On our PC (under Windows XP there is MiKTeX, and it have been working well for many years. However, several month ago, after installing the latest version (setup from 09/16/2017), dvipdfmx stopped working reporting something like 'it is not win32 application'. It has been appeared that the problem is arisen by mgs.exe (ghostscript for MiKTeX). The first thought was that a 64-bit version of mgs.exe was mistakenly included into 32-bit MiKteX. However, it is appeared not the bug: MiKTeX team says that it is worked under 32-bit Windows 7.
I do know that officially MiKTeX now requires Windows 7 or higher (so, XP is not supported). However. it was perfectly well until the latest update, and even now latex.exe, yap.exe and others still work. So, the question: is it possible to go the problem around within XP?
Without knowing what the actual problem is, its impossible to offer any advice. When quoting errors it is important to quote the exact error message.
"Something like 'it is not win32 application'" is not precise enough.
This is also not a Ghostscript question, because 'mgs.exe' isn't Ghostscript, its clearly a fork of some kind.
My guess is that its the fact you are using an ancient version of Windows, most likely the application is no longer compatible with such an old version, possibly because whoever built it is using a newer version of Visual Studio.
In order to build Ghostscript for Windows XP I think you need to use Visual Studio 2005 or earlier, a more recent version will create an executable that will not run on Windows XP.
The only solution to this would be to build 'mgs.exe' with an older version of Visual Studio, or try the pre-built executable 'gswin32.exe' which is available from the ghostscript.com website in the downloads section. Obviously that's not the same as mgs.exe, but I can't help you with a fork since I have no clue what's been done.
The first thing to try is running 'mgs.exe' from the command line, if that fails to work then its almost certainly because the developer who built it used too recent a version of Visual Studio.
If this is the case then no, you can't fix it within Windows XP, you need to do one of:
1) Upgrade to a newer OS
2) Downgrade your MikTeX and live with the older version until you are prepared to upgrade your OS.
3) Rebuild 'mgs.exe' yourself using an old version of Visual Studio. This could be challenging because I can't find anywhere on the MikTeX website where they make the source files available. I've been to their Github repository and I can't find anything from Ghostscript there either. I'm going to have to contact the developers, they are not using a stock version of Ghostscript, they do not appear to make their revisions available, ansd although they correctly reference Ghostscript as AGPL I cannot see anywhere in the install or their Github repository which lists Artifex as the owner or points to the Artifex website. They also don't copy the Licence or readme files (slapped wrists for them).
I was going to try using the regular Ghostscript instead of the modified version, but I don't have know anything about MikTeX so I have no way of testing whether that works. It looks to me like it probably would, since it appears that MikTeX forks Ghostscript as a process. So copying and renaming the 64-bit Windows version of Ghostscript's binaries would probably work.
As you note, the developers state themselves that they no longer support Windows XP.
I'm trying to install Visual Studio 2005 on a Windows 7 box but am repeatedly getting the same error. When I run the installer it starts to run then pops up with a message saying:
"A problem has been encountered while loading the setup components. Canceling setup."
Various suggestions has said that maybe the install is corrupted so I downloaded a fresh copy of the ISO from MSDN today, same issue. Another suggestion is that installing from the ISO may be the issue so I extracted the contents of the ISO to a folder on my HDD, same issue. I have also tried running the files as administrator and in XP compatability mode, same issue.
Searching for this issue the most common responses I've found have been about installing SP1, however I cannot get the base product to install and therefore cannot apply SP1.
Does anyone have any further suggestions as to what I can do to fix this issue and get VS2005 installed? If anyone wants any log files of any variety I am happy to supply so long as you tell me where to look as I'm not sure.
As for why I am using VS2005 and not a newer product, it is required for the ongoing support and maintenance of some older applications we manage. These cannot be easily migrated to a newer version of Visual Studio without some considerable investment of time and that would probably be longer than the time it will take to develop newer, replacement applications (which is currently in progress). Until the new applications are available though we need to maintain an environment to use.
Did you try running setup.exe in compatibility mode with Windows XP? Some discussion here on how to do this.
Another alternative since you alluded to having an MSDN subscription. Download Windows XP and install it into a VM. (If HyperV isn't already in installed with your Win7, you can add it from Control Panel->Programs&Features->Turn Windows Features on/off). Then install VS2005 from there.
