Very old HPLC. Need software to run it.

[LabTechieMike]

I have an old HPLC donated to the bio lab at a local community college. I am responsible for getting it running. It is a Waters 1525 pump with a 717plus autosampler and a 2996 PDA. I was running on a workstation that had Empower 2 on it, but I do not have the login information for the admin on that workstation. I still have the PCI busLAC/E card. Does anyone know of a software solution that I can use? I contacted Waters and they told me it was too old and the busLAC/E card is no longer supported by their software. Any ideas?

[Hollow]

I have an old HPLC donated to the bio lab at a local community college. I am responsible for getting it running. It is a Waters 1525 pump with a 717plus autosampler and a 2996 PDA. I was running on a workstation that had Empower 2 on it, but I do not have the login information for the admin on that workstation. I still have the PCI busLAC/E card. Does anyone know of a software solution that I can use? I contacted Waters and they told me it was too old and the busLAC/E card is no longer supported by their software. Any ideas?

What admin account are you reffering to? The one on Windows or in Empower?

For the first, there are protocols and tools out there to reset windows passwords, if you can start the PC from USB or CD/DVD drive.

On Empower, if the default admin account was not disabled nor its password changed, you may want to have a look on the Empower software installation guide...

[LabTechieMike]

I was referring to the admin account in Empower 2. I did try the default system login, it has been disabled as the previous users were GLP or close to GLP compliant. Thank you for the help.

[Hollow]

Do you have the installation media?
maybe you can talk Waters into deactivation of your license so you can do a fresh installation and reactivation?

[LabTechieMike]

Do you have the installation media?
maybe you can talk Waters into deactivation of your license so you can do a fresh installation and reactivation?

I have contacted Waters, they are looking into getting me the license that I am going to need to make the software run. Thank you

[KarenA001]

I have contacted Waters, they are looking into getting me the license that I am going to need to make the software run. Thank you

They will want you to pay for it as Waters licenses are not transferable...

- Karen

[DR]

The latest version of Empower may not support IEEE, and they don't have replacement bus-lace boards anymore, but I suspect they can get you up and running with a supportable version of Empower 3 for a stand alone PC. You should even be able to run it with Windows 10. You may need a pump controller for that old pump...

You'd be running at risk of being dead in the water should the bus-lace board fail. There are used ones available (labX, ebay etc. etc).
As you're in education, they should be able to get you going for a somewhat discounted cost, and you'd save more by buying your own mini-tower PC and dropping a LTSC build of Windows 10 on it. Get one with a good (gaming) motherboard, plenty of RAM and a big SSD and it should last as long as you care to run the old system.
Good luck.

[LabTechieMike]

You were close, I needed a Windows 7 machine, but waters took care of me and we are up and running. Thanks for the help