re-installing ancient software

[mlevy]

The Virtual PC I linked to allows you to install ANY OS you want, that is just the "shell" or "sandbox" for the virtual OS. You could run Linux in there if you really wanted to. I've installed that version on my XP machine at work...

 

[Darryl Licht]

Virtual PC is FREE!!! <--- but you must have Pro version win7 or higher!
Windows Virtual PC: Home Page

Not ENTIRELY true. One can go and download MS Virtual PC 2007 and use that...

Download details: Virtual PC 2007

Dude, did you even read my above post or click the link??? Or do you just post to post????

 

[mlevy]

Yes, I read your post. You refer to NEEDING Win 7 Pro or better. I clicked the link, the only info I could find DID say that was the case. When I go to the download page from your link it tells me my version of Windows is incompatible.

Did YOU read MY link? My link points to a version-independent version of VirtualPC. You could install it on Win 7 STARTER if you want, it works on XP and Vista as well. Despite the warnings that 7 is an incompatible Windows version, it DOES run..

 

[CommonTater]

I have an automobile service manual on CD that uses an old version (2001) of Stirling Technologies installSHIELD that worked fine on Windows XP. Now that I have "upgraded" to Windows 7 I cannot load the program into the new system, even changing the "compatibility" to WindowsXP or Windows2000. Can you suggest some other trick - I need to fix my car.

There are several "install".exe files on the disk. I can't get any of them to run, and the compatibility troubleshooter can't figure them out either.
Is there a way to identify and run the program directly from the disk without installing it?

I'm guessing you're on X64?
Wanna bet this is a 16bit installer program?

Shop around the disk, see if you can find PDF files with the information in them... you could just copy the PDFs to a folder and work from there.

 

[TerryinNC]

I'm guessing you're on X64?
Wanna bet this is a 16bit installer program?

Shop around the disk, see if you can find PDF files with the information in them... you could just copy the PDFs to a folder and work from there.

It is a 16 bit installer, and I am on X64. Unfortunately, none of the files are pdf. There is a 32 bit installer on the CD, but I cannot make it work either. It produces a fleeting error message on the screen too fast to read. Any suggestions?

 

[Darryl Licht]

Yes, I read your post. You refer to NEEDING Win 7 Pro or better. I clicked the link, the only info I could find DID say that was the case. When I go to the download page from your link it tells me my version of Windows is incompatible.

Did YOU read MY link? My link points to a version-independent version of VirtualPC. You could install it on Win 7 STARTER if you want, it works on XP and Vista as well. Despite the warnings that 7 is an incompatible Windows version, it DOES run..

OK... OK... it's not VPC that needs it... it is XP Mode that requires Pro or higher.

Note: Windows XP Mode is only available in Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/support/requirements.aspx

User of the higher-end editions of Windows 7 (Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise) will be able to download and install the XP Mode feature that will allow them to run a virtualized copy of XP SP3 in order to minimize compatibility issues. However, to run this you’ll need a PC that’s up to the job.

Windows 7 "XP Mode" system requirements | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

Because I have nearly the same auto manual app... I tested mine in virtual machines, it works fine in 32 bit XP, Vista, & Win7. We have also determined that it is a 16 bit installer with a 32 bit app... 64 bit Win7 doesnt work with 16 bit installers! He needs a 32 bit windows vm to run.

 

[CommonTater]

I'm guessing you're on X64?
Wanna bet this is a 16bit installer program?

Shop around the disk, see if you can find PDF files with the information in them... you could just copy the PDFs to a folder and work from there.

It is a 16 bit installer, and I am on X64. Unfortunately, none of the files are pdf. There is a 32 bit installer on the CD, but I cannot make it work either. It produces a fleeting error message on the screen too fast to read. Any suggestions?

Well, not really... but have you tried contacting the company you got the CD from (Ford?) to see if there's an updated version for Win 7?

Also... you could install it on a different machine and copy the whole thing to a thumb drive and manually reinstall it on Win 7 ... so long as the software itself is not 16 bit code you should be able to get it working.

 

[TerryinNC]

Well, not really... but have you tried contacting the company you got the CD from (Ford?) to see if there's an updated version for Win 7?

Also... you could install it on a different machine and copy the whole thing to a thumb drive and manually reinstall it on Win 7 ... so long as the software itself is not 16 bit code you should be able to get it working.