It seems that it is impossible to find an image of Windows XP Professional x86 checked build. But I still need to support the software and do my work for that system. :(
Yes, I know that I can install only the checked kernel on the free build, but I still want to have a checked system, not a mix of the two.
Solutions, anyone?
UPDATE: It appears it is not clear from the question itself that what I am looking for is the installation image itself (an ISO image), so I can have the full checked build of the OS installed. NOT the service packs. NOT x64 image.
UPDATE 2: Why calling MS won't help: see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/ff723773.aspx after "Products Unavailable due to Java-related Settlement".
UPDATE 3: See http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/wdk/thread/5fa40892-8207-425a-8866-0fcaebb0c343 -- someone suggests that "The only install disk of a checked XP was the release, i.e. no service packs. MSDN and Technet distributions had the disk as one of the set." Does anybody here have those disks? Seems that ours were lost in the sands of time.
UPDATE 4: Narrowed it down to a MSDN CD named "Windows® XP Professional Checked/Debug Build (English)", disc 1013, volume label X08-48914, dated October 2001. Anyone has that one?..
I bet that if you support your software to work in Windows Server 2003 then your software will also work in Windows XP, even though Microsoft's debugging symbols differ. You can install the checked build of Windows Server 2003 RTM, add the optional component for desktop experience, and it will be approximately the same as Windows XP with SP1 with some increased security. Checked build service packs are available for Windows Server 2003. So you can approximate every service pack version of Windows XP except for Windows XP RTM.
Checked versions are only available in English. You can install an MUI pack but the result is not identical to an actual Russian version of Windows. You'll have to test your software again in the actual version of Windows that your customers use, and that will not be a checked version.
These files are downloadable from MSDN:
en_windows_server_2003_enterprise_chk.iso
en_windows_server_2003_enterprise_x64_chk.iso
(The first paragraph was edited to mention that the Windows Server 2003 RTM download is also a checked build. Of course the download would be useless otherwise.)
I just got some VM software installed on my MacBook in order to have a test suite for cross-compatibility on websites etc. I need to be able to test for Internet Explorer 7 and 8.
Am I right in assuming I should install both Windows XP (with IE7) and Windows 7 (with IE8) to get the most optimal setup?
the result of testing the website with ie7 and ie8 doesn't depend on the windows version only on the browser version.
You can also run the ie8 in the compatibility mode but I made the experience that the result of ie7 and ie8 compatibility mode is not 100% the same.
VS6 popped off a series of errors before bombing out completely during install on Windows 7. I specifically need to get VB6 functioning on Windows 7. Anyone having any luck?
Folks on the VB6 newsgroup report they have managed to get it working on Windows 7.
There's this step-by-step guide on how to install the IDE on Windows 7 (including 64 bit).
If that doesn't work (scrapes barrel) try this old tip about persuading the install not to install the Java VM? Link is now broken so here is the tip:
Before trying to install VB6. Create a new file, name it msjava.dll and place it in your windows directory. The file can be zero length. You can then happily install without the prompt to install an old version of Microsoft's flavour of Java. Once you have installed VB6, delete the msjava.dll otherwise windows update will prompt you to update it.
Or (scrapes hole in barrel) these tips from an article about getting the IDE working on Vista?
Footnote: if developing with ADO, be aware of this.
The only way I've found that works is Windows XP mode (i.e. a virtual machine). Works fine there, but otherwise, not at all.
I found ALL the answers in a thread at vbmonster.com. As mentioned above, you CAN install Visual Studio 6 with Service Pack 6 under Windows 7 by following Derek's detailed instructions at fortypoundhead.com.
I had a problem because I needed to install Service Pack 5. I use a third party program that does not work with Service Pack 6. A really smart programmer (GuideX) came up with a great hack to get around the MDAC 2.5 error.
Win 7 64 bit service pack 5 & 6. Turn compatability off and it seems to work.
Recently I had to debug an ancient application written in Visual C++ 6.0 on Windows 8.1. Tried different solutions all of them failed, only this one worked.
This guys made a special installer that allows installing VC++6, VB6, and SP6 on Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 without any errors whatsoever.
Hope it would be helpful to someone.
I installed VB6 on Windows 7 Pro without having to use compatibility settings or run as administrator.
Doesn't really help you, but does show that it can work.
Several people in my office have installed Visual Studio 6 (without VC++) on Windows 7, both 32-bit and 64-bit with no problems. The one thing we have in common: we've all turned UAC down to it's lowest setting. Nothing else special required.
