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	Replies: 4 - Last Post: Mar 22, 2018 9:19 PM Last Post By: Matthew Grayson

Matthew Grayson

Posts: 8
Registered: 12/26/02

Is getting an .exe that will run under XP no longer possible?

Posted: Mar 15, 2018 6:34 AM

win_xp , windows_xp , xp , xp_32 , 32 , bit , compatibility , exe_run , under_xp

Greetings all -
Platform: Builder 10.2 Version 25.0.29039.2004

Well I've only had this new compiler for about a few months and just this last week I managed to start messing with it. It has been a long while since I had upgraded - Builder 6 was my last (still have it installed) from way back in 2005 or so. And of course I still have XP machines. Why? To test on of course.

I have read as much as I can find on the following - and I expect the answer is probably no.

So this is the question - is there something I can do to make programs compiled with 10.2.2 in 32 bit run on an XP 32 bit machine?

I have gone through Project->Options->Compatibility and set true things that would seem to work. I've messed around with runtime packages and all sorts of other settings. I have the proper .bpl files local to the .exe on the xp machine - but I still get references to things like ws2_32.dll not being valid etc.

A good number of my target audience still use XP machinery and asking them to upgrade to win10 would be like freezing hades. Not to mention their hardware might just let out the magic smoke and croak.

They will have to get new machines or I will have to scrap Tokyo and go back to Builder 6.

Any suggestions or flat out boolean answers will do fine.

Thanks all for the input.

Atomkey ~

Remy Lebeau (Te...

Posts: 9,447
Registered: 12/23/01

Re: Is getting an .exe that will run under XP no longer possible?

Posted: Mar 15, 2018 9:20 AM

in response to: Matthew Grayson

Matthew Grayson wrote:

is there something I can do to make programs compiled with 10.2.2 in
32 bit run on an XP 32 bit machine?

It depends on what pieces you use. As the VCL has progressed over the
years, it has started using APIs that are not available in XP, and not
all of them are delay-loaded at runtime to maintain backwards
compatibility.

I have gone through Project->Options->Compatibility and set true
things that would seem to work.

That setting has nothing to do with OS compatibility, but is related to
compatibility with other compilers instead.

One thing you DO need to check, though, is the linker's Output settings
for OS version, make sure it is not set higher than 5.1, otherwise XP
will refuse to run the executable. The default used to be 4.0 (Win95),
but IIRC modern IDEs set it higher now to require Vista/Win7 by default
instead.

I still get references to things like ws2_32.dll not being valid etc.

What do you mean by "not being valid"? ws2_32.dll is the WinSock
library, and it exists in XP.

They will have to get new machines or I will have to scrap Tokyo and
go back to Builder 6.

Maybe. The last IDE version that officially supported developing
apps for XP was XE5.

--
Remy Lebeau (TeamB)

Matthew Grayson

Posts: 8
Registered: 12/26/02

Re: Is getting an .exe that will run under XP no longer possible?

Posted: Mar 18, 2018 9:34 PM

in response to: Remy Lebeau (Te...

TeamB:

Thanks for the reply -

Hmm - I thought as much. I created a form with a single label and button and event to change a label's text. Compiled for win32 and win64 for testing on different versions of windows. Failed win32 (64 of course) on XP (32). I don't think it will fly. But I will try a few more things.

One thing you DO need to check, though, is the linker's Output settings
for OS version, make sure it is not set higher than 5.1, otherwise XP
will refuse to run the executable. The default used to be 4.0 (Win95),
but IIRC modern IDEs set it higher now to require Vista/Win7 by default
instead.

That's good to know for certain. I thought maybe - but having it said explicitly is a help. Thank you.

What do you mean by "not being valid"? ws2_32.dll is the WinSock
library, and it exists in XP.

The win32 test program will run up to that point and stop with a exception when it want's to look in there for some reason. I have no clue why a simple form with just a button and a label wants it, but it's looking in there for something...

Maybe. The last IDE version that officially supported developing
apps for XP was XE5.

Well - I won't 'scrap' Tokyo of course - I mean just for the specifics of trying to satisfy end user needs in this one case. I have however run into several crashes with Tokyo just in the process of adding and deleting VCL items to forms. Maybe just me but it seems like all the kinks aren't worked out just yet. See another post in the forum for the drive drop down box. And I had it repeatedly happen with the trayicon under additional. But I had that happen in borland 6 too.

Thanks again for the input as always.
I'm going to leave this question open for a while longer to see if there are further comments.

Remy Lebeau (Te...

Posts: 9,447
Registered: 12/23/01

Re: Is getting an .exe that will run under XP no longer possible?

Posted: Mar 19, 2018 11:59 AM

in response to: Matthew Grayson

Matthew Grayson wrote:

The win32 test program will run up to that point and stop with a
exception when it want's to look in there for some reason. I have no
clue why a simple form with just a button and a label wants it, but
it's looking in there for something...

No, it doesn't. It shouldn't even be linking to that library at all.
So something else is going on.

--
Remy Lebeau (TeamB)

Matthew Grayson

Posts: 8
Registered: 12/26/02

Re: Is getting an .exe that will run under XP no longer possible?

Posted: Mar 22, 2018 9:19 PM

in response to: Remy Lebeau (Te...

TeamB:

Yeah I figured. Just haven't chased that rabbit down as yet.
I've run into that before on the test machine though, so it's likely an issue there.

Thanks as always.

No, it doesn't. It shouldn't even be linking to that library at all.
So something else is going on.

--
Remy Lebeau (TeamB)

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