vb6 and NT4 issue

[patrussell]

I have a VB app that was running on an NT4 PC until I updated it and recompiled. When I reinstalled using a package from the deployment tool the install updated system files and since that time I either get "cannot create directory" errors or "mscomm32.ocx" errors. I have tried to register mscomm32 but it fails each time.

This is a critical app on an obviously old machine that I have to get running. Do I need to remove all the updated files and reinstall? What could have changed to not allow the install after the files were updated?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Pat Russell

 

[vb5prgrmr]

First guess is that you are on a newer OS and machine than your NT4 machine. If that is so then the best thing for you to do is to find/use an equivalent or less than your target machine.

Meaning that VB apps designed with say NT4 SP6 don’t like to be installed on NT4 SP4 machines let alone apps designed on 2k or later machines. Best bet is to use an equivalent machine i.e. same OS and SP or less, same OS no SP’s or say a 98 machine (if you can still find one.)

Now please don’t get me wrong. I am NOT saying it is impossible to install backwards it is just a pain in the @$$ and I could be wrong but I believe a search of this forum should retrieve some relevant threads.

Good Luck

 

[tedsmith]

What OS does the machine that you are editing and compiling on have?

VB Service pack 6 has a new version of msComm32

If the original app was compiled not using service pack 6 then you should set it up on a WindowsXp machine without SP6 installed and compile it to a new package.
Then try to reinstall the package on the Nt4 machine which should add and register the old version of MScomm32.
Check the any directories the app uses are all manually installed on the NT4 machine.

If this does not work then try installing service pack 6 and do it again.

 

[patrussell]

Thanks for the tips. I ended up doing a complete reinstall of NT4 up to Sp6. Once that was done the app installed and is running fine. Not exactly sure what was happening but I didn't have the luxury of a lot of time to figure it out.



Pat Russell