Integrating WSL with Windows 7 64bit with Power Shell

[CfProducts]

   Hello Microsoft Community! This is my first post. I am trying to get WSL 1.0 to function with windows 7. For some reason, I get errors in Power Shell when trying to run the script to enable WSL. 

   I have found information that says that dism.exe has two versions, one version for 32 bit and one version for 64 bit. I have tried the script for both file locations as the locations are supposed to designate which version of the .exe gets used. Within Power Shell, the error is the same. I cannot service a 64 bit system with the 32 bit operation.

   There are log files for both attempts, I have yet to inspect both of the log files to see if the information is the same. I have very minimal experience with scripting or interpreting the information within the log files. 

   I am trying to get FreeCAD to run on Windows 7 64 bit. It worked with windows 10, but WSL is a part of windows 10 as a windows feature that can just be activated with an option. With this PC, I have windows 7 and cannot currently upgrade to Windows 10 or 11.

   Does anyone have any idea how I can get Windows 7 to support my App?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi @CfProducts 

There are multiple Aspects in your Question:

PowerShell exists in x86 and x64 Version

https://www.gregorystrike.com/2011/01/27/how-to-tell-if-powershell-is-32-bit-or-64-bit/

>It worked with windows 10, but WSL is a part of windows 10 as a windows feature that can just be activated with an option

You're correct. WSL is a Component that exists only in Windows 10 or 11.

You won't be able to install it in Windows 7

Windows 7 is out of Support anyway.

https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/lifecycle/products/windows-7

> I am trying to get FreeCAD to run on Windows 7 64 bit

I don't see a requirement for WSL here

https://wiki.freecad.org/Installing_on_Windows

Regards

Andres

[#3]

Power Shell runs and works just fine, it is above my level of knowledge. It is recommended for use by some people too help too diagnose issues with OS problems. I have found some useful information even though I don't really understand scripting with it. I get syntax errors.
I thought I could get WSL to work with windows 7 as it is listed in some of my error logs with windows and my app. It is supposed to help get linux apps or programs to work with windows, so thats why I was trying to get it to work.
Windows 7 is far and away no longer supported. It is no longer a safe OS too use if you are surfing the internet. This is the only laptop I have at the moment and I cannot afford an upgrade to windows 10 or 11 right now.
Upon further research about the issue with my app, the version of FreeCAD I am attempting to use, 20.2, which is the latest stable version, uses QT5. The issue there is that QT5, or the App using QT5 creates FBO errors. //Frame Buffer Objects are not supported by OpenGL 2.1

This is some of the error log FreeCAD creates. You can see that it tries to call and use WSL.

FreeCAD\Mod\Help\.\
Log: %SystemRoot%\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\ ( // I think I cannot use v2.0)
Log: C:\Windows\system32
Log: C:\Windows
Log: C:\Windows\System32\Wbem
Log: C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\
Log: Init: App::FreeCADInit.py done
Log: Init: Creating Gui::Application and QApplication
Log: Local server 'FreeCAD' started
Log: OpenGL version is: 2.1 (2.1.0 - Build 8.15.10.2104)

( //This is the version supported by the i3 330m )

Log: Run Gui init script
Log: Init: Running FreeCADGuiInit.py start script...
Log: Init: Searching modules...
("""")
Tux... done
Log: Init: Initializing C:\Users\xxxxxxxxx\AppData\Local\Programs\FreeCAD 0.20\Mod\Web... done
Log: Module: Part
Log: Loading Part module... done
Log: Loading Fem module... done
Log: Loading GUI of Fem module... done
Msg: b"'wsl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,\r\noperable program or batch file.\r\n"Msg:
Msg: environment var 'WM_PROJECT_DIR' is not defined
,
fallback to default /opt/openfoam5Msg:
Msg: b"'wsl' is not recognized as an internal or external command,\r\noperable program or batch file.\r\n"Msg:
Msg: environment var 'WM_PROJECT_VERSION' is not defined, fallback to hard-coded (5, 0)Msg:
Log: Init: Initializing C:\Users\xxxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\FreeCAD\Mod\Cfd... failed

So I think that with the supplied information that I have gained from people that have replied to my issues on the Forum for FreeCAD, I have too roll back to a version that uses or supports Open GL 2.0-2.1, legacy OpenGL. So for me that is going to possible be 18.4-19.0.

Thank you for your help!