I need Crystal Reports 6

[Blamdude]

I need to get a copy of Crystal Reports 6. I understand it's very old and hard to come by but the application we use uses reports made with Crystal Reports 6.

If anyone can help or maybe provide an alternative that'd be great.

Thanks,

dave

 

[Blamdude]

I'm more than happy to pay for someone's legitimate copy.

Thanks

dave

 

[dgillz]

Why do you THINK you need crystal 6? It is most likely that you do not. Please explain.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[Blamdude]

Thanks for the reply.

We're using an automotive shop management program that uses Crystal Reports .rpt files to define how all the reports and customer estimates/invoices are printed out. Apparently these reports were made using version 6 of Crystal Reports even though the management program itself is still very much supported today (thousands of shops use it).

It's my understanding that although newer versions of Crystal Reports can open and edit the .rpt the problem is that when a newer version saves the edited .rpt the shop manager program can no longer understand the .rpt since it was saved using an updated version of Crystal Reports.

I hope I'm making sense. Speaking with other shops it seems the only way to customize our invoice is to use version 6.

Thank you much,

dave

 

[dgillz]

So what does the shop manager program have to do with being able to edit and run crystal reports?

Is there a requirement that the reports be run from within the shop manager program?

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[Blamdude]

The shop manager program loads the .rpt file and uses it to display invoices, estimates, and any sales/accounting reports. If I so much load, make no changes, and then save an original .rpt using the latest version of Crystal Reports the manager program is no longer able to use the .rpt. It spits out an error message saying unable to load.

Thank you

 

[dgillz]

OK let me try this again.

Why do you have to use the shop program to run the reports, rather than just running them in crystal?

Have you tried running the report in crystal itself, without the shop program to see if it works?

If it works, problem solved.

If you still believe you need a 12 year old program called crystal 6 (I don't believe you do) then you probably need to try to buy an old copy on ebay.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[IanWaterman]

The chances of finding a legitimate copy of CR6 is very unlikely. I have the same problem with a client which has CR7 reports embeded in there application. Fortunatley I obtained a copy from the original developer.

DG
I understand what you are saying but to use a higher version of Crystal will mean that all users of the shop manger software will need to buy a Crystal Licence and they will have to run a separate piece of software to create invoices.

Blamdude wants to be able to modify the embedded invoice so that it can be run within his application.

Blamdude
Who developed the Shop Manager Program, perhaps they should still be able to supply a CR 6 licence.

Have you approached Business Objects with your problem, they may be able to help with this legacy issue.

Ian

 

[dgillz]

If he HAS TO run this from within the shop manager program, you are correct. If not, there is no need for multiple licenses, just get a crystal viewer for those that need to run the report.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[Blamdude]

Thanks for the input everyone. Unfortunately the shop manager program itself is what runs the reports and they have to be made using version 6.

Mitchell, the company that makes the program, is upgrading to version XI on the next big release but I don't know when that will be and I'd like to start customizing our invoices now with version 6. I might just have to sit and wait.

It's been tough. So far all the training companies I've called who may have used it in the past have laughed when I told them what I'm looking for. So far I haven't found it.

Looked on ebay and all I found was an upgrade package for older versions or for versions of competing products.

If anyone has any leads or maybe even an alternative that'd be great. I've looked into .rpt Inspector but it doesn't seem to do what I need it to do.

 

[CoSpringsGuy]

I had written some VB programs years ago that used CR 6 for report interfacing. As Windows began to evolve, the reports themselves would run from the native VB orogram, but CR 6 itself was not compatible out of the box with the newest windows versions. I couldnt even load it. I think if you google Crystal version 6 you will find that it is not compatible (at least easily compatible) with Win XP. I will have someone look for me but I just might have V6 around here somewhere unless my IT staff decided to clean out those old floppy disks. They very well may have.

_____________________________________
Crystal Reports XI Developer Version
Intersystems Cache 5.X ODBC connection

 

[Blamdude]

XP Compaitability was the other thing I was worried about. It's okay though I have a OE copy of Windows ME for my laptop.

 

[dgillz]

Blamdude,

Your explanations do not hold water. Did you TRY to run the reports in crystal itself and fail?

I have yet to see a report that you cannot run stand alone on crystal. Now it may take some work to make this happen but it is doable.

Just open the report in crystal itself and make the desired changes. Save it as some different filename than the report used by shop manager. Then run it.

Trust me, you do not need the shop manager program to run reports, keep an open mind and try what I am suggesting.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[LizSara]

dgillz, you're right in what you are saying but i think blamdude is making amendments to reports that will be run by users elsewhere using the shop manager program. the shop manager program can't run reports in anything other than CR6 so if he makes amendments to the reports in another version (which isn't backwards compatible) those users then won't be able to run the reports as they don't have any versions of crystal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. ~ Nietzsche"
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[dgillz]

Liz,

Yes, but as I mentioned in a previous thread they can use a crystal reports viewer to run the reports. There are lots of very cheap viewers out there including at least one freeware viewer.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.gainfocus.biz

"What version of URGENT!!! are you using?

 

[Blamdude]

I tried to use Jeff-Net Report Runner and there isn't much in the way of documentation. Can someone recommend a different viewer? By the way the database is Microsoft Access. Maybe I can skip using Crystal Reports all together and use something else?

Thanks,

dave

 

[CoSpringsGuy]

Sorry about V6 disks.... they where thrown out... although they did say they ran into a Windows V1 disk.... I had forgotten about that .. wonder if it is worth any money?

I still dont understand why you dont just create the report you need in a newer version of Crystal and run it seperate from the program. You said trhe software company was coming out with a new version. That seems like a fix until then. MS Access is easy to report on from Crystal.

_____________________________________
Crystal Reports XI Developer Version
Intersystems Cache 5.X ODBC connection

 

[Blamdude]

I understand I could run the report seperate but I was hoping to keep that functionality to the manager program.

The other thing is that Crystal Reports is new to me and I don't know how to specify which invoice I want to print out from the Access Database. I can clearly see the variables used when I open a .rpt in a new version of Crystal Reports but I don't know what to do with them. It seems easier to edit the report since it's laid out like a Word document rather than learn how to specify records and learn something entirely new.

Thanks

 

[mrlung]

Hi Folks,

I have developed applications applications using the embedded version of vb6, and chances are, if they they use embedded reports for things that that require anything that includes business logic more complicated than sort-n-group, then you might find that you cant just open the reports in a viewer, as the dataset can be passed to the embedded control at runtime, rather than the .rpts being linked to a stored procedure or table. Keep hunting (as am I for a similar reason) for the version 6

 

[JeffNetJeff]

Hi Blamdude,

You mentioned Jeff-Net Report Runner Viewer... the v8.5 version of it will run your v6 reports just fine. Did you speak with our support department about your problem? We provide support, even for trial users.

We have tons of documentation for configuring the Viewer, for use by network admins and power users. The Viewer itself has very little documentation, because it's super simple to use. If you know Crystal Reports, at all, you can use our Viewer. It's just a matter of turning on or off the security for entering ID/password, picking the report to run, and viewing it.

I'm guessing with Version 6 of Crystal Reports, you probably don't need an ID/password. The Viewer was probably prompting you for it, because you did not turn off that setting (just to the right on the main window).

Hope this helps clarify some of your statements/questions...

Jeff