Windows 10 Upgrade Study - Constructivision Compatibility

Date Started: February 11, 2026
Last Updated: February 13, 2026
Status: COMPLETE - Win10 32-bit Validated, 64-bit Not Supported
VM: 108 (Win10x32-TEST), 109 (Win10x64-TEST)

Objective

Test upgrading Windows 7 to Windows 10 while preserving Constructivision v3.60 installation and functionality. This validates the application’s compatibility with modern Windows versions.

Test Environment

Source VM (107 - Win7-TEST)

  • OS: Windows 7

  • Snapshot: cv360-installed-20260210

  • Constructivision v3.60: Successfully installed and verified

Target VM (108 - Win10-UPGRADE)

  • Full clone of VM107

  • Upgrade ISO: Windows10_32-64.iso

VM Resource Configuration

VM 108 (Win10x32-TEST) - 32-bit Configuration

Resource

Original

Recommended

Applied

Notes

CPU

2 cores

2 cores

✅

Sufficient for 32-bit AutoCAD 2000

RAM

8192 MB

4096 MB

✅

32-bit Windows max ~3.5GB addressable

Disk

20 GB

40 GB

✅

Sufficient for testing

ostype

win7

win10

✅

Change post-upgrade

VM 109 (Win10x64-TEST) - 64-bit CAD Workstation

Resource

Original (cloned)

Recommended for CAD

Target

Notes

CPU

2 cores

6 cores

6 cores

Required for 3D rendering and modeling

RAM

4096 MB

24576 MB (24 GB)

24 GB

64-bit AutoCAD/nanoCAD with 3D drawings

Disk

40 GB

80-100 GB

80 GB

CAD software + projects + rendering cache

ostype

win10

win10

win10

Windows 10 64-bit

Rationale for VM 109 Upgrade:

  • Cloned from 32-bit VM: VM 109 was initially cloned from VM 108 (32-bit) with insufficient resources

  • 64-bit CAD Requirements: AutoCAD and nanoCAD 64-bit with 3D modeling require significantly more resources

  • CPU: 6 cores provide smooth 3D viewport performance, rendering, and multi-threaded operations

  • RAM: 24 GB allows large 3D assemblies, multiple drawings open, and rendering without swapping

  • Disk: 80+ GB accommodates OS (20GB) + 64-bit CAD software (20GB) + projects (40GB)

Commands to configure VM 108 (32-bit):

# Reduce RAM (optional, saves host resources)
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm set 108 --memory 4096"

# Update ostype after successful upgrade
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm set 108 --ostype win10"

# Expand disk if needed
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm resize 108 scsi0 +20G"

Commands to configure VM 109 (64-bit CAD Workstation):

# IMPORTANT: VM must be shut down before changing CPU/RAM
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm shutdown 109"

# Configure for 64-bit CAD workstation (6 cores, 24GB RAM)
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm set 109 --cores 6 --sockets 1"
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm set 109 --memory 24576"
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm set 109 --ostype win10"

# Expand disk for CAD projects and rendering cache
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm resize 109 scsi0 +40G"

# Start VM after configuration
ssh root@<PROXMOX_HOST> "qm start 109"

Or use the automated script:

# From the Constructivision repo
.\scripts\Configure-VM109-CAD-Workstation.ps1

# Dry run to see changes
.\scripts\Configure-VM109-CAD-Workstation.ps1 -DryRun

Upgrade Methodology

Phase 1: In-Place Upgrade (Preferred)

Method: Run Windows 10 setup from within Windows 7

  1. Mount Windows 10 ISO to VM via Proxmox

  2. Inside Win7, open the mounted ISO drive

  3. Run setup.exe

  4. Select “Upgrade this PC now”

  5. Choose “Keep personal files and apps”

  6. Complete upgrade process

Expected Outcome: Windows 10 installed with all applications intact, including Constructivision v3.60.

