Installing an application under Windows 98

[carlosweiss]

Hi,

I have generated an install package, using the "packaging and distribution assistant" in Visual Studio 6.0. My computer runs under Win XP SP2 and uses ADO DB connections.

I tried to install the application using this install package in a computer that has Win 98. In the middle of the process I got an error (I forgot to capture it, it was a problem with a .OCX file; I'll get it again by tomorrow 10/1). When I ran the application, I got another error message saying that the referenced .mdb file couldn't be opened.

My questions are:

1) The Visual Studio tool for generating installable programs has problems, specially for older versions of Windows? Is it better to use another tool (I've been told that Install Shield is a better one)? or maybe I should install Visual Studio in a computer with Win 98 and generate the installable package there?

2) I understand that Win 98 has Jet 4.0 as part of it, anyway I've downloaded the SP8 which I'll try tomorrow. From previous messages in this forum I understand that even though I'm using an Access 2000 database, I'm not supposed to run into any problem (SP8 should help for this too). Anybody had a similar experience?

Thanks,

Carlos

 

[gmmastros]

I suggest you use Inno Setup. A quick google search should find it for you. There is a growing community of people that can help you with it. Here's a site that has a script you can use to install Access database support to your inno setup.

Oh, the best part is that Inno Setup is free.

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Authoring-tools/Setup-creators/Inno-Setup.shtml

http://www.jrsoftware.org/iskb.php?dcommdac

-George

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause. - Fortune cookie wisdom

 

[carlosweiss]

OK, the problem now seems to be the Access 2000 database. I ran Jet 4.0 service pack 8 (Jet40SP8_9xNT.exe) and MDAC 2.8 (MDAC_TYP.EXE) after that, but I always get the same error:

"Runtime Error 3051 - The database engine Microsoft Jet cannot open file c:\xxx.mdb - It is open in exlusive mode by another user or you need permissions to see its content."

The Jet 4.0 SP doesn't show any "successful installation" message, MDAC 2.8 does.

As a reminder, this install package runs fine in any Win XP computer, but fails with the above message in Win 98 computers. The application uses Jet 4.0 for accessing the Access 2000 database, was coded in VB 6.0 in a computer with Win XP and the install package was generated with the Visual Studio tool.

I made an installation using InstallShiled but it's throwing an internal error when I launch it in another computer.

My only workaround by now I think it is to migrate everything to Access 97. I'd rather avoid that (besides, I'm not sure it will work even after that).

Anybody has a suggestion?

Thanks!

 

[carlosweiss]

Sorry, guys

The reason of the error was simply because the .mdb was read-only, apparently Windows 98 sets that attribute that way to files copied from a CD, whereas more recent Windows versions don't do that.

 

[gmmastros]

yes, yes. Of course. I've run in to the same problem before. I should have thought of that. I'm glad you got it sorted out.

-George

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause. - Fortune cookie wisdom