Need to get your Windows 7 and Option GT MAX 3.6 Express working?  For the solution, read on!

I’m a road warrior.  I need internet access everywhere with my laptop aside fromWiFi hotspots and metro-area WiFi just like many of you out there.  Sure my iPhone helps stay in rudimentary email contact but it can’t replace a laptop.

A year ago I bought an  Option GT MAX 3.6 Express connect card for use on AT&T.  I chose this instead of USB as I can simply leave it in my laptop at all times and not worry about losing it.  The software, called Communications Manager, works but it software upgrades are a long  process — typically 10 minutes or even more.  All in all, a great solution for mobile broadband — until I installed Microsoft Windows 7 RC.

Much to my horror — as well as many other Windows 7 adopters out there — the Option GT MAX 3.6 Express with Communications Manager is not compatible with Windows 7.  The manufacturer, Option,  has end-of-life’d the Option GT MAX 3.6 Express and is not releasing updated drivers.  ATT as well isn’t adding Windows 7 support for the product either.

So what to do?  Buy a new card? Stuck in a contract and no break on pricing meant either wiping my laptop and installing Windows XP and all of my data and programs, or try to get the Option GT to work.  After many weeks of googling, and even Bing’ing, I gave up.    Frustrated, I planned on a trip to the ATT store and coughing up the dough for a new card when — viola — I had an idea!   If  Windows 7 doesn’t like the ExpressCard, I’ll just “tether” it.

Here’s how I got it to work with Windows 7:

1.  Uninstalled all ATT software and the Option GT drivers and reboot

2.  Purchased a StarTech ECU2USB ExpressCard to USB adapter,  $20

3.  Downloaded ATT Communications Manager version 6.10 from ATT and saved as Setup-ACM-6.10.exe on my desktop.

4.  Right click on Setup-ACM-6.10.exe and select Compatibility tab.  Select “Run this program in compatibility mode Windows Vista (SP1)”.   Also check  and “Run as an  Administrator” in Privilege Level.  Click  “Apply” and “OK”.

ACM Settings for Windows7

5.   Insert the Option GT into the StarTech ECU2USB and plug into a USB 2.0 port.  Wait for Windows 7 to automatically install the drivers

6.  Double click the Setup-ACM-6.10.exe to install.

7.  Reboot when prompted.

8.  Fire up ACM and enjoy!

Please drop a comment if this helped.