Success Criteria:

  • Upgrade completes without errors

  • User profile and files preserved

  • Constructivision v3.60 launches successfully

  • All Constructivision features functional

Phase 2: Boot from ISO Upgrade (Fallback)

Method: Boot from ISO and perform upgrade

  1. Set VM boot order: ISO first

  2. Reboot VM

  3. Boot from Windows 10 ISO

  4. Select “Upgrade” (not clean install)

  5. Point to existing Windows installation

  6. Complete upgrade

When to use: If Phase 1 fails due to:

  • Insufficient disk space during in-place upgrade

  • Windows 7 compatibility issues

  • Setup.exe crashes or hangs

Phase 3: Clean Install (Last Resort)

Method: Format disk and fresh install

  1. Boot from Windows 10 ISO

  2. Select “Custom: Install Windows only”

  3. Format existing partition

  4. Install Windows 10

  5. Reinstall Constructivision v3.60

When to use: If both upgrade methods fail due to:

  • Corrupted Windows installation

  • Driver incompatibilities

  • Persistent upgrade errors

Note: This validates fresh Win10 + CV360 compatibility but doesn’t test upgrade path.

Progress Log

February 11, 2026

Actions Completed:

  • Cloned VM107 (Win7-TEST) to VM108 (Win10-UPGRADE)

  • ISO upload to Proxmox initiated

  • Resource requirements analyzed

Current Status: Awaiting ISO mount and Phase 1 execution

Notes:

  • VM108 created with VMID 108

  • Source snapshot preserved: cv360-installed-20260210

  • ISO: Windows10_32-64.iso (32-bit and 64-bit combined)

Test Results

Phase 1: In-Place Upgrade

Test

Result

Notes

Setup launched

✅

Launched from mounted ISO within Win7

Upgrade started

❌ BLOCKED

Windows 7 not activated - requires product key

Upgrade completed

-

Boot to desktop

-

CV360 launches

-

CV360 features work

-

Phase 1 Finding: In-place upgrade requires activated Windows. Unactivated Win7 blocks setup.exe upgrade path.

Phase 2: Boot ISO Upgrade (if needed)

Test

Result

Notes

Boot from ISO

✅

Booted successfully

Upgrade option available

❌

No upgrade path from boot - only Repair or Install

Upgrade completed

-

N/A

CV360 preserved

-

N/A

Phase 2 Finding: Boot-from-ISO does not offer upgrade path. Only Repair or Clean Install available.

Phase 3: Clean Install

Test Plan: Clean install Win10 32-bit → AutoCAD → Constructivision v3.60
If successful, repeat with Win10 64-bit.

Test

Result

Notes

Win10 32-bit install

✅

Clean install successful

AutoCAD 2000 installs

✅

Installed

CV360 installs

✅

Installed successfully

CV360 functions

✅

Working

Hostname: Win10x32-TEST
Install Reports: installer-testing/Win10-Monitoring/ (archived)

  • CV-Install-InCtrl5-W10.TXT (515 KB)

  • CV-Install-Regshot-W10.txt (9 MB)

  • CV-Install-Total_Uninstall-W10.txt (112 KB)

Driver Installation Technique:

  1. Added Intel NIC to VM (Proxmox compatible, Windows has native driver)

  2. Booted VM → Intel NIC works immediately → Internet access

  3. Mounted virtio-win.iso and updated all VirtIO drivers

  4. Removed Intel NIC from VM config

  5. VirtIO NIC now fully functional with updated drivers

This bootstrap technique solves the chicken-and-egg problem of needing internet to get VirtIO drivers on a fresh Windows install.

