Getting ancient software to run on XP - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: icon
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2015, 02:43:28 pm
content: HiI recently picked up an old Metrix multimeter (thread in Test Equipment) which can be calibrated and generally played with via an RS232 port. Macboy, of this parish, kindly pointed me to the software which is available to do this.I have an old XP machine for this sort of job, but unfortunately when I try to run the setup program, I get an error that says: 'Shadow - an error occurred in your application'. When I click close, I get a message about a general protection fault in module etc,.I've tried running it in Windows 95 and 98 compatibility modes - the software is from the late 90's.Any thoughts on getting crusty old software to run?ThanksJohn

author: smjcuk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2015, 02:53:47 pm
content: There is a big difference in memory management between 95/98 and XP. XP has fully protected memory whereas 95/98 had sort of half arsed memory protection. XP is killing the program because it's reading or writing to some memory the process doesn't own. This was common shoddy programming in that era.In this case, you'd probably be best using a virtual machine (virtualbox for example) with windows 95 installed in it and use the virtual serial port to forward it to the host machine's real serial port.If the installer is the only thing that is broken, after you've installed it on the 95 machine you may just be able to copy the directory to your host machine and it may work (50/50)

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 07, 2015, 02:55:30 pm
content: Post a copy of the software so people can give it a go.

author: icon
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2015, 03:03:13 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on May 07, 2015, 02:55:30 pmGood idea: Macboy pointed me to:http://www.bkprecision.com/downloads/software/AK5350.zipThanksJohn

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2015, 04:13:38 pm
content: http://sigrok.org/could be worth a try. Your bench meter isn't officially supported but two other 50000 count ones are so maybe they used the same protocol.

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2015, 04:28:59 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on May 07, 2015, 04:13:38 pmThat seems to support MX53 and MX56 (handheld cousins of this one) so it has a very good chance of working.I spoke too soon, I see that the status is "planned".

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 07, 2015, 04:32:38 pm
content: Quote from: macboy on May 07, 2015, 04:28:59 pmShame. But through what contact I've had the devs and community seem nice enough so having a word couldn't go amiss.

author: kc9qvl
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 03:08:08 am
content: Ok it installs and runs windows 98 under dosbox emulator. Windows 8.1 64bit host

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 04:21:10 am
content: The program runs for me in a virtual XP machine in Win7 x64.

author: icon
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 08:44:53 am
content: How infuriating! I'm sitting here looking at an actual, real-life XP machine, and I can't get to to go at all, despite trying every combination of compatibility settings (and none). Just a cryptic error message that google can't even find. I don't normally do this, but -Now I need to start researching how you set up a virtual machine. How very upsadding.John

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 12:12:58 pm
content: Just tried it on my real XP Professional SP3 Dell Vostro 400 machine and it installs ans runs fine:

author: icon
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 01:59:22 pm
content: After re-installing XP (not a phrase I expected to use this year), it's now working. I'll buy a serial cable and then try and remember what I was doing it for in the first place...J

author: smjcuk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 02:17:19 pm
content: All IT projects start with reinstalling windows

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 03:08:38 pm
content: Vertualbox, install XP and then copy the VM. Then use the VM and if it dies then copy the image again. works for me, though I tend to delete it after about 5 copies are made.

author: kfnight
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 08, 2015, 04:46:13 pm
content: Late 90s software is not ancient.