Issue with transfering software

[G0AOZ]

User has an Alphameric NEWS software package (DOS based) running under Windows 98, and the hard disk is starting to fail. The programme is currently running ok. The original installation disks are long gone, and the company no longer exists.

Tried using the basic COPY command to transfer the whole programme over onto another disk, but it fails to start saying there's an error in the GLOBAL00 file. Also tried a complete clone of the disk using PowerQuest. Same problem.

Any thoughts as to what might be stopping this from being moved? I thought perhaps the original hard drive serial number might have been coded in somewhere when the programme was first installed, but so far I have failed to find any readable files that show this...

Any help appreciated...

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[stduc]

What is the exact error message? It could be that file happens to be on a sector that is going bad. You may want to look at running Spinrite on the drive to see if that is the issue (

http://www.grc.com).

I have been known to be wrong.
The best way to thank someone who helps you is give them a star.

 

[G0AOZ]

Thanks for response. The exact error message reads as follows:-

An error has been detected in GLOBAL
within loader overlay GLOBAL00. This
overlay initialises GLOBAL.

The error is in LOAD1 which performs
all the primary loading of GLOBAL.

GLOBAL has not been configured.

All files match up between the original disk and the copies taken, so I am quite confident in saying that none have been missed in the transfer. Yes, the drive has got some errors on it, but they do not appear to be where data is currently located. At this moment, the application is running successfully on this drive. No errors came up when data was copied over to another drive, which is why I am thinking that it may not be a bad sector. I'd suspect the software has been coded to prevent illicit copies being made, and for the moment that has unfortunately snookered my efforts to replace this hard drive!

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[Freestone]

Roger - Are you running the copied program under Windows 98 or are you trying it under a newer OS like XP or 2000? If the latter, perhaps you are experiencing a DOS compatibility issue.

For your own peace of mind as far as the copied files integrity, you may want to run some kind of MD5 hashing program on both set of files, old and new drives.

 

[stduc]

I guess this software has nothing to do with alphameric.com?

Any chance you have missed a file anywhere? Perhaps in a different directory or on the root?

It is possible that that software only runs under 98, or at least won't run under XP or Vista or that the compatibility settings are wrong.

It might be worth seeing if the software will run in a virtual PC - such as microsoft's virtual 2007 (free). But you would have to clone the original drive using something like ghost or acronis.

I have been known to be wrong.
The best way to thank someone who helps you is give them a star.

 

[G0AOZ]

Original system is running under Windows 98-SE. When I copied and cloned it, I also tried running it under exactly the same system, i.e. Windows 98-SE. As well as this I tried it under DOS v6.22, but no joy here either.

No, the company was called Alphameric 100 Ltd, and as far I'm aware has nothing to do alphameric.com.

I'd say the chances of me missing a file are virtually zero since I not only made an image but also did a disk-to-disk copy using PowerQuest Disk Image.

I've still not discounted the idea that during installation the programme picked up the HDD serial number. Or maybe it placed a critical file in a certain sector on the drive, and during the imaging or cloning that file is now in a different place...

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[stduc]

I suspect you are correct about the HDD serial no or something similar happening. protected DOS program in my experience used to do one or more of the following if they didn't use a dongle.

1. Write something to the disk header (track zero)

2. Mark a sector on the HDD as bad and write something like a serial number to it.

During installation note one or more serial numbers and write them to (1) or (2) above or in a hidden system file. The at run time compare to see if the program was on the same system.

It might be worth contacting Alphameric to see if they can help? (A long shot I know)

If you have a sector editor you could have a look at track zero and see if you can see anything obvious or simple.

Have a look at the offending program and see if you can jump around the check? (Needs a good knowledge of assembler though)



I have been known to be wrong.
The best way to thank someone who helps you is give them a star.

 

[JohnNichol]

G0AOZ,

did you make any progress with this? I am having exactly the same problem as you are having trying to move the exact same software to a different PC.

We needed to move the software to a different PC as the hard drive was failing, but having done so it will not start up giving the "An error has been detected in GLOBAL..." message.

Any help greatly appreciated!!

Regards,

John

 

[G0AOZ]

Hi John

Regret no further forward on this one... The user does not have access to the original installation disks which might have helped. Also, I'm sure I've seen it written somewhere that after installing, one needs to contact the company to get a "verification code" or something similar before the programme will work! So looks like we might be snookered anyway, even if the original disks were found...

The only information that I have been given is that Torex Retail software will supposedly import the old Alphameric database, but I believe it's at some considerable cost for a small retailer...

http://www.torexretail.ie/

Good luck with your setup John. Will post again here if we get lucky!

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[tazzed]

first off make another image of this drive. Try SpinRite from

http://www.grc.com

it has saved me more then i can count. this may fix the error on the original drive. So you can make a good image. if this is a true dos program it does not need to install into Win98, you should be able to copy the dir to a new drive and be good again, I have seen very few programs which hold hard drive serial numbers as ID and the one that do, it is in a TXT or DAT file within the program dir.

good luck