64-bit Test (if 32-bit succeeds):

Test

Result

Notes

Win10 64-bit install

✅

Clean install successful on VM109

AutoCAD 2000 installs

❌ BLOCKED

16-bit installer incompatible with 64-bit Windows

CV360 installs

-

Skipped - depends on AutoCAD

CV360 functions

-

Skipped - depends on AutoCAD

64-bit Critical Finding: AutoCAD 2000 uses a 16-bit installer (D:\setup.exe). Windows 10 64-bit does not include NTVDM (the 16-bit subsystem), making it impossible to run 16-bit executables. This is a hard blocker for the 64-bit upgrade path.

Error Message:

“Unsupported 16-Bit Application”
“The program or feature ‘??\D:\setup.exe’ cannot start or run due to incompatibility with 64-bit versions of Windows. Please contact the software vendor to ask if a 64-bit Windows compatible version is available.”

February 13, 2026 - Deep Dive Testing

Total Uninstall Restore Testing

Objective: Validate Total Uninstall as deployment method by restoring CV installation to fresh machines.

Test: XP-TEST VM (VM104)

  • Restored Total Uninstall backup of CV + AutoCAD 2000

  • Initial Result: CV menu didn’t appear, commands failed

Root Cause Found: Registry path mismatch

BROKEN:  C:\Program Files\ACAD2000\ConstructiVision  (v3.60 installer path)
CORRECT: C:\Program Files\ConstructiVision           (v11.0 standalone path)

Fix Applied: Updated registry key:

HKCU\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R15.0\ACAD-1:409\Profiles\<<Unnamed Profile>>\General\ACAD

After Fix: CV loads successfully with manual appload commands.

Win10 64-bit COM Automation Analysis

Test: Win10x64-TEST VM (VM109)

  • AutoCAD 2000 installed via Total Uninstall restore (bypasses 16-bit installer)

  • CV files copied successfully (152 files, 5.5 MB)

  • Support path configured correctly

  • APPLOAD command loaded after ARX fix: (vl-load-com) then (arxload "appload")

  • csvmenu and csv.vlx loaded successfully

  • CSV command execution: FAILED

Error:

Automation Error. QueryInterface IDispatch fails

Investigation:

  1. Checked COM registration for AutoCAD.Application

  2. CLSID: {8E75D911-3D21-11d2-85C4-080009A0C626}

  3. Registered in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\ (64-bit registry)

  4. Missing from HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Classes\CLSID\ (32-bit lookup)

Attempted Fix:

  • Manually created WOW6432Node COM registration

  • Added LocalServer32, ProgId, VersionIndependentProgId entries

  • Result: Still failed - fundamental 32-bit COM marshaling incompatibility

Conclusion: 64-bit Windows cannot run CV due to 32-bit Visual LISP COM automation limitations. This is not fixable without recompiling the VLX for 64-bit.

Auto-Configuration Script Development

Created scripts/Configure-ConstructiVision.ps1 to automate post-install configuration:

Features:

  1. Adds CV folder to AutoCAD Support File Search Path

  2. Configures Startup Suite for auto-loading csvmenu.lsp and csv.vlx

  3. Validates prerequisites (CV files, AutoCAD registry)

  4. Idempotent - safe to run multiple times

Registry Changes Made:

# Support Path
$GeneralPath = "HKCU:\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R15.0\ACAD-1:409\Profiles\<<Unnamed Profile>>\General"
# Appends: ";C:\Program Files\ConstructiVision;"

# Startup Suite
$StartupPath = "...\Dialogs\Appload\Startup"
# Sets: NumStartup = "2"
#       1Startup = "C:\Program Files\ConstructiVision\csvmenu.lsp"
#       2Startup = "C:\Program Files\ConstructiVision\csv.vlx"

Validation Test (Win10x32):

  1. ✅ Removed CV from support path

  2. ✅ Cleared Startup Suite

  3. ✅ Ran Configure-ConstructiVision.ps1

  4. ✅ Restarted AutoCAD

  5. ✅ CV menu appeared automatically

  6. ✅ Commands functional

Findings & Recommendations

Summary

Configuration

Status

Blocker

Windows XP

✅ SUCCESS

None - Reference platform

Windows Vista

✅ SUCCESS

None

Windows 7

⚠️ LIMITED

pcAnywhere path bug (see below)

