What Version of VIP customizing is for Designer 1 USB stick

Most newer USB drives are not compatible with the Designer SE. Only Husqvarna Embroidery USB Sticks are guaranteed to work with this sewing machine. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/827718/Husqvarna-Viking-Designer-Se.html?page=21 . The entire manual is available from https://www.husqvarnaviking.com/support/DESIGNER-SE . One tip: try making sure that the file is not inside a folder on the USB stick. (In File Explorer, you should open the drive and see the file in that first list/window. If you build the folders on the sewing machine, it's less likely to be a problem.)

Other USB sticks can sometimes work. However, you need to format the stick at the sewing machine before putting files on the USB stick at the computer. 2GB and larger USB sticks are the most likely to give problems. 32MB to 1GB sticks are more likely to work. Only one person found an 8GB USB stick would work with the Designer SE. Most new USB sticks are formatted with a NTFS format. The sewing machine may be looking for a FAT16 or FAT32 format. The other possibility is limited USB drivers on the sewing machine. (I've got an Ag GPS position system that won't accept any USB stick unless it is labeled as "Works with Windows 98". Those USB sticks didn't need the OS to download a driver from Windows Update when they were first plugged into the computer.)

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells
(The Designer SE could talk directly to Windows XP or Vista via USB. However, the programming probably had more in common with Windows 98.)

You don't need a dongle for the sewing machine. You either have a dongle for the computer embroidery software in which case it goes in your computer when you've installed the software, or you have a USB stick that has the Husqvarna designs on it.

What colour is it? The USB sticks are blue, the 3D software dongles are red. Only problem is, I think the 4D software dongles are blue too!! My Husqvarna Designer 1 USB embroidery stick (blue) has "USB Embroidery Stick" written on it - have a look for that. The dongle will have Hasp or something like that written on it.

If you are pretty sure it is a USB stick, put it in your machine and turn it on. Then touch the disk/stick icon on the lower right hand side of the screen. Your machine should start to read the stick and you will get a pop-up menu where you can choose from the folders on the stick. If you don't, go into the PROG screen. Touch MENU, touch the disk/stick icon and see if the embroidery files on the stick come up then. Each machine came with a set of designs called Embroidery Disk 100 and three alphabets - Palace Script, Kaligraphia and Clarendon. These should all be on the USB stick.

In the event that it is a dongle you have, but not the software, you need to contact the person from whom you purchased the machine.

You can download the Husqvarna designs from the Husqvarna website, but you will need a Husqvarna formatted USB stick to do this. Therefore, you do need software on your computer. There are some low-cost alternatives to the Husqvarna software - Embird and Sew What come to mind. However, a Husqvarna program called 3D Disk Manager USB came with every USB Designer 1 machine, so you should have got that when you purchased the machine. This will be enough for you to load designs from the HV website and from other websites where you purchase designs.

USB Designer 1s use Disk Manager, just like their floppy disk sisters, but it needs to be Disk Manager USB. New USB Des1s came with this program on a CD, and this software was also included free when a floppy disk Des1 was converted to USB. If you bought your D1 USB new, check the disks that came with it - one should be Disk Manager USB. If you purchased the machine second hand, contact the seller and ask for the program. It is a free standing program and you don't need a dongle. Check your 3D software - you might already have what you need. Open 3D, click down arrow for Accessories (far right-hand side) - what does your Disk Manager say? If it says Disk Manager USB you are okay to go.

I am not 100% sure of this, but I think that maybe the last update for 3D software (version 7.25) might have included Disk Manager USB. Go to the Husqvarna website and make sure your 3D is updated to the latest version.

If none of the above helps you, there is always the cheap cost embroidery software alternatives: Embird or Sew What. I believe they can write to Designer 1 USB sticks now.

I admit I did not think that VIP Customizing worked on Vista at all, but I now know that some people have got it going. Have you searched the www.sewmuch4retirement.com website (the late Jan Henning's website, which is an absolute gold mine of information for Husqvarna and Pfaff machines)? The other solution might be to partitition your hard drive and run Win XP on one partitition, and use that to install and run VIP Customizing. There are also Yahoo Groups specializing in Husqvarna machines and products. These groups have a lot of members with a wide range of machines, software and experience. I'm sure there is someone out there with a similar problem and someone else with the answer.

