Board index » off-topic » Installing BDE on 64 bit operating system

2008-06-18 04:08:46 AM
off-topic9
We have a customer who needs to run our CB3 application on 64 bit Vista.
We're under a time deadline because if we can't do this quickly, his time to
return the computer will run out. Our current build fails completely
because we're using the old InstallShield that came with CB3 which is
apparently 16 bit. We're trying to build a new installation for the old
program using the InstallAware that came with CB2007. We can figure out
easily enough how to set it up to get our stuff installed but we're less
confident about getting the BDE installed and we don't have a 64 bit machine
to test on. InstallAware lacks the "install the BDE" option that the old
InstallShield had so we're going to have to do it by hand. I don't think we
can even use Borland's "BDE stub" because that probably also contains
InstallShield stuff that will fail on 64 bit.
Has anyone been down this road?
What files do I need to copy where?
Will I need to make any registry entries or can I avoid that with
configuration files?
I know that even on 32bit Vista I need to check the option box about Win3.1
to force the use of the cfg file instead of registry keys. We'll try having
the installation program set that one key. I'm hoping that with that set we
can just copy files and let our program take it from there without help from
the BDE Administrator.
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com
 

See www.dbginc.com/bdenet/BDENet.html. This paper explains how
to install the BDE on a file server so that you do not have to install
it on each PC, however, IIRC, it does cover what files have to be
installed and the registry entries that must be created so it should
help you.
Note that I have no idea if the BDE will run on 64 bit Windows or not.
Hope this helps.
--
Bill Todd (TeamB)
 

thanks, Bill. I've had that article of yours bookmarked for a long time and
I sent my programmer home with a copy to read tonight. if no one comes
along tonight who has actually done this, we'll see if we can get the
installation program to create the keys from your CreateKeys method. we
probably don't need to use ini files though. we'll just point the keys to
the locations the installer copied the files.
however, I don't see a list of the files that need to be copied in your
article. is it going to be the same set of files that a clean installation
puts into Program Files\Common Files\Borland\BDE?
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com
 

{smallsort}

Frank M. Cook wrote:
--
Bill Todd (TeamB)
 

InstallAware did run on Vista 64 although we're having some difficulty
getting it to put the files where we asked it to. Not sure yet if that was
our error or Vista protecting Program Files tree. Because time is short,
our next step will be to attempt to simply copy the BDE files in manually
without using an install program, and then to create the Registry entries
manually. That should let us know if the BDE runs in this environment.
If we get over that hurdle, we can also copy our application files from
another computer at the site and see if our stuff works. we think it should
if the BDE is working properly underneath our stuff.
and if we get over both hurdles, we can return to automating the process
using InstallAware. I'll keep you all advised.
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com
 

"Frank M. Cook" < XXXX@XXXXX.COM >wrote in message
If you search the archives of this group you will find details on how others
successfully installed the BDE under 64 Bit Windows. Remember the key even
for 32 bit Vista is to ensure the cfg file is outside of the program files
folder and that the BDE is configured to use the cfg file rather than the
registry.
Leslie.
 

Files\Common Files\Borland\BDE. where are you putting it? we create an
OurCompany directory under the root and put out data there to get it out of
Program Files. should we create a BDE folder under our folder or should put
it in the hidden Application Data folder? we are resisting putting our data
files in Application Data because that would make it too difficult for our
users to back up or to transfer data to new computers.
It looks like they've done some housekeeping and eliminated old messages as
I don't find anything helpful in the old messages. I do have Bill Todd's
network installation instructions. what we're trying to do now is manually
set Registry entries for ConfigFile01, DLLPath, BLAPIPath, and SaveConfig.
We think if we get these four keys set, our application should be able to
take it from there.
if manually setting the four keys gets us working, we'll figure out how to
get InstallAware to automate this process. so far, we seem to have
InstallAware setting keys on XP but not Vista64.
is our list of keys correct?
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com
 

the entire drive, you can't use the registry, you can't Program Files, and
you can't use anything else that is an "ordinary" Windows folder.. between
the info here, and the info on the various Paradox and/or BDE newsgroups
elsewhere, you will see many examples of that logic..
the "collective wisdom" is to make you own paths for everything, and to
default the BDE to use you own cfg files (the old Win 3.1 default)
Diamond Software Group
www.diamondsg.com/main.htm
Paradox Support & Sales
Diamond Sports Gems
www.diamondsg.com/gemsmain.htm
Sports Memorabilia and Trading Cards
"Frank M. Cook" < XXXX@XXXXX.COM >wrote in message

dBase files.
own paths but don't use "ordinary" windows folders. we've been putting our
data in our own path but that is what I'd call an ordinary folder. I don't
see the issue in some users not having rights to that folder. if a user
wants to create a rights system to limit access to our program, why should I
defeat that by putting my data in all users\application data?
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com
 

default.. the ability to put your own stuff under there depends on *many*
things under Vista..
it would be so much easier to say "don't use Vista".. but not everyone has
that option..
Diamond Software Group
www.diamondsg.com/main.htm
Paradox Support & Sales
Diamond Sports Gems
www.diamondsg.com/gemsmain.htm
Sports Memorabilia and Trading Cards
"Frank M. Cook" < XXXX@XXXXX.COM >wrote in message

there and not files that aren't special in some way. yes, I fully agree that
database files don't go under program files and for simplicity we've had
most of our Vista users install our whole program elsewhere.
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com
 

So far we are totally failing. We can open the BDE Administrator (which we
run as administrator) and we check the win3.1 box but whenever we try to
save the configuration file it says it can't write to it. we've tried
relocating the files and changing the registry keys but no matter what we do
the BDE Administrator seems be running itself from Program Files\Common
Files etc. unfortunately we're a 1000 miles from the customer. it feels
like something may have hardcoded the default location unless something is
getting lost trying to instruct the user over the phone. we may have to buy
a 64 bit machine to debug this but I hate to do that if this is hopeless.
does anyone know for sure whether it is possible to get the BDE to work
under 64 bit Vista?
if it can be done, I'll figure it out for this customer even if I have to
buy a computer here to test on. but if others have already been down this
road and failed, I'd sure like to know that now.
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com
 

Hi Frank,
to a migration project from BDE to dbExpress...
I'm 99% certain that the BDE will not work on 64-bit Windows Vista.
Groetjes,
Bob Swart
--
Bob Swart Training & Consultancy (eBob42.com) Forever Loyal to Delphi
CodeGear Technology Partner -- CodeGear RAD Studio Reseller (BeNeLux)
Delphi Win32 & .NET books on Lulu.com: stores.lulu.com/drbob42
Personal courseware + e-mail support www.ebob42.com/courseware
Blog: www.drbob42.com/blog - RSS: eBob42.com/weblog.xml
 

long term plan to migrate out and have even bought a Nexus license although
I suppose the CodeGear sale will eventually create other options if we wait
long enough. we're table driven so going to an SQL back end isn't our first
choice.
I suppose the last hope for this customer to avoid taking back this computer
would be to abandon his plan to use it as a server and make it a
workstation. perhaps then we could just edit the Registry on this computer
to tell it to run the BDE off a 32 bit server. that would push all the issue
of writing the config file to the other computer. we'd have to leave drive
letters off the registry entries (or use a subst on the other computer) to
get around the problem of having the files be in C: something on the server
and Z: something when we map in but it might work. however, I think this
customer has run out of time and is probably returning the computer as I
write this. he had until the close of business tonight to do so and last
time we called he was out so we think he's on his way to the store.
--
Frank M. Cook
 

on 64 bit Vista, the BDE itself does not work correctly.
--
Frank M. Cook
www.acsplus.com