I am using vb6 on windows 7 32 bit system for a long time.
you will need to install your vb6 with compatibility of xp2.
Create a 0-byte file in the C:\Windows directory called msjava.dll.
Don't just install via the Autorun executable; instead browse the Visual Studio 6 CD (or folder), right-click Setup.exe and select Run As Administrator.
On any Program Compatibility Assistant warnings, click Run Program.
Step through the setup screens until you're able to choose Custom Setup, then click next.
On the setup options, install the following items and nothing else:
Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0
ActiveX
Data Access
Graphics
Click continue and the process will start, and (hopefully) eventually complete.
Skip the installations of the MSDN CD, BackOffice, VSS and SNA Server, and clear the checkbox for "Register Now". Setup should be complete.
Download the VB6 Service Pack 6 from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/confirmation.aspx?FamilyID=A8494EDB-2E89-4676-A16A-5C5477CB9713&displaylang=en and install.
Change the compatibility settings for Visual Basic (to get it to run a little more smoothly under Windows 7) by browsing to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VB98, right-clicking the VB6.exe file, and selecting properties.
On the Compatibility tab, check the following:
Run this program in compatibility mode for Windows XP (Service Pack 3)
Disable Visual Themes
Disable Desktop Composition
Disable display scaling on high DPI settings
When you start up the IDE, you may get a notification saying that the color scheme has been changed to Windows 7 Basic, but it will be changed back to Aero once you exit. Everything should be working fine at this point!
Note: when you first run your new install vb6 run it with admin rights and with xp2 compatibility so that your exe can run on any system.
The word "supported" is used loosely in this thread, potentially leading the unwary reader to the conclusion that Microsoft supports the VB6 IDE (that is, the integrated development environment) on operating systems beyond Windows XP. This fact clearly is stated in the table that appears on the page at this link:
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/nikosan/2012/04/20/support-statement-for-visual-basic-6-0-on-windows-8-updated/
Note that executables developed using VB6 are in fact compatible with Windows OS's from Windows XP through Windows 10--32/64-bit versions:
https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2015/06/22/getting-ready-for-windows-10-sdks-compatibility-bridges/
Anyone using non-standard methods to coax the IDE into working on OS's that Microsoft does not support is exposing themselves/their organizations/their employers to risk and is not suitable for risk-averse organizations.
Having said that, I think the purest solution is to install Windows XP onto a virtual machine and run that VM in a modern host OS, such as Windows 10. That works just fine, and you can install directly from the VB6 Setup disc without making any pre-install/post-install customizations.
I had a Vista x64 box with a working copy of the VB6 IDE (which was supported). I upgraded the OS to Windows 7 x64 and the VB6 IDE still works fine. You could try that. I know, a huge PITA and kludgy but still, it worked for me.
I run Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit, installed Windows Virtual PC - XP Mode, and that solved my problem isince I can run MSDEV 6.0 in the XP Window.
Not esay to install XP Mode though, the MS site is buggy.
The VB6 programming language is supported on the Windows 10 Technical Preview.
Visual Vasic 6 applications run and the VB6 IDE installs and works too.
I have the VB6 IDE running OK on Win-XP-16, Win-7-32, Win-7-64, Win-8.1-32, Win-8.1-64, win-10-32 and win-10-64 by using the instructions above which basically say, turn off UAC, run the installer AS ADMIN, and then set the VB6.exe file to run in XP-SP3 Compatibility mode.
I have had some issues with it and have had to do a bit more googling to solve these but I don't remember any more what those issues or solutions were.
I've even got the VB3 IDE running on the 32-bit versions of XP, Win-7, Win 8.1 and Win-10 - without even installing them - just copied the C:\VB folder from another computer and copied the *.LIC license files and *.VBX etc files as well.
I have successfully installed vb6 on win 7 32 bit by installing xp first then installing new win 7, (not upgrade), and do not format. then it will install vb6 without a problem
It's depending on your build version of Windows 7.
If your Win7's version is lower or is not updated, it has MANY PROBLEMS with compatibility.
But mine is newer Win7 version and has NO COMPATIBILITY TROUBLE.
I am currently using VB6 , VS6 and they still work fine!
If Properties->Compatibility->Windows XP doesn't help, fix it with UPDATING your Win7.