Okay. Firstly, a dongle is the security device for your software so you won't be downloading designs to it. Do you have a USB Designer 1 or a floppy disk Designer 1? I'm guessing USB. You need to load designs onto your USB stick - the Husqvarna one or another generic brand one - same process for both - through Disk Manager 3D program on your computer. This program is part of the 3D or 4D software suite, or you should have got it on a CD with your machine. It is a stand-alone program - you don't need all the other 3D or 4D software to run it.

Your "dongle" is likely a blue USB stick that came with the machine, yes? Do this:
Open Disk Manager program;
Insert USB stick into your computer;
In Disk Manager at the top menu bar you will see a little USB stick icon and a down arrow; click on this and the contents of your USB stick will be read to the Disk manager screen;
Now you load the designs you want to use into empty menus. Empty menus are the grey ones on the left-hand side. Click on one of those and four sub-menus become available. Open one of these (while you are still getting familiar with all this, write down the disk No. and menu No. you are about to use - makes it easier to find your designs at the machine);
You load designs by either clicking on the little blue camera icon (this will bring up thumbnails of your designs) or the file with green curved arrow icon (this will bring up your computer's files - like a Windows window). Navigate your way to where you have your designs saved, just like using Windows windows. If you are using the camera/thumbnail choice you can click many times on the designs and they will load as you go. If you are using the folder/file method you can only load one design at a time then have to re-open the icon.
Once you have populated your menu with the designs you want to embroider, click on the USB Write icon (blue USB stick and Up arrow).
You will be warned that all designs will be deleted. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE CLICKED ON READ USB STICK BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE as per instructions above, all will be well. Your new designs will be written to the stick along with the existing designs that you read into Disk Manager.
Make sure the stick is NOT write protected. Can't remember which way the sliding clip should be for the blue HV stick so if it doesn't work one way, try the other. I think it is away from the computer - but not 100% sure.
If you have your own USB stick that you want to use, open Disk Man., insert your stick then under the Disk menu you will find Format USB embroidery stick. Click on this and it will do it for you. You can still use your stick for Word files, photos etc - just don't load it up with these files. It confuses the HV software if there are loads of non-embroidery files on the stick. Once formatted, your stick will work just like the HV one.
I trust you are okay on how to use the stick on the Designer 1 machine itself? Write back if you need help here too.

Drivers can be found on Husqvarna Viking website (search for VIP software) under "other links". Here's the direct link - http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/us/8588_4197.htm

I don't think 3D/VIP is compatible with Vista but should be compatible with XP. Download and install latest driver per Husqvarna Viking website.

Good luck !!

The Designer 1 will not read a .hus file directly from a floppy disk. The file should be written to the floppy disk through "disk manager". This will convert many different stitch file formats, including .hus and .vip, to the .shv format required by the Designer 1.
If you happen to look at the files on the floppy after disk manager creates it, you will see one or two other files. Those are the magical ones that make the machine read the .shv's.
Disk manager will allow you to select multiple designs to write to the disk by selecting the blue camera icon and then clicking on the designs you want from the proper directory. Then, write to the disk.

First you need the USB upgrade kit that has the connectors and parts to change the cover of the machine.
Next, you will need a new main circuit board if your machine was made prior to about 2006.
At this point, the cost of parts is about $489. If you can get someone to install these for $10, you can get this done for under $500.
Otherwise, go to an authorized Husqvarna Viking dealer and check into trading your Designer 1 in for a Designer SE. You will then be able to plug in an external 3.5 floppy drive to read your old disks, a USB stick, or plug directly into your computer and read them from the hard drive (an upgraded Designer 1 can read ONLY from the stick). Used Designer SE's are very reasonably priced since the introduction of the Designer Diamond as the new top of the line and you may be able to get a full manufacturers warranty on the gently used machine.

What software are you using? You need to read the disk back to your PC in Disk Manager (VIP, 3D or 4D software) or use the input/output of Embird, if that is what you have. The disks that are used in the Designer 1 are not able to be read directly by a PC in Windows Explorer because they are in sewing machine language, not PC language. You can combine designs and lettering on the Designer 1 machine, without having to use PC software at all. Let me know if you need help with this.

The Designer 1 needs the design in an shv format in order to read it. The floppy disk for an older machine may be created using several different programs but the Husqvarna Viking module is known as Disk Manager. It is included with many of the HV software packages. With a newer USB Designer 1, the program is Disk Manager USB.