Solved Can't register legacy software in fresh windows 8.1

mertzi

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Hello!

I use a really really old music production mastering software called t-racks 24 which I'm dependant on and I don't want to buy a new version because of this. I really like the old version and see no reason to stop using it. Considering it being so old I wouldn't expect any support from the company.

Installing and registering it in windows 8 is no problem, and it still works after upgrading to windows 8.1. But on my other desktop pc I did a fresh installation of windows 8 and did the upgrade to 8.1 first thing before installing any other apps. And now I'm screwed. I can't register because my digital ID is completely wrong. It is supposed to have random letters and numbers but all I get is AAAAAAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAA-AAAAAAAA. I found a really old cached question from a FAQ about the same problem but for Windows Vista and the answer was to run it in compatibility mode. I've tried all compatibility modes, both with and without admin rights, but it doesn't help.

I think it is really strange that it works in windows 8 and 8.1 IF it is installed prior to upgrading to 8.1. I did a crosscheck by installing windows 8 on an empty partition, installed T-racks, and then upgraded to 8.1 and it works. I can of course always keep in mind to perform it like this when I do a fresh re-install of windows, but I just got windows 8.1 set up on an SSD and have installed all applications I use and it would be nice to not have to re-install everything again just because of one single application. And also if I plan to get a device that ships with windows 8.1 (like the surface pro 2) I need to have another solution.

Have a nice day!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
Best guess is its related to something that is installed by default in 8 but not in a clean install of 8.1. An older version of Dot Net Framework or something similar. If you can find a list of the minimum system requirements for that program you get a hint as to what is missing in action.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
It might, but I've installed dot net 3.5 and 4 because it is needed for other software I use. These are the minimum requirements:

Minimal: Intel® Pentium® 200 MHz MMX with Windows® 95/98/ME/XP, Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000, 32MB RAM and high-quality sound card. Screen settings: 800x600, high colors (16 bit).

Reading this feels like reading an old scripture.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
OK, like I said best guess? Wish I could be more help but that's all I could think of. It would be a bit tedious but you could compare what's enabled under "Turn Windows features On and Off" on Windows 8 versus Windows 8.1
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Yes, this is really hard to troubleshoot. I compared the windows features list and they are 100% identical.

I have also tried disabling driver signature enforcement and disabling defender. This is one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced as a long time windows user (since 3.1)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
Its a bit of a stretch but, Java or Silverlight maybe?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Not sure if this will work for your situation but I had a similar issue with some older software which I resolved by installing to the root of C: rather than the Program Files folder. Might be worth a shot.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
There's also 16bit color mode in the compatibility mode that might do the trick. Try Win98/ME + 16bit color + administrator.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
Thanks for your ideas! Unfortunately still no luck. Installing in root c: didn't work, neither 16-bit. The more I think of it the more I realize how bad this is. I was really planning on getting a Surface Pro 2 next year to replace both my desktop PC's but this is going to prevent me from that since it's delivered with 8.1. All points to changes of the registry but searching through the registry on both my machines gives me nothing of value.

It really pisses me off when backwards compatibility is broken. I would happily buy the latest version of the software but the problem is that music production software tend to never have backwards compatibility for songs/projects/presets and T-racks is no exception (tried the demo).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
Thanks for your ideas! Unfortunately still no luck. Installing in root c: didn't work, neither 16-bit. The more I think of it the more I realize how bad this is. I was really planning on getting a Surface Pro 2 next year to replace both my desktop PC's but this is going to prevent me from that since it's delivered with 8.1. All points to changes of the registry but searching through the registry on both my machines gives me nothing of value.

It really pisses me off when backwards compatibility is broken. I would happily buy the latest version of the software but the problem is that music production software tend to never have backwards compatibility for songs/projects/presets and T-racks is no exception (tried the demo).

The only thing that is better and goes beyond compatibility mode is by using virtual machines. If you install your older software on a XP or Win98 VM running on your Win8 and use it there where it's compatible seems to be the best solution when compatibility mode fails.

Very good program in creating VM's for home usage:
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/free#desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_player/6_0

Example, install XP in a VM in VMware Player:
Installing Windows XP - Full tutorial

Virtualization tutorials here on EightForums:
Link

With problems related to virtual machine you might post the question/topic here:
Virtualization - Windows 8 Forums
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
The only thing that is better and goes beyond compatibility mode is by using virtual machines. If you install your older software on a XP or Win98 VM running on your Win8 and use it there where it's compatible seems to be the best solution when compatibility mode fails.

