Installing some antique programs

[Gordon Biggar]

I have a program, Harvard Graphics for Windows, developed by Software
Publishing Corp back in the mid-1990's. Some years ago, I installed it on
one of my desktops (Windows 2000 Pro platform) without a problem. Recently,
I copied the folders onto my desktop with Vista Home Premium . Appropriate
drivers (just three) were copied into the Windows and System32 folders.
However, at start-up I get to see the logo page, but then a Harvard Graphics
error message appears, as follows:

"Can't start Harvard Graphics because of a problem with the Windows
registration database."

I never ran into this when I moved to Windows 2000 from Windows 95. Does
anyone know of a way around this? I have many charts that have been
developed with this software, and I would like to continue to be able to
access the software.

Thanks in advance for any assistance that may be forthcoming.

Gordon Biggar
Houston, Texas

 

[Synapse Syndrome [KGB]]

I have a program, Harvard Graphics for Windows, developed by Software
Publishing Corp back in the mid-1990's. Some years ago, I installed it
on one of my desktops (Windows 2000 Pro platform) without a problem.
Recently, I copied the folders onto my desktop with Vista Home Premium
. Appropriate drivers (just three) were copied into the Windows and
System32 folders. However, at start-up I get to see the logo page, but
then a Harvard Graphics error message appears, as follows:

"Can't start Harvard Graphics because of a problem with the Windows
registration database."

I never ran into this when I moved to Windows 2000 from Windows 95. Does
anyone know of a way around this? I have many charts that have been
developed with this software, and I would like to continue to be able to
access the software.

Thanks in advance for any assistance that may be forthcoming.

Heh, Harvard Graphics - that's a blast from the past. My dad used to use
that, on his Toshiba T1200 laptop, way back.

A DOS version would probably run fine in DOSBox, but you mention "Harvard
Graphics for Windows". You muct have a Win9x disc lying around - in which
case installing that on VirtualPC would probably be your best bet.

ss.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I have a program, Harvard Graphics for Windows, developed by Software
Publishing Corp back in the mid-1990's. Some years ago, I installed it on
one of my desktops (Windows 2000 Pro platform) without a problem. Recently,
I copied the folders onto my desktop with Vista Home Premium . Appropriate
drivers (just three) were copied into the Windows and System32 folders.
However, at start-up I get to see the logo page, but then a Harvard Graphics
error message appears, as follows:

"Can't start Harvard Graphics because of a problem with the Windows
registration database."

I never ran into this when I moved to Windows 2000 from Windows 95. Does
anyone know of a way around this? I have many charts that have been
developed with this software, and I would like to continue to be able to
access the software.

Thanks in advance for any assistance that may be forthcoming.

Gordon Biggar
Houston, Texas

Get the free virtual machine MS Virtual PC from the Microsoft site, install
it, install your older version of Windows in the VM, and then run the
application in that VM.

 

[Earle Horton]

I am guessing that you need to install the program using the setup program
originally provided with it. That message sounds like some registry entry
that is necessary for the program to function is missing. Just copying the
program folder and required drivers rarely works except for the simplest of
applications.

If you no longer have the installation media you could try copying the
registry entries. Run Regedit on the Windows 2000 computer, navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Harvard Graphics and see what is there. The key
may also be named "Software Publishing" or who knows? If you find the data
you could export it to a file and import it into your Vista registry.

Earle

 

[Gordon Biggar]

Sir Earle --

Believe it or not, there are no registry entries on my 2000 machine. (I
consider the software more of a DOS application than a Windows application,
but that's another matter...) When I moved the software from Win95 to 2000,
it was a simple matter of copying the folders and drivers, and it has worked
like a charm.

I suppose one workaround would be to go on eBay (or Amazon) to see if anyone
is selling original software. As I recall, when I loaded it on Win95 (about
a century ago), it was from floppies. But, would Vista even recognize the
installation program, even if I found the floppies? I am new to Vista, but
some installation CD's that I have for 2000/XP applications were rejected by
Vista when I tried to load them.

I still have my Win95 machine (I restore Model "A" Fords, too, but they
don't require floppy drives); I don't even remember now whether regedit
works with that platform.

Thanks for your inputs.

Gordon

 

[Gordon Biggar]

I presume that the "virtual machine" to which you refer is the same setup,
described by Gene Bloch (same thread)? Is this a memory hog? Hate to take
up a lot of space for one application. I like 2000, so it may be more
efficient for me to keep that platform going. I always like a back-up
capability, though.

Gordon

P.S. I started with the immediate predecessor to the IBM 360, learning
FORTRAN IV and PL-I. You have to like antiquity!

 

[Daniel Jameson]

Gordon,

I have some older programs that need to create registry entries to work
properly, and will create them on their own if they can't find them. This
helps frequently: Right click the icon and choose "Run as Administrator."
For most programs you only have to do this once, because the program only
needs to create the registry entries the one time; from then on it needs
only read access to the registry.

HTH,
Daniel Jameson

 

[Gordon Biggar]

Daniel --

Right on the money! I like simple solutions (but I appreciate the efforts
of those who responded with suggested solutions).

I have been able to use Windows 2000 as long as I have only because the 2000
Forum is outstanding -- not only in the knowledge encountered there, but in
the willingness of folks far more computer literate than I to devote time to
assisting others with problems.

Many thanks for taking the time to enable me to move antiquity onto a newer
platform!

Gordon

 

[Synapse Syndrome [KGB]]

I presume that the "virtual machine" to which you refer is the same setup,
described by Gene Bloch (same thread)? Is this a memory hog? Hate to
take up a lot of space for one application. I like 2000, so it may be
more efficient for me to keep that platform going. I always like a
back-up capability, though.

Yes, it is the same VM suggestion, although I see your solution has been a
bit simpler than that. The VM would have taken up as much RAM as you
allocated for it, but RAM is very cheap at the moment. I bought an
additional 4GB of ECC memory for my HP ProLiant server for £46 GBP the other
day. The first 4GB cost even less around Christmas time.

P.S. I started with the immediate predecessor to the IBM 360, learning
FORTRAN IV and PL-I. You have to like antiquity!

I started on my dad's Apple ][ clone, when I was 9 years old, and then got
my own Commodore 64, but learnt most on my Commodore Amiga A500 later on..
Those Commodores were the best computers I'll ever own!

ss.