Finding a good copy of Protel Advanced PCB v2.8 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ToniElectronics
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 30, 2019, 10:04:15 am
content: Hello!My name is Antonio and for the last 5 years, my father and me are trying to find a working copy of Protel Advanced PCB v2.8. Why? Let me explain.In 1995, my dad got his first PC-a 386 SX machine running Windows 3.11. My dad likes electronics and he made PCBs-by hand. He hand-drew the traces in water-resistant sharpie and using a acid which ate away the copper, he made PCBs.His friend got a copy of Protel Advanced PCB on 1.44Mb floppies, and my dad tried it out. He loved it. He learned the program inside-out and soon enough he was making PCBs like nothing.He saved the floppies on the PCs hard drive and returned the floppies back to his friend.Fastforward to 2004. My dad got a new PC, a Athlon x2 64 setup. He installed XP SP3 on it and installed Protel too. He made several PCBs along the way until 2012, when we had a robbery. The robbers stole my dad's computer and his camera, but nothing else. On that computer were the original setup files for Protel.Since then, he tried to use other programs, but...nothing worked. He only knew how to work in Protel and that's it. He INSISTS on using Protel and nothing else.Later down the road, I joined in the search and found a 'working' copy which wouldn't save. It was a cracked version whose setup was corrupted or something. I tried to fix it, but I couldn't...Now, here's where I ask everyone: Has anyone a working copy of the program? Like, no bugs with saving, etc? If we need to pay, that's OK, we planned it out. If someone had a working program, please send a message or send me a e-mail to: tonihoti907@gmail.comThanks in advance, Antonio

author: Karel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2019, 10:21:15 am
content: Quote from: ToniElectronics on December 30, 2019, 10:04:15 amDoes the license of that software allow it?

author: ToniElectronics
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 30, 2019, 05:25:06 pm
content: As long he didn't publish it online, it's allowed.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2019, 08:06:58 pm
content: Hmm, how different is 2.8 and 3? Surely your old man can't bethatstuck in his ways, right?...https://techdocs.altium.com//display/ALEG/Legacy+DownloadsSeems to be the oldest version they provide; from the horse's mouth, no less!Tim

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2019, 10:57:13 pm
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on December 30, 2019, 08:06:58 pmThose are all update packages, they still require the base installation (and license details etc):https://techdocs.altium.com/display/ALEG/Protel+3+SP1+Installation+notesQuote from: Altium

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2019, 01:21:16 am
content: Oh, poo.Tim

author: ToniElectronics
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 31, 2019, 03:48:36 pm
content: The links I got for Protel 3 and the patches are NOT working, I cannot dowload them.

author: ToniElectronics
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 06, 2020, 09:01:50 pm
content: Hello!I was mistaken about Protel 3, however, the other links don't work.Still on a lookout.

author: ImAFutureGuitarHero
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 05, 2021, 09:53:49 am
content: Hi, just made an account on here to reply to this.My dad has a copy of Protel 2.8 that he still uses for PCB design, along with the install files and codes required. I uploaded a copy to archive.org for anyone who wants it.https://archive.org/details/pfw-2.8