Options for moving XP to Win7/8; Access97 Automation prob

dianedebuda

New Member
Messages
12
2 person office. Very small LAN with a single XP "server" (no direct user usage, no Web; not to be replaced) and 2 user machines that can access Web (both to be replaced - undecided yet Win7 or Win8).

Have an Access97 app that runs on XP user machine. Conversion to another MS Office is not an option. This app runs fine under Win7 (or Win8) except Automation. Access tries to run Word97 Mail-Merge = "Macro Storage not found" which seems to be a (CLSID + others) permission problem. May be other problems TBD.

I've rejected the first option: add a separate standalone XP user machine for the app. A second option is to add a separate XP user machine for this app that is on the LAN but block its Web access. A third option is to test if the app runs using the Administrator account, but I'm not really wanting to do this "for real". Another possibility is XP as a VM (XP mode?). I have never actually run a VM yet, so it'll all be new to me. I know there is a lot of web help for this available, so I'll google for details.

But before diving in, are there any major gotchas?

How hard would it be to switch from using the XP app to Win7/8 web activities?

I understand I could disable the virtual network driver for security, but the data for the app is on the XP server. Will I be able to use that data using XP Mode (or another VM)? What I'm aiming for is limiting my security exposure via the web for the XP machine after April 8.

Suggestions/thoughts?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8
Different version of Office, but this may explain why this happens:

vb.net - Word Automation : could not open macro storage - Stack Overflow

You need the proper rights assigned

"Could not open macro storage" displays in Mail Merge setup - ACS - ACS Technologies Help Center

There are links in that article that show you how to set up a MS Network properly, if your share is on the XP machine, using Administrator Account, make sure the Share has ALL Privileges assigned for User Administrator:

sharingperm.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro with Media Center/Windows 7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus § DualCore AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2300 MHz (11.5 x 200) 4400+ § Corsair Value Select
    CPU
    AMD 4400+/4200+
    Motherboard
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus/Asus A8M2N-LA (NodusM)
    Memory
    2 GB/3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce 8400 GS/GeForce 210
    Sound Card
    nVIDIA GT218 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Hitachi 40" LCD HDTV
    Screen Resolution
    "1842 x 1036"
    Hard Drives
    WDC WD50 00AAKS-007AA SCSI Disk Device
    ST1000DL 002-9TT153 SCSI Disk Device
    WDC WD3200AAJB-00J3A0 ATA Device
    WDC WD32 WD-WCAPZ2942630 USB Device
    WD My Book 1140 USB Device
    PSU
    Works 550w
    Case
    MSI "M-Box"
    Cooling
    Water Cooled
    Keyboard
    Dell Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Intellimouse
    Internet Speed
    Cable Medium Speed
    Browser
    Chrome/IE 10
    Antivirus
    Eset NOD32 6.x/Win Defend
    Other Info
    Recently lost my Windows 8 on my main PC, had to go back to Windows 7.
Yes, I know. I've been to that site and many others. Tried the Full rights thing & worked 1 time before something else happened. Could not get it to work again. Testing on a standalone box.

Haven't completely given up on getting this to work under Win7/8, but Office 97 automation was problematic even when I wrote this puppy 15 years ago. Safest approach is to keep it under XP.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8
So, it was made with Office 98? Maybe you can install earlier versions of Office to the workstations, prior to Office 2003?

You have to make sure that the 'Server" and all of the workstations have the same permissions set, and you should have a Share set up on the workstations as well.

I've been using a Macro created for Office 2000, all you have to do is enable Macros in Office 2007 and above. Macros can't be run in Office 2007 and above, unless you save the Docs they are in to the original Office Format, not with the 'x" at the end.

Its not just the permissions for the computers, it's permissions in newer versions of Office as well.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro with Media Center/Windows 7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus § DualCore AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2300 MHz (11.5 x 200) 4400+ § Corsair Value Select
    CPU
    AMD 4400+/4200+
    Motherboard
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus/Asus A8M2N-LA (NodusM)
    Memory
    2 GB/3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce 8400 GS/GeForce 210
    Sound Card
    nVIDIA GT218 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Hitachi 40" LCD HDTV
    Screen Resolution
    "1842 x 1036"
    Hard Drives
    WDC WD50 00AAKS-007AA SCSI Disk Device
    ST1000DL 002-9TT153 SCSI Disk Device
    WDC WD3200AAJB-00J3A0 ATA Device
    WDC WD32 WD-WCAPZ2942630 USB Device
    WD My Book 1140 USB Device
    PSU
    Works 550w
    Case
    MSI "M-Box"
    Cooling
    Water Cooled
    Keyboard
    Dell Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Intellimouse
    Internet Speed
    Cable Medium Speed
    Browser
    Chrome/IE 10
    Antivirus
    Eset NOD32 6.x/Win Defend
    Other Info
    Recently lost my Windows 8 on my main PC, had to go back to Windows 7.
It was built with Office 97 & that's what I've installed on my Win7/8 box for testing. Actually, there's no macros - it's VBA code. Word's Automation uses the macro framework for VBA - it's a pain. I've pretty much retired from programming & these folks are getting close too. Not going to spend lots of effort updating. That's why I'm pursuing the XP route.

