VFP Runtimes on 64 bit machine 1

[JackTheC]

Hi,

I have an exe file created with VFP6, but I think the version does not matter.
If I want to install this exe manually on a XP, Vista of Win7-32 bit machine I put the VFP6R.DLL and VFP6RENU.DLL in the \windows\system32 folder and the exe anywhere on the harddisk.
This works fine: Numerous EXE files and the 2 library files one time on the HDD.

But when I do this with Win7-64 bits the exe does not start and gives the error "cannot locate the microsoft visual foxpro support library". When I put the runtime DLLS in the same folder as the exe, it wil start up correctly.

But if I have 100 folders with different EXEs I do not want to install the runtimes 100 times.

So is the a solution? I there a folder besides \windows\system32 or \windows\ where i can put the 2 runtime files?

 

[JRB-Bldr]

You might find Rick Schummer's comments informative regarding:
Windows 7 gotcha with Visual FoxPro Apps[/V]

http://rickschummer.com/blog2/2010/11/windows-7-gotcha-with-visual-foxpro-apps/

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr

 

[JackTheC]

OK,
I put the 2 runtime files in windows\syswow64.
And......
It works, even if vfp itself is 32 bit.
Thanks JRB have a star.

 

[JRB-Bldr]

I appreciate the star, but it should really go to Rick Schummer for his hard work.

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr

 

[JackTheC]

I read elsewhere that syswow64 is for 32 bit files and system32 is for 64 bit files.
This is probably Microsofts logic.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Jack,

yes, you're right. While it is ill logic on first sight, WoW64 is short for "Windows (32) On Windows 64", and thus is for 32 bit.
System32 on the other hand is a name they simply kept for downward compatibility of installers. A 32 bit app writing or reading there is redirected to SysWow64.

You better put the fox runtimes to your fox application anyway.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[DougHennig]

I agree with Olaf: it's better to put the runtimes into the application's folder than a common location. Suppose your client installs your application, which uses the VFP 9 SP2 runtimes, and then installs someone else's application, which uses the VFP 9 SP1 runtimes. The file names are the same, so the second runtimes will overwrite yours. If your application relies on features added in SP2, it'll fail. Installing the runtimes in the application folder prevents this problem.

Doug