Windows 10 32-bit

✅ SUCCESS

None - Requires config script

Windows 10 64-bit

❌ BLOCKED

COM automation fails (IDispatch)

Windows 7 “BHF Path Bug” (Clarified Feb 23)

Observed behavior: During Win7 monitoring, a file write was observed to a hardcoded XP-style path:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\pcAnywhere\CSV.BHF

Clarification (Feb 23, 2026): This path belongs to Symantec pcAnywhere, a remote control tool that was installed on the original XP test environment. The .BHF extension in pcAnywhere stands for “Binary Host File” (host configuration), which is unrelated to the ConstructiVision CSV.BHF file (an AutoCAD help font/index file that ships in the CV install directory).

The write failure is pcAnywhere trying to access its own host config via deprecated XP-era paths — it is not ConstructiVision writing to the wrong location.

Impact: pcAnywhere host config inaccessible on Win7+ (path relocated). Does not affect ConstructiVision functionality.

Note: pcAnywhere was part of the original deployment environment. Its presence may be a clue for understanding how CV was remotely managed or deployed on customer machines. Preserving this observation for future investigation.

Status: Not a CV bug — reclassified as environment artifact. Windows 10 32-bit is preferred target platform.

Compatibility Issues Encountered

1. 64-bit Windows - AutoCAD 2000 Incompatibility (CRITICAL)

Issue: AutoCAD 2000 has two 64-bit blockers:

  1. Installer: 16-bit setup.exe (no NTVDM on 64-bit)

  2. Runtime: 32-bit COM automation fails (IDispatch query fails)

Impact: Cannot use ConstructiVision on any 64-bit Windows version

Root Cause (Installer): Windows 64-bit removed NTVDM subsystem
Root Cause (Runtime): 32-bit Visual LISP cannot marshal COM calls to 64-bit OS

Workaround Attempted:

  • Bypass installer using Total Uninstall restore → Worked

  • Manual WOW6432Node COM registration → Failed

  • Result: AutoCAD 2000 runs on 64-bit, but CV commands crash

Resolution: Use 32-bit Windows only. 64-bit requires modern AutoCAD version.

2. Windows 7 In-Place Upgrade Blocked

Issue: Windows Setup requires activated Windows 7
Impact: Cannot upgrade unactivated VMs directly
Resolution: Clean install is the only viable path for unactivated systems

Post-Upgrade Configuration

  • Update ostype in Proxmox: qm set <vmid> --ostype win10

  • Install VirtIO drivers from ISO

  • Configure Bitvise SSH Server for remote access if needed

Installer Modernization Path (Validated Feb 13)

Based on testing, the following deployment method is validated:

Components Required

  1. File Payload - Total Uninstall inventory

    • 152 files, 5,535,498 bytes

    • Source: C:\Program Files\ConstructiVision\

  2. Configuration Script - scripts/Configure-ConstructiVision.ps1

    • Adds CV to AutoCAD support path

    • Configures Startup Suite for auto-loading

  3. Prerequisites

    • AutoCAD 2000 already installed

    • AutoCAD run at least once (creates profile registry)

  4. Serialization (TBD)

    • License key validation mechanism

    • Registration with ConstructiVision servers

Deployment Steps

# 1. Copy CV files to Program Files
Copy-Item -Path ".\ConstructiVision\*" -Destination "C:\Program Files\ConstructiVision\" -Recurse

# 2. Run configuration script
.\Configure-ConstructiVision.ps1

# 3. User starts AutoCAD - CV auto-loads

Target Platforms

Platform

Support Level

Windows XP SP3

✅ Full

Windows Vista SP2

✅ Full

Windows 7

⚠️ Limited

Windows 10 32-bit

✅ Full

Windows 10 64-bit

❌ None