Very good program in creating VM's for home usage:
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/free#desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_player/6_0

Example, install XP in a VM in VMware Player:
Installing Windows XP - Full tutorial

Virtualization tutorials here on EightForums:
Link

With problems related to virtual machine you might post the question/topic here:
Virtualization - Windows 8 Forums

Thanks! I'm going to give this a try. I think I tried this 3 years ago when I went from XP to Windows 7 when I had similar problems but I got driver issues with my audio card. For most music production software you need to use special drivers called Asio and I never got it to work. But all software I use can be run in XP so I'm going to give it a shot again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
OK VMWare is pretty awesome and much easier than I expected. Just choose an iso and everything is go! I installed an old slipstreamed XP which boots in notime, especially when suspended, but then I realised that T-Racks is so old that it can run in windows 95. Would I benefit anything speed wise by running windows 95, 98 or 2000 instead of XP?

I have windows 8 on an SSD and I put the virtual machines in c:, was that a bad idea? If I put it on my HDD d: drive (a caviar blue sata 3) will it work slower? And regarding the virtual machines folder, can I copy it to a backup drive and import it in vmware on another PC?

And finally regarding ASIO, I only need VMWare for T-racks which isn't dependent on ASIO to run well, so it's not a catastrophe. I can use a tool called Asio4All if I really need it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
Glad to see it running.

mertzi said:
T-Racks is so old that it can run in windows 95. Would I benefit anything speed wise by running windows 95, 98 or 2000 instead of XP?
Not really. It would just work better if the compatibility is better than in XP. Otherwise you can stay on XP, speed wise and depending on preferences XP should be better, especially if it's slipstreamed wisely.

mertzi said:
I have windows 8 on an SSD and I put the virtual machines in c:, was that a bad idea? If I put it on my HDD d: drive (a caviar blue sata 3) will it work slower? And regarding the virtual machines folder, can I copy it to a backup drive and import it in vmware on another PC?
Again, if you really need the extra gained boot seconds, leave it on c: if not use the hdd. This part is not that important since VMware can play VMs from many different folders. It's the SSD that would be used more in this case. If it's me I'd run it from the HDD, no rush. If you are in a hurry, use the SSD, there are no issues with this.
Yes you can copy the VM as backup and even play it on another computer, that's one of the main advantages.

Regards,
Hopachi
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
I must consider this solved since the VMWare solution is pretty elegant and also future proof. I was going to try with windows 98 but the installation process is not worth it, floppy image and whatnot. If I suspend the VM XP it boots in 3 seconds (I have measured) and that's the same amount of time it normally takes to start T-Racks, and I just leave it running in XP before suspending. VMware was a very uplifting new experience. Thanks for all your ideas and help!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
You're welcome.

Glad to see it solved! :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy DV6 7250
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM
    Motherboard
    HP, Intel HM77 Express Chipset
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD4000 + Nvidia Geforce 630M
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6' built-in + Samsung S22D300 + 17.3' LG Phillips
    Screen Resolution
    multiple resolutions
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 250GB + Hitachi HDD 750GB
    PSU
    120W adapter
    Case
    small
    Cooling
    laptop cooling pad
    Keyboard
    Backlit built-in + big one in USB
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Sensei
    Internet Speed
    slow and steady
    Browser
    Chromium, Pale Moon, Firefox Developer Edition
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's basically it.
Hello!

This thread is pretty old but by random I found the exact cause for the original problem and felt an urge to share.
The bad guy: UEFI!
I recently bought a new intel NUC and installed Windows 7 pro 64-bit in UEFI mode because it has an SSD. I chose Windows 7 since I'm only going to use this machine for music production and figured that I'd rather be able to run all legacy software without using a VM than avoiding Aero (angst!). Then to my surprise after installing windows 7 and running all windows updates I still couldn't install the program which didn't work in 8.1, and it has always worked in Windows 7. Then I tried Windows 8 (not 8.1) which the software also worked with, but same problem. Then it hit me, the PC's where it originally worked was running windows from HDD's in non UEFI. So I installed windows 8.1 pro 64-bit but didn't chose UEFI and voila, now it works!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-2100 3.1ghz
    Motherboard
    http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H67/
    Memory
    6gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon HD 6450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100/100 fiber
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