Foxpro 2.6 DOS app freezes when windows loses Focus 1

[bjitima]

We have several Foxpro 2.6 for DOS applications running on Windows XP and Windows 2003 server. We have most all of the bugs worked out to the point where there are very few problems company wide. This morning, however, we noticed a problem on our main server with multiple apps.

Several of our apps lock up and have to be closed out when the app window loses main focus in Windows. So if we have, for instance, our inventory viewer open, click over to the desktop, and then click back, the application locks up. We have not noticed this at any other time.

We are aware of a registry mod under hkeylocalmachin\system\currentcontrolset\control\wow that is supposed to help with while loops that may possibly help. However, we do not have this in any of our other 16 servers and none of them have any problem with the exact same apps. The only differences between this server and the others is a hardware RAID controller instead of Windows software disk mirroring and dual processors instead of dual cores. There are slight version differences between versions of 2003 because we bought the satellite store servers a bit later than the main server, but they are all some version of 2003 Standard Edition.

We are hesistant to make registry modifications to our main server because of the headache it would cause having to restore the server if the mods caused a major problem, but we may resort to that. In the meantime, does anyone have any ideas as to other things we could try?

Thanks,

Ben Jitima
support@foodfairmarkets.com

 

[DSummZZZ]

I'm inclined to believe it isn't an issue on the server. I would lean more toward issues on the local machine.
See if any of the previously discussed threads on this forum for running FPD on newer OS's helps. Also, see if this FAQ helps:
How to run FPD on Windows XP computers
faq182-6380


-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.davesummers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[bjitima]

I guess I didn't really specify, but I meant to. The app only has problems when running locally on the server itself (which we prefer not to do, but my boss had gotten into it remotely when he noticed the problem and now wants it fixed whether we run on it or not). So none of the computers connecting to the server have an issue with it whatsoever. Only when running the app on the server have we noticed any problem.

 

[DSummZZZ]

Well, the same stuff for the app running on the server, provided you were running it from the server console. Remotely, it could be a terminal services issue.

But - as you were being concerned with trashing the server with registry edits, I personally wouldn't dare run a FPD app on a production server like that. No telling how it would enjoy a 16 bit DOS based app.
The best thing you could do would be to convince your boss that app shouldn't be run on a server. Only from a workstation. And while you're at it, convince to consider upgrading/updating to a VFP. It's obviously newer, and it's a much more stable platform.


-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.davesummers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[bjitima]

We were discussing upgrading to VFP earlier today. We don't have anyone that could really be considered a programmer on staff, so it isn't exactly the easiest thing to do without hiring in another person, which I know he doesn't want to do.

So I think we really are to the point that we have been putting off for quite a while...we are going to have to crack down and learn VFP, from scratch, on our own :-D

I've looked at a few bootcamps, but there are very few that I've found that cover FPD to VFP transitioning, and none that are anywhere close to wild, wonderful, (technology lacking) West Virginia. If you know of any with a really good reputation, we're more than open to education.