I made it to get it run on a Windows7 Sp3 platform.
In my work place I can only use an offline windows7 sp3 computer, which cannot run the CalculiX CAE because cae uses python3.10 in bin/python, and clearly the latest python a windows7 computer supports is python3.8.10. So I have to replace the python in the folder bin/python with a python3.8.10.
To start we have to download a windows embed package, unzip and copy everything into the folder bin/python. You may replace 6 files. Never mind and go ahead.
Then we have to modify the file python38._pth.Add two lines after the first line as:
Lib\site-packages
..\..\src
Please do not DELETE the line which only contains a “.”.
We also have to make the embed python3.8 support pip. So we can download pip via get-pip.py. I suggest you put it in the top folder of cae. Then you can run bin\python\python.exe get-pip.py to let pip installed.
At last, run the script cae.bat. After a few minutes of installing external dependencies like PyQt5, the CalculiX CAE may start normally at last.
Maybe it seems strange that at the end of 2025 there’s still someone have to use an offline windows7 sp3 computer in his work place, and he tries to get the CalculiX CAE run which makes everything stranger. But if you happen to deal with such situation, maybe this topic would be of help.