Windows 7 Home Premium

[rleunis]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Thanks Charles!

I also upgraded to Windows 7 recently and and V9 did not run anymore.

I can now run my V9 under Windows 7 again using you suggestions to run it in compatibility mode for Windows Vista SP2.

regards, Ron

[CharlesK]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Whoa. I'm using Windows 7 Home Premium and I'm running Alpha5 Version 8 Professional Edition (not the application server version). There is a bit of confusion about the compatibility mode. I am not using the XP compatibility mode (virtualization) which only comes with Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate. Rather, I'm telling Windows 7 to run Alpha5 Version 8 as if I'm running Windows Vista. This setting is found by right-clicking the shortcut to Alpha5 Version 8 in the start menu, then left-clicking on Properties.

Here's a screen shot of the properties tab:



If the image link doesn't work, it's http://www.ckistler.us/a5v8.jpg

Just click Run this program in compatibility mode for and choose Vista SP2.

Hopefully this will clear up some confusion.

[martinwcole]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Bill, I don't think he can install it on Home Premium - he will have to upgrade to at least 7 Professional

be interesting to see if 4.5 will run with it

[Steve Wood]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Kevin - I think I was too harsh earlier. There are definitely two groups up here - those deep in to Alpha to earn their living, where we HAVE to keep up no matter the cost. The other group is trying to maintain existing systems, and occassionally build new systems, but the focus is on the existing systems and running your business.

I'm part of the first group and it is harder to complain about incremental cost, it's just part of the cost of building a business. And Alpha really gives me a lot back due to my focus. But I can see how it would be more painful, more annoying really if I were focused on maintaining an existing system, especially given the changes in OS forced upon us.

[Bill Parker]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

If you have any recent AMD chip, or an Intel chip with "virtulization technology" enabled, then you can run Win 7 with XP Mode and Virtual PC. This should solve most all compatibility issues, but I don't know what version number the operating system returns. Go to www.microsoft.com/virtualpc

Bill.

[aRob]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Could Alpha Software please put a 'sticky' post, somewhere in the forum, explaining how to configure Win 7 and the various versions of Alpha so that legacy applications work 'flawlessly'? That way the same Win 7 questions would not need to be asked and answered repeatedly.

[robert]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Did Donjan ever get a reply from Alpha and was the problem resolved?
It would seem that if he installed V8 or 9 with his legitimate serial number, the licensing shouldn't have been an issue.

I thought you could run legacy programs either in compatibility mode or virtual XP with Win 7.

[NickH214]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

I have no idea what you problem is. Alpha 5 V9 works just fine on my Toshiba Laptop with Windows 7 Home premium. There was one minor glitch with the Amunyi print driver for creating pdfs, but someone posted a fix for that on this bulletin board.

I do have one program that absolutely refused to run on Windows 7 - MICROSOFT Streets and Trips 2007. Microft technical support had no solution but Microsoft was gracious enough to provide me with a copy of the 2009 version which is compatible with Windows 7.

I think that it interesting that Alpha's legacy software runs flawlessly on Windows 7 while Microft's legacy software chokes.

[MikeC]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Also to try and make sure other users are aware---IE8 also has a compatibility view....for one or all websites. Which means it also is NOT an issue that should be a show stopper. That is, if it indeed works--am curious if it does for sure for whatever problems are found due to IE8.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956197

[pewtu]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Following all the posts regarding my comments it has now become obvious. Quite a few years ago I purchased Alpha as it was advertised as easy to use and affordable. Both criteria were met and it was with Alpha that I developed my first relational database. In fact i still use it, but that is because it is DOS based. A case of 'if it is not broke, do not fix it'. Then a Windows based Alpha came about and I purchased that and developed applications. If needed, beacuse of advanced features, I upgraded and paid for versions of Alpha. Perhaps good marketing such as free previous version of Alpha on the front of a magazine with a time restricted version of the latest release and I paid/upgraded to that. But data is historic. It seems as if Alpha is no longer the dbm that is aimed at me as a customer. originally it was easy to use and priced at my market and wallet. Although the former may well, and perhaps I wold say IS, true. The latter is not.
Others can show that will have to spend $1000's or �1000's on other software to cope withh Windows 7. But that is not what I am saying. In my case, when migrating to Vista, the only package I had to upgrade was Alpha. I was warned by Alpha that although my version 'appeared' to work with Vista data integity could not be assured. well for a dbm system, data integrity is important.
Alpha is ideal for me with reagrd to easy of use for what I do. Over the years it seems as if it has matured to a product which is no longer aimed at me and the market which I represent. Perhaps 'con' a word I used in a previous post was too strong. I have missed the point. For whatever reason, be it Alphas change of target market or a reason which I am sure you can enlighten, Alpha maybe is not for me.
Now after a further week of migrating I can report that I have met an application that does not work with Windows 7 or to be more precise IE8. Its a free application so that I can print postage stamps supplied by Royal Mail. To date, all my commercial applications work or a patch has been downloaded.
Of course I also read that if I did pay for Alpha V10, I quote Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Wood
I can absolutely guarantee you that NO application will upgrade to V10 with out some modification.

