Maybe it was a lot way back then!

 

Sorry BD did not respond as I think that would have cut down the work and large learning curve that SDD seems to require?
I can point you to lots of threads but any quick search using SDD and IDS will find dozens.

One of the reason's I suggested BD is they say they guarantee the interface cable for a year and I don't see anyone else making this claim. The Mangoose/Mongoose clones can cause problems or work fine. My $45 cable has been fine and has been used a lot but others find them to be junk?

If you want just the software try searching for SDD 160.xxx.
Here is V164.xxx directly from Jaguar and note JUST the download is 3.3 GB! I tried it and no log in or registration is needed.
SDD V164.xxx
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JagV8. I think you may be correct! Its been a while since I was last messing with this and the kit we had then was a bit on the small/slow side!

clubaith1. yes, it is a bit disappointing that BD have gone quiet. The website is still all there with the prices and the "contact us" forms are there as well. I may just give them another try though.
Really, I just need to get hold of the software with a decent instruction on how to install it as I have a genuine Mongoose cable that I purchased a few years ago with some software. IDS v125.3 on a CD. I've no idea if that was any good as I had a guy install it onto a laptop that has since failed to work plus most laptops don't have a CD tray these days.
The second lot of software I have is on a memory stick SDD JLR IDS V159.04 V 160.04 which I've not tried yet. I notice that the SDD program is growing with every update but all I want is the IDS that will work for my 97 XK and preferably a program that doesn't take updates. Thanks for the JLR link but that will cost the earth to keep up with. If I've got this wrong please say so as I don't wish to upset anyone.
I have indeed been trawling through a lot of threads but the threads are a bit old now, some go back ten years ago and things have changed quite a bit and the links have gone blank. Surely there must be a link to a reliable source of software that doesn't cost the earth?
Loads of people are using this software but so far, I haven't found out where it cames from!

 

After trawling through the "free download" sites most of them look well "iffy" to me so I'm at the mercy of what I already have unless a recommended source comes my way. A lot of them have some deleted parts, mostly on youtube where some copyright issues prevail and there's no support that I can see if you get into any install problems. There are programs that will run on almost any level of windows. Its just a case of selecting what you think will be good and picking a laptop running the windows version they say it will run on. Then there's the progs on ebay which you pay for. Prices ranging from under a tenner to over a hundred pounds. The last one I bought said it was virtually "one click" installation. Fat chance!

 

Your doing good and finding lots of confusing info right?? Welcome to SDD!
The factory Jaguar SDD link I posted is a free download. No Topix registration required?

Well here is a great thread from the UK Jaguar forum with complete images of various SDD versions. Don't know if you have seen this so you may already have these?
I know it's a 13 page long thread! But hey all the software is free to download and you could post questions if you needed help? They might even know something about BD too?
Full SDD Images

Note they have V125.xxx, V130.xxx, V138.xxx and the one I am using which started out as V160.xxx. Since these are full HD images I can't think of an easier install? Install the image and no screwing around installing SDD step by step?
That's 4 different versions so hopefully one of those will work for you?
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Hi clubairth1. Many many thanks for all that, and I'm registered there as well. It does look like what I've been looking for. At least I now know what hardware to find. I have three laptops but none of them are really up to the task. I do read things where this has been done on a very old Lap top running ancient versions of window. Like the guy rowing across the Atlantic in a paper hat!
I'm on page four at the moment. I'm breaking for a cup of tea and then I'll read some more. Looks like I'll be looking for a later laptop running windows ten to get some speed in the system.
One thing that's on my mind is will V130 be ok for my old XK? I also have a 2011 XF but that just goes on and on so not too bothered about that.
A decent power transformer would be nice as the one Jaguar like isn't available now and I want to avoid the rubbish from China.

