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 Lopatir wrote: I had a very similar situation with a barcode printer/software, (Argox brand) - older model, no drivers for the model beyond Vista and even that was considere3d experimental.
1. It sort of worked on 7, but would quit after 4 labels (and they were printing hundreds.)
2. It sort of worked a bit better on an XP VM (windows XP mode), 20 labels then quit.
3. Other VM's no luck, nothing, nada.
(the worst was the "sort of work" result would always need a power off/on reboot to try again.)
Anyway, the only solution that worked was to run XP, native on metal.
How did I manage that?
Went down to their PC graveyard, found a slightly less old machine that worked:
1MB RAM, Pentium 3 I think), an intel 80G SSD from an old vista all-in-1
(Note: every single HDD I tried was dead - even some quite recent ones half the age of the SSD - while every single SSD I found worked, 60G, 120G. woah!)
Installed XP SP3 (from an ISO on a stick). Luckily they had Dells - XP license printed on the sticker so no cheatin either.
The bios battery's is out, showed them how to get past that, (and suggested they just leave it on)
2 years on it's still flawless - SSD included. Although it's only got 1 job: bar codes
Not putting that much work in for this, though great story.
Horse equipment and stuff, nothing doing finding and old computer let alone a working one.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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A Windows program? If not, you may want to try DOSBOX.
If all else fails, they'd best buy a compatible 2nd hand computer that is still capable of running their old system, and then transferring it to something more modern.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Eddy Vluggen wrote: A Windows program? If not, you may want to try DOSBOX.
Yes Windows program so no need for that.
Eddy Vluggen wrote: If all else fails, they'd best buy a compatible 2nd hand computer that is still capable of running their old system, and then transferring it to something more modern.
I didn't get a call when it died or any questions for advice on the new computer so not getting a new 2nd hand one for them.
Thanks for the ideas.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Michael Martin wrote: Got an old customer who is running her business using a custom program that was written years ago.
DOS or Windows program?
Michael Martin wrote: Been recently reinstalled on a Windows 10 computer as the other one died (not sure what was wrong with it) and obviously doesn't run as expected which could be sue to configuration not done on the new computer or just Windows 10 doing things differently.
Backup(if it's there) from old machine could be useful. Was there any automatic backups in old machines(any saved data in CD/DVDs)? Possibly data backups.
Michael Martin wrote: Got the barcode printing software installed but from what I'm told, part way through using it it would dump 2 files to the Desktop that she would double-click to load in the label software and she could print away.
Couldn't expect help docs from that much very old programs. Better check
Michael Martin wrote: Anyone have any idea where they might hide? No, I don't know what the files were called,
Possibly Registry.
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thatraja wrote: DOS or Windows program?
Windows to .mdb I think.
thatraja wrote: Backup(if it's there) from old machine could be useful. Was there any automatic backups in old machines(any saved data in CD/DVDs)? Possibly data backups.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Oh data backups, yes, of the.mdb files only.
thatraja wrote: Couldn't expect help docs from that much very old programs. Better check
They still have the phone number of the original programmer. He doesn't want anything to do with it. Neither do I, but he's probably been engaged with them longer so it at the faarrrkkkk no stage.
thatraja wrote: Possibly Registry.
Possibly, but everything seems to be file based so I doubt it.
Thanks.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Decompile it to work out what the code is doing.
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F-ES Sitecore wrote: Decompile it to work out what the code is doing.
I'd prefer to move into Management.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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check the windows event logs, all of them.
there could be a number of issues going on here, my initial reaction is that there is a .dll or two, or three that are needed and no longer can be found. If they are swallowing errors in the app, then you will only see this in the event logs...hopefully.
Start there.
Might want to see if you can track down the "creator" of this mysterious and magical custom program, and see what they have to say.
good luck.
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Slacker007 wrote: check the windows event logs, all of them.
there could be a number of issues going on here, my initial reaction is that there is a .dll or two, or three that are needed and no longer can be found. If they are swallowing errors in the app, then you will only see this in the event logs...hopefully.
Thanks hopefully that won't be needed but probably will.
Slacker007 wrote: Might want to see if you can track down the "creator" of this mysterious and magical custom program, and see what they have to say.
As mentioned in one of my other relies, they have his phone number and he's refusing to take ny part in the program at all any more.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Michael Martin wrote: it would dump 2 files to the Desktop
Which desktop? There are two "desktop" folders - the one in the user profile, and the shared one that's usually in C:\Users\Public\Desktop.
Of course, if the application is old enough, it might just assume the desktop folder is in a fixed location, and write the files somewhere completely different.
If you can get access to the machine, maybe Process Monitor[^] might help to identify the problem.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Richard Deeming wrote: Which desktop? There are two "desktop" folders - the one in the user profile, and the shared one that's usually in C:\Users\Public\Desktop.