Thanks for you interest.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro with Media Center/Windows 7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus § DualCore AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2300 MHz (11.5 x 200) 4400+ § Corsair Value Select
    CPU
    AMD 4400+/4200+
    Motherboard
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus/Asus A8M2N-LA (NodusM)
    Memory
    2 GB/3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce 8400 GS/GeForce 210
    Sound Card
    nVIDIA GT218 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Hitachi 40" LCD HDTV
    Screen Resolution
    "1842 x 1036"
    Hard Drives
    WDC WD50 00AAKS-007AA SCSI Disk Device
    ST1000DL 002-9TT153 SCSI Disk Device
    WDC WD3200AAJB-00J3A0 ATA Device
    WDC WD32 WD-WCAPZ2942630 USB Device
    WD My Book 1140 USB Device
    PSU
    Works 550w
    Case
    MSI "M-Box"
    Cooling
    Water Cooled
    Keyboard
    Dell Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Intellimouse
    Internet Speed
    Cable Medium Speed
    Browser
    Chrome/IE 10
    Antivirus
    Eset NOD32 6.x/Win Defend
    Other Info
    Recently lost my Windows 8 on my main PC, had to go back to Windows 7.
Another possibility is XP as a VM (XP mode?). I have never actually run a VM yet, so it'll all be new to me. I know there is a lot of web help for this available, so I'll google for details.
Some of the more expensive versions of Windows 7 have XP Mode built into the Operating system. As you suggest it runs as a Virtual Machine. You need a host machine with plenty of RAM though, becaue you're running 2 operating systems at once.

The Windows 7 feature contains an already-licensed version of XP.

Windows 8 doesn't have this feature; it is possible to run XP in a virtual machine from Windows 8 or one of the lesser versions of Windows 7, but you'll almost certainly need to go out and buy another Windows XP licence.

Running things in a virtual machine can give good performance; I know of cases where an old app running in Windows XP Mode on a Windows 7 host ran faster than running on the same machine in Windows 7 natively. However I'd expect some occasional pauses if the host machine is busy doing something; if your automation is timing-critical then you may have issues.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, 10
I tried installing 'XP Mode" into Windows 8, it don't go in.

Your System Board should have at least 4 GB of Ram, on some boards it is called "Vanderpool" and it has to be turned on, on the newest motherboards, it will say "Virtualization Extensions" and that turns Vanderpool on. - If you have an Intel Core Duo, you can use the "Hyper V" which is part of Windows 8.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro with Media Center/Windows 7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus § DualCore AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2300 MHz (11.5 x 200) 4400+ § Corsair Value Select
    CPU
    AMD 4400+/4200+
    Motherboard
    Asus M2N-MX SE Plus/Asus A8M2N-LA (NodusM)
    Memory
    2 GB/3GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce 8400 GS/GeForce 210
    Sound Card
    nVIDIA GT218 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Hitachi 40" LCD HDTV
    Screen Resolution
    "1842 x 1036"
    Hard Drives
    WDC WD50 00AAKS-007AA SCSI Disk Device
    ST1000DL 002-9TT153 SCSI Disk Device
    WDC WD3200AAJB-00J3A0 ATA Device
    WDC WD32 WD-WCAPZ2942630 USB Device
    WD My Book 1140 USB Device
    PSU
    Works 550w
    Case
    MSI "M-Box"
    Cooling
    Water Cooled
    Keyboard
    Dell Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Intellimouse
    Internet Speed
    Cable Medium Speed
    Browser
    Chrome/IE 10
    Antivirus
    Eset NOD32 6.x/Win Defend
    Other Info
    Recently lost my Windows 8 on my main PC, had to go back to Windows 7.
Back
Top