Get VADIS (No, not VIDA, VADIS!) Up on Windows 10/11

[packetfire]

I had to use VIDA again, recently, and I longed for the easy-to use reference features of VADIS, where one could, without any connection to a car, peruse and print out the exploded diagrams and part names/numbers of any assembly one was working on.

So, below are the notes from my successful creation of a virtual machine, installation of Win XP in that virtual machine, validation of the WinXP install to make it legal/legit, installation of VADIS on that copy of WinXP, and so on.

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1 - DOWNLOAD, DO NOT YET INSTALL:

Windows XP Mode Package:
https://web.archive.org/web/20140723215 ... px?id=8002
Or
https://windows-xp-mode.en.softonic.com/download

2 - DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL

VirtualBox:
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

7-Zip:
https://www.7-zip.org/

3 -Follow These Instructions To Set Up The Virtual Machine:

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/download- ... oft-si/How to Download and Install Windows XP for Free (makeuseof.com)

4 - Start The Virtual Machine Running Win XP

Note - Black window on Virtual Machine start-up? Don't fret - press the RIGHT-HAND control key ("Ctrl") and holding it down, then press the "R" key to restart the Virtual Machine.

5 -Activate WinXP
Follow this set of instructions:
https://reviewsvi.com/activating-windows-xp-in-2021/

When calling the automated activation phone number:
Say "windows"
Say "NO" to "Windows 10 or newer"
Agree to receive text message


Get link
NOTE THIS ERROR - My activation key had 6 digits per group of numbers, but the instructions given by "makeuseof" says that you should select "7 digits" - this is incorrect, select "6 digits" instead.

Enter the number off your WinXP screen onto the form on your cell phone
Then type the number that the cellphone gives you into the WinXP screen to activate Win XP

6 - Happy, happy, joy, joy - Win XP is "activated"!


7 - If there is an issue with your product key:

From Activation - Select "Change Product Key", use one of the below, if necessary:

WinXp Serials



8 - Screen Set-Up

Click "View" in the virtual machine menu (at top of screen) and select "full-screen mode".
After you do so, a WinXP pop-up is likely to complaint about screen resolution, so click the pop-up balloon, and let WinXP fix this automagically for you.

9- INSTALL VADIS

1. Click "Devices" on Virtualbox menu.
2. Select the Optical Drives submenu and select the Choose a disk file option. ...
3. Select the ISO file ("volvodvd.iso", or whatever name the VADIS iso image has)
4. Click the Open button
5. Click "Devices" on Virtualbox menu.
6. See "volvodvd.iso" as a mounted drive
7. Select the ISO file ("volvodvd.iso")
VADIS will auto-run the install process

10 - Disable Date/Time Updates

To explain, VADIS refuses to run on any machine having a date and time later than 2005-ish, so I set my year to 2003. As the years go by, the virtual machine will live in its own timeline ("time warp" if you read too much Sci-Fi), where time advances only when you are running the virtual machine. But you have to turn off the feature that updates the virtual machine's time and date to the actual real-world time and date.

IN THE BELOW, MY VIRTUAL MACHINE NAME IS "VADIS - Win XP" you need YOUR virtual machine name (from Vbox's main menu) to be able to use this command below - whatever your virtual machine name is, put it in quotes, just as I do below:

To Disable Date/Time Updates - Paste these lines into a command prompt (run as administrator)
cd c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox
vboxmanage setextradata "VADIS - Win XP" "VBoxInternal/Devices/VMMDev/0/Config/GetHostTimeDisabled" 1

The command prompt screen will simply present a new command line, as below. (If not, something has gone wrong)

c:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>

11 - Install a Print to pdf printer to create hardcopy printouts to take to the car

I am being coy in the section below, as I hesitate to open the site or its admins to accusations of "aiding piracy". But this is a very obsolete version of Adobe Acrobat, and anyone with a current license is entitled to run any prior version under the same license, even if they are forced to use ad-hoc methods to get things running.

To install a "printer" to print to pdf from VADIS, requires Adobe Acrobat XI, and more than likely, WinRAR 6.x (for 32-bit) to extract the downloaded compressed files that will contain the Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat XI (also called "Acrobat 11") - is available from many pirates out there - sail to your nearest pirate bay to meet up with pirates.

For anything you download, enable this in the virtual machine menu
Devices -> Drag and Drop -> Host To Guest
Drag and drop, and then unpack and install on the virtual machine.

=-=-=-=-= Below Are the Installation Instructions that come with VADIS =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Activation code DMQKF-RXTBV-FD98H-462TB-TC9FG. May not be needed.

Reboot computer and set date to June 2004(2005A) or March 2003 (2003F). The Vadis program has an expiry date, so resetting the computers date before using Vadis places the machine before this expiry date.

Scan dvd before hand so you know it is virus free. Shutdown virus software.

If autostart does not work browse dvd and run dos batch file SETUP.BAT

Pick customised setup and select all components. Than press next.

Install will now start. This takes quite a while so please be patient.

Restart machine.

Remember to reset date. Now run Vadis.
User is sysadm
Password is NQZ5-XC3E-P8HD-A2SU

Next click system configuration which allows you to create your own user name and password
Enter your own user name and password.
Select all information and international misc in partner group

(packetfire note) ** NOTE WELL - SELECT THE CORRECT PARTNER GROUP FOR YOUR ACTUAL CAR **

Press CREATE NEW USER and then click ok.

Log back into Vadis using your own user name and password.

Press information manager and enter your cars vin number. Car can be selected by model number, engine etc but vin number is far quicker.
(packetfire notes below)

a) Select tranny type
b) Then select right or left hand drive.
c) Then body style. (S.R is sunroof.)

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If you exit VADIS, you will have to re-enter all this, as it does not remember a car like VIDA does. So, keep the VIN handy, or never exit VADIS at all, and simply save the virtual machine state and then exit the virtual machine with VADIS still "running".

From the virtual machine menu:

File -> Close - SAVE MACHINE STATE

Congrats - your "Shop Manual" is now just as easy to thumb through as it was back before "VIDA".

Please add corrections as one finds them - I cannot claim that I am the authority for all scenarios, this is just what I experienced.