Shouldn't matter which as they both display on the current users Desktop. Plus I reckon this may have been written around the time of Vista so though it may have existed the Public\Desktop wasn't targetted.
Richard Deeming wrote: Of course, if the application is old enough, it might just assume the desktop folder is in a fixed location, and write the files somewhere completely different.
That's what I believe C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore is for. Have another old customer that has bucket loads of data in a Palm III database. I installed that software and to get to the data you have to get in to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Folder (x86)\Palm\...
Richard Deeming wrote: If you can get access to the machine, maybe Process Monitor[^] might help to identify the problem.
I couldn't be paid enough to start wading through that murky pile of sh*t.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Michael Martin wrote: That's what I believe C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore is for.
That only works if the application doesn't have a manifest. If it was written for Vista, isn't running elevated, and doesn't have permission to write to the folder, it'll just get an "access denied" error.
For the purposes of this virtualization, Windows Vista treats a process as legacy if it’s 32-bit (versus 64-bit), is not running with administrative rights, and does not have a manifest file indicating that it was written for Windows Vista.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Use Process Monitor to find out where the application is (presumably) trying (and failing) to write to.
If you've never used it before it's got a really steep learning curve, and depending on how active the software is you might benefit from creating a HelloFileSystem test app to help figure out how to set your filters, but it's a really useful tool for snooping on what an application is trying to do behind the scenes.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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Dan Neely wrote: Use Process Monitor to find out where the application is (presumably) trying (and failing) to write to.
If you've never used it before it's got a really steep learning curve, and depending on how active the software is you might benefit from creating a HelloFileSystem test app to help figure out how to set your filters, but it's a really useful tool for snooping on what an application is trying to do behind the scenes.
I'm not that invested in this by a long shot. I'll invest in a carton of beer instead.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Sorry if this has been answered below, I didn't read them all, but get the search program 'Everything'. Run the program to produce the files, then search using Everything but just sort by date and find the newest files. If they exist anywhere, everything should find.
HTH.
Jack of all trades, master of none, though often times better than master of one.
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Ron Nicholson wrote: Sorry if this has been answered below, I didn't read them all, but get the search program 'Everything'. Run the program to produce the files, then search using Everything but just sort by date and find the newest files. If they exist anywhere, everything should find.
HTH.
Thanks. I will look into this tool tomorrow (little more than 30 minutes away) even if I don't use it for the task mentioned.
You should look at posting about this in the Free Tools Discussion Boards[^].
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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LOL. I've to read all the replies before responding. 
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Insert gratuitous self-promotion here... 
I wrote a program which will watch all files on your disk. I wrote it up here on CP.
1. Fire up the program.
2. Point it at her C:\ drive and have her start the label maker.
3. You will see every file created. (uses filesystemwatcher and is quite robust)
Win10 : Examination of Disk Utilization (Includes DiscoFiles utility)[^]
I even included a zip on that article that contains the pre-built app so you can try it quickly.
It's just one .NET exe.
EDIT
I've seen this type of problem before which is related to the rights the process has (starting under Vista / Win7) to write files only in certain locations. %programdata%, etc. Anyways, from what I remember, the OS will simply block the creation of the files (which are written in improper places) without crashing the program or anything. The files just never appear. This is all related to when MS made those changes about not allowing a process to create a file (even configuration) in the Program Files directory.
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If you knew the name of those files that were supposed to be created, you could install a filesystem indexer like Void Tools Everything[^] and perform a quick search.
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From and old programmer with experiences of old bar code printers a lot did not have Windows printer drivers and needed special coding to produce their labels while other did have printer drivers that I would expect you will need to install and even then they might need the correct bar code font installed before they can print labels with bar codes.
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Maybe the software is set up to print to file, and the desktop was under C:\Documents and settings\... under XP and now it is c:\users\.... and the software simply can not create the file at all.
Same could be the case if the Windows printer was set up to print to file.
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Windows 10 does user names differently to older operating systems e.g. Windows 7. My desktop is stored at C:\Users\benab\Desktop on Windows 10 and C:\Users\Ben\Desktop on Windows 7. If the programmer was using her user name to store it to the desktop (terrible programming practise!), then that would explain it 
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A few years ago I had a similar problem. The program I was using, try to write something to a specific path. Because it had an error trap, it never showed an error in which I could find the path. I tried almost everything. No. it didn't work.
Finally I used a Hexadecimal editor (I don't remember which one) to look inside the guts. Almost everything is gibberish, but the strings appears bright as a full-moon light. And Voila! the path showed itself hidden inside «─í▀≈┌▀▐C:\Freemont\Data\Packs.dat▌┌░≈Σ
Because I didn't change anything to the program, when I closed the Editor and created the Folder, all work as desired.
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I agree with this approach. You might try to: 1) make sure the Desktop is not read-only, and 2) make sure the prior version Windows Desktop path exists (thru Documents and Settings, or whatever).
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