How to use ArchiCAD 6.5 and ArchiCAD 8.1 parallel on Macintosh?

When upgrading from 6.5 to 8.1 the type of ArchiCAD's hardware protection changes, thus you cannot use your old ArchiCAD 6.5 without some arrangements. You have to replace your original ArchiCAD 6.5 executable with the one delivered on the ArchiCAD 8.1 installer CD to solve this situation. On Mac OS X computers with local protection keys you will need further steps to make your system fully operational.

On Mac OS X computers you can run ArchiCAD 6.5 only in classic mode meanwhile ArchiCAD 8.1 runs only in native OS X mode. The WIBU protection is not prepared to serve applications running in the 2 different modes parallel locally. That's why you can only work either in ArchiCAD 6.5 or in ArchiCAD 8.1 at a time. Also the WIBU protection requires a slightly different set up in the 2 different modes. When using it in native OS X mode it requires a certain system file installed, meanwhile this system file has to be removed while using it in classic mode. Please proceed according to the below steps:

1. Install ArchiCAD 8.1 on Mac OS X
2. Copy the files from the ArchiCAD 8.1 install CD/support/ArchiCAD 6.5 folder
3. Paste the copied files into your installed ArchiCAD 6.5 folder and overwrite the older files with the new ones
4. Download the WIBU installer from here (4.3Mb)
5. Install WIBU driver in classic mode (check the Open in the Classic environment option in Get Info)
6. Restart you computer

Now you can use your ArchiCAD 8.1, but starting ArchiCAD 6.5 you will receive the following error message:

If you need to run ArchiCAD 6.5 proceed as follows:

7. Quit ArchiCAD 8.1 (if it runs)
8. Start the WIBU installer and choose the 'Uninstall Kernel Extension' option (the Open in the Classic environment option is unchecked)
9. Restart your computer

Now you can use your ArchiCAD 6.5. If you start ArchiCAD 8.1 in this state it will start but you will experience intense hardware protection problems:

If you need to run ArchiCAD 8.1 again you have to reinstall the Kernel Extension:

10. Start the WIBU installer and choose the Custom Install option
11. Check only the Kernel extension
12. Restart you computer

Whenever you switch between the 2 ArchiCAD versions you have to uninstall/reinstall this WIBU Kernel extension!

Note: if you have a network protection scheme you can run both versions parallel on the same computer without having to change any setup.

Page last updated: Thursday, June 10, 2004