Convert old 16-bit VB app to 32-bit

[dkaplan2]

I am trying to convert a very old 16-bit VB app to 32-bit.

The original was written in VB 3.0

I have installed VB 4.0 standard edition on a 64 bit laptop, where VB 4.0 seems to work on new projects. However, when I attempt to load forms from the old 3.0 app, I get the error "FORM1 is a class name." Then the form is not loaded.

Note: The form I am trying to add is not named Form1.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

 

[strongm]

Do you have the .FRM file that represents the form? Can you open it in notepad to examine the code? Or do you only have the .FRX files?

 

[dkaplan2]

Thanks strongm.

When I open the .frm file in Notepad, I see a combination of clear text and unreadable characters. For example:

Label2
ÿ ELAPSED SECONDS ÿÿ  ÿ ˜ÿ  ÿ6 Label1
ÿ
Twips / cyc^2 ÿÿ  ÿ ˜P¯ÿ

ÿ[ Label11
ÿ Effect may be delayed 5 seconds ÿÿ € ˜8_
w
Courier New Ø@‘% ÿÿ( ü  _
_



 

[strongm]

Drat. Means the project was saved in the (default) binary format

 

[strongm]

So - guess you don't have VB3 any more?

If you did you could open up the project, then resave it in plain text format. Then you can peer inside the FRM to see why you are seeing FORFM1


(you can find a copy here ... )

 

[dkaplan2]

VB3 is long gone. I installed VB4 because I wanted to recompile the app to 32-bit (it's currently 16-bit)so I can run it on newer machines.

VB4 will supposedly do this. I'm not sure if this is significant, but during the VB4 install, I received the message olepro32.dll could not be registered.

The main problem may simply be that I am trying to to this on a 64-bit, win10 machine.

I've seen posts suggesting that I run VB4 in "compatibility mode" but I've found no way of doing that.

I know that the exe will work on a 32-bit machine, but not 64-bit.

 

[strongm]

>because I wanted to recompile the app to 32-bit (it's currently 16-bit)

Yep I got that.

I started out my VB careeer with VB1, and went through the pains of transition to 32bit. But that transition was a long time ago now, and on XP. I wish you luck, but currently have no advice ...

 

[Alt255]

Possible (ya never know):

http://www.theprogrammingzone.com/source/vb3 binary to text.rar

Add water (makes its own sauce).

 

[dkaplan2]

No problem, strongm.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter.

 

[dkaplan2]

Thanks, alt255.

The link did not work, but I'm pretty sure I found the site via Google.

On that site there were links to some decompilers but, alas, those links did not work either.

As you probably noted above, I've tried opening the VB3 program in VB4, but even working in a 32-bit environment, I get the error mentioned above.

Do you happen to know if it matters which edition of VB4 you use to open VB3. I've been using the Standard Edition, but now I'm wondering if I need the Professional Edition which include both the 16 & 32-bit versions of VB.