 

Yes I would give V130.xxx a try. All it will cost is some time.
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I hope you are right! There does seam to be quite a few on that thread that have a problem or three with v1.30 but then, they have a problem or three with whatever they are installing.
The install is using a VM just like the BD stuff (still no reply from them) and I don't think any of the laptops I have are suitable to use so I'm now looking for a laptop using decent hard drive equipment and a 2core pro and around 4gig of ram. The point of that is to run a system that will maximise the speed of the host windows program and makes a lot of sense. Also, the guy recommends loading it twice in case the first install fails.
There are some on there that will try an install on any windows version that is "handy" at the time which may explain why they are having issues loading. I haven't got all the way through the thread yet as its quite long. The guy who started it seams a bit fed up with answering the same questions all the time but really, if you post a subject like this, you are asking for that sort of response and there's always someone who thinks he knows more than the original poster.
I'll report back from time to time with hopefully some positive news. Oh, and if anyone has a link to a decent vehicle power supply, that would be very helpful.

 

I've just finished reading all the pages on that thread and it seams to me that a lot of the problems are with the Mongoose cable drivers failing to connect.
There are many places to obtain these cables (Mongoose and Mangoose) The one I have I bought (Mongoose JLR) with some JLR v1.25 software on a CD back in 2019 or 20.
I suppose I'll not know what I've got till I come to use it. I have spotted a cable on that thread that looks the same as mine apart from one small thing. The "Mongoose" badge is on the other side of the cable body compared to mine. That would entail a different mould when it was made. I wonder which one is original? I'm still trying to figure out if mine is a "pro" or the first version cable.
Also, When someone has a problem of some kind with loading and using this software, the people having the problems are helping each other a whole lot more than the "expert/s" that started the thread! That is a problem I think.

 

Yes lots of opinions and different ways to go at this. I tried the VM method and had no luck. As you have read not really any solid answers on what version of windows to use either?
I can only add what did work for me. Win7 Pro 64bit and running almost nothing else on that laptop. Note I have had to wipe this thing completely and start over more than once. Seems like any little hiccup in the SDD install can lead to strange operating issues? That's why I pointed you to those images as that's a fast way to wipe the drive and start over.

I had not found that thread when I did the install and spent probably close to 2-3 days installing and downloading thousands and thousands of data files as I loaded/installed SDD bit by bit.

One thing I have NOT done yet is when I get a good operating SDD setup I should image that for my own future use. But this latest install in now 3+ years and seems solid so far. Maybe I am courting fate??

The clone cables ALL have the same serial number too. So that's a clue.
Here is a real Drew Tech cable.



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Hi clubairth1. Interesting on what you say for the Mongoose. After reading what you said I thought I'd go online for a look at some of the other cables. Put it into the search bar and found that most of them had the same serial number as mine has! Mine just has the MongooseJLR heading on the label and the number finishes 442. Then I searched on a bit and found some with the same serial number as yours. Its getting more confusing all the time!
The other point to take note of is that the guy who started the thread that you gave me is running with a clone cable so perhaps its not a point worth worrying about.
Then, I found another thread from 2017 that has another take on the loading of the software. Have a look.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...an-exe-175904/

 

Yes that's an old and long thread. I never found that messing with the dates did anything so I dropped that.
There is a program called "Deep Freeze" that was recommended for a while too. Does sorta the same thing.

Deep Freeze Software
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I'll have a look at that if only for its information value.
I've managed to find a laptop with some reasonable spec on it. Its a Dell Latitude 7280 Intel Core i5 7300U 2.60 GHz, 8 GB RAM, 128GB SSD
Running windows 10. I do have a new never opened copy of XP Home with service pack 1. Not sure if I should put that in place with the addition of service pack 3 and remove the W 10 or just remove all the anti-virus and use it as it is.
I'll have another look at the VM thread and see exactly what the requirements were for that install.
The Mongoose thing just goes on and on. There's another guy who says don't use the drivers that come with the cable, then some of them come with a version of JLR as well. Makes me want to just use my cable with the most reliable version of 130 that I can find and install it without a VM to see if it will work. I tried to install 159 three times. It asked me to copy the tabmanexe file over to another folder to create the workable menu. There was two tabman files, none of which were exe files so I was stuck every time. Took a long time to load as well. After all that I got on here to get some more information. Better than struggling on my own.

