InstallShield and VFP 9 Merge Modules.

[sdocker]

InstallShield cannot find file VFP_Runtime

I am on a new windows 11 machine and installed VFP9. I am running version 09 00 0000 7423 I am using InstallShield 2024 R2.

Please see message below. Is there a merge module VFP_Runtime, and where can I find it?

Thanks.
Sam

 

[Chris Miller]

If you install VFP9 it will install Installshield Express and put the merge modules into C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules

The files are:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\VFP_GDIPlus.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\VFP9HTMLHelp.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9rchs.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9rcht.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9rcsy.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9rdeu.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9resn.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9rfra.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9rkor.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\VFP9RptApps.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\vfp9rrus.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\Vfp9Runtime.msm"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\VfpOleDB.msm"
There's also one more merge module for the C++ runtime VFP executables also need. but that's not VFP specific, only. It's also in that folder, though. The core VFP runtime merge module, which installs the vfp9r.dll and vfp9t.dll, is named Vfp9Runtime.msm. You'll also need the GDIPlus merge module, optionally report apps, HTMLhelp and for international support you'd also add in all the language resource DLL merge modules - all of them.

If Installshield does not find them there, you either err about having installed VFP from CD and copied it over from an old PC instead or you installed InstallShield separately and maybe not just the Express version that comes with VFP9. The full InstallShield product doesn't come with VFP9 specific merge modules, though, and would explain why you don't find them.

Anyway, merge modules are always in that folder or - for the 64bit version of Installshield obviously in the other Program Files folder, not the (x86) folder. I'm not sure a 64bit Installshield version exists, though.

 

[Chris Miller]

If you don't find merge modules ther and go through reinstalling VFP from CD, remember that only has the SP0 versions of the merge modules, one of the service pack and then I think finally also one of the last hotfixes has the latest merge modules installing the 09 00 0000 7423 versions of the runtime DLLs. And remember the hotfixes are not a simple setup they unzip files including a readme with instructions of where to put the hotfix files, including the correct merge module files.

 

[sdocker]

I did not copy from an old PC. I reinstalled from the original CD, Installed SP1, SP2 and the HotFix.
The Original CD contains three steps...
1. Prerequisites
2. Visual FoxPro
3. Service Releases

Unfortunately, Item 3 led to a page with this message.

We're no longer updating this content regularly. Check the Microsoft Product Lifecycle for information about how this product, service, technology, or API is supported.

So, i suspect this is why i am missing it, and why IS can't find "VFP_Runtime"

Any idea where i can get it or the module that contains it?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[Chris Miller]

No, that's not in "service releases", you have to install installshield express from the CD. Maybe it's done within the VFP setup or you have to do that as a separate step.

Well, and as said some of the merge modules needing an update to the ...7423 version need to come from the hotfixes. Don't have the servcice packs and hotfixes? How did you install them, then? They are clearly not on the CD. So you have to have them already, MS doesn't provide VFP SPs, it's a dead product. But VFPx hosts the SP" and Htofix3 at https://github.com/VFPX/VFP9SP2Hotfix3.

 

[Chris Miller]

Update: Actually I find the VFP9 SP2 official download on Micrsoft at https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=30504
It's just that "service releases" are not existing in the place the VFP setup CD or VFP9.exe itself expects them.

The menu item "'Visual FoxPro on the Web" leads to a non existing URL even after redirects, also after you installed VFP9SP2 with latest hotfix. Again, you're dealing with a dead product.

But all that is not related to Installshield Express. InstallShield Express (Limited Edition) is available on the VFP9 CD as a separate setup, as mentioned in the VFP9 help:

How to: Install Additional Applications - dv_foxhelp91.hhc - Imported Help File

www.vfphelp.com

As you already use Installshield Express and it hasn't the VFP merge modules, you must use the full version of it or you did some error in its setup. If you go through this once more, you'll need to also repeat the SP2 setup and the hotfix to get the latest merge module files, you don't just get all of them in the latest version from the hotfix. Well, and obviously going through the ISE setup you install the unpatched SP0 versions of merge modules, but ISE knows them and you can then upgrade with SP2 and hotfix. Just also remember: The hotfiux, unlike the SP2 setup wil not put files where they belong to itself, after you ran the hotfix exe it'll uncompress a set of files including a readme you have to read and follow instructions. It should not be news to you as you already once did it, otherwise vfp9 wouldn't say its version...7423.

As Installshield changed ownership from Flexera to Revenera since VFP9 was released, you may also not get it to work properly with the Revenera full version, though merge modules still are merge modules, always are in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Merge Modules and therefore should be found by a setup creator as Installshield is, no matter what vendor it's now, it's an MS standard. It would help if you look into the info about Installshield to see which version of it you have, really.

Or skip all that and do a setup with Inno Setup intead.