That is my latest attempt. I haven't sent the old XP machine to the dump yet, so I hooked it back up and tried to force it to install the 32 bit version which I would copy to the new. I am not familiar with how you guys put systems together, but this one seems to have 2 layers of installer - an INSTALL.EXE at the top directory level and 2 secondary(?) installers in a WINSTALL folder. Neither of the winstall programs will execute by themselves and I can't find a way to force the top level installer to use the 32 bit version. The last thing I tried was copying the whole CD to the hard drive and deleting the 16 bit winstall. It built most of the folders but ended with an incomplete error and when I tried to run the program it was looking for the 16 bit version.
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[Darryl Licht]

Well, not really... but have you tried contacting the company you got the CD from (Ford?) to see if there's an updated version for Win 7?

Also... you could install it on a different machine and copy the whole thing to a thumb drive and manually reinstall it on Win 7 ... so long as the software itself is not 16 bit code you should be able to get it working.

That is my latest attempt. I haven't sent the old XP machine to the dump yet, so I hooked it back up and tried to force it to install the 32 bit version which I would copy to the new. I am not familiar with how you guys put systems together, but this one seems to have 2 layers of installer - an INSTALL.EXE at the top directory level and 2 secondary(?) installers in a WINSTALL folder. Neither of the winstall programs will execute by themselves and I can't find a way to force the top level installer to use the 32 bit version. The last thing I tried was copying the whole CD to the hard drive and deleting the 16 bit winstall. It built most of the folders but ended with an incomplete error and when I tried to run the program it was looking for the 16 bit version.
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TerryinNC:

Our manuals have the same exact structure in the WINSTALL folder. as shown by your screenie above.

I found out some more on this sw... mine is also from Stirling Technologies.

I have many PCs here, and after installing I copied the install folder (C:\FORD in my case) to a flash drive for testing... that's what made me look at the shortcut for the app. The shortcut that the manuals install places on the desktop is C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE

So, perhaps our thinking is reversed... it seems that the installer is a 32 bit but the actual app for viewing the electronic manuals is a 16 bit. I have copied the FORD directory over to my Win7 32bit lappy and it works fine. I cannot get the manual to work on any 64 bit OS, it gives the same earlier bit version error.

Oh yes, I clicked HELP --> ABOUT in mine and here is what shows... NOTE Copyright dates...

 

[TerryinNC]

I have many PCs here, and after installing I copied the install folder (C:\FORD in my case) to a flash drive for testing... that's what made me look at the shortcut for the app. The shortcut that the manuals install places on the desktop is C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE

So, perhaps our thinking is reversed... it seems that the installer is a 32 bit but the actual app for viewing the electronic manuals is a 16 bit. I have copied the FORD directory over to my Win7 32bit lappy and it works fine. I cannot get the manual to work on any 64 bit OS, it gives the same earlier bit version error.

So why do you think they would need to build a 32 bit version of the installer and a set of 32 bit dll's if they are going to load a 16 bit program?

Notice there is no VIEW16.EXE on the CD. The installer must load something and rename it - maybe itself? I know almost nothing about this stuff, but I've been expecting the install to produce a VIEW32.EXE. Did you try installing it to your 32 bit laptop directly?

 

[Darryl Licht]

I have many PCs here, and after installing I copied the install folder (C:\FORD in my case) to a flash drive for testing... that's what made me look at the shortcut for the app. The shortcut that the manuals install places on the desktop is C:\FORD\PUBS\PROGRAMS\VIEW16.EXE

So, perhaps our thinking is reversed... it seems that the installer is a 32 bit but the actual app for viewing the electronic manuals is a 16 bit. I have copied the FORD directory over to my Win7 32bit lappy and it works fine. I cannot get the manual to work on any 64 bit OS, it gives the same earlier bit version error.

So why do you think they would need to build a 32 bit version of the installer and a set of 32 bit dll's if they are going to load a 16 bit program?

Notice there is no VIEW16.EXE on the CD. The installer must load something and rename it - maybe itself? I know almost nothing about this stuff, but I've been expecting the install to produce a VIEW32.EXE. Did you try installing it to your 32 bit laptop directly?

No need to I have confirmed on each virtual machine that I've installed it on that it is the same 16 bit viewer! So it will never run in a 64bit OS!

 

[TerryinNC]

No need to I have confirmed on each virtual machine that I've installed it on that it is the same 16 bit viewer! So it will never run in a 64bit OS!

Thanks. Guess I'll give up on 7 and just run it on the wife's Mac.

 

[FuturDreamz]

...using Codeweaver's crossover?

 

[TerryinNC]

...using Codeweaver's crossover?

No. She has XP for her dual boot and Bootcamp. XP can load/handle this relic: Windows 7 can't.

 

[Darryl Licht]

...using Codeweaver's crossover?

No. She has XP for her dual boot and Bootcamp. XP can load/handle this relic: Windows 7 can't.

Win7 32bit can!