I am afraid that, as I stated earlier that Alpha was/is easy to use, my code perhaps was not ideal so the thought of having to modify my applicaton to get it to qwork in V10 is another reason why not to follow that route.

[csda1]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Hi Steve,

I can absolutely guarantee you that NO application will upgrade to V10 with out some modification.

While sometimes there are modifications required, very careful planning (requires some degree of being psychic - in other words choosing the best functions and methods to use) and good code can work through many versions. My CSDA Code Utility required no new code. The install changed a bit as to the best directories that it went to, but everything else continued to work. There were specific maintenance releases that introduced bugs, but that was temporary until they fixed those.

The web side has changed more extensively, and probably does need modifications in general.

To upgrade to V10 without modification would also be a complete waste of money. You want to modify your application when you upgrade to V10.

On the web side, that is definitely true. There are just too many improvements not to take advantage of them. The desktop may not justify the improvements vs new development costs. But there are many free improvements where code run's faster without any application changes.

[Steve Wood]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Your statements do show a sense of entitlement. My answers are, pay the money if you want to upgrade, or just don't upgrade anything, stay exactly where you are so there is no cost, if that's what is important to you. I 'give' Alpha about a thousand dollars every couple years for upgrades to Alpha or software related to Alpha upgrades. There are plenty of other applications that must be upgraded to run on Windows 7, and at a much higher cost than Alpha. Adobe CS3 will cost me about $600.

No one has yet been able to say if an application developed in V8 will run without modification in V10.

This is an entitlement statement. As suggested, search this board, but it is your job to figure this out because the true answer is upgrading an app from V7, 8 9 entirely depends on the application. Someone else reporting 'success' on their particular application means very little.

I can absolutely guarantee you that NO application will upgrade to V10 with out some modification. To upgrade to V10 without modification would also be a complete waste of money. You want to modify your application when you upgrade to V10.

[MikeC]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Kevin,
When you settle down and clear your mind perhaps you will understand.

First, I do not have Windows7 of any version. But can go by what Microsoft and others say about it....if they are incorrect I apologize now upfront for contradicting you.

But until then for many other new users who may view this thread I want to state what many here most likely feel is obvious so that they are not misled.

What you have stated about compatibility is false. A 30 second search on Google on compatibility for windows7 Home showed this to me. Your version, according to the first 4 hits on Google I got, has the compatibility mode. Now if you needed XP Mode for some reason that is an entirely different case.

Regarding whether v8 will need tweaks---did you search the messageboard--I got tons of hits. The result (and was expected!) is that some will and some won't need the tweaking to make it work. There is no way to know until you try it (30-day trial maybe?).

The reason the "Entitlement" issue came up was the obvious lack of due diligence on your part to do the rudimentary research I have just done in a matter of less than 10 minutes.

[pewtu]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

I have not said I am'entitled' nor have I used the words 'my right' as I have very few 'rights'. I did say that I feel I have been 'con'd'. The reason for this is that this is the second time time this has happened. People are quick enough to blame Microsoft for everything. Alpha's answer was to spend $174 to upgrade, another way round as has been suggested is to upgrade Windows7 to 'Professional' and use the compatability mode, cost? an extra $30 (�17 in my case)over Home standard version. It has been suggested for Alpha to offer a patch at a nominal cost, that I would perhaps go for. Looks as if Microsoft will be getting an extra few $'s from me and Alpha lost.
One puzzle is that V8 seems to run in Windows 7 untill you try and load a database. The message then appears that I am not licenced to run in this operating system, not that it will not work. It is suggesting that I need to obtain a licence, not a whole new application.
No one has yet been able to say if an pplication developed in V8 will run without modification in V10.

[gagsoft]

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium

Just to add my few cent’s worth, A couple of years ago, and I do not want to give my age away here. I worked for a company that commission a major logistical system that was written for manufacturing. The network operating system was an early version of Novell. Then a new version of Novell got released and implemented. Some of the software that ran perfectly on the earlier version of Novell did not function at all. They called in the software developers and asked for an explanation. The person giving the presentation then said that they could not foresee that later versions of the network operating system would have such an effect on the software. The debate got a bit heated and than he said: To put it bluntly, we do not employ psychics. But in Kevin’s defense, I would say that the company should provide a patch at a nominal fee or a workaround. That to me, makes good business sense. That of course depend on how long after the last version was released. That in itself can spark a major debate on how long after the last release, it should be supported. A good example is QuickBooks which I purchsed in 2005 and I am still getting updates.

Peter Gagiano