 

The original specification for IDS was WINDOWS XP PRO 32 BIT on the Panasonic Toughbook.

 

Yes, I think you are correct. The new version I have is "Home" I do also have a "copy" of "pro" on a CD with the product key written on it. I may well try that though I've never completely wiped one and installed a new windows program before. I may need to do some research on that as well!
How can I tell what it is 32 or 64 BIT ?

 

Well I now have that laptop on the table. Its actually running windows 10pro and is a pretty fast machine. 128gb H/D and 8gb of ram so that should be enough to run SDD inside a VM.
The last question I have before I push the button though is about anti-virus and the firewall.
Obviously I'll need to keep all that in place while I download the VM program. Will this affect the loading of the program once I take the computer off the router and turn off the anti-virus/firewall stuff?
The way I see it is there are enough funny problems with all this without introducing any other problems that I don't know about! I've been reading all the different threads on all the different forums, most of which go back a bit. I can't find any up to date comments on the install at all. Hopefully, I'll run across someone who has just installed it with some success.

 

Hey great progress!
I just left whatever anti-virus and fire wall was on the machine. Never seemed to cause any problems?
If your running a cracked version I find anti-virus stuff chokes on that so you might get some warnings? Now with Win10 it's been automated so I have had several of these types of files (Mainly the Engineering Mode I am still working on) get deleted automatically for my "safety" by MS! No warning and the file just disappeared!
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Hi clubairth1. Thanks for coming back to me on this.
As I'm going to try out the VM install, I'm not sure if it would be seen as a cracked version, being inside a VM. If it does work fully I'll be very happy as 130 seams the right way to go for my early XK. The laptop I'll use is a 64bit so I hope that doesn't mean it will fail.
I had a chat today with someone who has 131 running on a windows seven laptop (32 bit) He says it jumps to SDD for his 2003 XK which he rather it didn't and that SDD didn't allow him to navigate to the modules he wanted to look at in the same way that IDS does. Its a bit early for me at the moment as I don't have the info on these things but it looks like he may be missing a "patch" to make it work. What I do know is that after 130 things were different.
I think I'll start early in the day when I load it as I've a feeling it may be a slow process!

 

I'm still reading about how to install 130 and what to install it on and if I should disable any anti-virus/firewall, plus the VM installation (good idea or not)
I've found a pretty definitive list of do's and dont's by "cambo" posted in 2016 when the latest version was 145. I know its not the currant version these days but may be useful to anyone who would need this sort of info. An update on this list would be a good thing now that there's more ways to get these programs running on a modern laptop.

There's a lot of talk about what version of windows we should run these programs on. Windows 7 32bit seams to be the preferred version by many but there are sellers that say there's runs in almost any, including 11. I have this Dell laptop which has windows 10 pro 64bit and I have read that some guys have just loaded it on without a VM and it all works fine, so I may just have a go and do it! As its a stand alone laptop I'll disable the anti-virus/firewall and change the date to whatever is recommended. I have a V159.04 V 160.04 on usb stick and the guy said it won't run in 10 so I will need either find something that does or use a VM.

At that time "cambo" really doesn't reckon on the Mongoose cable or much of anything else really but in those days a Rotunda VCM1 was probably not as rare as it is now. I know there has been some copies of it but I've no idea as to there usefulness in the way of them being reliable. Plus they are expensive to us guys who have an old XK in the garage! Here's the link.
His post on this is "35"
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-158958/page2/

I've just had a go at downloading V164 from the Jaguar site but it won't let me download it straight to a memory stick so I'll have to get my other laptop up and running on the web to get at it.

 

Good progress and yes I read pretty much read anything Cambo posts!
He is very experienced with SDD too. He has done a ton complicated stuff using the VID block and CCF files. Way more than I will probably ever even try.
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