Please Help With Data File Management

[jim evans]

I have an XP application that's important to me. When I try to
install and run it on Vista I can't get it to work.

The program installs and seems to work fine. The problem is it's
data location. In XP it stores it's data files in the in the folder
where it is installed, but Vista puts them in the folder:

C:\users\me\appdata\local\virtual store\program files\myapp

My program looks for them in the folder where it tried to put them,
can't find them and throws up an error saying it can't find the file.

How do I stop Vista from putting the program's data files in this
location that's unknown to the program.

Or, route the program's request to the place it put the files?

jim

 

[Vladimir Poddubnyy]

Did you try to start the app as Admin or install it to some other place than
Program Files?
Also you can try to disable user account control via Control Panel.

Theoretically, Vista should correctly find and substitute that virtual
location you mentioned...

 

[Malke]

I have an XP application that's important to me. When I try to
install and run it on Vista I can't get it to work.

The program installs and seems to work fine. The problem is it's
data location. In XP it stores it's data files in the in the folder
where it is installed, but Vista puts them in the folder:

C:\users\me\appdata\local\virtual store\program files\myapp

My program looks for them in the folder where it tried to put them,
can't find them and throws up an error saying it can't find the file.

How do I stop Vista from putting the program's data files in this
location that's unknown to the program.

Or, route the program's request to the place it put the files?

Open the program and look in its Preferences. Many programs have a place
where you can change the location of the data files. This is what you
are looking for. If the program doesn't have this (or you can't find
it), contact the program maker's tech support for help.

If the program maker has no plans to update its application for Vista
and can't help you, then you have a few solutions:

1. Find a different program that does what you want and that works with
the operating system you are running.
2. Try running the program in Compatibility Mode (look in Vista's Help
for details).
3. Install Virtual PC 2007 and create a virtual machine running XP so
you can run the program "natively".
4. Dual-boot Vista with XP.
5. Keep a separate machine running XP for this program.
6. Remove Vista and install XP.


Malke

 

[jim evans]

Thanks for your reply.

I'll try disabling the user account, if I can figure out how.

I installed it using the legacy (XP) mode and accepted the default
location which is in Program Files.

Did you try to start the app as Admin or install it to some other place than
Program Files?
Also you can try to disable user account control via Control Panel.

Theoretically, Vista should correctly find and substitute that virtual
location you mentioned...

jim

 

[Kerry Brown]

If none of the other suggestions work out try using compatibility mode.
Right click on the executable file for the program and pick properties.
Click on the compatibility tab. Try using XP SP2. If that doesn't work try
setting Run this program as an administrator. If it still doesn't work then
try reinstalling it using compatibility mode for the installer.

 

[Jimmy Brush]

Hello,

- Does the program ask for your permission to run ("Windows needs your
permission to continue") when it starts?
- Does the installer ask for your permission when it runs?
- Have you turned UAC off?

 

[jim evans]

If none of the other suggestions work out try using compatibility mode.
Right click on the executable file for the program and pick properties.
Click on the compatibility tab. Try using XP SP2. If that doesn't work try
setting Run this program as an administrator.

I did that. That's what I meant by the XP mode. I also ran as
administrator. I'm beginning to suspect it's unable to open one of
the files. So, the error I'm getting may not be that it can't find
the file, rather it can't open it. I've checked and it's not read
only.

jim

 

[Kerry Brown]

Some programs won't work no matter what you do. Did you try running the
installer in compatibility mode and Run as administrator?