 

[sdocker]

Years ago, when I updates VFP9 I saved the SP files and the HotFix File.

I also ran isxfoxpro.exe from the [installshield] folder on the CD.

I am only missing one file VFP_runtime. I have no problems with any other merge modules.

Can some possibly search their PC's for the file and send it to me. That may Work.

I am using IS 2024 R2

Sam

 

[Chris Miller]

IS 2024 R2

Okay, that's not the version that comes with VFP9. That would be version 5.0, not the 2024 version.

Either this version has become incompatible with the merge modules of VFP or you're really just missing some, but why?
There's no VFP_runtime.msm merge module file, that's not the file name, the files are as I listed them above, can you check your C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules\ folder, please?

I suspect you'l be better off using Inno for VFP setup projecs than trying to get the 2024 Revenera version of IS to work with VFP merge modules.

 

[sdocker]

I did install the IS version 5.0 from the CD.
I checked, and all the files WERE in the Merge Modules folder.

If there is no VFP_Runtime.msm file, then the issue lies with InstallShield.
I started with INNO. I just wish I had more warning that IS would mess up.

Thank you.
Sam

 

[Chris Miller]

For the second time now, there doesn't exist a VFP_Runtime.msm, also when you have merge modules installed, the VFP merge modules are all listed above and the one about the VFP runtime DLLs is called Vfp9Runtime.msm without an underscore. And there are a lot more VFP related, about GDIPlus, HTML help, etc.

If you ever installed ISE from the VFP9 CD and later upgraded to the 2024 full version, that upgrade must have degraded the merge modules or isn't capable of using them. I do repeat myself, here. Can you please read what I already wrote?

The simplest thing you can do for startes is unpack the hotfix 3 once omre, see what MSM files you find in there and put them into the Merge Modules folder to see if your IS 2024 picks them up. Otherwise, maybe ask in the VFPX community as an issue perhaps, whether someone is willing to put up all the MSM merge modules for download.

The "offical" way to have them installed is a) installing VFP9 SP0, installing ISE from the CD, too. Then SP2, which will not only pick up that you have VFP9 and are legible for updating the VFP9.exe but also cares for updates of the msm files up to the SP2 level, finally in the hotfix find the latest msms that need an update from there and you have all the latest msm, they are not installed just by installing VFP9.

And all in all, I'd just trash this crap of Installshield and do an Inno Setup of whatever you need.

 

[Chris Miller]

Against all odds, I think you never saw the root setup screen of VFPs setup CD, as you started setup.exe instead of vfpstart.hta:

InstallShield Express aka ISE or ISX doesn't automatically install within the Visual Foxpro Setup. It's also not behind the Service Releases part of the FoxPro setup, as you assume, it's a separate setup and you can also find it on the CD in the installshield folder. It's Flexera Installshield 5.0 Express (Limited Edition) from about 2005. It includes the VFP merge modules, exclusively. ISX fr the VFP7 CD intalled VFP7 merge modules, obviously, and VFP8,... Anything else, directly from Flexera or today Revenera does NOT have VFP merge modules with it.

The merge module files are not seperate in the CD, they come to your PC only by explicitly installing InstallShield from here.

Then, SP2 upgrades files, including VFP9.exe and - if installed - merge modules, VFP9 merge modules. Lkewise the Hotfix. If you're lucky you find all VFP related merge modules in the Hotfix3 you still have, but again, what I said before: The Hotfix is not a setup that puts files where they belong, finally, you'll have to specify a folder to which the Hotfix extracts a list of files including a readme with instructions of what to do with them.

And last not least, since you obviously have upgraded to the full version of InstalShield 2024 you depend on this version to work with the merge modules you find from the ISX setup, Sp2 and Hotfix, if not, only Revenera could fix that, but my guess is they won't do so for a dead product like VFP, maybe too pessimistic on my side.

On the other hand, Inno is capable to do VFP setups without merge modules. Besides, you can also do Installshield setups without merge modules, jut directly provide necessary DLLs, etc.

Last thing from the readme.html: VFP7 already came with ISX and installed merge modules into Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MergeModules\ instead of Common Files\MergeModules\, which means your full version of IS could even look for merge modules somewhere else, so it's also worth just using Windows Explorer file search to find all files with msm extension and see which locations pop up and then configure your IS version to where it finds these files.

And then about the non working "Service Releases", that point of the VFP installation forwarded you to a MS web page offering VFP service packs, XSource.zip, VFPCOM Utility and some more, but not merge modules or ISE. All that stuff is in VFPX, no need for that to work.

 

[Chris Miller]

I looked into the VFP CD ince more and you find the merge modules on it (albeit only the SP0 versions, of course) in
CDdrive\program files\common files\merge modules

I wonder if you even looked into C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Merge Modules up until now.