Installing SAS on Windows 10 Version 1703

[jbaldwin]

Despite the statement that SAS requires at least version 9.4 TS1M3 to be able to be installed on Windows 10, we have successfully installed 9.4TS1M0 on Windows 10 Version 1607. However, that version won't install on Windows 10 Version 1703 and results in the message: "You've attempted to install software intended for one operating system on a machine using a different operating system."

But if one has installed 9.4 TS1M0 on Windows 1607 and then upgrades Windows to 1703, SAS still works fine.

We now have folks that start out on Windows 1703. We don't need the new features in 9.4 TS1M3. We just want to get 9.4 TS1M0 on Windows 1703 machines.

It seems that something in the installation files could be modified to make this happen.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Jim

[Kurt_Bremser]

What's so bad about being on the current maintenance level?

And if you really want everybody on the same version, consider switching to a server-based setup. Then you only need to deal with the client tools on the desktops, and have one consistent SAS core setup on the server. You may even reduce licensing costs.

[jbaldwin]

"What's so bad about being on the current maintenance level?"  It's not that it's bad.  We have a perpetual license until 2051 and there's just no need for the newer features for most of our SAS users.  And I don't need everyone on the same version.  I just want their version to work.  And keeping that version means our licensing costs are zero.  Can't reduce it below that.

[JuanS_OCS]

Hello @jbaldwin,

I see your concern, but the cost, either the license changes if you just go to the current maintenance level, zero additional costs, just like a hotfix. It is like on windows, a Service Pack.

[jbaldwin]

That would be great but we've been told otherwise.  We stopped paying for annual maintenance just before 9.4 TS1M1 came out.  If we are still entitled (because of our perpetual license until 2051) to maintenance releases as long as SAS is still just 9.4, that would be really great.  Any suggestions as to how we might phrase the request for the current maintenance release?  (I certainly understand that if SAS went to version 10 or even 9.5, we wouldn't be entitled to that version.)

Jim

[SASKiwi]

I see no harm in asking the question but my understanding of the SAS second year and beyond licence charge (AKA maintenance charge) is that it provides unlimited phone / email tech support and both maintenance and version upgrades. I guess it all depends on what you agreed with SAS when you did the original deal.

It looks like you got lucky with being able to install SAS 9.4M0 on an earlier version of Windows 10. Windows 10 is now a constantly upgrading product and you will need to keep your SAS maintenance level compatible with whatever Windows release you have. If, as you state, you have no control over Windows 10 being updated, then I don't see any other solution but to keep your SAS maintenance up-to-date as well so you are using an officially-supported release. SAS is highly unlikely to tweak an old SAS software version just for you so you can stay on it without paying maintenance.

[JackHamilton]

A few comments:

• Have you looked at running SAS in a virtual machine?  The virtual machine could run an older version of Windows that supports your version of SAS, but your "real" machine would be running a current version of Windows and that might be enough to satisfy security concerns.  You'd still need Windows licenses for the VMs, but you might not need to pay for them if the virtual machine is running under Windows, depending on your purchase agreement with Microsoft.

• I once worked for a company that was an early adopter of SAS and had an "unlimited license".  Sounded good, but SAS later decided to interpret the contract in a way that made the unlimited license not very helpful.  If I recall correctly, it was "oh, you have a new computer now?  The unlimited license applies only to your original machines, so you can never upgrade or replace your hardware".  Your contract is not the same, but there may be a similar loophole favoring SAS.  If you expect to keep using SAS indefinitely you'd better have a good legal department.  SAS Institute does.
• Telling you that you have unrealistic expectations does not constitute abuse.

[jbaldwin]

Thanks.  I did look into a virtual machine approach but was not successful (me being unsuccessful not the process you suggest).

I hear you about the unlimited use and lawyers.

I agree: telling me that I have unrealistic expectations is not abuse.  (As a statistician working with scientists, I do that all the time.)  However, repeatedly telling me and belittling me and saying that someone from SAS is laughing their ass off is abuse.  Note that response has been scrubbed from this site.

Jim

[ChrisHemedinger]

Hi All,

(Note: I removed some of the messages on this thread.)

It seems like the installation here is failing on the Windows operating system check, a built-in verification that the SAS software is being installed on version of Windows that has been tested/certified with this version of SAS.  In general SAS has an "and later" policy that says that a SAS will work on the version of the OS that is cited in the system requirements "and later" -- meaning as Windows updates are applied SAS will continue to work (and SAS will issue fixes if the underlying OS introduces breaking changes...and that can happen).

It may be possible to tell the SAS deployment process to skip the OS version check and get beyond this. If so (not sure), then SAS Tech Support can help provide the procedure. However, that does mean that you would be running SAS on a level of Windows 10 that has not been verified and it might not be the end of the challenge. As others have pointed out this could be risky and unexpected issues may surface sooner or later. Windows 10 was released in 2015.  SAS 9.4M0 was released in 2013. Both systems have had many updates since so the number of permutations of Windows level and SAS 9.4 maint level is...well...intimidating.  We can argue the merits of keeping Windows and SAS current for all the right reasons, but the fact is that not all users (or even SAS administrators) are in a position to make that happen.

Finally, while SAS licenses and annual renewals and all that entails (with included updates at no charge) are similar across customers, they are not universal.  I don't know the details in this case but those responding should know that what seems usual and obvious may not always be the case. The good news is that this process is always evolving and becoming simpler (see details here), but in the meantime different regions and different industries might not be "uniform" in how licenses are maintained.

For this case, I can see the original poster is getting attention from support and hopefully will get the answer they need.

[jbaldwin]

Excellent response.  Thank you!

I do understand that features might not work or might give erroneous results.  And I certainly wouldn't hold SAS responsible for any that did. 

But for the features used so far all this time, that fortunately hasn't happened although I recognize that could change instantly.   SAS code written 30 years ago still pretty much works as is.  Can't say that about R (even much more recent than 30 years ago).  We have just a few folks who are about to retire who have had to have their machines re-imaged or replaced recently that I'm trying to help.