VIsta IE5 / IE7 problem...

I need a new laptop - my old ones are getting slow unreliable. To test what
I need to use, I'm trying to install my COBOL compiler from a CD to my Vista
Home Premium - pre- SP1. I get the error "Before you can install Net
Express, you must install Internet Explorer 5.0 or above." I am, of course,
running IE7, as I am on XP Pro machines that do not have this issue, so it
is some kind of Vista incompatibility. Since I cannot buy a laptop with XP
Pro, what can I do? I don't want a newer version of my COBOL - mine works
fine and a new one would be $4,000 or more. TIA, Paul

1) I don't know anything about COBOL but if you bought Vista you should have
a support episode from MSFT. If I remember correctly, Rick Rodgers gave you
one for SP1 and maybe they can help you.

2) You always have the option as I showed you if you make some space on your
drive of making a new partition the way I showed you and installing XP.

Is there anybody you can contact @ COBOL to research Vista compatibility?

Good luck,

CH

"Paul H" <> wrote in message
news:C45E94DB-EB5B-41E9-8DF9-...
> I need a new laptop - my old ones are getting slow unreliable. To test
> what
> I need to use, I'm trying to install my COBOL compiler from a CD to my
> Vista
> Home Premium - pre- SP1. I get the error "Before you can install Net
> Express, you must install Internet Explorer 5.0 or above." I am, of
> course,
> running IE7, as I am on XP Pro machines that do not have this issue, so it
> is some kind of Vista incompatibility. Since I cannot buy a laptop with
> XP
> Pro, what can I do? I don't want a newer version of my COBOL - mine works
> fine and a new one would be $4,000 or more. TIA, Paul
>

Hi. . .


It may be a problem with file permissions. Is this the Net Express
product - 'Micro Focus Net Express - Micro Focus'
(http://microfocus.com/products/netexpress/) ??

If so, the docs mention using the directory *\Documents and
Settings\All Users*\.... There is no \D and S in Vista - it is
*c:\users\All Users*. However, Vista has "Junctions" that take care of
installing and executing programs looking for \D & S by re-directing
them to \users in Vista.

Are you running Vista x64 or x86? How old is the product - i.e., what
is the timestamp on the drivers that would be installed into Vista?
Vista x64 requires all drivers to be signed.

A few things to try - run the install at an elevated administrative
level. Right-click on the icon and select Run as Admin. Next see if the
XP compatibility mode can be selected via the Properties tab.
Right-click on icon, select Properties, select Compatibility. Check the
box for XP SP2.

The biggest guns for last - activate the Vista hidden Administrator
account. This account is equal to the 2-token admin in XP. I would not
advise using this account on a continuous basis unless there is a normal
admin account that logs on daily as well. There are tasks the hidden
admin can't do and tasks that won't occur while logged onto the hidden
admin account such as install certain Windows Updates. But it may be an
answer for you under Vista - so go ahead and activate it:

START | type cmd.exe into the start search box | right-click on cmd.exe
above under programs - select run as admin. Then type this into the
black cmd prompt/DOS screen:

Code:
--------------------

*Net user administrator /active:yes*
--------------------


Now logoff your account and the user account named Administrator will
be waiting for you. Click on it - but beware that if you set a password
for it and lose it, you will most likely end up re-installing Vista.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

..


--
jcgriff2

On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:30:16 -0600, "Paul H"
<> wrote:

>I need a new laptop - my old ones are getting slow unreliable. To test what
>I need to use, I'm trying to install my COBOL compiler from a CD to my Vista
>Home Premium - pre- SP1. I get the error "Before you can install Net
>Express, you must install Internet Explorer 5.0 or above." I am, of course,
>running IE7, as I am on XP Pro machines that do not have this issue, so it
>is some kind of Vista incompatibility. Since I cannot buy a laptop with XP
>Pro, what can I do? I don't want a newer version of my COBOL - mine works
>fine and a new one would be $4,000 or more. TIA, Paul

My suspicion would be that the Cobol install is looking for some
specific identifier to tell it that I5 or higher is installed. Perhaps
it's a registry key. But, whatever it is, that item doesn't exist in
Vista or is returning a value it doesn't understand, so the install
code falls through to a default message.

Unless you can find what it's looking for as an identifier, I think
you might be hosed. Perhaps there's a support group for the compiler
where someone has figured it out?

That's a very good tip Bob that I hadn't seen. I'll file that away for
future use.

Thanks.

CH

"Bob Campbell" <> wrote in message
news: m...
> "Chad Harris" <> wrote in message
> news:un$...
>> 1) I don't know anything about COBOL but if you bought Vista you should
>> have a support episode from MSFT. If I remember correctly, Rick Rodgers
>> gave you one for SP1 and maybe they can help you.
>>
>> 2) You always have the option as I showed you if you make some space on
>> your drive of making a new partition the way I showed you and installing
>> XP.
>
> He should also try running the installer in XP SP2 compatibility mode.
> This has worked for me for several software packages that complained when
> installing on Vista. After installing, then set the exe icon to also
> run in XP compatibility mode.

Thanks, Bob... I replied to "HeyBub" in the comp.lang.cobol news group:

"Bob Campbell" suggested on the "Microsoft.public.windows.vista.general"
newsgroup:

He should also try running the installer in XP SP2 compatibility mode. This
has worked for me for several software packages that complained when
installing on Vista. After installing, then set the exe icon to also run
in XP compatibility mode.

It worked, but some security/licensing problems arose. In XP Pro, I've been
able to load the software to run for a 30 day trial. I give up - Dual Boot
here I come...

===================

"HeyBub" <> wrote in message
news: m...
Paul H wrote:
> "Paul H" <> wrote in message
> news:49112005$0$20972$ ...
> My last Windows XP laptop is dying. I'll buy a new laptop, but of
> course it will have Vista Home Premium. Will my MicroFocus Net
> Express 3.1 work there? TIA, Paul
>
> ========================
>
> Good suggestions - I've struggled with Vista Home Premium on an Acer
> for two years. Since I posted this query I bought a Compaq today
> with Home Premium and SP1. I do like many of the Vista features.
> I'll make it a dual-boot machine if I have to, so I'd have XP Pro for
> my NETX 3.1.
>
> The problem when I try to install on Vista is that it says it must
> have IE5 or higher, and refuses to continue the install. Since I'm
> using IE7, of course, it's some Vista flaw. Maybe Microsoft will
> help me. I've heard that they will relent and help people with OEM
> versions Vista issues.

It's not a Vista flaw - it's a flaw in the installer. The installer checks
for IE version and doesn't recognize the designation used by Microsoft for
IE7. From the Microsoft Developer Network:

"Several typical browser detection techniques fail when they encounter
Internet Explorer 7. For example, some sites that look great when viewed in
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 might display errors when viewed in Internet
Explorer 7. This is not caused by any problems with Internet Explorer 7; it
happens because the browser detection code is not designed for newer
versions of the browser."

There might be a hack/circumvention for defective installers.

On Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:30:16 -0600, "Paul H"
<> wrote:

>I need a new laptop - my old ones are getting slow unreliable. To test what
>I need to use, I'm trying to install my COBOL compiler from a CD to my Vista
>Home Premium - pre- SP1. I get the error "Before you can install Net
>Express, you must install Internet Explorer 5.0 or above." I am, of course,
>running IE7, as I am on XP Pro machines that do not have this issue, so it
>is some kind of Vista incompatibility. Since I cannot buy a laptop with XP
>Pro, what can I do? I don't want a newer version of my COBOL - mine works
>fine and a new one would be $4,000 or more. TIA, Paul

Have you tried installing Net Express ?