop 7. That includes support for the Dress Shop 6 that you own. Activate that using your old email address and password. I will email those to you separately.

Off hand, I no longer recommend that anyone ever buy CDs. They go out of date and cannot be updated like the web site's download files can be. But, if you really, really, really need a CD, the one you want is the Dress Shop 7 version. That is no longer sold on the Livingsoft web site (the CD offered on the web site is for the current Dress Shop 8 and it does not include copies of earlier versions). I'll check and see if there are still any of the older CDs around. Usually, our shipping department throws away obsoleted CDs when the new ones arrive. But, if there are any left, I will add some means of ordering them to the web site.

The download option will always be there, though.[/QUOTE]"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Anna,
I have a similar problem. I have the CD for DS 6.02. I had installed it on my HP desktop computer, but never got a chance to use it. The computer crashed and I lost everything. Then life intervened (illness, deaths in the family, etc) and I never had the opportunity to try again. After some frustrating attempts to draft a pants sloper, I remembered that I had the DS CD and some DS update CDs. I tried to install it on my HP laptop, but I got exactly what you described above! I went nuts trying for several days to get it to install properly and could not figure out what the problem was. So glad I found this post!!

Can you please help me to activate my program, the same as you did for Judie?
Thanks!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Anna Q. Nguyen,

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Needle:
Hello Anna,
I have a similar problem. I have the CD for DS 6.02. I had installed it on my HP desktop computer, but never got a chance to use it. The computer crashed and I lost everything. Then life intervened (illness, deaths in the family, etc) and I never had the opportunity to try again. After some frustrating attempts to draft a pants sloper, I remembered that I had the DS CD and some DS update CDs. I tried to install it on my HP laptop, but I got exactly what you described above! I went nuts trying for several days to get it to install properly and could not figure out what the problem was. So glad I found this post!!

Can you please help me to activate my program, the same as you did for Judie?
Thanks!!

Hi!
If you would email me at anna@dressshopapp.com, I will email you the information to activate your Dress Shop.

Due to a series of life events - including medical issues that took a while to stabilize, I've replaced my computer three times since the last time I used Dress Shop. (DH is over 60 and I'm not far from it myself.)

How do I track down what the last version that I bought was and update it to a more recent version that will work with the new computer next month? It is most likely to be running Windows 10 - so which version works with 10?

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Needle:
Hello Anna,
I have a similar problem. I have the CD for DS 6.02. I had installed it on my HP desktop computer, but never got a chance to use it. The computer crashed and I lost everything. Then life intervened (illness, deaths in the family, etc) and I never had the opportunity to try again. After some frustrating attempts to draft a pants sloper, I remembered that I had the DS CD and some DS update CDs. I tried to install it on my HP laptop, but I got exactly what you described above! I went nuts trying for several days to get it to install properly and could not figure out what the problem was. So glad I found this post!!

Can you please help me to activate my program, the same as you did for Judie?
Thanks!!

Hi there,

I'm not Anna, but since it was my reply to Judie that you were asking about, I thought I should explain a few things. First, Anna took over support of Dress Shop in 2015, while Dress Shop version 9 was in effect. That reply to Judie that you referenced was written in 2009 and referred to a much earlier version of Dress Shop and of Windows. One of the reasons that additional versions of Dress Shop have been released over the years is that computer makers and Microsoft keep changing how computers work. The Dress Shop program has to be updated to be compatible with those changes.

The current version 9 of Dress Shop will run on any version of Windows released in the past decade, including the current Windows 10, the only version being included with any new computer that has sold recently. Earlier versions of Dress Shop will not work with Windows 10. If you have a recent computer upgrade and you wish to use Dress Shop, you will need to get the latest Dress Shop update. Information about upgrading is available here: http://www.livingsoftnw.com/DS9/UpgradeToDS9.htm.

