Upgrading to the Winter 09 release of Altium Designer

Frozen Content

Modified by Admin on Sep 13, 2017

This page covers common questions about upgrading your Altium Designer license to the Winter 09 release (for those on versions of Altium Designer previous to this release). For information on upgrading to the latest version of Altium Designer (Altium Designer 10), see Altium Designer Installation - FAQs.

Installing the Winter 09 release of Altium Designer

Can I update my Summer 08 release to the Winter 09 release through the Web Updates function of Altium Designer?

The Winter 09 release is a new version and is available only as a complete installation. It is not available through web updates.

Can I run more than one version of Altium Designer on my computer?

Yes, each new release of Altium Designer installs into a different directory. When installing the new Winter 09 release, by default it will install into a new folder on your computer and will not interfere with your existing installation(s) of Altium Designer.

Why does the installer have an option to Install Board-Level Libraries?

Board-Level Libraries are a collection of integrated libraries used for board-level design of printed circuit boards. During installation, enable the "Install Board-Level Libraries" checkbox to install these libraries along with Altium Designer. These libraries can also be installed to a different location to Altium Designer and unlike FPGA libraries, which are synchronized to NEX files, they are not dependent on a particular version of Altium Designer.

The Altium Designer installer comes in two parts; the main installer, and an installer for the Board-Level Libraries. If the sub folder named "Board Level Libraries" is detected during installation, the Install Board-Level Libraries option becomes available during installation.

How do I install the Board-Level Libraries from the Altium Designer DVD?

The Board-Level Libraries installer may also be installed later by running the Setup.exe found in the Board Level Libraries folder.
Insert the winter 09 release of the Altium Designer installer DVD and use Windows Explorer to locate the following folder on the DVD:
\Setup\Board Level Libraries\
Double click the Setup.exe file to launch the Board-Level Libraries installer.

During installation, you may browse to the same Destination Folder you specified for Altium Designer (typically C:\Program Files\Altium Designer Winter 09). Alternatively, the libraries can be installed to a different location of your choice.

Floating License Server

Do I need to update my Floating License Server?

If you are upgrading a floating license to the Winter 09 release, or purchasing new Winter 09 floating licenses, you will need to upgrade your Floating License Server to recognise these licenses. You will need to upgrade the server before activating your new Winter 09 licenses.

Upgrading the License Service

Where can I find the latest version of the Floating License Server?

The Floating license server is included with the Altium Designer installation files (both for downloads and for DVDs). You can also download it from Altium's SUPPORTcenter.

Do I need to uninstall the old server first?

Yes, first of all uninstall the Floating license server, using the "Add or Remove programs" Windows control panel. Then install the Floating License Server, Version 8.0.0.15830 or higher, included with the winter 09 release of Altium Designer.

Will my Summer 08 licenses continue working? How can I combine licenses?

After upgrading the Floating License Server, the previous version licenses can no longer be activated, but will continue to work with the new server. If your floating license for Altium Designer has been upgraded from a previous version, leave the license file installed on the server. The upgraded license can be activated and added to the new Floating License Server, to "combine" the license. Combining allows either the previous version, or the current version, of Altium Designer to use the license from the Floating License Server.

Notes for Combined Licenses

1. According to the End User License Agreement, a floating license which has been upgraded from a previous version of Altium Designer, is still one license. You will be able to run the old and new product, but only one user for the two versions at the same time is allowed.

2. When licenses with expiry dates become expired for a previous version, current version license will also be expired, if they were combined. In this case, do not combine the licenses. Remove the previous version license and then install the current version license.