Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
More info?)
RobertVA wrote:
> george2002 wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I am trying to restore a friend's computer and I am running into
>> nothing but headaches! He insists on using a very old accounting
>> program. I have gotten the program to work under XP but can configure
>> the printer. The program is called Zebra (however, I doubt anyone
>> remembers it.) I get an error message about the printer in recognizing
>> the fonts. Does anyone know where I could find information about
>> getting such an ancient program to print in XP. Oh it will save the
>> unprinted spreadsheet to a txt file . . . but the columns come out
>> wrong. I can't convince the guy to get a newer program . . . any ideas?
>>
>> Thank you, George
>
>
> Some older programs just WOUN'T get along with newer operating systems.
> In some cases these applications are designed to comunicate directly
> with peripherals like modems or printers and by design Windows XP WILL
> NOT TOLERATE THAT. To coordinate the allocation of peripheral and other
> resources the OS MUST be givin the oportunity to handle ALL the data
> transfers between applications and the various hardware resources.
> Tolerance of applications bypassing the OS was behind many of the
> problems of earlier operating systems.
>
> While Windows XP has a lot of similarities to Windows 9x/ME it IS a
> DIFFERENT operating system. There are even more differences between
> Windows XP and Windows 3.x/WFWG under DOS.
>
> Solutions:
>
> Run the old program on a computer running an earlier OS. Run Windows XP
> on a seperate computer. As an alternate the hard drives could be mounted
> in remoavable cartrages than can be swapped, with the computer powered
> down, to determine which OS is to be booted.
>
> Set up a computer with multiple OS bootups. This may require the removal
> of ALL information from the hard drive and installing the earlier OS
> BEFORE installing Windows XP. Some Windows XP instalation CDs produced
> by computer manufacturers may be unable to accommidate this procedure.
> Unfortunately some late model printers might not be available when
> running the earlier OS version. On the other hand ink or toner supplies
> might not be available for older printers.
>
> Investigate the feasability of resolving the column misalignment issues
> when exporting to a text file. You may be able to use a comma delimited
> format that can be imported to a Windows XP compatable spreadsheet
> application OR configure the older application to print a fixed width
> font like Courier with spaces instead of tabs. Of course the Windows XP
> compatable application you import the text file into must be configured
> to display and print in a fixed width font as well.
>
> Replace the application with a Windows XP compatable one. Replacing an
> old application may be complicated by issues involving data file
> forwarding. Consider the fact that by many accounting standards the old
> application has probably depreciated to zero financial value. The
> purchase price of the new application might provide new oportunities for
> a depreciation expense.
Hi Robert,
One important fact I left out was that the program WAS PRINTING under XP
until I started messing with the system! Now it fails to print and he is
upset with me. It doesn't matter to him that his system was never
running very well before I started working on it . . . he wants to be
able to print with the program as before. I should have NEVER started
work on his system! I have been working on it for weeks. I am so
thankful for the help that I have gotten from this group.
George
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