- Robert Clardy
Dress Shop support prior to 2015

quote:

Originally posted by ReneeG1957:
Due to a series of life events - including medical issues that took a while to stabilize, I've replaced my computer three times since the last time I used Dress Shop. (DH is over 60 and I'm not far from it myself.)

How do I track down what the last version that I bought was and update it to a more recent version that will work with the new computer next month? It is most likely to be running Windows 10 - so which version works with 10?

Hi Renee,

You own Dress Shop 6 Pro, which will not work properly on any recently sold computer. To use Dress Shop again, you will need to upgrade to the current version 9 and install that later version of the software. Sorry, but Windows 10 involved changes that do not work with earlier versions of Dress Shop.

- Robert Clardy

I was afraid that would be the case - I think I know what I'm buying myself for my birthday - some updates to my pattern drafting software.

Until my birthday, I suppose that the best use of my time is to finish cleaning up the sewing room (we did some remodeling earlier this year and "everything" got dumped into the sewing room to clear out the rooms that were being worked on).

The cutting table is covered in "stuff" to sort out. Fortunately, too much fabric in the stash will be self correcting once I start sewing a fitting garment or two.

quote:

Originally posted by ReneeG1957:
Fortunately, too much fabric in the stash will be self correcting once I start sewing a fitting garment or two.

What is this "too much fabric" condition that you referred to? Is there such a thing?

quote:

Originally posted by Hot Needle:
Hello Anna,
[...]

quote:

Originally posted by Robert Clardy:
I'm not Anna, but since it was my reply to Judie that you were asking about, [...]
- Robert Clardy
Dress Shop support prior to 2015

My apologies all, for the confusion! I was changing a few things around. One of the things I changed was the name of the "board administrator" user, to my name. I did not realize that such a change would affect even posts that were already posted from before I came on the scene! After the change, all posts by Bob showed up as having been posted by me!!!
I have changed the name back to something less... damaging , and created a new account, which I shall use to post from now on.

"Too much fabric" - when the piles of fabric slide down in a fashion reminding the viewer of the film of an avalanche in snow country - an indication that the fabrics were not properly folded & stacked or shelved. Family members call it "too much fabric" - the sewing enthusiast knows that it means it is either time to put their scissors where their mouth is and cut something out...or spend time washing, drying, folding, and properly organizing the lovely fabrics, so that they don't feel neglected.

Or something like that...I don't usually think of it as a problem - but I can't use the cutting table until I clear it off...

Too much fabric - That's what I have right now. My fabric is pretty well organized, but there is not room for what I have, no matter how carefully I organize it. It's time to look at it carefully. I will likely find much that brings up the question, "What was I thinking when I bought this?"

My solution? Remove all the questionable pieces and sew for charity. I have some super simple patterns in a variety of sizes. I cut all the fabric (1-2 days), then sew according to thread color, kind of assembly line style. I use no buttons, snaps, or zippers, and everything is done by machine. In about 3 weeks I can make 30-40 garments and my stash will give a sigh of relief. The need right now is for children's clothes, so that's where my focus will be, as much as the fabric will allow. One of the things I do is cut strips from remnants of colorful knits. These can easily be used to bind a neckline (even on a woven fabric) and add interest.

quote:

Originally posted by Carolyn:
Too much fabric - That's what I have right now. [...]
My solution? Remove all the questionable pieces and sew for charity.

One of my local sewing meetup.com meetups had a "sewing for charity" recently where we sewed " pillowcase dresses" for Little Dresses For Africa. Info on that charity here.

If you are using a computer with Windows 7, 8, or Vista do this:
1. open the disk in file explorer (DON'T RUN IT.)
2. Right click on the .exe file and then click properties.
3. Click on the COMPATIBILITY TAB at the top of the window that opens.
4. Check the COMPATIBILITY MODE check box.
5.Click the drop down and if your version of windows is there select it. If your version of Windows is not there you're back to square 1 and purchasing the update.
6. Click APPLY and then OK

Now double click the program icon and it should run.